Mustang purists may wish to sit down for a moment. What you’re about to experience is akin to showing a devout Catholic a picture of the Virgin Mary wearing a cowboy hat… somewhere between a breech of taste and outright blasphemy. Australian readers, on the other hand, may wonder why this bea-Ute-iful vehicle was never offered down under. This 1965 Ford Mustang Mustero began life as one of about 50 1965 Mustangs converted by Beverly Hills Ford in Los Angeles, California into a car-truck combination in the spirit of the larger Ford Ranchero. Thus was born the “Mustero!” Believed to be one of four remaining, this specimen surfaced in rural West Virginia and made its way to the 2021 Mecum auto auction in Kissimmee, Florida. Thanks to Mecum Auctions for details and pictures. Estimated to bring $75,000 to $85,000 the Mustero failed to sell and resides in the purgatory known as the “Bid Goes On.” Thanks to our own man on the spot down under, Adam Clarke, for spotting this Pony-based Ute.
Is that a steering column or a repurposed Roman spear? Shockingly this Ford wears an inspection sticker from 2002. It may be wishful thinking to suggest that a Mustero is worth more in unrestored condition, but you can’t blame the seller for trying.
Evidence that this car has never been submerged may be difficult to validate. The complete lack of shock absorbers certainly rates as curious, and braking will be dramatically improved after fitting a brake master cylinder. A later 302 cid (5.0L) Ford V8 removes any concern for preserving what we see here. Coyote swap, anyone?
Fresh rolling gear ticks one concern off the buyer’s checklist. The front end seems to have suffered from an episode of overzealous extraction or towing, during which someone almost certainly uttered the phrase “hold my beer.” That said, the basic lines of the Mustero conversion look surprisingly tidy. From this angle I might believe this Mustang Ute saw regular production for the Australian market.
Sadly the build quality shown here looks more like high school metal fab than Henry Ford steel. Didn’t anyone ask “How much to tool up a press or roll some beads into these flat pieces for style and strength?” Evidently the conversion used plastic filler to cut costs as well. That said, I’d take this over a used Honda Ridgeline any day.
More plastic filler covered the roof seam. Personally I see two ways to go with this Mustero. Option One: a quick and dirty overhaul to get it back on the road as a weekend novelty. Option Two: a full-on restomod with proper metalwork front-to-rear, all-new panels in the bed, auto-dropping tailgate like a modern King Ranch, gobs of power, slammed stance, fat wheels and tires, all riding on something like an Art Morrison MaxG chassis. Anywhere in between and you’re simply pretending this Mustero is something it’s not. Option Two starts with an as-is price of no more than $8000 for me. Option One is maybe half that. What would you do to this as-found Mustero?
Another 6 or more gallons of body filler and it will be fine.Would be nice to see it restored though.
Mustang Times Magazine did a survey with their 6 page centerfold spread in Dec. 2022 edition…overwhelmingly, the readers said RESTORE!
I’ve seen Mustang wagon conversions, this one at least has a better profile. With that said the indicated $ is nothing but hilarious – it’d probably be possible to build a Mustero clone starting with any basket case Mustang at way below that. Shockingly low level of finish for a professional conversion… this looks more like a 10year old’s AMT cut-and-fill project just in 1:1 scale.
Just curious since there were 50 built of them, what did Musteros actually sell for in ’65 compared to a similarly equipped Ranchero and who was it that would spade out the $ when a Ranchero was the obvious choice?
$6500 + $4000 for the conversion so $10,000
Uh no. “The Mustero conversion package added a hefty $4,000 to the Mustangs price which brought the Musteros total base delivery price to a little over $6,500”
http://www.throttlextreme.com/1966-ford-mustero-ford-mustang-pickup/
According to the original build and design team member who came to my garage and authenticated this one, and according to Mustang Times Magazine research, there were only 4…possibly 6 built even though Ford licensed 50. Mine is #1 of the group according to Ed Sherwood, on the original team. You can read the 6 page article in Mustang Times Magazine, December 2022 edition. It’s fascinating and they did their own indepth research. THANKS for the comment! She’s a half breed pony on the brink of extinction for sure! I rescued her and hope to see her restored, if not by me, by someone who values ultra rare automotive history. -Mustang Connie
See the 6 page article and editorial in MUSTANG TIMES MAGAZINE – Dec. 22 edition for more details. Ford licensed 50 but according to the indepth research done by Mustang Times and by me, as the rescuer, Beverly Hills Mustang only built 4-6 and mine is #1 as authenticated by a member of the original design/build team at BHM. THANKS for your comment!
