Matt Hamey flies on the streets or down the track in his mid-nine-second street machine.
Standing out in a crowd of nearly 80 True Street cars is a hard thing to do. One reason is that MM&FF's class brings out some of the coolest hot rods a particular area has to offer. Another is that there are so many Mustangs sometimes it's easy to get lost in the shuffle. But for Matt Hamey, getting noticed in the MM&FF/Tremec True Street crowd at the '06 Atlanta Fun Ford Weekend was easy. His carbon-fiber-over-red paint job caught our eye, and the nine-second performances captured our attention.
Stiles Paint Works is responsible for the top-secret process that re-creates the carbon-fiber look.
This '91 LX is one of the more unusual we have come across. It has an aggressive, drag race-like stance, yet it carries the looks of a car that could easily fit in at the show area. A nitrous-ingesting 358 Windsor bucks the trend of the turbocharged craze so prevalent in today's high-performance society. The 803-rwhp output of said nitrous engine sends a message that old-school ways can still get the job done and cost half as much as modern horsepower.
After six Mustangs and three Lightnings, Matt picked up this coupe with one intention in mind-to make it a sick-fast brawler. Having built and raced an Outlaw 10.5-style Mustang, he felt it was time to head back to the street scene. These cars are definitely cheaper and, most importantly, require a lot less maintenance, meaning he will spend more time driving and racing than working on it.
Matt knew what parts to select and how far he wanted to push the envelope. The goal was to run deep into the nines, remain street worthy, and have a Stang that looked way different than any other out there.
The first order of business after purchasing the 75,000-mile notch was to get the chassis ready for a mixture of drag racing and street action. Bell Chassis Works was tapped to handle the transformation from sane to insane. The Marietta, Georgia-based shop installed mini tubs in the rear so the tires tuck under the body nicely. A 10-point rollcage was fabricated and fitted into the interior. The back seat was a distant memory, and the coupe quickly became a two-seater with Kirkey seats and a window net on the driver side, as per the NHRA rules. A removable steering wheel makes it easy for the driver to get in and out of the car. The stock rear suspension was retained, but replacing the stock control arms are UPR uppers and Wolfe Racecraft lowers. Bell Chassis installed a custom antiroll bar. QA1 adjustable coilover shocks suspend the backside of this Stang. The 8.8 rear has been welded up and braced for severe action, while a UPR tubular K-member kit and Strange adjustable struts make up the front suspension combination.