Exclusive: We Drive the Mach-X Show Car!

Exclusive: We Drive the Mach-X Show Car! Mustang Owner's Podcast · Jul 10, 2026

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Car

69 Mach 1s

“Mach 1” is a special, more performance-focused version of the classic Ford Mustang. “69” means the 1969 style, and the whole project is trying to copy that look on a newer car.

Car

2012 Mustang GT

A 2012 Ford Mustang GT is a Mustang with the higher-performance “GT” trim from that model year. Here, it’s not just kept stock—the car is modified so it looks like a classic 1969 Mach 1.

Term

Frenching in the bumpers

“Frenching” is a bodywork trick where parts are shaped and fitted so they look built-in rather than bolted on. Here, they’re doing it to the bumpers to make the front end look more like the classic car.

Car

69 Mach

“69 Mach” means a 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1. It’s a famous classic Mustang, and here they’re saying they’re using that classic style on newer Mustangs.

Car

BMW 550S

The BMW 5 Series is a comfortable, mid-size luxury car. It’s meant for everyday driving but still aims to handle well. The podcast mentions it while talking about different model years and performance cars.

Car

McLaren 650S

The McLaren 650S is a very fast, expensive sports car. It’s made to feel quick and agile when you drive it. The podcast brings it up as one of the performance cars being discussed.

Term

full carbon fiber builds

A “full carbon fiber build” means replacing major exterior components with parts made from carbon fiber composite. Carbon fiber is used because it’s very strong for its weight, which is why they’re aiming to reduce the car’s mass while keeping safety and warranty coverage.

Term

headlight buckets

“Headlight buckets” are the parts behind the headlights that hold them in the right position. If you’re changing the front bodywork, you often need matching housings so everything fits and lines up.

Term

full factory warranty

“Full factory warranty” means the car still has the manufacturer’s warranty coverage. They’re saying their carbon-fiber build won’t automatically void it.

Term

75 pounds lighter

“75 pounds lighter” means the modified car weighs about 75 lb less. A lighter car can feel a bit quicker and more agile, especially in how it turns.

Term

airbag safety

“Airbag safety” means the car’s airbags are still set up to work correctly. They’re emphasizing that the build won’t compromise how the airbags protect you in a crash.

Term

US Route 40

US Route 40 is an old, famous highway in the U.S. People talk about it like a classic road-trip route, so it helps set the mood for a driving story.

Person

Gale Hallerman

Gale Hallerman is a key person in Mustang history. The hosts say he helped design the original Ford Mustang, and they’re visiting a place tied to him.

Term

428

“428” is shorthand for a specific big V8 engine size used in some older Mustangs. They’re basically saying the car’s sound is different from a Mustang with that engine.

Term

shaker

A “shaker” is a hood scoop that sits on top of the engine and moves a little as the engine runs. It’s both a functional air-intake feature and a recognizable performance styling cue.

Term

Coyote 5.0

“Coyote 5.0” is Ford’s newer 5.0-liter V8 engine. They’re saying their car uses that modern engine rather than the older Cobra Jet setup.

Term

Cobra Jet

“Cobra Jet” is a name for a high-performance Mustang setup from the classic era, especially known for drag racing. The host is saying their car is swapping away from that and going with a Coyote 5.0 instead.

Term

CD player

A CD player is the car stereo that plays music from CDs. The host is pointing out that this car has familiar, everyday entertainment features.

Term

nose dive

Nose dive is when the front of the car drops when you brake hard. They’re saying the older Mustang doesn’t have the same front-end dipping behavior as this one.

Car

Mustang

A Ford Mustang is a famous American sports car. Here, they’re talking about how this modified Mustang looks and impresses people while driving around.

Term

Big Block 390

A “390” is a big Ford V8 engine from the classic era. “Big block” just means it’s a large, powerful engine that tends to sound and feel different than smaller engines.