50 were licensed by Ford…on 4-6 built per the original design/bild team member who authenticated her and per Mustang Time Magazine (Dec. 22 edition), 6 page article! Price was set by Mecum Auction team. Authenticator looked for #1 over 40 years when he found me and my half breed pony on the brink of extinction, stabled in my garage. THANKS for the comment!
This one had all the keys of authentication as one of the ones built by BHM per one of the original build/design team and another employee of BHM at the time who was interviewed by Mustang Times Magazine.
“Rustero”
“Mustake-o”
LOL! Cute play on words. Check out the Dec 2022 edition of MUSTANG TIMES MAGAZINE for the 6 page spread and editorial…they did a deeper dive than I did into the authenticity. But nothing can beat the hands-on inspection and authentication of the one of the lead members of the design/build team…He came to my garage and did a detailed inspection…but he knew as soon as the garage door came up…I thought he was gonna cry…he’d been looking for her over 40 years!
No kidding!! Looks like the back end was used a a swimming hole for metal eating Pyranna!!! Tin worms beware… you’ve got competition!
Supposedly, per the authenticator who worked for BHM, they added the steel plate bed for weight and handling. If nothing else, she sure gets ppl fired up:)
This abomination apparently added $4500 to the $3500 price for a Mustang Coupe! $8K would have bought a 427 Cobra. No wonder there are only 4.
Rarity and vision are in the eyes of the beholder. I like this mysterious Mustero because she’s a half breed pony on the brink of extinction…”one of the rarest vehicles to ever hit the road…” ~Motor Biscuit
See the Dec. 22 edition of Mustang Times Magazine for the indepth research article on my car. THANKS for your comment! She’s definitely not everyone’s cupotea, but like me, she’s got a kinda rare wild free style in a world of conformity and clones.
What you see as an abomination is seen by others as a diamond in the rust:) THANKS for your comment. You might/might not be interested in the 6 page article and centerfold pic in the Dec. 22 edition of Mustang Times Magazine…she’s not your cupotea, but she’s definitely a half breed pony on the brink of extinction and worthy of resurrection by the right collector. THANKS for your comment!
“Mustabeata”
Excuse me, it must be a “Musta b ta”
MUSTA–BEE-A–HOT–MESS
That needs a miracle.
But with a million ponies out there who would perform it.
I’d give that Mecum can sell about anything but the numbers thrown out there pretty much tell you what the car is not worth. Without underbody shots I would not get too close to this one without a recent tetnus shot.
Shes strong and solid underneath…I’m not afraid of some rust and bondo…she’s not for the faint of heart but wow, what a diamond in the “Rustero”! She’s been thoroughly inspected and authenticated as the first of only 4 built by Beverly Hills Ford, by one of the last living builders!
gday to all ,just to give you guys some info on the mustero ,l imported 2 musteros into Australia 10 years ago both bought on ebay both black and both featured on YouTube ,l sold one without even sitting in it and the other lm in the process of doing up as original as l can ,its black with red interior and 12 slotted wheels, would like some help with verification if anyone can put me in the right direction .cheers
She was one of the most reported on and videoed vehicles at Mecum…check out the deep dive 6 page article in the Dec. 2022 edition of Mustang Times Magazine if you want to know the rest of the story. She’s very restorable and per the experts who came to see her at Mecum, the sky would be the limit if she’s restored, being #1 plus most of the rebuild would be stock 66 Mustang parts…
Shes very solid underneath. I had her inspected thoroughly before bringing her home.
Not gonna comment on the price, but frankly, the design flows pretty well, unlike most car-to-pickup conversions. A quick google search yield 3 others that are nicely restored.
Mine, #1 was hidden and lost for over 40 years. I found her and rescued her. Check out the 6 page spread in Mustang Times Magazine, Dec. 2022 edition. The other 3 were accounted for. #1 was authenticated by a member of the original design/build team. Signed Certificate of Authentication…pictured in the magazine article. THANKS for your comment!
Converted by Beverly Hills Ford? What, like someone was going to do some work around there and get their hands dirty?
