Frunks can serve many purposes, from tailgating to storing groceries and other items, but Halloween candy dispensary is undoubtedly a new use. D-Ford Experience Design Director Ryan McManus recently custom-made a set of teeth for his Mustang Mach-E – appropriately colored in Cyber Orange – to serve in a recent trunk or treat event at the Massachusetts middle school where his wife teaches. 

After conceiving the idea, McManus sketched the teeth to match the now-extinct Tasmanian Tiger species he used as a source, creating the fierce growl surrounding the 4.8 cubic feet of cargo volume in the Mach-E’s frunk. He used the rapid prototyping culture of D-Ford to quickly settle on a design and source material before getting to work, creating a model that is reminiscent of “Little Shop of Horrors.”

“I knew I wanted to make it look like a mouth,” he said, noting that he wanted to remain as biologically accurate to the Tiger species as possible. “I wanted to design this like the teeth went really far back. Luckily, I come from a foam-core rich culture at D-Ford.”

Each of the 14 removable teeth consists of two pieces of foam core velcroed together and secured to the perimeter of the frunk and hood, though McManus took great care not to damage the inside of the frunk with adhesives. After a couple attempts, he managed to get the teeth aligned properly. “Once they were in, it was a pretty compelling effect.”

McManus said he had already planned to incorporate the Mach-E in his Halloween decorations due to its holiday-appropriate color and the fact that everyone in his new neighborhood takes Halloween very seriously. “It turns out the street I moved to is the epicenter of Halloween in the area,” he said. “It looks like a Spielberg movie here. We had to bring our ‘A’ game.”

When the Trunk or Treat was scheduled, it was a no-brainer to move up the project. “It was playing into the strength of the vehicle and also a conversation starter,” he said. “The kids were all about the candy, and the adults just wanted to talk about the Mach-E.”

McManus and his family, he and his wife have two young children, take full advantage of the frunk outside of Halloween season, using it daily to store their groceries and other items, as well as carryout food and as a cooler for tailgating at Cars & Coffee events. The frunk’s design limits slippage, and the hood also helps secure items, he said.

While Halloween is still days away, McManus is already scheming on how he can take things up a notch next year when he hopes to have an F-150 Lightning. The truck’s available power in the mega power frunk, as well as the added capability of the Pro Power Onboard, could add another element to his design, McManus said.

“I’m already imagining it,” he said, adding that the Mach-E display utilized battery-powered strobe lights in addition to playing spooky music and using the car’s headlamps for effect. “If we had an actual plug, there would be no limits.”

If you’re interested in tackling this project, click here to download the template McManus created.