We came across these three Mustangs during a recent visit to D&D Performance for an upcoming tech story on manual transmissions. As we rounded the corner to pull into the parking lot, these beauties just happened to catch our eye. After spending some time checking out their details, the D&D guys said they belonged to them.
We suspect these gentlemen were anticipating our arrival and placed their cars in clear view. The Armor All on the ground was also a dead giveaway. The three owners are a major part of the D&D Performance family, and many of you have either spoken to them on the phone when ordering parts or they are the ones who actually performed the work on your transmission.
Weekend Warrior
While most of us have used our Mustang as a daily driver at one time or another, there are some out there who solely run their Stang on weekends. Joe Dunn is a part of the latter group and purchased the Mustang LX new in 1988. Its only intention is pure fun and enjoyment. All-around performance has been the theme, and open track racing along with drag racing have been the main outlets in this LX's life. Dunn even reported that in this car's existence, it has never seen a drop of rain or snow. Total mileage on the odometer is a scant 13,700. It does get pounded on the dragstrip several times a year, and on the bottle, Dunn has power shifted his way to a 12-ohs at 118 mph with street tires.
Running that quick takes more than just a hit of giggle gas. Since Walsh Motorsports is right next door to D&D and also owned by Don Walsh, Jr., the work was performed in that shop. The short-block has not been touched up until this point, although that was scheduled to change during the winter of 2003-2004. For an induction system, Bennett Racing ported a set of Edelbrock Performer RPM aluminum heads, stuffing them with 1.94 intake valves and 1.60 exhaust valves from Ferrera. A set of Crane springs and 1.7 roller rocker arms are mounted on the heads as well.
A matching Edelbrock Performer RPM intake manifold was selected to top off the engine. For a camshaft, Dunn turned once again to Crane and had them cut a mild camshaft with .513/.529-inch lift on the intake and exhaust side, respectively. The 214/220 duration with a 112 centerline gives the engine a nice rumble. A set of 30-psi injectors, Walbaro 190 fuel pump, and Paxton fuel-pressure regulator make up the fuel system. Dunn chose an NOS dry nitrous system to add only about a 75-horsepower hit to his engine. MAC 1 5/8 headers, 2.5-inch Dr. Gas X-pipe, and Borla mufflers provide the throaty tones. Walsh tuned the Auto Logic computer chip in order to maximize the horsepower.
Working at D&D Performance is an added bonus when it comes to selecting drivetrain components. The warehouse is stocked full of parts, and Dunn walked through with a shopping cart to collect the pieces he needed. First was the '93 Cobra transmission that was taken apart and rebuilt. The Cobra boxes have a lower first-gear ratio and can handle more power than the regular T-5 models. A Ford Racing pressure plate is combined with a McLeod heavy-duty clutch to help transfer the horsepower to the transmission. Dunn then pulled a Fidenza billet steel flywheel off the shelf. The transmission would not be complete if it were not for the company's own shifter. The D&D Performance shifter replaced the long-throw stock unit.
The 8.8-inch rear with a set of 3.73 gears, Moser 31-spline axles, and Auburn Posi unit allow Dunn to leave at 5,500 rpm if he so desires. The BFGoodrich Drag Radials do require a lower launch-leave rpm, which prevents the car from running its true potential. This entire combination produces low 12-second times all year long. The high 118-mph trap speed is proof that Dunn could run mid 11s with a dedicated drag-racing suspension setup. But it is a street car, so there are no plans to replace the Tokico shocks and Steeda springs. A new short-block is in the works for next year and should put him into the 11s on street tires.
Poison Control
Saso Antovski has the wildest of the three cars at D&D Performance and has gone 9.90 at 140 mph. The '93 Cobra was purchased in 1998 when a local racer got in over his head with the car. "I picked it up real cheap and threw on an S-trim. With that blower it ran 12.00 at 120 mph," said the car owner. But it was not good enough for Saso, and he bought another Mustang for a daily driver and dedicated this one to dragstrip performance.
The Cobra needed a severe makeover in order for Saso to be satisfied with it. "I took everything completely apart--down to the shell," commented Saso. The task of putting it all back together would take Saso through a two-year period. Each component was cleaned or replaced before it went back into the car. A new rollcage was welded into place to ensure it met the strict NHRA requirements, as well as stiffening the unibody chassis. Steeda upper and lower control arms with Strange shocks and struts have been given the task of planting a set of Mickey Thompson ET Street tires. The car rolls on a set of Weld Drag Lite wheels.
A CAT 3.25-inch crankshaft, rods, and Ross pistons found a new home in an FRPP Sportsman block. The final displacement with the 4.00 bore calculates to 327 ci. The TFS High Port/Street Heat heads have been treated to a few different port jobs by different shops. Kuntz and Company along with Flow Technologies have had their Dremel tools digging into the ports of the aluminum heads. They also added an O-ring so the engine could withstand the boost. The TFS R intake is out of the box and port-matched to the heads. Bennett Racing sent Saso a custom-ground Lunati hydraulic-roller camshaft. A ProCharger D1 supercharger crams 20 psi of atmosphere into the engine. The factory A9L computer benefits from an Auto Logic computer chip that Walsh tuned on the in-house chassis dyno.
The results are several high 9-second runs with a best of 9.90 at 140 mph. At the time these photos were taken, Saso had thrown a C4 transmission into the car just so that he can get out racing this year. Shortly after the photo shoot, the slush box was removed and tossed on the side of the shop. Saso then went to aisle three in the D&D warehouse and grabbed a Viper T56 six-speed transmission. The car does get a lot of action in True Street competition and Saso is planning on banging more gears in 2004 with his Cobra. He is determined to rule the streets with 9-second times.
All in the Family
The 5-liter engine was available in the SN95 platform Cobras for only two years, 1994 and 1995. That made them that much more special amongst Mustang enthusiasts, and Joel Conklin just had to have one. Conklin comes from a long line of Mustang lovers, and his dad raised him believing it was the only car to own. At age 16, Conklin bought his first car, a '90 GT. But the styling of the newer SN95 body caught his eye, and in August of 2001, he sold the GT and picked up this '94 Cobra. Getting a 5.0 under the hood was important with the booming aftermarket. The new look also sets him apart during family functions and out at the dragstrip.
Each year the Cobra receives an upgrade, and he turned to the looks department first. He grabbed a set of Cobra R 17-inch wheels and wrapped them with Comp TA tires up front and a set of Nitto Drag Radials in the back. He located a replica Cobra R hood from HO Fibertrends in nearby Ohio. The exterior was certainly screaming Cobra R, and it was time to up the power to mimic Ford's super car. The easiest way to up the horsepower is to simply throw boost into the engine. A Vortech S-trim blower provides a pump-gas friendly 13 psi of boost. The stock Cobra manifold was ported, and a set of TFS Twisted Wedge heads have been added. Crane Cams cut a hydraulic roller cam with blower-friendly specs, and the valves still clear the stock pistons. Once again, Walsh was instrumental in burning a chip to keep Conklin's computer happy with the modifications.
Like the other two cars, this one too received the full treatment from the large inventory at the shop. A Viper T56 transmission was selected, as that is the specialty item for D&D. It can handle the kind of torque and horsepower that Conklin's engine produced and offers suburb reliability for the 12-oh 122-mph performances on the dragstrip. Other components in the drivetrain include a McLeod clutch and billet steel flywheel and Ford Motorsport heavyduty pressure plate. The driver grips a Pro 5.0 shifter, which helps provide short and accurate power shifts. This "R" clone definitely makes his family proud as he carries on the Mustang tradition.