Joe Intravaia desperately wanted to be the first on his block with an '05 Mustang. The New Yorker, who, ironically, spends his days as a service writer at a Chevy dealership, loves Fords, especially his F-150 Harley, but was floored when he laid eyes on the new GT.
"I've owned Mustangs, but that was years ago," Joe says."When I saw the '05, I pulled right into a dealer to get a closer look. I loved the retro look and wanted one. Then I saw the Saleen and decided to order one right away. I tried to get a supercharged automatic, but according to Saleen, they were not released yet, so I ordered a GT and I figured I'd make my own [Saleen]."
Joe could have waited a month or so for a legit Saleen equipped with an auto trans, but the instant gratification of getting one right away was too much to take. If he hesitated, he'd chance losing the thrill of having a car only few others did-what to do?
"I ordered the Mustang in October 2004 and got the car on December 23," Joe says. Then, like many before him, he took matters into his own hands and built his own Saleen. "I knew all the parts were available, so building one would not be a big deal."
The faux Saleen was ordered in the stunning Windveil Blue, a color Joe had to have. Once it arrived, it was shipped to North Star Collision in Valley Stream, New York. North Star "Saleenized" the GT by painting and installing the hood, deck spoiler, ground effects, bumpers, grille, and special lighting. Next, the suspension was lowered, and handling was enhanced with Saleen springs and dampers.
Pumping up the horsepower is a genuine Saleen blower that feeds the Three-Valve plenty of compressed air. JDM Engineering in Freehold, New Jersey, handled the install and then added its free-flowing exhaust to the package. It consists of 151/48-inch long-tube headers, a 211/42-inch x pipe system, and an after-cat setup. Saleen rates its blown combination (with 4 psi of boost) at 435 hp at 5,800 rpm and 425 lb-ft of torque at 4,000. Joe's is barking out 476 hp at the wheels, thanks to the cold-air inlet, free-flowing exhaust and six extra pounds of boost. JDM also used a tune that we're sure is a bit more aggressive than the 91-octane Saleen tune.
To achieve almost 500 hp at the wheels, the fuel tank was loaded with 100-octane unleaded gas, although JDM's 93-octane tune still pro-duced over 420 hp to the wheels-and that was through the stock five-speed automatic.