Fast & Furious Cars: 2007 Tjaarda Mustang

In a movie overstuffed with classic muscle and import tuner cars, here's the Tjaarda Mustang — a late-model pony car. Well, they had to throw at least a sop to those of us who prefer cars with current warranties.

Tom Tjaarda has been a prominent automotive designer since way back in the '60s when he turned out the Ferrari 365 GT California Spyder and Fiat 124 Spider while working for Pininfarina and, probably his best-known design (certainly under his own name), the De Tomaso Pantera. But despite all those Italian exotics on his résumé, Tjaarda was actually born in the United States. And his love of American muscle has been on sale as complete cars and body kits from a company called HST International.

Painted bright yellow, the Tjaarda Mustang has a relatively major role in the film as the vehicle driven by "Malik," played by Neil Brown, Jr.

One genuine Tjaarda Mustang complete with supercharger, side exhaust, oversize Baer brakes and a modified suspension was loaned to the Fast & Furious production and used as a hero car. Beyond that, HST also supplied the production with two Mustang GTs that were modified to look like Tjaardas but untouched mechanically — they were used as stunt cars. Finally, the picture car department bought one heavily damaged V6 Mustang, dressed it as a Tjaarda and used that for the car's death scene. The hero Tjaarda was returned intact, while the two stunt cars were returned heavily damaged.

As Portrayed Specifications*

Engine
Type: 5.0-liter supercharged Ford V8
Ignition: Ford original equipment
Water pump: Custom pulley and pump
Ignition: Ford original equipment
Fuel pump: Ford original equipment
Fuel plumbing: Ford original equipment
Fuel: Sunoco Racing Fuel
Lubricant: Castrol
Headers: Long tube with high-flow cats
Exhaust pipes: JBA
Mufflers: Magnaflow

Drivetrain
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Clutch: Ford Racing
Shifter: Ford original equipment
Driveshaft: Ford original equipment
Differential: Ford original equipment

Suspension
Front: Ford Racing FR500 springs and shocks
Rear: Ford Racing FR500 springs and shocks

Braking
Front: Baer Extreme 14-inch disc with six-piston calipers
Rear: Baer Extreme 14-inch disc with six-piston calipers

Wheels
Type: GT Legends Gun Metal Ghost
Front: 20-by-9.0 inches
Rear: 20-by-10.0 inches

Tires
Type: Pirelli P Zero
Front: 255/35ZR20
Rear: 285/40ZR20

Interior
Seats: Tjaarda Custom
Belts: Ford original equipment
Door panels: Ford original equipment
Wheel: Ford original equipment
Gauges: Saleen

Exterior
Body: Tjaarda body kit
Hood: Tjaarda custom carbon fiber

Paint/Graphics
Paint: Tjaarda

* "As Portrayed" specifications indicate the state of the car as portrayed in the film. No single car was necessarily built to these specifications by the picture car department. But all the cars built to portray a vehicle in the film were constructed to appear as if so equipped.