They brought in Hondurans to do most of the mod work…per the original builder, one of the last living who actually built her, #1 of 4…he inspected and authenticated her as the real BHF Mustero…he looked for #1 over 40 years and found her in my garage…I had rescued her from the brink of extint…rotting under a tree.
how can i buy it
Well…according to Ed Sherwood and Mustang Times Magazine (they did an extensive research piece – 6 page article in Dec. 22 edition, 4-6 were built but mine is authenticated as #1 of the project. Ford licensed 50 but BHM only built 4-6. The research indicated BHM did everything by hand on these cars. She’s not everyone’s cupotea, either you dig her or you don’t, but Motor Biscuit resported she’s “one of the rarest vehicles to ever hit the road…” and she stole the show at Mecum in Kissimmee, FLA. THANKS for your comment!!
I worked at Beverly Hills Mustang for years starting from 1979 at the first Location, and all the locations after Alden Dr. There was no design/Build team. There was just one guy that was hired specifically to build the Rancheros and ended up running the body shop as well. He built all of the Rancheros except #1, the prototype, which was bought from Jay Brunk by his father. I remember Ed Sherwood working there for a few months. I have documentation of Ranchero #1 from the day it was bought from J. Brunk to about 2013 and I am continuing the hunt. I have seen, driven, and worked on Ranchero #1 and have detailed and specific knowledge of the car and the build. Of course, after 40 years, Lots of changes and alterations could have been done, but I’ll give you a couple of about hints. For your car to be #1, someone would have had to remove all the V8 5 bolt suspension and differential from it and change it to Six Cylinder 4 bolt suspension. They would have also had to remove the Deluxe Pony interior that was a different color and replace it with the standard black interior it has now. There are many other things I can point out as well, but after decades of stories on the internet and misleading information from other people claiming to know about these cars, I’m not yet ready to blow up the internet. It’s not with any pleasure that I tell you that the chances of your car being #1 are almost zero and that all you have is a notarized paper that says Ed Sherwood thinks you have #1. You don’t have to believe any of this, but the Real #1 will eventually be tracked down and authenticated with photos and a trail of documentation by all of the owners from the point of sale from BHM.
Front end was damaged when this thing was pulled out of the salt water where it was submerged. Scary amounts of rust!
Not been submerged…had her thoroughly inspected before bringing her home.
In good condition i would think it was worth about a quarter of the asking price
Actually, upon some very good advice and authentication by one of the last living builders, she’s one of the rarest half breed ponies on the planet.
Experts advised me not to take anything less than reserve at Mecum….sky is the limit once restored…as #1 of 4-6. See the article in Mustang Times Mag. – Dec. 22 edition…6 page plus editorial. They did a deep dive…Motor Biscuit reported “one of the rarest vehicles to ever hit the road…” She’s not everyone’s cupotea…but like, me a free and wild spirit…that’s why she “spoke” to me. THANKS for your comment!
Option 3, send this pos to the junkyard.
Well, at least they are offering it with apparently new wheels and tires?
I was actually told not to restore her by some museum folks, but a survey in Mustang Times Magazine in Dec 22, overwhelmingly said RESTORE!
My dad used to build custom boxes that fit in the back of a car with the trunk lid removed. Turns out city/state employee vehicle rules allowed a few employees cars, the rest only pickups. Cars were mor desirable vehicles for some employees. These boxes made cars into a vehicle that met the description of a pickup.
Today’s younger buyers would love the 4 door. So much easier to get in the back seat …
http://www.throttlextreme.com/1966-ford-mustero-ford-mustang-pickup/
I might be crazy, But it sure does look to me like that 4-door Mustang displayed in the link ended up being a 1970’s 4-door Maverick???
The four-door on its’ stretched wheelbase would offer (at most) compact interior space with midsize overall length.
When was it prototyped? The text implies it was considered as a followup after production started, but if it had come before it could’ve led to a reset for the entire project to carrying over the Falcon dash-to-axle and other hard points unchanged, making the fastback look unbalanced while the hardtop coupe and convertible would look only slightly more conventional.
As a fan of good space utilization, I’d rather have that than the long-hood/short-deck look.
The half dozen or less built by Beverly Hills Mustang were likely built around 1980…per the Mustang Times Magazine researcher…they did these after the Shelby Cobra GT I think…read that article for the details. She’s not for the faint of heart and not for anyone who gets kicks from conformity…I don’t…I like to blaze my own trail and get off the beaten path…that’s why I love this piece of history…she spoke to my Native American Cherokee spirit but she won’t appeal to everyone for sure…LOL. THANKS for comment!