Term

4-barrel

A “4-barrel” is a carburetor with four openings that feeds fuel to the engine. When you floor it, it opens up and gives you that classic loud, punchy V8 feel.

Term

4-6

“4-6” sounds like a shorthand for a Mustang setup or year range the host is talking about. The exact reference isn’t clear here, but it’s tied to timing a build for the Coyote.

Term

after 2011

They’re basically saying: if you want the newer Coyote V8, it’s easier to do with Mustangs from after 2011. That timing matters for what parts and setups are available.

Term

supercharger

A “supercharger” is a device that forces extra air into the engine. More air means more power, especially when you tune it for fuel and boost.

Term

810 horsepower

Horsepower is a way to describe how strong the engine is. “810 horsepower” means this car is tuned to be extremely powerful.

Term

Ford factory warranty

A factory warranty is coverage provided by the automaker for repairs within a set time/mileage (terms vary by contract). The key point here is that the hosts say the show car is covered under Ford’s warranty, which is unusual for heavily modified show cars.

Term

oil changed

An oil change is when you swap out old engine oil for new oil. They’re talking about whether you can get that done easily like a normal car.

Place

Detroit

Detroit is a famous U.S. city tied to car manufacturing. They’re mentioning it because the car was brought from the Detroit area.

Place

Autorama

Autorama is a car show where people bring cars to display them and get attention from fans and judges. They’re saying this car was the main attraction there.

Place

Gales Barn

Gales Barn sounds like a place they’re driving to on their route. It’s just part of the directions for the drive segment.

Term

coyote power

“Coyote power” means the car is using Ford’s modern 5.0-liter V8 engine family. People like it because it’s powerful and there are lots of parts and tuning options for it.

Term

Franken-Boston

“Franken-Boston” is a playful way to describe a heavily mixed-up custom build. It suggests the car is made from parts or pieces from different sources rather than being one pure, original model.

Term

donor car

A “donor car” is the car you start with to take parts from. Builders use it as the foundation for a new project, especially when they want certain components or a specific base platform.

Term

rebodied it

“Rebodied” means they changed the outer body panels/shell of the car. It’s basically giving the car a different look by swapping the body parts, while trying to keep the original Mustang proportions.

Term

body panel

A body panel is an outer part of the car’s body, like a fender or quarter panel. They’re saying the builders replaced or reshaped those outer pieces so everything lines up and looks right.

Term

side scoops

Side scoops are the shaped vents/holes on the side of the car’s body. They’re often there for looks, and sometimes for airflow, and the hosts are saying the Mach-X version fits better than on other cars they’ve seen.

Place

Tip City

Tip City is a town in Ohio. The hosts are using it to help people figure out where they’re going, saying it’s not far from Dayton and easy to reach from I-75. It’s basically a directions reference point.

Place

I-75

I-75 is a big highway you can drive on to get to where they’re going. They mention it so listeners know the easiest route. It’s basically part of the directions for the event.

Brand

Zero Given Garage

Zero Given Garage is a car shop/community that builds and shows Mustangs. The hosts are saying they’re famous in the Mustang world and show up at big car events.

Place

SEMA

SEMA is a huge U.S. car show/trade event for custom cars and aftermarket parts. People use it to show off new builds and new products.

Place

Carlisle

Carlisle is a place in Pennsylvania that hosts big car shows. The hosts are saying these Mustang builders show up there too.

Topic

Hot Wings Challenge

The Hot Wings Challenge sounds like a fun competition at a car event. The hosts are saying Mike was supposed to do it at the time.

Place

Shelby Fresh

Shelby Fresh is a specific Mustang-related event the hosts are talking about. They’re using it to explain when the Hot Wings Challenge happened.

LIVE

Hey, welcome Mustang fans to another very special episode of the Mustang Owners Podcast.

I'm your host, John Cloran.

I'm your co-host, Mike Ray.

Of course he is.

