For many of us in the Mustang hobby, there is always that one car that got away, the one car we wish we’d held onto, or had the gusto to complete. For Tom Clark it was a special Fox-body, a ’79 Pace Car. Clark’s father brought the car home as a project with a blown engine. The car ended up languishing over the years, never seeing completion until Tom was 17, when it was handed down to him.

Finding that because the car had been cast aside for so long that it’s needed repairs exceeded his budget, the younger Clark let the car go as well. He continued to be faithful to the Mustang hobby though, finding a ’95 Cobra that he bought and began modifying. With the Cobra nearing all the goals he had set for it, Clark began to think about what his next project would be. Remembering those days gone by of the ’79 Pace car, he set about to find another one, this time with the goal of finishing the project.

In place of the weak original V8, Clark has installed a Terminator Cobra engine, and upgraded it with a Whipple blower. It will all be controlled by a Megasquirt DIY Autotune system.

Clark spent two years searching for a suitable candidate, finally locating one that he could pick up, but it was a 17 hour drive from his home. Taking a buddy along for a weekend marathon road trip, Clark picked up the car over five years ago and began working on it.

Working as time and budget allows, mainly in the winters, Clark has taken the former race marshal down the path less trod by many Fox-body owners. “The plan was to build the baddest ’79 Pace Car anywhere, not the fastest, but the most bad-ass,” says Clark. The ’79 has been slowly transformed into a slammed street cruiser.

We’ve seen some low Fox-body cars in our day, but this one takes the award for lowest.

The journey has not been easy, Clark has had to fabricate many parts, and adapting others to work with his application. Along the way he’s kept his eyes open for deals on new and gently used parts.

The car has been slammed using a combination of RideTech air suspension components and Racetech two-inch drop spindles. The front suspension also uses a TezmZ tubular k-member and A-arms. Out back BMR upper control arms take the place of the factory ones, they’re attached to a narrowed rear end that Clark built himself as part of his SINIS Built endeavor (SINIS being derived from the word sinister). There’s also a set of custom fabricated lower control arms. The rear frame rails have been c-notched, to add extra clearance for the car when it’s slammed. The chassis has been stiffened with Maximum Motorsports subframe connectors, and a Stiffler’s lower chassis spider brace.

Stopping is handled by 14-inch front brakes with Alcon calipers and Baer Eradispeed rotors. The rear brakes are 12-inch pieces from Wilwood. Wheels are custom built from Budnik GTX models. Clark runs a massive 20×12 in the rear and 18×7 in the front, the rear steam rollers wear 345/25/20 rubber.

Inside extensive work has been done to the floor pans, raising the transmission tunnel to provide adequate clearance for when the car gets low. Driver and passenger ride in comfort, strapped into Sparco Chrono Road seats. Auto Meter Ultra Lite gauges sit in a MC Machine custom panel, and there are carbon fiber and suede accents everywhere. The TeamZ mini-tubs also necessitated the removal of the rear seats.

Most ’79 Pace Cars came with either an anemic V8, as the new 5.0 wouldn’t arrive unti 1982, or they had a turbo four cylinder. Clark stuck with the V8 theme but strayed away from any other Pace Car we’ve seen so far, instead opting for a variation on the ’03 Cobra’s terminator power train.

The terminator engine is being fed a steady diet of boost via a 2.3 liter Whipple supercharger. The lean demons are kept at bay with the use of 60 lbs fuel injectors and a complete Aeromotive fuel system. Simplifying the engine control system, and being a little easier on the budget is a MegaSquirt engine management system. All the power is transferred via a Mcleod RXT twin-disc clutch to a Tremec T-56 Transmission, before finally ending up at a 3.27 geared rear end with 31-spline Strange axles.

Outside the car, Clark has applied subtle changes that have further enhanced the car’s appearance but, at the same time almost appear factory. SVO Sail panels replace the louvered style originals. The cowl panel is smooth as well. Wings West side skirts and rear bumper valence complete the ground effects where Ford left off at the factory. The tail lights have been tinted, and for car shows Clark has built a panel to cover the license plate and smooth the rear tail light area, adding a finished look.

Each year the car gets closer to completion. This winter Clark has been busy completing the drivetrain install, and will have the car back on the road for the summer cruise and car show season. We look forward to following his build further to see what he’s up to. For now you can check out his build thread at the Four Eyed Pride forum, and his SINIS Built Facebook page. Let us know what you think of this project by commenting below.