With all of that air, fuel, and laughing gas going in, the burnt-up mixture needed to be evacuated quickly. MAC 1 5/8-inch long-tube headers feed into 2 1/2-inch collectors which are mated to a 2 1/2-inch system complete with H-pipe, high-flow mufflers, and tailpipes. Since installing the UPR antiroll bar on the rearend, however, Keven has swapped out the tailpipes for a pair of exhaust dumps.
Backing the potent Ford is a Dynamic Super Comp C4 automatic, a 3,800-stall TCI 9-inch converter, and a J&W flywheel. The tranny is stocked with a manual valvebody, a fully rollerized power drum pack, and a transbrake. Keeping the transmission cool under pressure is an eight-row trans cooler and Perma-Cool electric fan. Actu-ating the gears is a B&M Hammer shifter that fits nicely in the Mustang's console. The three-speed slushbox is linked to the 8.8-inch rear via an FRPP aluminum driveshaft, and the beefy rear is full of heavy-duty parts. The 31-spline Moser axles have their ends contained in a Moser spool, which is spun around by an FRPP 4.10 ring-and-pinion gearset. Keeping pressure on the pumpkin of the 8.8 is a Ford SVO rearend girdle.
Knowing that his Stang was now destined mostly for strip duty, Keven served up four Weld Draglite rims, 15x8s for the rear and 15x3.5s for the front. He wrapped the race-inspired wheels with Mickey Thompson rubbers. The front rims are shod in 24x4.5x15 ET Fronts, while the rear wheels feature 28x11.5x15 ET Streets.
Bolted behind the wheels is the stock disc/drum brake combo the car came equipped with. "I was mainly interested in getting the car to go fast," Keven says. "If it was going to be more of a road car, I would have upgraded the brakes. It was going to spend most of its time on the track, so I said, 'Forget it, let's make it go fast.'"
With the power taken care of, the money Keven saved by not swapping in aftermarket stoppers was better spent sprucing up the chassis and suspension. He dialed up NHRA Division 4 Top Alcohol Funny Car racer Kebin Kinsley (Kinsley Race Cars and Marine, Arlington, Texas) for help. Kebin pulled the Stang into his shop, where Ground Pounder upper and lower control arms found their way onto the front and rear ends along with Lakewood 90/10 shocks and Competition Engineering springs. A pair of subframe connecters and a Wolfe Race Craft six-point rollcage-powdercoated black for looks-help tighten up the chassis.
The factory red paint was still in awesome shape, so Keven skipped the exterior, save for the Dallas Mustang-supplied 4-inch cowl hood, and dove right into upgrading the cabin of the Mustang. Keven and whoever is riding shotgun plant their rear ends into custom bucket seats, and a Simpson five-point harness makes sure they stay there on each quarter-mile blast. He ditched the stock steering wheel for a Grant piece, and then stocked the cabin chock full of aftermarket gauges. An FRPP tach and shift light let him know when to shift, while Auto Meter and Edelbrock gauges help him keep track of the happenings under the hood. Keven relocated the battery to the rear hatch area for better weight transfer.
"With no kids, the coolest wife ever, tons of help from my dad, uncle, lots of friends, and a lot of money, [the Mustang] has come together pretty nicely," Keven says. "On the spray it runs consistent 10.50s, and with the right conditions it dips into the 10.30s. I've run the car at Fun Ford Weekend events and other local Texas events, and I still go to Sonic with my wife and get groceries in it."
With Keven finally scratching that 20-year itch to get into the 10-second zone, what's next for the Mustang?
"The car is too fun to drive on the street to make it a drag-only car," he says. "I figure a stroked 351 and a ProCharger should get her into the 8.90-second zone."
Seeing as how work has already begun on that blown 351, it won't be long before the next itch is scratched. Rest assure this time it won't take longer than 10 seconds.