The Ice Horse

[ Tommy ] You're watching Powernation!

[ Peyton ] Today on Detroit Muscle Project Fastlane finally enters the fast lane. We're putting the final touches on our pony car before it hits the road. [ Music ] [ engines revving ] [ Music ] [ Peyton ] Welcome to Detroit Muscle. If you've been following along you may have noticed that the Mustang's been out of the spotlight for a little bit. That's because she was getting a new hood, some harnesses, and that sweet vinyl wrap down the side. We needed to get this wrap done right. So we stopped by our friends at Graphic Effects. Well Micah it's an exciting day today. I see you got the wrap all printed out for us. [ Micah ] Yes sir, we got something put together. [ Peyton ] I'm anxious to see it. [ Music ] That definitely is retro! Well these guys sure make it look easy. A little bit of heat and some trimming and this retro wrap came to life. [ Music ]

[ Music ] Today the Mustang gets its pipes. Now there's several options you can choose from. You can get a pre-made kit that's specifically made for your exact car or you can do like us. With so many one of a kind touches on the car we decided to get a builders kit and build our own. We're gonna start right here with the collectors. This collector style is known as a ball and socket. One side being concaved and the other convexed. When you press them together they create a seal a lot like a brake line fitting. [ Music ] [ drill humming ] [ Peyton ] All that's left is to turn this pile of pipes into the screaming lungs of ole Fastlane. I'm gonna be adding an X-pipe into our exhaust system, and rather than buying a pre-made one I'm gonna make my own and give you some tips and tricks on how to do it yourself. [ Music ] I've got pieces from our Summit Rod Builders Kit laid out on an X-shape on the table. I'm gonna true it up and then I'll take that little piece of flat metal, anything with two straight edges, and I'll lay it here in the middle, mark it out. A good tool to use to cut out our center sections is gonna be a band saw. Lucky for us we've got one in the shop and afterwards we'll put it on our belt sander and true up our ends. On a band saw the band is actually guided by a couple of rollers in this guard, and when you're cutting a more complex shape like this you want to make sure your guard is sitting a lot closer to your materials so that blade can't walk. [ saw buzzing ] [ Music ]

[ Peyton ] If you've ever ridden behind a car with dual exhausts on a cold morning you may notice that more smoke comes out of one side than the other. That's because the pressures aren't equal. With an X-pipe the exhaust gases can flow across each other which equalizes them out. It helps with performance. Let's get this one welded up. [ Music ]

[ metal clanging ] [ Music ]

[ saw buzzing ] [ Music ]

[ Music ]

[ Music ] With the exhaust out from under the car it's gonna allow me to do the full weld up on it without getting in any awkward situations. I went ahead and did some one inch long welds on all the joints to keep it from shifting around during the full weld. [ Music ]

[ Music ] [ drill humming ] [ Music ] [ Peyton ] With our custom exhaust finished up and the car back on the ground I'm just gonna check a couple of the fluid levels and we'll be ready to bring this pony car to life. Want to know the history of one of the most iconic muscle car brands? We've got it coming up next.

[ Peyton ] Mustang, the original. It's hard to imagine the car world without it. Ever since it hit the ground in 1964 it hasn't let up, and the Mustang of today still captures the style, the power, and the spirit of the pony car that kicked it all off 60 years ago. [ Tommy ] When the Mustang debuted on April 17th, 1964, more than 22,000 were sold that day, and by the end of the second year more than a million were on the road. But the Mustang would have never left the stable without the vision of one man. In 1962 Ford was still fresh off the Edsel disaster but Ford VP Lee Iacocca saw a way to revive the blue oval brand with this total performance concept. [ Peyton ] It first took shape in the Mustang 1, a futuristic looking mid-engine two seater roadster but Iacocca knew it was too impractical and would never get approved for production. So he pushed for a low price sports car that was small and fun to drive but roomy enough for three of your friends. To keep costs down it had to be designed on the frame of the Falcon and reach showrooms in less than 18 months. It could be any car you wanted it to be all with a price tag of just $2,400 bucks. [ Tommy ] The first GTs came late in '65 and included things like fog lights, Rallye pack gauges, and 271 horses under the hood. The GT-350 was a two seater sporting racing stripes and horsepower ramped up over 300. [ Peyton ] '67 was a turning point, the year it got its first big block. Shelby dropped in a 428 that made over 400 horses, known as the GT-500. [ Tommy ] The little pony got bigger and badder as the '60s came to a close. Trans Am racing spawned the Boss 302 and 429. It was so big they had to modify the suspension. [ Peyton ] Mustang muscled its way into the '70s but gradually the oil crisis and the EPA regulations took their toll on performance. In '74 it was stripped down to an economy gas sipper called the Mustang-2. The sport versions had more bark than bite. [ Tommy ] Five years later the Mustang was resurrected with a new look on Ford's new Fox Body, ushering in a new era of performance cars. The GT package returned in '82 and the '83 models got a five liter engine with 175 horses. The most since the '71 Boss 351. [ Peyton ] 1983 also ended a decade long drought and saw the return of the convertible. By '86 the Fox Body switched over to e-f-i and in 1987 it underwent a redesign that gave it aerodynamic headlights, a grill-less front, and wrap around turn signals. The Fox Body lasted for 14 years including a 1990 model you might recognize. 1990 was also the first year to see air bags in the steering wheel killing the tilt wheel option. [ Tommy ] The fourth generation Ford brought back the classic styling cues of the original like side scoops, three element taillights, and the signature long hood and short deck. [ Peyton ] When the pony car turned 40 it was time for a revamp. This time Ford really went retro bringing all the elements of the original design into the 21st century. It was an instant hit with the public. [ Tommy ] Not to be outdone Ford released a bold new version in 2010, one that added a more aggressive stance to that iconic style. [ Peyton ] Mustang sixth generation is probably what you're used to seeing nowadays. For the first time the pony car featured a completely independent rear suspension. In 2017 Ford would discontinue the V-6 which left drivers with the choices of a 2.3-liter turbocharged inline four or the option of the 5-0 or the 5.2-liter V-8. The sixth gen took a hit in 2022. The low emissions vehicle program requirements forced the GT and the Mach 1 models to undergo some engine modifications and drop 10 horses and 10 foot pounds. This wouldn't affect Ford too much. Mustang has started its seventh generation which includes the GT, the Dark Horse, the EcoBoost, and of course a convertible option. In 2022 the announcement of the GT-3 Mustang got racing fans excited. The blue oval pony was returning to Le Mans for the first time since 1997. The average consumer was given something to look forward to as well, the GTD. A street version of the GT-3 that outputs 815 horsepower from a supercharged Predator V-8 and 664 pound feet of torque for the 2025 model year. [ Tommy ] For over half a century Mustang has been proving that it's one wild horse that won't be broken. [ Peyton ] Up next, we talk a little bit of history, inspiration, and motivation that brought Fast Lane to life.

