The dream of the Roaring Twenties is alive and well for whoever ends up buying this Zimmer Golden Spirit Coupe listed on Bring A Trailer. Well, either the dream is alive or the nightmare depending on who you ask, because this 2011 Ford Mustang GT turned Zimmer Golden Spirit is either great or awful.
It can’t be both, I don’t think. I’m leaning toward awful, not only because of its looks. But because this Mustang/Golden Spirit doesn’t get in the spirit enough. If I’m going to buy an ungodly modification of a Ford Mustang GT, it’s got to be fully-committed to the bit. It has to be meticulous down to the last detail.
Mechanically, it’s not the worst. There’s a 5.0-litre Coyote V8 under the hood, and even though it has a six-speed automatic transmission, it comes with a limited slip differential. That extra traction will be helpful around corners.
I’m more concerned with the fussy little things that break the illusion of the classic looks. I know it’s just in the nature of neo-classic designs from Zimmer and Panther, but some of it is too blatant: the mismatched wire wheels for spares; a trunk bump that doesn’t house a spare tire; the simulated exhaust pipes; the extra “t” in Gatsby.
After seeing those things, it’s hard to suspend my disbelief, and all I see is how mismatched the Zimmer looks from the A-pillar forward and the C-pillar back. It’s like three cars trying to occupy the same space.
The door lines, or creases, end in a semi-rhombus towards the back that disrupts the wheel arch. The wheelbase is absurdly long. And the slope of the roofline just seems off.
There’s a reason most Morgans are convertibles. You have to match the slope lines! Or try, dammit. The roof of that 2011 Ford Mustang (hardly) hiding beneath Zimmer’s coachwork is too sleek for the rest of the Golden Spirit’s lines.
Again, I’m not sure where I stand on it because I love that someone was passionate enough to make something this ugly and still love it, but I’m confused by this mosaic of metal and fibreglass. Of course, I’m less confused by the current bid, at $US9,999 ($13,881), which makes this Mustang GT-based Zimmer actually look like a bargain considering some of the auctions on BaT lately.
