Even if you’re not a Mustang fan, this example is so fine and carries so much class, you’ve got to appreciate the artistry that went into creating it some 55 years ago.

Of course, the Ford Mustang never looked so good in 1966.

For a start, such a high-gloss mirror finish on your car today is considered standard paint shop quality. Back in the day, some poor soul would have sanded and polished the car for weeks and still not have achieved the same result.

But then, we can also spot some modern sporty bits. It’s not a GT350R clone, although it obviously draws inspiration from Carroll Shelby’s ludicrous race cars.

Like any proper Mustang project, this one’s got a name too – Miss Leader. It belongs to Kobe Peich from Southern California, who built it for his high-school senior project. Yes, this restomod Mustang was a high-school project.

How cool is that? Very.

Modest beginnings

Kobe has been into cars all his life. Growing up, he used to go to the drag races at the Pomona Fairplex and race nights on Thursdays at Irwindale.

Naturally, when he got his first car – a 2016 Ecoboost Mustang – he started tinkering with it, changing the oil, dropping the muffler, adding a blow off valve for those turbo flutter sounds. You know, normal teenage car stuff.

Unlike many car enthusiasts, Kobe doesn’t come from a classic car family and there wasn’t anyone to really pass down the knowledge. So, he did what every young person does and hopped on YouTube, where there’s videos on just about anything, including building cars and engines.

When he got 16, his grandfather gifted him his first project car – a 1946 Willys Jeep CJ2A with a Chevy 283 engine transplant. Kobe got together with his cousin McGwire Herbert and started working on the old warrior.

A rough diamond

In his last year of high-school Kobe was still working on the Jeep and planned on using it as his senior project. His father deemed the mission unsafe and uneconomical, and found him this 1966 Mustang. The car was stored for more than a decade in some garage in Rancho Cucamonga.

The original Wimbledon White paint was well preserved under a mountain of junk, like they always are. It was super dry and chipping away at the edges, allowing surface rust to settle in. The rear passenger fender had a significant amount of bondo applied and there were dings and scratches all over the place.

Overall, the body was in a respectable condition, given its age. The chassis was in excellent shape and the original engine block was supposedly freshly rebuilt. However, the car wasn’t running, the transmission was out and the interior was completely mangled.

“Daunting sight for a kid who has never done more than change some oil and squirt starter fluid into a carb.”

Nevertheless, the Mustang had a significant potential. Kobe shook hands with the owner for $6,500 and hauled it back home. Back at his garage, the inspection committee – mainly Kobe and his cousin McGwire – got together to assess exactly what they’re looking for.

They took out the original 289 cubic-inch V8 and popped the heads off to see what’s inside. I can imagine the sighs of relief when they discovered freshly bored and rehoned cylinder walls – 0.030 inches over – and a brand new rotating assembly that had barely been run.

The boys left the shortblock alone and focused on rebuilding the heads. At this point, Kobe sold off grandpa’s Jeep for $5,000 and threw every single dollar at parts.

Small block power

The original Ford Windsor 289 ci V8 engine was likely the low-powered version, producing around 200 horsepower with a 2-barrel carburetor.

Kobe spiced it up with a custom-ground camshaft with 0.480 inches of lift with 290 degrees of rotation on the intake and 240 on the exhaust side at 0.050 inches of lift. Solid flat tappet lifters, roller rockers, and a double roller timing chain complete the valve train.

Kobe wanted a classic car, but also a modern, maintenance-free engine that passes California’s emission standards. Electronic fuel injection was the way to go for reliable performance and efficiency. Out with the carburetor, in with a Holley Sniper EFI system.

Next, Kobe installed a Victor Jr. Edelbrock aluminum intake. This single plane manifold offers increased air flow for high RPM builds. On the hot side, there are JBA shorty headers bolted to a new 2.5-inch tubing, an X-pipe and two MagnaFlow mufflers.

They didn’t go crazy on the timing or the compression. Kobe wanted a nice street motor with enough oomph to go around, but not so much to send him in a ditch. The car hasn’t been dynoed, but he guesstimates around 300 horsepower and a tad more torque.

Honestly, that’s just right for this lightweight pony. The early Mustangs weighed around 2,500 lb and I can’t imagine it gained more than a couple of hundred over the years.