West Virginia plate on the rear and Nevada plate on the front. lol
Yes, I’m from WV but also lived in Reno, NV! I rescued her in the east but also lived in the west.
Wow, it’s not the worst conversion I’ve seen, but it doesn’t look like Beverly Hills custom coachwork, at least not now! Appears to have started life as a six-banger. Good thing it still has the intact Lexan windows…you can’t see through them, but they’re intact. The asking price in 2017 was $25K. Note the external trans in the pic. http://www.collectorcarads.com/Ford-Mustang/88105
That was the price prior to authentication.
She’s been inspected and authenticated by one of the last living original builders from the old Beverly Hills Ford…he looked for her over 40 years…found the other 3 but could never find #1 until 2018. She’s a true “diamond in the RUSTERO MUSTERO”!
That pic was taken the very day I rescued her from rotting under a tree…The original design/build team member came and inspected her, authenticated her as #1 of 4. CHeck out the 6 page article in Mustang Times Magazine, Dec. 22 edition. That price of $25k was BEFORE she was authenticated! Mecum put a reserve of much higher on her after the research and authentication was complete. THANKS for your comment!
Unless you worked on this car at BHM, you might not be as qualified as Ed Sherwood, from the original design/build team there when she was built.. He authenticated her after a careful hands-on inspection from top to bottom. In addition, another confirmation of authenticity came from another BHM employee. Check out the 6 page article and editorial in MUSTANG TIMES MAGAZINE, Dec. 2022 edition…that is, if you’re the least bit interested in knowing the real story behind #1 Mustero. THANKS for the comment!
Let the bid go on as the car continues to deteriorate… Some folks you just cannot reach
Hey Al…I was advised by several experts at Mecum
(which I am not) to hold on to the car if bids did not reach reserve…I usually try to take advice of those much more knowledgeable than me. Musty doesn’t eat or cost me anything to stable in my garage, so I took their advice.
Lol….
A rustangero .
It reminds me of tge hybrid nee Mustang SUV now that should be Maverick or Pinto..
If one wants one just take the trunk lid off your old stang and put some astroturf in it..
Needs a rifle rack and a set of long horns and that’s it
According to the Mercum “highlights” this car was “Discovered by the current owner on the banks of the Little Sandy Creek in the Green Mountains in West Virginia.” Yeah, umm, I think this little tidbit of information would sway a jury in a civil court that this car HAS been submerged.
The owner of this car has been on Facebook vintage Mustang groups for over 3 years, attempting to make a market for this car by creating a “story” around it, recently suggesting it is worth between $250K – $500K as a restored car. She is either getting extremely bad advice, or is completely deluded (she “knows what she has”) or both.
No need to “create” a story…her history has been thoroughly researched and Mustero wrote her own story….
Sorry your wrong. I grew up in Beverly Hills and we built them also built 12 1966 GT 350 Shelby convertibles with Carol Shelby. If you want some pictures of the Shelby’s I built and history on Beverly Hills Mustang you can send me a personal e-mail
Mustang Mutations and Conversions – Ponysite
http://www.ponysite.de/pony/joke.htm
Back in 1965/66 a company called Beverly Hills Mustang LTD (9280 Alden Drive Beverly Hills, California) custom built some Mustangs into Mustero’s. Maximum 50 were probably made. Acc. to his report the company was authorised by Ford to change the body parts as well as engine, transmission and exhaust parts.
Thanks for your comment! BTW, I did not “Create” a story around Mustero…I’m just reporting from the extensive research that’s been done. I did not suggest $250-500K, that came from one of the experts who helped in the research…and would only be feasible IF and WHEN she was restored to glory days. I assure you, I’m not “delusional” but when you have multiple research experts who worked at BHM tell you she’s one of the original 6 or less, I’m going to believe them but of course, this is America, and anyone is free to not believe and to bash what they don’t know much about. In addition, the articles that have been written were mostly not even with my knowledge until they were published. Be blessed and thanks again for your comment…I love the fact she’s not everyone’s cupotea, but she sure get folks fired up! As a former global radio talk show host, I love a good debate and an intriguing subject.
Textbook example of what can happen during a really bad acid trip! That’s now! back then, who knows?
This car and price instantly reminds me of the meme that shows a nasty roll of toilet paper hanging from a rusty holder on a block wall with the statement “Barn find…no lowballers…I know what I have”.
