2001 Ford Mustang GT Convertible

Driver Profile
Brian Harder hails from West Allis Wisconsin, where he is the director of a local funeral home. He was fortunate enough to acquire his Mustang from his wife, who had deemed it as too small. Once she had her new SUV, Brian reclaimed the Mustang and embarked what would be a three-year buildup into the vehicle’s current status. He is an active competitor at local car shows in and around his hometown where he has already scooped up several first place trophies. There are very few things left on the Mustang that can be customized, so for now Harder’s plans are to continue on the show circuit, and of course to enjoy every minute of it.

It's a good thing that Brian Harder is not one to leave well enough alone. Proof of this is his 2001 Mustang GT convertible featured on these pages. Right off the showroom floor, the Mustang is already a slick ride, especially the GT models with the added thrill of a V8. Roughly three years ago, however, Harder turned to Project Two Customs of Waukesha, WI, to step it up a bit with a few upgrades to the box stock pony car. As you can see, one thing led to another; and after several different stages, Harder's Mustang has evolved into a one-of-a-kind show car. Practically every element of the vehicle has been customized, enhanced or replaced with an aftermarket upgrade. The extensive list of additional mods is proof of that. While an attempt to describe every custom element of the Mustang would be futile at best, a complete description of the multimedia installation and interior transformation is well deserved.

Slamming Doors
For the front stage, the Project Two crew fabricated a set of custom door panels to house the MB Quart PCE 216 component set. The baffles used to mount the 6 1/2" drivers firmly to the door's frame were integrated into the custom panels, while the 1" tweeters were mounted in the factory tweeter pod at the top of each door. To protect the mids, a set of custom CNC-machined aluminum grilles were fabricated to complement the aftermarket billet tweeter grilles. The finished panels were wrapped in factory Ford vinyl with suede and painted inserts. Billet switches and door handles replaced their factory counterparts, and for the finishing touch, the Mustang emblems in each panel were molded in clear acrylic and illuminated for accent lighting.

Multiple Drivers
In comparison to the elaborate front doors, the installation of the rear drivers is quite simple. Rear fill is provided by an MB Quart PCE 213 component set in the factory speaker locations on either side of the rear seating area. Both the 5 1/4" mid and 1" tweeter are concealed by the factory speaker grilles, but have been carefully positioned for optimal imaging.

An additional PCE 213 component set was chosen for the center channel that has been incorporated into the custom-built dashboard. Both 5 1/4" midrange drivers were used, but only a single 1" tweeter was installed due to the reflective properties of the Mustang's windshield. The center channel drivers are protected by a custom grille that is also home to the array of vehicle status indicators that have been extracted from the gauge cluster.

Rehash The Dash
The elaborate center channel sits atop a completely redesigned dash and center console that features a hand-built gauge cluster that situates the assortment of Auto Meter gauges in the center of the vehicle. Like the door panels, the dash and center console were wrapped in Ford vinyl with painted fiberglass inserts. Nestled below the gauge cluster is the Eclipse AVX2404 double-DIN source unit with built-in DVD/CD/MP3 player and DTS surround processor. For CD audio while the source unit's DVD player is in use, an Eclipse 8-disc changer was flushed into the area of the floor beneath the sub enclosure. A Sony Playstation 2 was also incorporated into the passenger side of the dash for additional mobile entertainment and uses wireless controllers for a cleaner look. Both video sources supply all six screens in the vehicle, while switching duties are handled by a Pioneer three-way switcher in the center console.

Screening Room
In addition to the 5.8-inch monitor built into the Eclipse source unit, an additional five monitors were installed in the Mustang. A Directed 5.8-inch screen was molded into each custom-made sun visor, while a 7-inch Directed screen is tucked into each headrest. The fifth and final monitor is an Eigervision 10.4-inch mounted on the custom chrome strut bar that spans the width of the trunk for demo purposes.