PONY UP!

KYLLIE GARRETT'S 560HP MUSTANG FASTBACK MELDS SHELBY HERITAGE WITH TOUGH MODERN STYLING

- JACK HOULIHAN

THE ELITE Hall at Summernats has been so well-stocked over the past couple of years that we're still playing catch-up on all the new rides, and Kyllie Garrett's '68 Mustang is a fitting example. Unveiled at the 'Nats back in 2022, it's a gorgeous showcase of current-day styling and functionality, without sacrificing an ounce of what's made the first-gen fastback so damn cool for almost 60 years.

The Ballarat mum's hometown may host plenty of streeters, but this one was rescued from interstate. Kyllie bought the car sight-unseen in 2015, having put up a wanted ad on Gumtree. "I had a guy from Port Pirie in SA call me and tell me about this Mustang he'd had in his shed since the late 80s," Kyllie says. "I was hesitant about the state of it, but I jumped in the car the next day and made the 1200km round trip. It was a complete J-code Deluxe fastback."

Kyllie pieced together as much as she could locally from businesses like Ballarat's Griffs American Auto Parts & Restorations. Some key bits, like the front suspension and one-piece door glass, couldn't be found in Australia, so she honoured the tradition of flying to Se oland, buying much stuff as possible, and dragging it halfway across the world. "I remember coming back through customs with many kilos of luggage and declaring what I spent, only to be waved right through the gates," Kyllie laughs. "Straight home I went!"