[ Music ] [ saw buzzing ] [ Peyton ] This is probably one of the wilder cars that's come out of the Detroit Muscle box. This car, there's not another one like it on the road. When we first took this car out it definitely lacked a lot. [ Tommy ] Sounds like the windshield's leaking or squeaking. [ Peyton ] Motor and transmission were on their last leg. It was an automatic car, which takes away some of the thrill to drive an old hot rod. My favorite part of the process was definitely getting to work with Jay Biddle. He's an absolute character and his passion for these cars is through the roof. [ J ] Peyton is doing a one of one of one Dominator GTC. The kit makes the car look like a supercar. This particular Dominator GTC car in my opinion will be one of the best ever built. [ Peyton ] We wanted it sporty, we wanted it wide, we wanted it low, and then we wanted it retro. Style or theme of this wrap we were really gonna touch on that '90s Trapper Keeper, Saved by the Bell feel. We wanted the bright colors and offset by the white really makes that scheme pop down the side of the car and it's an absolute thrill. You have so much power in your right foot. It just makes it for an incredible feel. We threw a bunch of power at it. Put a 5-speed in it. It really changed up the dynamic of how this car drives and handles. There's a lot of people that say the Fox body is not really a muscle car but I think we've proven with this that it has the recipe for a hot rod. It's set apart from every other car on the road and I think that's what hot rodding is about. [ Narrator ] Tired of the same old Fox body? Need to escape to something more? It's the Fast Lane Fox Body. This Fox body is your solution to those Sunday boring drives. Now you'll have thrilling afternoons on the road. Drive it, work on it, unleash your inner child with the Fast Lane Fox Body. For a monthly total of $19.99 for an undisclosed amount of time you too can experience the top down thrill of Powernation's best but wait, there's more. Call within the next 30 minutes and use the Hot Rods Stay Hot and we'll give you a second Fast Lane Fox Body for half price. You can get two for $29.99 a month. Call now and reserve yours today. [ Narrator fast talking ] This is not a real commercial. Project definitely is not for sale. [ Music ]

[ Peyton ] This car really is all about getting out and enjoying yourself. A car like this you really just want to share it and it doesn't feel right just riding around in it with myself. So I'm gonna pull over, make a phone call, and get me a passenger. [ Music ] [ Frankie ] What does he want? [ Peyton ] Wassup! You want to go for a ride? [ Frankie ] Right now? [ Peyton ] I'll pick you up. [ Frankie ] This is not how this looked the last time I saw this. [ Peyton ] It's a little less blue. [ Frankie ] This thing is crazy! I see body kit and wheels at least and a crazy wrap. This is totally different. Let's see if I can get in here. How'd I get this crazy getup on though? [ Peyton ] It's part of being in the ride. You've got to fit in. [ Music ]

