When you enter the gates of Ford heaven that last thing you expect to see is the 1974 AMC Javelin. In most cases, off-brand autos aren’t even allowed to participate in the NMRA or Holley Ford Fest, unless of course, they have ford Blue blood pumping through the veins. Such is the case with Chris Abrell’s Lava Red AMC, that truly has the heart of a S197 Ford Mustang.

How is that possible? Well, Abrell had a shell of a Javelin passed on to him from his father, but it was in rough shape with the fender, interior, and much of the trim missing. He wanted to rebuild the AMC, albeit with modern power. Since AMC doesn’t exist anymore, he decided on a 5.0L Coyote Ford engine for reliability and power. “Dad gave me the Javelin, but it was more of a parts car and it just sat around,” said Abrell. “I got tired of looking at it so I dug in and things got crazy.”

Rather than simply using the powertrain from the 2011 Mustang he acquired, Abrell cut the entire body off the Mustang and fitted the AMC skin to the S197 unibody. “I removed the floor of the Javelin and then had to make up for the 3-inch difference in wheel base. I moved the front wheel openings forward and welded everything in place.” He also used the Mustang interior, including the dash, console and front and rear seats.

The project took two years, but now Abrell has a machine that drives like a new Mustang and unique style that turns heads at every show. His plan is to add power and improve the suspension and brakes to make his Ford-powered AMC fly.