Classic Ford parts from factory

As the secretary of the Victorian chapter of the Mustang Owners Club of Australia he welcomes Ford's decision to expand its official restoration business in the US.

"It's good to see that recognition," he says. "There is huge business in these cars here. Something like an officially sanctioned restoration service is good."

Ford's move to build up its back catalogue of parts comes hard on the heels of Holden's recent decision to start its own restoration parts business for classic Holdens. Collins says that in Victoria there are 560 Mustang club members, 650 in NSW, 300 in Queensland and 200 in South Australia and Western Australia. He believes there are as many as 6000 classic Mustangs on Australian roads, many classic left-hand drive imports.

"And some people own more than one car," he says. "We have people in our club with up to five cars."

Collins says there are many more Mustang and classic Ford owners not affiliated with any clubs. Several local businesses already access approved Ford parts from America and US companies sell direct to Australia, he says. "You can spend $20,000 on a complete Mustang body shell," he says. "There is virtually nothing you can't buy."

Collins says the Mustang is a relatively cheap car to maintain and own, with some of the earlier models sharing components with the first locally built Falcon GTs. Apart from complete Mustang bodies, Ford in the US will introduce its first truck-based body for restorers of the classic 1960s Bronco later this year.

However, Ford spokesman in Detroit, Richard Truett, says the complete Mustang bodies are left-hand drive only. But he says if an enthusiast wanted a complete Mustang or Bronco body it could be shipped to Australia.

"Since the bodies are made in California and could be shipped from there, it might not be as expensive as one could imagine," he says. Ford has a growing inventory of more than 9000 parts and 75 licensed manufacturers of vintage components, from engines to interiors. Parts can be bought for everything from the Model T to cars as recently as the early 2000s. Even hand-made Model T radiators are available. Each component is made to Ford standards using original factory tooling.

The restoration licensing manager for Ford Component Sales in the US, Dennis Mondrach, says an enthusiast could build a 1967 Mustang from the ground up using officially licensed Ford parts "right from your computer, without ever visiting a wrecking yard". Original Mustangs are among the top 10 most popular classic cars in America.