January 2011 Under Construction

'79 Fairmont Monstang
The term hot rod invokes a different vision to different people. It's influenced by the cars you were raised with, what you see on the streets and on TV. As older models are gobbled up by automotive hoarders and customizers, sometimes we must dip into the later-model varieties to fulfill our hot rod needs. This '79 Ford Fairmont wagon in its factory skin doesn't move the soul the way a hot rod should, but Ryan Mullins had a vision to change all that. With a family of four and a love for Ford cars, Ryan knew this wagon would be something great. As a certified bodyman and a more-than-decent mechanic, he was confident this build would go smoothly; getting the car however, was quite a challenge. Discovered on eBay for a buy-it-now price of $400, Ryan committed to buy it. What he didn't account for was that the car was located out off an unpaved mountain road in the Sierras. The auto transport companies wouldn't travel the road to the car, but after a couple hundred dollars of tow truck fees, the car landed in a spot the transport would pick it up.

Sister car to the popular Fox-body Mustang, the Fairmont has a lot of choices when it comes to performance and styling. The donor Mustang already has been treated to a long list of performance parts that will all be transferred into the Fairmont wagon. One of the biggest visual changes Ryan has made so far is swapping the front clip from the Mustang to the Fairmont, giving it the look of a Mustang wagon.

Ryan has vast plans for the car, including upgrading the motor with aluminum heads, and the '95 Mustang suspension with RideTech goodies. Living in west Michigan, Ryan has felt the brunt of economic hardships, and this will influence the way he builds his car, using resources like Craigslist, eBay, and friends to make the build happen.