Brian Prince’s Blown Coyote Swap 1986 Ford Mustang GT Is Never Finished
“Built, Not Bought” is the statement that has come to define the break between Mustang enthusiasts. On one side of the equation, you have those folks who are solidly in the DIFM (do it for me) category who have no issue taking their car to a reputable shop to have modifications done. On the other side of the equation, you have people in the DIY category like Georgia enthusiast Brian Prince.
This 1986 Ford Mustang GT is a throwback to his very first car, another ’86 Mustang. He’s owned many Mustangs, and one thing has been consistent — he’s done just about all of the work on each of them himself. Back in 2010, he decided he was going to be a family man and retired from building cars. Then, an unexpected push changed his mind.
“In 2014, a lifelong friend, Josh McAdams, was diagnosed with cancer, and on a visit, he asked what kind of car I had. When I told him I didn’t have one, he said, ‘I’ve never known you to be without a hot rod.’ A few weeks later, he passed away, and his phrase stuck with me and sparked my desire for another car,” says Prince.
When he decided to jump back into the hobby (are any of us ever really out?), he had just one car in mind: another ’86.
Get It Today
“I found the car on a Craigslist ad, and there were no pictures. The guy told me I would have to look at it first, and then we’d talk money. I sent my wife to look at it and assumed it was going to be a pile of junk. She called and said everything was there, the quarter-panels weren’t crushed in, and there was no major rust or broken windows.”
“So I called the guy and said, ‘You want $1,500. I have $500 cash to give you today.’ He asked me what my plans were, and I said I was going to try to get it back on the road. The car had sat since 2005. He called me back 30 minutes later and said, ‘The other people who came and looked at it just wanted to cut it up and part it out. Since you want to get it back on the road, I’ll sell it to you for $500. But you need to come and get it today,’” says Prince.
So when he went to go pick up the car, it was a 100-percent bone stock ’86 GT, complete with air silencer, all of the smog equipment, factory plug wires, and original mufflers, just like it came from the factory.
Now, before you go questioning how the car ended up with a Coyote swap, understand that this is Brian Prince’s 57th Mustang. Yes, you read that right. He’s owned nearly five dozen Mustangs in his life, and we’d be pretty confident saying that none of them have remained stock.
(photo credit: Keplinger Designs)
