JBA Speed Shop built a 1965 Mustang with 540 hp and race-ready hardware that out-muscles modern muscle cars.
Some shops restore classic cars to pristine originality. JBA Speed Shop prefers to crank up the chaos. Their latest creation, a heavily reworked 1965 Ford Mustang, is less a showpiece and more a street-legal race car—one that’s faster and more ferocious than many modern muscle machines, including Dodge’s own Hellcat.
The car, built in collaboration with its owner, David, keeps some of its vintage roots—leaf springs, stock subframe, and original shock towers—but nearly every other part has been upgraded or replaced for maximum performance. Under the hood sits a fully built Dart 363ci small-block Ford, hand-assembled with AFR heads, a Lunati camshaft, and a Holley carburetor, producing 540 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque. Dyno-tested in-house by JBA, the setup revs past 7,000 rpm and launches the lightweight Fastback with ease.
Power is sent through a TREMEC five-speed transmission, a twin-disc clutch, and a full-floating Ford 9-inch rear end, making the drivetrain as durable as it is fast. Weighing under 3,000 pounds, the car’s power-to-weight ratio rivals that of much newer performance cars.
JBA also made sure this Mustang could handle the twisties. It retains its old-school leaf springs but uses Viking shocks, a custom panhard bar, stitch-welded chassis reinforcements, and a full cage for rigidity. Braking is handled by Kelsey Hayes-style Lincoln four-piston calipers, a nod to 1960s Shelby Trans-Am racers.
Inside, the vibe is all business: no glass in the doors, no insulation, and no fancy trim. The stripped interior, hand-fabricated metal fender flares, and homebuilt splitter make it clear this isn’t a trailer queen—it’s built to be driven hard.
During testing, the Mustang reportedly outpaced another JBA-built car making 507 horsepower, proving that balance, weight, and grip can beat raw numbers. Loud, aggressive, and unapologetically raw, this ’65 Mustang is a rolling reminder that sometimes old-school muscle still rules the streets.
