Eleanor's Twin: A Gone in 60 Seconds Mustang Story

June 20, 2023
Story By
Mark Masker

Who was the real star of Gone in 60 Seconds? Eleanor. Eleanor the '67 Shelby Mustang was the real star of Gone in 60 Seconds. Yes, she shared the stage with some very talented A-list actors but when Eleanor came on screen, they all seemed to fade into the background like the unlucky kids playing the sheep in school Christmas play. No insult intended for those kids; some of my best friends were stage sheep.

And ever since Nicholas Cage drove his Eleanor all over LA in the 2000 remake of Gone in 60 Seconds, car enthusiasts have wanted an Eleanor of their very own. We came across this one courtesy of Vanguard Motor Sales and if you have the dough, you can get this Eleanor for yourself.

National Treasure

Catching Eleanor in real life is almost as hard as catching her in the movie, though. Depending on who you ask, of the versions of Eleanor that survived film production, they either ended up with Nicholas Cage and Jerry Bruckheimer, or were sold at auction for more money than some houses cost. And if you've followed Nicholas Cage in the news, you know a movie car isn't the weirdest thing he's ever bought. Ever happy to oblige its customers, repro manufacturers have stepped in on several occasions to make Eleanor lovers' dreams come true, for the right price.

And that's where this 1968 Mustang Fastback conversion enters the picture. Just like in the film, its story takes place in LA. Well, it starts there, anyway. It was commissioned by the owner of a paint shop but built in Michigan before heading to So Cal for the big finish.

Kick-Ass

You can't truly have an Eleanor without a killer engine setup to match. This take on her is an ass-stomping 427-inch fury-breathing crate mill built by Ford Racing.

The crate engine cranks out an alleged 505 horsepower thanks to a sweet combo of parts like Ford Racing aluminum heads, Jet-Hot coated headers, DynoMax mufflers, and Holley Sniper fuel injection.

No Need to Drive Angry

All of that motor's furious anger needs a place to go when it hits the streets. Most stock suspensions would be too scared to venture into 505 pony territory which is why this Mustang vents its anger to the wheels through a Tremec TKX 5-speed transmission.

Having a custom front sway bar and QA1 coilover shock absorbers front and rear ensures smooth handling no matter how fast and furious you want to go, too.

Ghost Rider

Part of that smooth running also comes courtesy of Nitto NT555 G2 ultra-high performance tires (235/45R17 front, 255/40R17 rear). Nitto's ultra-high performance tires feature twin center ribs for increased traction and great straight-line stability and they keep the car glued to the pavement even while carving canyons at high speed.

The tires are set on a set of beautiful 17-inch American Racing Shelby wheels. Wilwood 4-piston disc brakes with drilled and slotted rotors rein in the ponies at the pilot's command.

Adaptation

Move your eyes up from down low and you'll find some awesome bodywork that turns this 'stang into a sweet, clean adaptation of Eleanor.

It's a fully fiberglass bodykit that's been worked into very fine lines (i.e. no panel gaps) before it was zapped in Pepper Grey metallic paint to match the original from the film. PIAA fog lights also light up the dark for better visibility while night prowling.

Face/Off

Underneath that fiberglass face you'll find a flawless black leather interior and the Mustang's original console.

It's inset with Classic Instruments gauges to keep the vintage feel, as do the Recaro front bucket seats. A Shelby steering wheel reminds you that this car is pure Eleanor, inside and out.

But keeping the old Mustang audio setup wouldn't exactly be doing the owner any favors. That's why the Mustang packs Bluetooth audio and the latest aftermarket speakers, with a stock-esque radio face.