This compact, and very wild, red pick-up looks like a cross between a Mustang and a Ranchero. It also looks like nothing ever sold down at your local Ford dealer.

Back in 2000, this red wonder started as Ford Mustang GT Convertible. That meant that this two-door coupe was built on a unibody that used independent coil-spring front suspension and a solid rear axle in the rear. Powered by a 260 horsepower 4.6-liter overhead-cam V-8, the rear wheels were driven through either a five-speed manual or an automatic transmission.

Once Barris decided he wanted to create a stylish small pick-up based on the Mustang, he sat down and sketched the concept as he envisioned it. His next task, accomplished at SEMA in Las Vegas, was to find a partner to turn the vision into reality. The man Barris turned to was prototype builder Nick Gavriles of Auto Innovations in Walled Lake, Michigan.

With Gavriles as part of the team, Barris went out and bought a trio of new Mustangs from giant Galpin Ford. With the GT convertible in hand, Gavriles removed the convertible top assembly, decklid, rear seats, carpeting and the rear package tray. Next, he cut a notch into the rear bulkhead, aft of the spare tire well to effectively create a bed floor. The area beneath and around the bed floor was extensively reinforced for both strength and safety. A new tailgate and mechanism was fabricated and a stainless steel bed deck was fitted. Classic Design Concepts supplied the Shaker hood, side-exit exhaust and sequential taillights, while up front, a Cervini’s Stalker front bumper was fitted, The rear apron was a Gavriles original.

Gavriles also fabricated and installed a roll hoop, which accommodates the electric rear window when it’s in the raised position. A one piece targa-style top provides weather protection for the two passengers. With 260 horsepower available, Gavriles opted to leave the drivetrain stock. To achieve a proper stance for the custom ‘Stang, he installed an Air Lift air suspension all around to offer the tucked-in look when parked, and to provide for a legal ride height on the highway. The car rolls on 17x9.5-inch Colorado Custom billet wheels.

When first built, Barris had a goal of selling Ford on the concept and seeing it through to production. As fate played out, this Mustang sport truck is the only one of this body style and remains, in effect, a Barris Kustom prototype. When complete, the unique Mustang was displayed at Galpin Ford and featured in Mustang Magazine. Five years later, very few Ford and Mustang owners have seen this pony truck, which is ripe to be shown or driven.

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