Mike, you caused all this because we're here at the Gathering at the Barn Show here in

Tip City, Ohio at the Hallderman Museum and then you called one of the craziest guys we

know in the whole hobby making the most wonderful stuff that he actually let us drive, which

is his second mistake other than knowing us.

Aaron Duncan, Aaron, welcome to the podcast.

Hey, thank you guys for having me again, but live this time.

Yeah, well, we liked it last time, but you enjoy getting out of control.

Remember, we lost it, didn't we?

Yeah, oh yeah, and this car is absolutely incredible.

Wait till you hear about this.

Yeah, so we just wanted to, we want to thank you for letting us drive this car, bring it

to the show, but just tell us a little bit about this car and what this means to your

whole business going forward.

So this car is owned by a gentleman named John Leonard.

He worked in the aerospace program, Skunk Works, all that crazy secret stuff.

He did it and he was a die-hard fan of 69 Mach 1s.

The dude lived in California and naturally he gave us a California Special GT 2012 Mustang

and said, and gave us a picture of a Mach 1 and said, make it like this, but better.

He wanted everything as close to 69 as possible, but we did some things like Frenching in the

bumpers, you know, Frenching in even the side, the side scoops and essentially it is a brand

new or brand new is 2012 Mustang GT, but it looks like a 69 Mach 1.

It sure does, and Mike, when we were driving it, one of the things, I mean, we get a lot

of thumbs up in Mustangs, but nothing like this, Mike.

I've driven everything you can possibly think of in the Mustang world and this one is at

least 90% of people breaking their necks or giving a thumbs up while we're driving this

car.

You know, and Aaron, I'm familiar with giving a picture to someone who wanted to turn out

like that.

I gave a picture to my plastic surgeon, wanted to be Brad Pitt, but I see that I was too

small.

Brad Pitt's too small.

I was just too small here.

No, this thing is, people are doing double and triple takes, taking a 69 Mach and putting

it on an S150 or even an S550 or S197, or now you're saying S650 is going to be a possibility?

Yes.

The future that we're looking to is, you know, we've been doing the 05-14s for years,

the S197s, but the 550s and 650s, we should be rolling out pretty soon.

We got most of the panels, the bucks made for our first model, and they will be full carbon

fiber builds from front to back.

Your headlight buckets, your bumpers, everything carbon fiber, and I got some pretty cool tricks

up my sleeve on how we're going to do the chrome and everything else on it, and if everything

goes to plan, one of our carbon fiber cars will leave 75 pounds lighter than it left

the factory from Ford, but still with a full factory warranty, airbag safety, all that

stuff that comes with steering wheels, navigation, all that stuff.

Let's go, are you ready?

Yep.

All right, let's leave the bar in here.

Let's get on on the US Route 40.

You know, Mike, this was the original national road.

I just can't believe we're literally at the birthplace of Gale Hallerman, the original

designer of the Ford Mustang.

His grandparents lived there, and he lived the house over right here, and where he's

got his barn set up to be a man cave.

We're on a Route 40 here in Chipp City.

Let's get out of this little thing and show this guy.

Listen to that growl.

That's awesome.

Isn't that beautiful?

I only sound different than a 428.

I'm not going to tell you.

The shaker.

George really did a good job with CDC.

I've got one of my own six, but the touch that I'm carrying here, I'm putting Coyote

5.0 instead of Cobra Jet.

Do you want to pull into the Dairy Queen?

Let's pull into it.

Let's pull into it now.

Who wouldn't take a mock-ex show car into the Dairy Queen?

Let's do a little lap.

So for you podcast fans that want to move to Chipp City and hang around Gale's place,

they're hiring here at the Simply DJs.

It's only a block away walking distance, right?

You walk to the barn and hang out with your favorite Mustangs.

This thing, so when you drive, Mike, it's really like driving.

It could be an everyday driver.

It absolutely can.

That's the thing with the old cars.

A lot of people don't like to take them on long road trips.

