The Particularly Puffed Purple Pony - 1993 Ford Mustang GT

If you had the chance to build the most radical, attention-grabbing Mustang, what would it look like? Would you spend your hard-earned cash on the engine bay to build a stock-looking, 1,000hp street sleeper? Or, are you more of the buff and shine type who likes to tinker with custom paintwork and body kits? Maybe $10,000 worth of stereos and fish tanks in your back seat is your thing. For Jerry Hoose of Montua, New Jersey, one facet of loony-bin ADD wasn't enough, so he attacked personali-zation on all fronts. His motto: "Let's not make it loud; let's make it obscene. Heck, let's get absolutely wild!"

You nostalgia buffs will be interested to know that back in 1996 we featured Jerry's Mustang within the hallowed pages of this magazine. His ride was only three years old at the time, and sported just a few bolt-ons and a Kenne Bell blower. Ten years have come and gone, and have certainly made a huge difference. Our magazine has taken off quite a bit since then, and this GT has undergone some pretty radical changes (gee, ya think?) from its last appearance in The Book. Essentially, it's the same car in VIN only.

At the heart of the maniacally mechanical matter is a low-compression 302. Based on a stout four-bolt main Boss 302 block, Jerry and the crew of H&H Performance have opted to keep the displacement stock with a standard 4.000 bore and 3.000-stroke rotating assembly by Eagle. The balanced and blueprinted short-block is topped off with a pair of Brodix aluminum inline-valve heads and provides a blower-friendly 8:1 compression ratio.

Replacing the stock fuel injection setup is a massive 6-71 BDS blower that sucks cubic miles of atmosphere through two 750-cfm Edelbrock carburetors and jams 8 pounds of boost into the custom-ported Hampton lower manifold.

With the MSD 6BTM managing the spark through the Mallory distributor, and the Aeromotive pump keeping a steady 9 pounds of fuel pressure at the bowls, plenty of spark and fuel can be thrown into this fire. No restrictions are to be found on the exhaust side as massive 211/48-inch Kooks headers toss spent gasses into a pair of 4-inch Flowmasters. Horsepower and torque figures are unknown at this time, but to give you an idea of the potential, this exact engine was used to power his buddy Tommy Kasper's eight-second ride, albeit with more boost and less weight.

Aftermarket suspension systems have come a long way since 1996, so Jerry took it upon himself to reap the benefits of racing technology within the past decade. A D&D Motorsports front end replete with tubular K-member and control arms, coilovers, and Energy Suspension bushings shed more than enough weight to offset the blower above. The 8.8 remains in place for now as the 3.73s, the Lakewood 50/50s, and the control arms may soon be replaced with a narrowed 9-inch and appropriate backhalf. It will certainly lend the car a more Pro Street look, but in this day and age, it would be more refreshing to see than a primered LX with Pony wheels and a white cowl hood.

Not one to let a towering blower with a dual-inlet bugcatcher have all the attention, Jerry made sure the body and paint would create an equally disturbing statement. First was an update to the old GT look. By utilizing a Cervini's Stalker front bumper cover, a Saleen rear spoiler, and a Xenon body kit, a custom and "proper" look was achieved for the GT hatch. Luckily for Jerry, his fingers never got to do much walking, as a quick call to his cousin Jason Hoose would result in a shocking paint job in both literal and figurative terms.