By NOEL MURPHY
MUSCLE cars just don’t come any better than Russell Houston’s Mustang.
The name of the classic car’s a bit odd, Eleanor, but blame actor Nicholas Cage – that’s the moniker he gave his iconic ’67 Shelby Cobra GT 500 in the movie Gone in 60 Seconds.
One listen to the deep guttural growl of Mr Houston’s Eleanor, though, and any notions of a soft, demure female are forgotten – this gal has a mean streak that’s 347-cubic-inches thick.
Ballarat Mustang specialists Chris and Tim Griffin brought Eleanor out from the US two years ago, upgrading her from a regulation 289ci and standard red to a metallic grey and black-striped splendour at a substantial fee well into six figures.
The result is stunning and unlike the numerous Eleanors trashed in Gone in 60 Seconds. No airborne Hollywood flights of fancy over trucks and traffic, no wild police chases, or nitrous kits for this machine.
“This is really for my wife, Sue,” said Mr Houston, who lives in Highton.
“She’s a fan of Gone in 60 Seconds and said if I was going to get a car it had to be a Mustang.”
Mr Houston has insured Eleanor for $200,000 after buying her from the Griffins two weeks ago.
He will display her for the first time during Sunday’s All Ford Day at Deakin University’s Waurn Ponds campus.
Eleanor came from Las Vegas, Mr Houston said, so she was “a desert car, no rust”.
“It’s very hard to find bodies like these and they needed a very straight car with a good body.”
The result, a gleaming, growling road-registered beauty, is all chrome, stainless, steel and custom fittings – and flawless right through to the two-pac red oxide underneath.
Chris Griffin said Mr Houston’s Eleanor went through the “full rotisserie”, affecting “every nut and bolt, including a right-hand-drive conversion and built with 99 per cent accuracy to the movie Eleanor”.
“The externals were all automatically picked out but inside is somewhat customised with a high-end sound system, reverse camera, specially-made door panels and leather seats – there’s lots of nice stuff,” Mr Griffin said.
“When you start her up she gives you that little rumble in your chest, it’s a pretty exciting sound.
“It’ll cause a number of accidents in Geelong, I’m sure.”