The original Shelby Mustang GT350 had the K-code 289 V8. Tuned by the magic hands of Carroll Shelby, that motor produced 306 horsepower and 329 lb-ft of torque. So, we could argue that 300 hp is just about the upper limit of what the original Mustang chassis was designed to handle.

To support the extra power and high revs, Kobe added a high-flow water pump and revised the cooling system accordingly.

A new Centerforce performance clutch was installed. The car came with its original 3-speed Ford Toploader transmission and an additional Borg Warner T-10 4-speed manual, which the seller threw in the package.

The choice was pretty clear and the T-10 was bolted in as well as a Hurst Competition shifter. Since the car didn’t see a grotesque increase in power, the original Ford rear end with 2.83 gearing was more than sufficient.

The car was in drastic need of some body work and a good lick of paint. So, Kobe took it to Lakeside Speed and Shine out of Lake Havasu, AZ, where his dad has a Nova under restoration.

Lakeside Speed and Shine installed the Holley Sniper EFI kit and rewired the engine.

Kobe had sourced and installed a Ford Granada disk brake kit on with drop spindles for the front end, but wasn’t entirely happy to have a malaise-era handling package. The shop dropped the entire front end and replaced it with a new independent suspension kit from TCI.

These kits literally transform the entire vehicle, adding a new subframe, double A-arm and coilover suspension, 1-inch-thick anti-roll bar, 2-inch-drop spindles with Wilwood disk brakes pre-installed, and finally, a new power steering rack and linkage. Everything comes with its own bracketry, locating points and hardware.

The car is practically brand new forward of the firewall. At the rear, rebuilt drums and new OEM leaf springs and shock absorbers will do for now.

The 1966 Mustang rides on 17-inch US Mag Ramblers, wrapped in Falken Pro G5 Sport tires – 245/45/17 in the back and 225/45/17 up front. I particularly like how well these tuck into the fenders, giving the Mustang an unmistakable sporty appearance, while not ruining the classic look.

“She handles a lot better after getting the new suspension and power steering. It can handle all road conditions no problem and stop on a dime. “

Getting pretty

I’m looking at this Mustang and I can’t deny it’s looking remarkably well for a high-school student project.

Kobe imbued a surprising amount of class into his Mustang. It’s obviously modified, but uses original parts and period-correct design elements. Everything looks like it belongs to the car and that’s a compliment we can’t easily pass to every modified classic out there.

I particularly love the GT350R race apron and chrome bumper delete. The split bumper makes any Mustang look absolutely vicious. Neither of the scoops are functional yet, however, Kobe plans on building cooling ducts if he ever takes the Mustang racing.

The paint is absolutely brilliant. It’s so rich and deep, blending from red to violet and almost black at night. Kobe’s first Mustang was Ruby Red, but he wanted this one to have more flavor. After long searching for the right shade he found this exquisite color – House of Kolor Kandy Brandywine.

The guys at Lakeside Speed and Shine did a phenomenal job, restoring the tired body panels, and producing this silky smooth finish.

You might think he’s not running enough power to justify a beefy roll cage and four-point harnesses, but remember that these 55-year-old unibodies aren’t exactly stiff. Any decent piece of metal you add to the structure helps keep the car square.

Plus, Kobe wants to go Autocrossing some day. It’s only smart to add these features in before any interior work is done to the car.

“I wanted to build something different and cool and since it was for a school project I would present to everyone, I wanted it to really stand out and scream “Racecar”

You know how this could have turned out, but this young man has a fine taste.

Inside, they put new Dakota Digital gauges, a Budnik steering wheel, leather seat covers on the original frames, new headliner and CJ carpet – all black.

A RetroSound bluetooth stereo with two speakers on the rear cargo cover gives Kobe all the connectivity he needs. The fire extinguisher is way over the top. However, it is a show car after all, so we’ll let this one slide.

Today, Kobe attends Cal State Fullerton for a degree in business. He works two jobs and saves on money and time to replace his current clutch for a hydraulic setup.

“Also, I have had lots of issues with leaks over the years, which is always a bummer, but it was my first time doing 99% of the things I did on the car.”

I’d say he did just fine. Since they finished the build, the car has won a few local awards – Best of Show at the 13th Annual Anderson Car Show and Best Pony Car 2 years in a row at the Run to the Sun in Lake Havasu.

Kobe Peich’s 1966 Mustang is definitely the coolest high-school project I’ve ever seen.