In today's television society, we often put our sports heroes on high pedestals. We deify them and expect them to speak with wisdom and reverence, and denounce them when they don't live up to our superimposed expectations. People come to believe that a professional athlete's greatness overflows into all aspects of their lives, but we fail to realize that just because he has a propensity for some athletic feat does not necessarily make him the ideal role model.Often, the true heroes go unnoticed. There are many courageous men and women who risk life, limb and their own happiness to insure a better future for others. This was no more evident than on September 11, 2001. We've all heard the stories of brave firefighters and police officers coming to the rescue, but the truth is they are husbands and wives, and mothers and fathers, all of whom don bulletproof vests and fire-retardant clothing on a daily basis, looking to avoid the very things they were trained for. They are altruistic individuals and there can be no greater role model than he who makes giving to others his first priority.
A young Luis Hernandez had pictured himself as a doctor or a police officer. Either career would allow him to help those in need, but after serving in the Army for eight years, Sergeant Hernandez liked the similar infrastructure of the police department and chose to join the force. After signing on with the Newark (NJ) Police Department, Hernandez worked a regular beat, but eventually moved up to the Narcotics and Gang division. Being a native of Newark has given him a home field advantage and more incentive to make his backyard a safer place.When he's not fighting crime, one will find Luis tooling around in this Raspberry Mustang GT. While stationed in California, Luis had become enamored of the lowrider scene, and you'll notice that his vision of the ultimate horse reflects the west coast's influence. The scalding colors and chromed everything are there to grab your attention and never let go, and lest you think this pony is just an equestrian princess, think again. Dyno results showed over 700 thundering horsepower and more torque than a team of Clydesdales. However, this rolling showboat began its life like many a mundane Mustang, slowly simmering with the magic ingredients added here and there.
Hernandez found himself surrounded by friends with fast Mustangs, so after deciding to build a hot rod, he knew the platform was a good place to start. A friend who happened to be a car dealer told Hernandez about a clean 1988 GT that he had for sale, and before long, the bone stock Mustang was being dismantled in anticipation of a monster drivetrain.
Luis employed Valley Performance in Belleville, N.J. to do the mechanical work on the car. Precision Engines in Middletown, N.Y. had assembled a 349-inch Ford small-block, which was topped off by a pair of Trick Flow Specialties aluminum cylinder heads that received a Stage 3 port job by Tom D's Porting of New Jersey. Back in Belleville, Alfredo Bollotta and crew dropped in the engine and bolted on a Holley SysteMAX intake manifold that was port-matched to the heads. A Pro-M 80mm mass air meter and Accufab 75mm billet throttle body check the incoming air, which is boosted by nothing less than a cog-driven Vortech S-Trim huffer.
A Lentech AOD and Precision 3500-stall converter were given the task of transmitting power to the Moser-axled, 3.73-geared 8.8 rear end. Suspending the GT is a set of four-cylinder springs that work with 90/10 struts up front and the factory shocks out back. For safety's sake, a six-point roll bar was installed in addition to chassis-stiffening FRPP subframe connectors and a driveshaft loop.Looking inside can quite possibly blind you as the vivid pink and blue hues light the cabin. Hernandez and friends customized the interior not only with extraordinary colors, but also with a message to all who view it. Being a narcotics officer and seeing what drugs can do to people's lives, Hernandez embroidered "Say No To Drugs" on the door panels. And rather than make light of a buzzphrase, Hernandez drives the seriousness of his point home with the police restraint, hand cuffs and ticket book that also adorn the doors. One may not necessarily be inclined to investigate the interior of a Mustang, so Luis called upon Golden Touch in Newark, N.J. to slather on some scintillating pigments. A Saleen-style wing and Cobra hood from Cervini's Auto Design were added to the factory metal, and then the pony was covered in a sparkling Raspberry metallic.
After it was buffed and polished, the Mustang was ready to hit the streets and spread its message to the youth of America. "I really love kids. I have three myself," said Hernandez. "I wanted to be sort of a role model and so that's why we did the car that way."
The Mustang had two goals from the beginning. Hernandez wanted to run in the 9s with a street-driven car and so far, he's come close with an ET of 10.30 seconds. A recently added SVO Extender should do the trick to get the clocks down. His other goal was to be a role model. Busting crooks by day and cruising his "Say No To Drugs" message at night, Hernandez certainly has achieved that.There's no multi-million dollar contract or tennis shoe endorsements involved, just your average Joe trying to make a difference. With his bright and bold Mustang GT, Luis Hernandez just might get noticed as one of the true heroes of today.
Getting the word out requires...
Getting the word out requires talking to a lot of people. Luis Hernandez makes the most of his time by going to shows and using his retina-burning GT to get attention. As with the rest of the car, the engine bay received an enormous amount of polishing and painting and yet under all that pretty garnish is a fire-breathing torque monster capable of propelling this delightful dish to low elapsed times.
Multiple hours of labor were...
Multiple hours of labor were expended during the interior's customization. The result is certainly something you don't see every day.
Polished Center Line Auto...
Polished Center Line Auto Drag wheels have been equipped with sticky Mickey Thompson tires for street and track duty. As of this writing, Hernandez has changed the rear wing to a 1993 Cobra model.