After the body and suspension were brought back to life, Adam turned his attention to the powerplant. The already strong 5.0 was energized even more with an X303 roller cam, providing additional lift for the stainless 2.02 intake and 1.60 exhaust valves. Manley pushrods activate 1.6 ratio Comp Cams rockers. Adam chose AFR 185 heads for improved breathing, adding a Victor Jr. Intake manifold and modified Holley 650HP carb as well.
The combination of an MSD Pro Billet distributor, an MSD 7AL3 ignition, and an MSD Blaster 3 coil ensured that the internal fires burned brightly. Steeda custom long-tube headers were fitted to an H-pipe and aluminized 2.5-inch exhaust tubing that empties into a pair of DynoMax Race Magnum mufflers. Adam fabricated his own 8-quart oil pan to ensure all the moving parts turned smoothly, and added a pair of Flex-a-lite 12-inch electric fans to the upgraded Griffin aluminum radiator. The original '85 four-speed, T5 transmission was replaced with an '83 T5 five-speed, chosen for its 2.95 First-gear ratio. To Adam's surprise, the tranny has held up during hundreds of 11- and 12-second passes.
In 2002, Adam was transferred to Orlando as a field service engineer with Ford Motor Company and now enjoys competing with his favorite Mustang on Florida strips. Although he no longer drives the car every day, it is a frequent visitor to local tracks, a regular on the custom car show circuit, and still an absolute nightmare to the local GM community.
The interior retains the stock...
The interior retains the stock seats, reupholstered in two-tone gray fabric and broadcasting its competition flavor with a combination of the eight-point rollbar and the collection of Auto Meter gauges. The Optima battery was located to the rear hatch to help with weight transfer.
The square box on the gas...
The square box on the gas tank is the fuel sump, and the line coming out of it is connected to the fuel filter.