[ Frankie ] Run me through the list of things here cause obviously there's the body and things like that. Talk me through the other stuff you guys did cause I know you did a ton of work underneath too. [ Peyton ] We did a full Moser rear coil over kit with their M-88 housing. It's thicker tubes, stronger axle, 3.55 gears. [ Frankie ] One of my favorite engines, 410 cubic inch Windsor. 600-ish on pump gas and you guys have a good header in here and stuff. It's probably really close to that. [ Peyton ] We upped injector size on this just to get us closer to our 600 horse mark. [ wind noise ] [ Music ] [ engine revving ] [ Peyton ] These rides aren't the only thing that's bright around here. [ Frankie ] I bet from the outside this car is blending right in with every amusement ride. It's got that crazy decal on the side. [ engine rumbling ] [ Frankie ] I think it's a fun car, which that's what these cars are supposed to be. When you build a cool project car, muscle car, or whatever it's supposed to be something fun. Whatever your vision is. [ Peyton ] It's definitely been a thrill. [ Frankie ] At the end of the day it's about the fact that you're working on your car, making it what you want, and at the end of the day all that just turns cool. [ Peyton ] The thing is Frankie a lot of people don't consider this to be a muscle car. [ Frankie ] I would say it definitely is. I would say yeah, 100 percent a muscle car. They all look different and stuff but this has all the features of it. [ Peyton ] It definitely has plenty of muscle. [ Music ] [ Frankie ] I remember when we picked that car up when you bought it. I'd say that's one of the biggest transformations I've seen from the driveway to getting back on the road. [ Peyton ] I never really expected it to go this far but it's one of those things once you start you kinda can't stop. [ Frankie ] Goes fast, which is important. I'd say you killed it man, good build. [ Tommy ] Coming up next, it's filler time as we get back to the basics.

[ Tommy ] Our old Pontiac has had quite a bit of love given to it over the past couple of weeks. We've messaged out a few of the blemishes that this thing has and sanded and primed it a couple of times as well. Now this car is going black. So we gave it a little bit of extra love to make sure that everything's gonna look perfect whenever we're done. People say all the time that black shows everything, and there is something to be said about that, but I was also taught to make sure that the body's straight no matter what color you paint it. If you're looking to paint your ride there's a few pieces, parts, and some materials that you're gonna need go get the job done. Really all you need is some labor and the right stuff to set yourself up for success. One of the most basic things that you're gonna need is a mixing board. These things come in several different shapes and sizes. This one right here is a flexible one and a lot of people like this. Me myself I like a big ole plate because this allows me to be prepared for any and all occasions. If I need to mix up just a little bit I can do that or if I need to mix up a bunch I'm good to go. Now let's talk about the materials that you're gonna be using. First off is your filler. Now we've already been using this stuff some. What I prefer to do is take a little mixing stick, tilt your can over to the side, dig off from one side to the other and you'll look in the bottom of it and see if you see any resin. What you're looking for is a clear puddle all the way at the bottom. If you do find that you just need to take your mixing stick and pull this stuff around. You don't want to put it in a shaker because what'll happen is whenever this thing starts to shake back and forth you can actually aerate this filler and that creates a bunch of air bubbles or air pockets inside of it. When it comes to filler and putty these two materials aren't created equal. Whenever you're looking to repair something filler itself is designed to be used quite a bit thicker than the putty. Maximum applied thickness on your filler is a quarter inch where whenever it comes to the metal glaze it's like wafer thin. Really and truthfully I prefer to use this just to fix small imperfections or pin holes that are left behind in my filler. Do you know the correct way to mix filler? A lot of people have been doing it the wrong way. What they'll do is grab a stick and actually stir it. Problem with doing it that way it can create some air pockets. We'll just swirl it around, swirl it, zig zag it back and forth. Problem with doing it this way you'll notice all them little voids in there. That creates those air pockets. As this stuff starts to settle you'll notice there's air bubbles coming back up and you probably can pull a couple of them open. There's one right there, one right in there, one right in there. That's what I mean. If this had hardener in it and you grabbed one of your little spreaders here, scooped some up, and applied to the body as you start putting it on it's got those cavities, and what will happen is once that thing's painted and everything starts to dry out you'll run into these little divots or shrink points. It all could have been prevented simply by mixing it correctly. The next question that oftentimes is asked is how much hardener goes into it. What's recommended is up to about four inches you pull a bead from one side to the other. Now we're gonna fold this stuff together, which is the preferred mixing. what you want to do is scoop this stuff up and flip it. Pull it a few times, scoop it up, flip it. Once you have a uniform color you're pretty much ready to apply it to whatever surface you're putting it on. That's her right there. Now to apply this stuff you really want to push it into the surface. It's also recommended that you only apply it in one direction. Don't spread it on one way and flip it around the other cause what'll happen is as that stuff starts to kick or firm up if you go the opposite way it can tear it back open. You also need to apply just a bit more than the surface you're trying to achieve. You can apply way too much and it just takes a lot more effort to mow it back down to the level that you need. That's pretty much the basics of applying and mixing filler. Hope you guys may have learned a little something. We still have to let this dry for another 15 to 20 minutes and then we can block sand it down. The next time you all see this Pontiac behind me it's gonna have some black shinny paint on it. I can't wait to show you.