May 4, 2026
Mustang goes full Musk mode
1966 Ford Mustang Converted into a Tesla with Working 'Full Self-Driving'
Classic muscle car gets a Tesla brain, and the internet instantly starts fighting about it
TLDR: A California shop owner turned a 1966 Mustang into a working Tesla-powered car with supervised self-driving features, which is why people can’t stop staring. Commenters are split between calling it an amazing custom build and rolling their eyes at claims that it proves anything big about Tesla’s future.
A Sacramento builder turned a 1966 Ford Mustang into a strange, glorious mashup: classic pony car on the outside, Tesla on the inside, complete with the giant screen, electric power, and even Tesla’s driver-assist system that can steer and navigate with human supervision. The build reportedly cost about $40,000 and took two years, with help from the creator’s father and brother. On paper, it’s an eye-popping garage project. In the comments, though? Instant civil war.
One camp was impressed that a 60-year-old car can now creep out of a garage by itself and drive around with Tesla tech hidden under vintage sheet metal. Another camp immediately hit the brakes on the hype. The sharpest pushback came from readers saying the article was overselling what this means, with one commenter basically saying, cool project, but don’t pretend a one-off family build proves Tesla can easily sell this system to other car companies. Translation: awesome flex, questionable grand conclusion.
Then came the taste debate. Some loved the wildness of it; others mourned the loss of the Mustang’s original cabin, saying they’d rather keep the old-school interior than swap it for Tesla minimalism. And of course, the dreamers appeared right on cue: one reader wants an El Camino version for casual art-studio runs, while another reminded everyone that electric conversions have been around forever. The vibe was part admiration, part nitpick-fest, part DIY fantasy league — which, honestly, is exactly what makes this story fun.
Key Points
- •A 1966 Ford Mustang was converted into a Tesla-based EV by Yaro Shcherbanyuk of Calimotive Auto Recycling, with the project costing about $40,000 and taking roughly two years.
- •The conversion used major 2024 Tesla Model 3 components, including the dual-motor drivetrain, battery-related floor structure, seats, and 15-inch touchscreen.
- •The battery case was shortened to fit the Mustang without changing the car’s original dimensions, while retaining a classic body over Tesla underpinnings.
- •The article says the car runs Tesla features including Autopilot, Sentry Mode, Summon, and Full Self-Driving (Supervised), making it what appears to be the first non-Tesla vehicle to run FSD.
- •During a cited test drive, the car showed 194 miles of range at about 80% battery, and Shcherbanyuk reported efficiency of 258 Wh/mi, roughly comparable to a standard Model 3.