This Ford Ranger gets a Mustang-inspired front end

The Ranger midsize pickup may not quite carry the same cachet as the Mustang muscle car, but they still form the backbone of the Ford Philippines lineup. If you’re familiar with those car face-swaps on social media, you might be interested at what one of them would look like carrying the other’s front end.

Wat Ford's custom Ranger with the Mustang front end

Such transplants usually end with bizarre and hilarious results, but occasionally there’s a mashup that absolutely strikes gold, as shown by South African automotive website carmag.co.za. Wat Ford, a Thailand-based shop specializing in custom Fords managed this feat, and the effect is nothing short of stunning. Wat Ford’s body kit now lets Ranger owners get a taste of the muscle car dream by converting the standard front end to that of a Mustang. 

It uses the current third-generation facelift as a base, largely retaining the headlamps which feature dynamic indicators and visual cues derived from its more performance-oriented stablemate. The rest of the fascia takes on the Mustang’s form: the scowling grille, the more aggressive front bumper, even the LED position lights hovering over the fog lamps. (FYI, if you want to get a Mustang, check out our list of  Mustang GT price Philippines)

This rig delivers an incredible amount of road presence

No Mustang conversion would be complete without the trademark galloping equine at the center of the grille’s void. The look is further enhanced with a wide pair of racing stripes running from the front lip to the bottom of the tailgate. 

Adding more mojo are the bolt-on fender flares, window visors, and Mustang badging on the front quarter panels. The entire setup rides on what looks like a set of 20-inch black riveted Force Offroad alloy wheels. 

Inspired by an icon

As a final touch, the rig is set on an air suspension kit. This puts the aero bits to good use when the custom Ranger is barreling down the highway while slammed close to the ground, and the driver can switch back to the standard ride height should the tarmac end abruptly. 

If this custom Ranger somehow lands here, it’s bound to steal some of the thunder from the next-generation model coming out this month. Maybe some of our own custom car shops can make the kit available for those who aren’t exactly ready to let go of their trucks just yet. 

We show the different faces of the car industry at Philkotse.com.