TREMEC Debuts 1965 Ford Mustang & 1999 F-150 Lightning Builds
The two vehicles were on display at the 2025 Detroit Autorama, each with its own story…
On Feb. 28, TREMEC revealed two vehicles at the 2025 Detroit Autorama: a contemporary build of a 1965 Ford Mustang and a Generation Two Ford F-150 Lightning proof-of-concept build with the first-ever TREMEC aftermarket dual-clutch transmission.
The 1965 Ford Mustang started its story when Jim Howe of Grass Lake, Michigan, wanted to relocate his Ford dealership to a larger space and offered a brand-new 1965 Mustang to a local farmer as partial payment for some farmland on which to build the dealership. The farmer, Gerald Memmer, took his offer and drove the car for a few years before his son, Roger, took it as he attended school at the University of Michigan.
Roger graduated and returned to the family farm, where he and his wife Diane still reside. He drove the Mustang for several more years after college, and it eventually ended up in a barn on the farm, where it sat untouched for close to 50 years. Roger’s son, Matt Memmer, now TREMEC director of engineering and program management, rescued the Mustang from the barn, telling his father he was going to take it to a shop to see what it would take to get it running again.
The decaying Mustang was taken to Bonafide Customs in Napoleon, Ohio, and stripped to an empty shell. The team at Bonafide—along with Mike Kidd, TREMEC aftermarket business unit manager—wanted to create a custom car build with improved performance and make it stand out visually. Roger was not aware of the transformation happening to his 1965 Mustang and saw the vehicle for the first time when it was revealed at the Detroit Autorama.
The powertrain is a Ford Performance Parts 7.3L Godzilla Power Pack crate engine matched to a TREMEC TKX 5-speed transmission. Bonafide has invested more than 1,000 man-hours into the custom metalwork, paint and bodywork, as well as fitting the chassis components, assembling the interior and countless details.
The Gen 2 Ford F-150 Lightning Proof-of-Concept
The Gen 2 Ford F-150 Lightning that also debuted at the show was built by Livernois Performance in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. This 1999 model has had the body and interior restored, while the powertrain received a significant upgrade. The engine chosen for the project is a Ford Performance 5.2L Carnivore Power Pack crate engine.
This Lightning is the proof-of-concept for the TREMEC TR-9070 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT), the first DCT that will be offered for use in the aftermarket. The mechanical components of this DCT are the same as the TR-9070 used in the 2000-2022 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. This aftermarket version will give custom car builders access to the performance and strength of the TREMEC DCT, including the ability to upshift in as little as 80 milliseconds.
