When I first came across these pictures that appear to showcase an SN-95 Ford Mustang truck, I had to look thrice. And while my first thought involved the rendering artist that came up with this clever twist, this isn’t the case, as we’re looking at a real-world build.
What could determine an enthusiast to come up with a Mustang pick-up? Well, it’s hard to tell, but Ford has already done it. Back in the 1980s, the Fox platform that served the third-gen ‘Stang was also used for a small truck called Durango, way before the name was adopted by Dodge.
Then there’s the contemporary Mustang Mach E, which packs brilliant driving dynamics for an electric crossover, but is far from a pony/muscle car. So, can you really hold something againt a builder for creating this contraption? My answer would be negative, so I decided to see what the creature is all about.
Now that the Ford Ranger has returned to the US, it’s easier to relate to the old-school Ranger mid-size truck that’s dressed as an SN-95 Mustang here.
The 1990s Ranger was gifted with a fourth-gen Mustang front end, using the much improved styling of the New Edge mid-cycle revamp that landed in late 1998 for the 1999 model year.
I found the images on the auto atrocities Instagram page, but, regardless of what that name implies, this Mustang/Ranger hybrid seems to spot quality work all-round.
The panel gaps are tight, while everything seems to line up as it should, from the front splitter and the power domme hood to the side skirts and even the (proabaly fake) intakes adorning the sides of the bed.
Then we have the sun visor, along with plenty of side window ornaments. And while the rear isn’t clearly visible, it looks like the truck packs a bed cover adorned by a spoiler, as well as taillight masks and chrome tailpipes, all being done in the flamobyant 1990s style.
How much horsepower?
There’s an old autoblog article about this thing, which had apparently been spotted on eBay back in 2007—the message on the number plates has gone from “Muskrat” (presumably the original name of the project) to “Orange”, but it seems to be the same vehicle, right down to the chrome multi-spoke wheels.
And that’s how I found out that the Mustang face is backed by proper motivation, with the Ranger packing a 351 ci (5.8L) Ford V8 delivering a healtly 400 horsepower, which puts this thing on par with the meanest SN-95 of them all, the supercharged SVT Terminator Cobra that debuted in 2002.
And I can only imagine a driver’s reaction when this Mustang-ed Raptor takes off into the sunset at triple-digit speeds.
PS: If the mix sounds familiar, it could be thanks to this S550 Shelby GT350-impersonating modern Raptor we covered back in February. Apparently, these Stang-Ranger toys are a bit of a thing!
I love this conversion! Cool as hell. Only thing I would change is that it looks factory ranger hight. I would say air bag it so it can lay frame! Or jack it up and put 32×11.50s on it. Don’t get me wrong I have sn95, I think this is dope as f!