Well, when multiple experts and original build/designers inspect her top to bottom and report what you have, it’s better than ppl just voicing an opinion without any first hand knowledge or even a visual inspection. I knew nothing about Mustero until I’ve done a deep dive and she’s been closely inspected by those who would know. Thanks for your comment! I love it when folks take time to comment.
Wow, bidding reached $55,000 for that pile of scrap metal.
YEP…sure did because they knew and valued the history. She was probably the most videoed/photographed car at Mecum Auction…not the prettiest or the shinest though…a diamond in the rust.
What would you I do to this as-found Mustero? Junk it.
LOL…I don’t think so. Authentication tells me that would be a big mistake.
Never understood why people liked mustang in the first place but at least this one might have a purpose.
Sfm5 is worth reading. If that is the case, then take a pass on this one.
To my eyes, those wheels appear to be MGB Rostyles from the late 60s-early 70s. Not an easy feat, even with four-lug hubs of a 6 cyl Mustang. Adapted to a POS to bring it up a peg from the earlier photo….
Well, like they used to say: ¨There´s an ass for every seat¨.
LOL…thanks for your comment. I’m that a$$.
I saw one of these in Santa Monica, CA 30 plus years ago at the pier. It actually looked really nice. But $$ wise I’d bring a Ford Ute up from down under and clean it us rather than eve think about restoring this one. Too much rust and horrible metal fabrication.
Per original builder, Beverly Hills Ford brought in Hondurans to do some of the fabrication on the mod, and no power tools were used…he looked for this one, #1 over 40 years when he found her. He had located the other three.
The one you saw in SM was it green or red with white LeMans stripes ? We built those cars. My Dad started Beverly Hills Mustang and I bought it in 1986 from him. They were called Mustang Rancheros
Nice wheels on a pos..lipstick on a pig…….cold sore on a lip………ummm…………you try it!
One of four what? Cars that Ford NEVER made?
#1 of 4 modified by Beverly Hills Ford, per builder, Ford originally licensed 50, but they only made 4 while the builder who authenticated her was there.
Put it back the way it was born. That’s a real piece of *$#&. Dangerous. I am surprised mecum even tried to sell it. That steering column is terrible
Sorry, I’d rather have a Ridgeline….This is useless for anything except as a carnival oddity….that roofline is nasty, Another example of “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should or even know how”.
Proves that the saying “Adding a new set of wheels and tires makes anything look good.” …a true statement.
I’d guess it took several beers and a box of crayons in their buddy’s garage to come up with this gem of a concept ;)
Oh, I wish I had done that with my 66 Corvair Monza Convertible.
“The bid goes on” and will go on for time immemorial because no one will buy this ‘Hunko Junko’.
make a visit to the crusher, ugliest piece of crap I’ve ever seen! Can’t believe they have the nerve to ask what they’re asking!!!!!!!!!
I have to believe that this was not an original mustero. I’ve seen the originals and they do not look like this. the bed floor was rolled, no bondo was used, the seams were perfect, etc, etc. I don’t know the VIN, but I will definitely say with confidence that this is a clone.
The original builder inspected this one and authenticated her as #1 of the 4 built by Beverly Hills Ford. Out of 6 billion people on the planet, only one guy could probably authenticate her and he did, in 2018.
gday can you help me get my mustero authenticated or steer me in the right direction
I would make a Mustero that Steve McQueen would be proud of. Bullitt paint and wheels on this baby. (after a LOT of metal and engine work, that is.)
I mean, Its sitting in the middle of the road, right? so it must run and drive, right……….? Anyone?
I’m trying to understand the Ford dealer’s planning and researching what it would take to create a car that met the federal DOT and SAE requirements for 1966. If these cars were sold as new cars with “certificate of origin” papers, they needed to meet SAE and DOT specs. Those SAE and DOT specs didn’t permit Lexan windows on cars intended for public sale & public road use. [Lexan fractures into large “spears” just like plate glass, and is just as dangerous in an accident.] Perhaps this was a case of the DOT giving them an exemption.
Over the last 40+ years I’ve had to arrange for replacement glass windows, either for rare cars we couldn’t find a replacement for, or custom bodied one-off cars.
In each case I was able to find glass companies in England and France, companies that had been building small runs of USA certified vehicle curved glass since the 1950s. While the cost for the first example were a bit high [in the mid 1980s about $1,500 for AS1 curved windshields], if we ordered more than 5, the costs dropped to under $600. Since shipping was the same, we always ordered a second windshield as well, keeping the extra one in the original wooden shipping crate for the car’s owner.