This one you can take it anywhere.

Anything your 2012 had, you know, it's got all the modern amenities.

It's got a CD player.

Guys, let's do windows up.

You can keep one.

Let's go down to Fifth Road on the left here.

I'll do a little side road here.

Here we go.

This is the laughing part.

Oh, she barks nice.

Yeah, that's Mustang heaven right there.

You know, it does give me a different look.

If you're driving a real 69, they don't have that fall drop off slope.

Yeah, a little nose dive on the car.

But you do get better visibility out the back, I think.

The beers are really cool on us.

It still says GTCF.

Yeah, everything else in there is all the same.

Engine bay is the same.

Yeah, we didn't even have no idea.

There should be a little side road over here.

Let's take that over here.

He really stuffed these tires underneath these wheel wells.

Yeah, they are. They're under there.

He filled that wheel well.

It looks beautiful to drive around on the countryside on a Mustang like this,

but I bet you everybody on the side of the road

are going, look at that 69.

It's not a 69 Mustang.

Sure doesn't sound like it.

If you guys have an old stock, let's say any Big Block 390 or 428,

you stand on that 4-barrel,

it's got that great Ford Big Block sound,

but there's nothing like a Coyote in full song.

Absolutely, and everybody's turning their heads.

No matter where you're going, they're turning their heads and looking back.

The problem with me trying to do this on my 4-6,

you just love to have the Coyote power.

So you might want to wait till after 2011 to get your car done.

Especially now with the 650s,

you're approaching 500 horsepower on those stock,

put a supercharger on it,

you're at 810 under a beauty like this.

810 horsepower with the body of a 69 Mustang.

Yeah, how cool is that?

All under full Ford factory warranty.

Can you get your oil changed at the family and change that?

Yeah.

You don't have to take it to a specialty antique shop, right?

Yeah.

So this thing, I'm telling you, this is so much fun.

I can cruise the countryside in this all day long.

Well, the fact is, so we drive this thing down from Detroit,

and I guess Aaron is so great to lend us this car,

to have it on the podcast,

to let people experience what driving a show car is like,

but this thing was the star of the Autorama.

Let's face it, it absolutely was.

He fielded so many questions, Mike.

Yeah, and it's still, every time we pull over,

we stop at a gas station, we're fielding questions,

non-stop on it, so yeah, super, super cool.

And like I said, out of all my time in my career,

this is my favorite Mustang I've ever driven ever.

Let's turn right up here.

We'll take you down to 202 and come back to Gales Barn,

but just so that you guys know when you buy something like this,

you're not buying something that you have to worry about,

because it's like just buying a new car.

Or you have your old Mustang you love,

but you don't want to get rid of it to buy a 69.

Why don't you just turn it into one?

Because it's your car.

This guy's Cal Special.

It's his Cal Special.

He's just as dominant with his cars as he wants to be,

with a coyote power.

The only difference is, it looks a hell of a lot different

than everybody else's.

And you know what, John?

I think the biggest surprise we knew with both of these

is when they did the Franken-Boston,

the guy did a Laguna Seca was the donor car.

And so that's how much these cars mean

and what they think they're worth

and how the excitement that they're going to bring.

So the interior engine, all that was a Laguna Seca Boss.

I mean, you have a Laguna Seca, super rare car.

You say to Aaron Duncan,

hey, turn this into a Boss 302 from back,

way back in the day.

And then when he pops the hood,

you go, wait a minute.

This is like a modern Boss 302?

Exactly.

Look at the interior.

Did you guys cut it up and put it up?

No.

We rebodied it.

Those guys actually changed the body panel.

And the way those, if you ever guys,

take the two cars to park them next to each other,

the amount of design work that Aaron and his team

and Duncan brothers did on this car

to make this body fit onto this car

and still have the great proportions

and the great look that the 69 had.

And I dare you to go around the fit

and finish on this thing.

I know, I've seen some at your shows, Mike.

