Official ‘Eleanor’ Mustangs built in the US

The sighting of an ‘Eleanor’ replica Mustang is a rare thing here in Australia.

Sure, there are a couple getting around, even being driven. We’ve spotted one cruising around our local Melbourne, but only one.

We’re talking, of course, about Nicholas Cage’s co-star from the 2000 flick Gone in 60 Seconds, in which Cage’s character, Memphis, tries to steal a modified GT500-esque 1967 Mustang called Eleanor, along with a lot of other cars.

But in the US, seeing a Mustang in ‘Eleanor’ guise would be slightly more likely thanks to Fusion Motor Company.

People have re-created Eleanor Mustangs in the past, but Fusion has the rights to create official replicas of the car thanks to Gone in 60 Seconds co-producer Denise Halicki.

The head man at Fusion, Yoel Wazana, says he once owned an Eleanor replica built by someone else, but was disappointed with the quality. So he set out to build his own.

“I bought one of the first Eleanor tribute cars from a previous manufacturer. I loved the way it looked, but it had many issues.

“As the fiberglass body parts vibrated and sagged, the Bondo transitions to the sheet metal cracked. And those were just the body problems.

“I owned it for eight years and ultimately sold it. I liked the Eleanor concept but wasn’t happy with the execution.”

Fusion uses 1967-68 Mustangs to create its replicas, stripping the car to the shell and making sure the body underneath is straight.

More structural reinforcement is added to account for the extra power and forces that will be running through the car. These Ponies don’t run on ‘60s power.

Fusion then creates its own carbon fibre spoilers and splitters, and uses LED lighting rather than the lighting the car would have had in 2000.

Five Roush engines options are available, with the standard being a 320kW 5.0-litre Coyote V8. A supercharger can be added, or the engine swapped for a 7.0-litre with carburettors, fuel injection, or injection and a supercharger for 559kW.

It even comes with a nitrous tank in the back, which can be hooked up to a “Go Baby Go” button on the shifter (as in the film) if customers don’t mind voiding the Roush warranty.

Fusion says the wait time for an Eleanor Mustang is around 6 months, with prices ranging from $189,000-$284,350 USD (or $240,870 to $362,389 AUD), depending on options.