If they were going to make 50 examples of the Mustaro, that’s 100 pieces total order. I’m fairly sure they could have negotiated the cost down to around $200 per window, or $400 per car. Considering the overall final cost of a Mustero, providing real glass roll-down windows seems to me a “no-brainer” decision.
This is just a “what if” comment, as we’ll likely never know why the decision was to use Lexan on a car intended for public use.
Lexan windows…Per the original builder who inspected this car before authenticating her as #1 of the 4, he said once they moved the roof forward, the countour of the window changed and at the time, they lacked the best technology to fabricate new windows out of glass, so they used Lexan…he said those windows are one of the main keys of authentication.
OK your all wrong. I should know because we built them. My father started Beverly Hills Mustang in 1979 which I purchased in 1986. We built 4 or 5 of these cars. They were called Mustang Ranchero.
Contact me.
Yes Jor, your dad was Jay? You may know the authenticator…he said he knows of 4 built and he has found the other 3…finally found #1 and this is it. Contact me if possible. This car is quite the mysterious Mustero….I have the Mustang magazine with it centerfold. Id love to talk with you…I wrote an autobiography on this car.
You can contact me at 310-487-6382
You can contact me as well. You keep refiring to “The Original Builder. I assume you mean Ed Sherwood. He never built one and he never layed eyes on #1. #1 was different than the ones I built for them and it was made and sold into a collection over a year before Ed Sherwood even worked there. I Built every one of them except for #1 for J and Major Brunk. The Car in this story is not #1. I have a documented history of #1 from the day my father bought it from J. Brunk. 978-376-0615
Can i assume the unique door glass was simply stock mustang door glass
with the chrome trim removed & cut to fit by a careful craftsman for each car made?
Is that some sort of racing/track only steering column?
Not collapsible, but probably bendable in an accident, but not sure how 1 operates the turn signals or hazard flashers. lol
JoeNYWF64,
Curved glass [not flat glass with a layer of safety plastic between the 2 glass layers] in side window glass and rear windows, is “tempered” glass. This is the type that shatters into tiny pieces. Tempered glass cannot be re-cut, it can’t be reshaped by grinding, it can’t even be sandblasted with patterns. As soon as any change is attempted, it shatters.
Now we’re told they made only 4 or 5 examples, so the cost per car to have new tempered door glass panels made, would probably increase the car’s cost by at least $1,000. So as a cost cutting decision, they used Lexan.
Another reason for using Lexan is it can be heated and gently curved, but not much of a curvature, or it will deform. The curvature of the Mustang door glass was fairly minor, so creating the curved form in Lexan was doable. It could be done by heating the plastic Lexan panel until it’s soft, then lay it over an actual door glass that has been pre-heated, and let it assume the curvature of the original glass.
So Jor Brunk, is that how they did it?
Contact me.
Beverly Hills Ford? Can you give me an address or provide me with any documentation that a Beverly Hills Ford ever Existed after the 1950s? I don’t recall such a dealership in the early 80s when we were building them. As far as I know, Most of the people involved in building the “Mustang Ranchero’s” for Beverly Hills Mustang are still very much alive.
I have tge vintage Mustang Magazine with picture and address listed.
There are a few more around. Type in Mustero and search images. There are 5 nice resto or well kept versions right there. Plus all these barn finds that still need work. Being it is a chopped and modded car to begin with you wouldn’t want to put too much into it. You may never see some of that hard earned money again. But if you have the skills it would be worth it in my opinion. Which means nothing.
Hey Krusty — Your opinion means nothing? I for one disagree with you. I think your opinion is very well based. Don’t put yourself down.
BHM sold Ranchero #1 to the first owner in 1980. It was the prototype. The inner bed side and back walls were made of Masonite, as well as other specific differences the prototype had from the others. It had GT exhaust, fog lights, and a parchment pony interior. Many inaccurate stories about the BHM ranchero’s have circulated in print and on the internet in the past three decades, even though there was published information, facts, and the name of the guy that fabricated them. I challenge everyone to scour all the mustang related magazines with a 1981 copyright. I’m not gonna blow up the internet. Some of the claims and stories are actually more interesting than the facts. Most people that have made similar ranchero’s out of coupes have had to use Lexan for door glass. It’s not a identifier.