69 Mach ones.

And those side scoops didn't fit as good

on the Ford as that these guys did

on this beautiful car.

Yeah, they did one hell of a job for sure.

Now, see, the cool thing is

there's a turkey farm right here.

And the cool thing that I used to do

with my, come by with my Mustang too

is I want to see if the turkeys would gobble.

There's another Mustang right there.

Mustang is an anniversary edition.

It's a 95.

Yeah, there you go.

Yeah, so I would go by

and I'd give them a rabble and they'd go,

it must be Gail Alderman's barn around here.

But Tip City, what would happen in place

we're going to go out tonight to?

Yeah, if you guys have not been to the Alderman barn,

make sure they get here.

Yeah, I mean, it's literally just

a few minutes north of Dayton,

right off, everybody and their brother

can get off I-75.

So you come down through I-75 through Ohio

just about 15 minutes north of Dayton

is Tip City.

You're 12 minutes in from Tip City

to see the barn.

It's beautiful countryside and you'll see

the actual childhood home of Gail Alderman.

You turn right here, Mike.

We'll go up to that,

your drive-thru, your drive-thru party store.

Yeah.

Drive through yourself a pulled coke.

Now, if we had more time with you guys

on the podcast, we'd take you down to

Whatadog, which is in New Carlisle

over there.

They have a little hot dog stand

where you pull up and...

Now, they don't have roller skates on, Mike.

No.

But they'll come out and get a hot dog,

a chili dog, and hamburger.

Like they go all day.

Let's make this thing sing a minute.

Let's do it. Let's see it.

Look at that new raw power out of a modern car.

Coyote power forever.

I feel so good in accelerating.

This thing just pulled.

You see the whole front of it?

This thing just pulled.

Absolutely incredible.

Now, you probably loved this California Special,

but when he got this car turned into

this fabulous Moc-X,

he's got a little bit more.

Yeah. Oh, yeah.

Are we turning right here?

We're going back to the barn.

And boy, was it fun just being in the podcast

and hopping in a show car

and to be able to share with our viewers.

Absolutely incredible car.

It's got a great sound, a great look.

And let's face it, why do you buy your Mustang?

You love it because it's fun to drive

and because it looks fantastic.

And Mike, I tell you, on the drive down,

yeah, we're going to go to the Mustang Club of Ohio show

and hang out there in Columbus.

But coming down here, seeing this on the road,

how many people were rubber-necked and looking at this?

Absolutely.

And what a team they got.

Aaron and Joey Duncan, Bill Tumas.

What a just amazing team.

And this car is absolutely incredible.

And I can't wait to see what's coming back.

So does the garage plan on having an announcement

coming up this fall?

Yeah, I believe something will be coming for C-Mother

they're going to be doing an announcement with.

And we'll definitely have them back on the podcast at that time.

That'll be awesome to see those.

So that little stairwell, that's where Gail Alderman was born

in that house, the house next door.

And now Karen lives there and her daughter lives there

and that was his grandparents home.

And as we turn left here, there is the Alderman Barn Museum.

When you come in, you get to see.

Mike, maybe we could do a podcast of just

walking through the museum everybody.

But that doesn't mean we don't want you to be here.

Right.

So let's go pull and take a look at one more shot.

And the great thing about shooting anything by the museum

is that fabulous aluminum pony that Gail

stuck on the side of his barn.

That is absolutely perfect.

There's no greater place like we call it the Mecca.

It is.

Take your picture at.

Hope you enjoyed that little ride.

Zero given garage for the win.

Mike, we've been following these guys since retro built days.

I mean, there are a lot of people in and out.

We've dealt with some that are guys

who just don't want to get into business with.

But I think you're enjoying their class of their own.

Yeah.

And they're very, very well received in the Mustang community.

If you haven't heard of them yet, I'd be very, very shocked.

They make their rounds everywhere.

They're in major shows, SEMA, Detroit Autorama.

