Every year dozens of eye-catching and exceptional custom-built vehicles sparkle while on display at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas, held this year from November 5 through 8. This year was no different, as the Las Vegas Convention Center played host to a bevy of modified or bespoke vehicles that seemingly satisfied every automotive enthusiast, regardless of his or her personal interest. For those with a penchant for classic Mustangs, Ringbrothers delivered in customary fashion, unveiling a 1969 Mustang Mach 1 adorned in a bespoke paint scheme appropriately branded Big Boss Blue.
The car’s steel and carbon-fiber body panels were all reshaped by Ringbrothers. Photo: Courtesy of Ringbrothers.
Although Ringbrothers has presented numerous unique Mustangs over the years, this ’69 Big Boss Blue Pony represented the Wisconsin shop’s first Mach 1 project. Its moniker “UNKL” reflects the commissioning client’s desire to create a classic, high-performance American street and track star that paid homage to his uncle, a man who harbored a lifelong passion for motorsports and who introduced the client to auto racing.
The Mustang’s body was extended by an inch on each side. Photo: Courtesy of Ringbrothers.
Beyond its name and discreet racing livery, the car further honored the client’s uncle with its power plant, a 520-cubic-inch Jon Kaase Boss engine that churns out 700 hp—the engine was specifically chosen for being a better representation of the era in which the original Mach 1 was built than a more modern Ford Coyote crate engine.
Under the hood is a 520-cubic-inch Jon Kaase Boss engine. Photo: Courtesy of Ringbrothers.
All of that power under the hood is transferred to the rear wheels by way of a QA1 carbon-fiber driveshaft, which is paired with a reworked Bowler six-speed Tremec transmission. It’s a configuration that evokes nostalgic sensibilities (minus the carbon fiber, of course), and one that allows the driver to take hold of the reins when riding this wild stallion.
A reworked Bowler six-speed Tremec transmission helps manage the 700 horses. Photo: Courtesy of Ringbrothers.
Elsewhere, the UNKL Mustang features a highly modified body—a marriage of steel and carbon-fiber body panels, all reshaped by Ringbrothers. The car’s stance, which appears slightly more aggressive than that of a stock Mach 1 from the late 1960s, was achieved through an extension of the Mustang’s body—an inch on each side. The vehicle not only looks aggressive, but sounds that way, too, thanks to a custom stainless-steel Flowmaster exhaust. The shop also machined one-of-a-kind parts for this singular Mach 1, including reshaped bumpers and a slew of engine-bay accessories.
