Super Mustang
Ron Pellegrini's Funny Car
THE super Mustang HiStory
Built BY Ron Pellegrini in May 1965 in 21 days. By all accounts this was the first “all fiberglass” Mustang, the first “FUNNY CAR” and the “WORLD’S FASTEST” Mustang in 1965, with trap speeds over 173 M.P.H. @ 8.82 E.T.
The car was found in a Tampa, Florida junk yard in 1987. Total reconstruction was started in 2004 and completed in March 2006. The only items used from the original car were the front axle, the steering box and the entire fiberglass body. All other components were duplicated from the original pieces.
The “BIRTH” of Super Mustang
Hawkinson Ford out of Oaklawn, Illinois was the stomping grounds for Ron Pellegrini. With his background in racing, Ron became “Special Projects Manager” for Hawkinson. This put him in a key position with Ford’s “Racing Program.” When the 1964 Ford “Thunderbolts” hit the tracks, Hawkinson campaigned 3 cars, two 4 speed cars and one automatic. Ron drove car #1, a 4 speed car, with speeds of 123 mph @ 11:42 in the ¼ mile. When the 1965 Mustang broke production in August, Ron, with the help of John Malik from Trend Automotive, took one of the Thunderbolts as a donor and removed the 427 Hi-Riser motor and drive train. They stuffed the motor into the little Coupe, installed a one piece fiberglass front end, fiberglass doors and campaigned the new car called “Quarter Horse” in the A/FX Class. This was Hawkinson Ford’s newest creation and the country’s first 427 Hi-Riser Mustang. The car ran in the 130s @ 10:91.
At the close of the racing season, Ron took the Quarter Horse to Ford’s proving grounds with the hopes of convincing Ford to give him the opportunity to build 100 cars thru Dearborn Steel & Tubing as they did with the Thunderbolts. In his conversation with Ford’s Jacque Passino, he told him that the Chrysler cars were going to be too fast next year for the existing Ford Race Program. His answer was a “TUBE” chassis, all “FIBERGLASS” bodied car that would keep them competitive. Ford didn’t take to well to the new idea and kept Ron waiting over the winter of 1964 for their decision. Not waiting, Ron started making bookings on the car for the coming season. After all, he was a racer and this was the way he derived his livelihood.
In the spring of 1965, Ford informed Ron that they would not participate in this program and it was now less than a month away from Ron’s first booking (Memorial Day) and he had no ride. Anticipating Ford’s possible rejection, Ron found a fiberglass company called Fiberglass LTD. With Ford’s notice and time running out, Ron built a reverse mold, full bodied Mustang Coupe from a donor car. In order to shorten fabrication time, he bought a complete A/FR Roadster (less body) from the Dennison, Arlasky, Knox team (DAK) complete with a blown and injected 392 Chrysler “Hemi”. This new chassis had a 97” wheel base and his new Mustang shell was at 106”. So they sectioned 16” out of the center to get the proper proportion for the chassis and moved the front wheel wells forward 12” and the rear wells forward 7” to center over the 97” wheel base and “PRESTO” Super Mustang was born.
This feat of “magic” was completed in about 3 weeks and Ron was racing in May of 1965 at the Memorial Day Event at US 30 Drag Strip, Gary, Indiana. This was by all accounts, the “FIRST” tube chassis, blown fuel, all fiberglass body “Funny Car”. The cars first outing produced speeds of 165 mph and as high as 181 mph with times in the mid to high 8s. Thus it became known as the “Funniest Car” and for a few years the “WORLD’S FASTEST MUSTANG”.
The car was found in a Tampa, Florida junk yard in 1987. Total reconstruction was started in 2004 and completed in March 2006. The only items used from the original car were the front axle, the steering box and the entire fiberglass body. All other components were duplicated from the original pieces.
The “BIRTH” of Super Mustang
Hawkinson Ford out of Oaklawn, Illinois was the stomping grounds for Ron Pellegrini. With his background in racing, Ron became “Special Projects Manager” for Hawkinson. This put him in a key position with Ford’s “Racing Program.” When the 1964 Ford “Thunderbolts” hit the tracks, Hawkinson campaigned 3 cars, two 4 speed cars and one automatic. Ron drove car #1, a 4 speed car, with speeds of 123 mph @ 11:42 in the ¼ mile. When the 1965 Mustang broke production in August, Ron, with the help of John Malik from Trend Automotive, took one of the Thunderbolts as a donor and removed the 427 Hi-Riser motor and drive train. They stuffed the motor into the little Coupe, installed a one piece fiberglass front end, fiberglass doors and campaigned the new car called “Quarter Horse” in the A/FX Class. This was Hawkinson Ford’s newest creation and the country’s first 427 Hi-Riser Mustang. The car ran in the 130s @ 10:91.
At the close of the racing season, Ron took the Quarter Horse to Ford’s proving grounds with the hopes of convincing Ford to give him the opportunity to build 100 cars thru Dearborn Steel & Tubing as they did with the Thunderbolts. In his conversation with Ford’s Jacque Passino, he told him that the Chrysler cars were going to be too fast next year for the existing Ford Race Program. His answer was a “TUBE” chassis, all “FIBERGLASS” bodied car that would keep them competitive. Ford didn’t take to well to the new idea and kept Ron waiting over the winter of 1964 for their decision. Not waiting, Ron started making bookings on the car for the coming season. After all, he was a racer and this was the way he derived his livelihood.
In the spring of 1965, Ford informed Ron that they would not participate in this program and it was now less than a month away from Ron’s first booking (Memorial Day) and he had no ride. Anticipating Ford’s possible rejection, Ron found a fiberglass company called Fiberglass LTD. With Ford’s notice and time running out, Ron built a reverse mold, full bodied Mustang Coupe from a donor car. In order to shorten fabrication time, he bought a complete A/FR Roadster (less body) from the Dennison, Arlasky, Knox team (DAK) complete with a blown and injected 392 Chrysler “Hemi”. This new chassis had a 97” wheel base and his new Mustang shell was at 106”. So they sectioned 16” out of the center to get the proper proportion for the chassis and moved the front wheel wells forward 12” and the rear wells forward 7” to center over the 97” wheel base and “PRESTO” Super Mustang was born.
This feat of “magic” was completed in about 3 weeks and Ron was racing in May of 1965 at the Memorial Day Event at US 30 Drag Strip, Gary, Indiana. This was by all accounts, the “FIRST” tube chassis, blown fuel, all fiberglass body “Funny Car”. The cars first outing produced speeds of 165 mph and as high as 181 mph with times in the mid to high 8s. Thus it became known as the “Funniest Car” and for a few years the “WORLD’S FASTEST MUSTANG”.
Email me with any questions: supermustang2006@att.net