Constance Nunes works on a lot of different cars on the Netflix show Car Masters: Rust to Riches. She's very much into muscle cars in general, but there’s only one car that’s near and dear to her heart, and that's her 1964.5 Ford Mustang that she endearingly calls Babystang.
Updated August 2021: If you're a fan of Car Masters: Rust To Riches, or perhaps more importantly, a fan of Constance Nunes, you'll be pleased to learn that we've updated this article with all the latest information we could find online about her beloved 1964.5 Babystang.
Long before she became a model, working for some of the biggest names in the automotive industry, Constance loved cars. From a young age, she helped out around her father’s garage, who was a mechanic and racecar driver. In fact, she was actually discovered at one of her father’s race car events, and that would be the start of a fruitful modeling career. While her main interest continues to be cars, she found a harmonious way to combine these two worlds.
She bought her 1964 Mustang when she was only 16 years old, back when it was in its original Wimbledon White paint. Now, she’s owned Babystang for 15 years, and the car has gone through numerous modifications and changes as she slowly but surely perfects it. She works on this car more than any other, and it truly is her prized possession.
Her history with Babystang goes back to her formative years before she was modeling or working on high-profile shows like Car Masters.
Constance’s History With Babystang
The first-generation 1964.5 Mustang (Constance actually refuses to call it a 1964, because there’s a distinction) is the original pony car. She bought the car herself at the age of 16 after saving up enough money and having it shipped out of state to her father’s garage.
Though Constance has driven, fixed, and modified countless cars, there's no car she’s worked on as much as her Babystang. Just like how Constance has come a long way from being an umbrella-holding Nitto Tire girl, Babystang has come a long way under the loving ownership of Constance.
She loves her Babystang so much, it's featured in almost all of her Instagram photos, and it even has a front-page feature on her own blog.
Babystang Restorations And Modifications
Constance will probably never finish restoring her Mustang. She just loves tuning it, and even now it’s in “phase two” of the restoration phase. Last time we heard, Babystang still has its original engine, a straight-six, 170ci, 105 hp unit, with the 3-speed manual changed to Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission. However, rumors have it that Constance has started building a new 302 engine to give it a bit more oomph.
The most obvious change to the car right out the gate is the slate gray paint job, which was inspired by the famous “Eleanor” Mustang from Gone in 60 Seconds. Babystang was originally painted Wimbledon White, and while some purists might've preferred to keep it that way, we totally agree with Constance's choice of color for her trusty steed.
Other changes she's made to the car include an electric distributor with a Duraspark ignition system, a custom dual-outlet header, and a sweet Magnaflow exhaust system. The suspension is the original pony car suspension with lowering springs on the front and the original setup on the rear. It also has SSBC disc brakes in the front, and the original drum brakes in the rear.
Finally, the car uses original 14x5-inch Ford 4-lug wheels with Cooper tires, sticking to the original formula that made the Ford Mustang so popular, though she plans to upgrade to American Racing Wheels and big NT555s Nitto Tires. The entire interior has been reupholstered, and the car has its original A/C unit and radio that only plays AM stations.
All of these changes have been years in the making, including her starting to build a new 302 engine block to give the car more muscle. She’s more excited than anyone to finish the car’s complete restoration, and we’re excited to see what all that entails.
Sources: constancenunes.com, drivingline.com