Mustang 1968-2 bbl “A” code-by MCF Charles

Built entirely by one owner in a home garage and driveway, this 1968 Mustang started as a rust-free 289 two-barrel A-code car and emerged with a period-correct-looking 302 V8 swap, a custom twin front sway bar setup, and Spring Time Yellow paint. The goal was a reliable daily driver capable of real track days, not just cruise nights. Read on to find out what else went into the build.

Most restomod stories involve a shop, a budget spreadsheet, and someone else’s labor. This one involves a garage, a driveway, and a builder who apparently invented his own front sway bar arrangement because the parts he wanted didn’t exist yet. The car started life as an unremarkable 1968 Mustang with a small two-barrel 289 under the hood, rescued rust-free out of southern Virginia. What it turned into, through years of solo work, tells a very different story about what a daily-driven muscle car can actually be.

A Rust-Free Start From Southern Virginia

This build began life as an ordinary 1968 Mustang, originally fitted with a small 289-cubic-inch V8 running a two-barrel carburetor, factory-coded as an A-code car, wearing Meadowlark Yellow paint over a black standard interior with the optional center console. The owner sourced the car from southern Virginia specifically because it came rust-free, a critical starting point for any restoration since fighting corrosion eats into a build budget faster than almost anything else. From that clean foundation, the owner handled the entire restoration personally, working out of a home garage and driveway rather than farming the project out to a shop.

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Every Panel Stripped and Repainted by Hand

The bodywork on this Mustang was done entirely by the owner, from stripping the original paint down to bare metal through prepping, priming, and finally painting the car in 1967 Spring Time Yellow, a slightly deeper, more saturated shade chosen specifically over the factory Meadowlark for what the owner describes as more yellow pop. A complete upholstery kit and headliner came from Laurel Mustangs, a well-known reproduction parts supplier for this generation of car, along with replacement bumpers, emblems, and interior bright trim pieces. A new windshield rounded out the glass work, closing out what amounts to a full cosmetic restoration handled start to finish by one person.

Suspension Work That Went Beyond the Catalog

Rather than simply bolting on off-the-shelf suspension parts, the owner relocated the upper control arms and designed a custom twin front sway bar arrangement, a genuinely unusual modification for a first-generation Mustang and one that speaks to a builder more interested in how the car actually handles than in checking boxes on a parts list. KYB HP gas shocks round out the suspension, chosen for predictable damping control rather than outright stiffness. The result, in the owner’s own words, is a car that carves corners far better than its 1968 underpinnings would suggest, a claim backed up by the car’s intended use for genuine track days rather than just cruise nights.

A Modern V8 Wearing a Period Disguise

Rather than chasing a numbers-matching 289 rebuild, the owner sourced a 1997 Ford Explorer’s 302-cubic-inch V8, complete with its factory roller camshaft and GT-spec cylinder heads, a popular and cost-effective swap among first-generation Mustang builders for good reason. The engine was dressed deliberately to look period-correct for 1968, right down to V-belt pulleys and factory-style belts, so the engine bay reads as original at a glance despite the modern internals underneath. Ignition duties fall to a Petronix breakerless system installed inside the original distributor housing, paired with a matching 40,000-volt coil, blending vintage appearance with genuinely modern ignition reliability.

Fuel, Exhaust, and Everything In Between

Fuel delivery runs through an Edelbrock Performer intake manifold matched to a Holley 600 cfm four-barrel carburetor, a combination widely regarded as a sweet spot for a mild-performance small block like this one, offering strong throttle response without the tuning headaches of a more aggressive setup. Headman headers feed into a Shelby-style side-exit exhaust system, a styling and sound choice as much as a performance one. Lighting upgrades round out the mechanical work, with 100-watt halogen high beams and 55-watt low beams wired through relays, a genuinely practical update given how dim factory sealed-beam headlights were on cars of this era.

Built for the Road, Not the Trailer

Everything about this build points toward regular use rather than trailer-queen status: the owner specifically describes the goal as a reliable daily driver capable of handling occasional track days at Virginia International Speedway, impromptu stoplight challenges, and genuine road trips. Riding on 15×7-inch Magnum wheels wrapped in 235/60/15 tires up front and 15×8-inch Magnums with 255/60/15 rubber out back, the car has the stance and grip to back up that intent rather than just looking the part in a driveway. That combination of daily usability and real performance capability is exactly what separates a builder’s personal project from a garage full of parts that never quite comes together.

A Companion Project Already Underway

This Mustang isn’t a one-off project for its builder, who also restores trucks including a 1967 Ford F100 short bed, a 1981 Chevy C10, a 1989 Dodge D100 long bed, and a 1989 4×4 Power Wagon, all completed to a similar standard. A second, related project is already in progress too: a 1967 Mustang Fastback nearing paint, powered by a 390 FE engine currently on the stand awaiting a mild port job on its C8AE-H heads along with a set of FE Mustang headers the owner describes as pricey but worth it. That fastback is planned to wear Burnt Amber paint with a Saddle interior, an uncommon factory color combination the owner was inspired to pursue after spotting a matching 1967 Fairlane at the Myrtle Beach Good Guys show.

Why the Explorer 302 Swap Makes Sense

Sourcing a 302 from a 1997 Ford Explorer is a well-trodden path among first-generation Mustang builders, and for good reason: these truck-sourced engines came factory-equipped with a roller camshaft and GT-spec cylinder heads that would have cost significantly more to source individually as aftermarket upgrades for an original 289 or 302 block. Roller cams in particular reduce friction and wear compared to the flat-tappet cams original to 1968 Mustangs, meaning this swap delivers both a meaningful performance bump and genuinely improved long-term durability compared to a period-correct rebuild. Combined with the owner’s decision to dress the engine to look period-correct, the swap gives this Mustang modern reliability without sacrificing the visual authenticity that makes a build like this satisfying to show off at a cruise night or car show.

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