They're making big, big announcements everywhere.

Carlisle.

So make sure you follow them if you haven't a zero given garage.

Yeah.

And so they let Mike and I drive the car.

We're going to show you some footage of us actually enjoying this car out there.

And I know you would enjoy anything you get through these guys.

They're the real deal.

And Mike, I think that's what makes the hobby going.

You did miss.

I think it was at Shelby Fresh where you had the Hot Wings Challenge

where Mike was supposed to do it.

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

We did it with the Hot Wings Challenge.

I miss the Hot Wings Challenge, but coming soon to you.

Mr. Ghost Pepper over here.

We have a side show that we call Hot Rod Hot Wings.

Bill Tumas is a partner and a friend of ours.

We've done an episode with him.

WWE AEW star, Ricochet.

He's a big fan of ours, owns one of our cars.

Did an episode with him.

Kyle Careway from Shelby Fest, and I think next Mike.

And maybe John.

Yeah, John's got to do it.

John's got to do at least.

John faints at the smell of heat.

Yes.

The only heat I lack is coming out of an exhaust pipe.

You were scared the day we did it with Kyle.

Yeah, I cried watching you.

Yeah, so.

But you're going to cry watching Mike and us drive this beautiful thing.

And we're also going to cry because this show is going to come to an end pretty soon.

Let's do a whole episode on this show alone, okay?

Let's do it.

And we want to thank you for joining us.

And of course, Aaron Duncan here with the Macaque Show Car.

And next time you all just catch you guys down the road.

And let's go on the road with this car.

See ya.

About this episode

Aaron Duncan’s Mach-X show car—built from a 2012 Mustang GT and styled to evoke a 1969 Mach 1—steals the spotlight at the Gathering at the Barn in Tip City, Ohio. Hosts John Cloran and Mike Ray get a real-world drive, marveling at the modern Coyote power, the “69” look (including reworked scoops and Frenching), and the way strangers react with nonstop thumbs-ups. Duncan also teases future full-carbon Mach-X builds for newer S197/S550/S650 platforms with factory warranty and big power potential.

4 barrel 75 pounds lighter 810 horsepower after 2011 airbag safety Autorama Big Block 390 body panel Carlisle CD player

BMW 5 Series Ford Mustang Ford Mustang GTD Ford Mustang Mach-E McLaren 650S

Original notes

In this episode, Mike and John score an in-person interview with Aaron Duncan of Duncan Brothers Customs fame, now the creative master behind Zero Given Garage. Better still, the boys get the chance to test-drive Aaron’s award-winning creation, the Mach-X show car that had wowed the crowds during its Detroit Autorama debut. The custom "Mach-X" project car is the Duncan Brothers’ social media darling – a vintage-looking 1969 Mustang Mach 1-inspired modern classic built off a 2012 Mustang GT California Special chassis. After John and Mike drove it to the Mustang Club of Ohio’s annual show at Krieger Ford, they then took it to the Halderman Mustang Museum in nearby Tipp City, Ohio, and showcased it during the museum’s annual “Gathering at the Barn” event where they caught up with Aaron and Joey Duncan and Zero Given Garage’s Eli Sicken.Enjoy some Mach-X perspective and production news from Aaron and ride along with Mike and John in this cool custom Mustang. To get the full story on the Mach-X, check out the feature on FordMuscle.com penned by our good friend Steve Turner. Just click here: Mustang Mach X Turns Heads Faster Than The Speed Of SoundAnd for more information on transforming your own S197, S550 or S650 Mustang into a 1969-era dream machine, you can visit Zero Given Garage here: https://www.zerogivengarage.com/In the meantime, make sure to Like the video and Leave a Comment Subscribe to the Mustang Owner’s Podcast Share with fellow Mustang enthusiasts. Plus, show that you’re a true Mustang insider by wearing Mustang Owner’s Podcast branded apparel, available on TheSVTstore.com.

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