Steel art: what 2500 hours of custom work looks like

5 July 2017

When Kelvin Taylor first set foot in the Matamata Panelworks workshop, this was not the car he expected to end up with. Hell, he hadn’t even counted on having a Mustang built, let alone needing to go and find a Mustang shell to commence said build.

But when he walked into the workshop to enquire about having his Ford F1 truck rebuilt into a 1000hp streeter, the all-steel custom Mustangs sitting on display took his breath away. With two extraordinary examples of extreme car building talent on display, he was sold, and changed tack immediately.

This is the result. A flawless ’67 Mustang fastback styled with traditional Shelby styling cues to make a modern day Eleanor, and just like every other Matamata Panelworks vehicle of its kind, it is 100-per-cent steel. That bodywork is entirely hand-formed steel, with not a trace of bog to be found, and this intense workmanship may be found throughout the vehicle. 

Kelvin, Malcolm, and the Matamata Panelworks team will have this car on display at Meguiar’s MotorEX in Sydney between July 20–24. If ever there was a Panelworks car to be displayed in Australia, this is it. 
 
And, while we have a full feature on this incredible machine in our latest issue, you can view a build gallery here, to take in just what 2500 hours of metal work looks like: