For those who've read the Bible or are semi-religious, you might remember the parable about the prodigal son. If you're not religious and are wondering, what the heck does religion have to do with Muscle Mustangs and Fast Fords, cut us a bit of slack and stay with us.
The parable of the prodigal son is about two brothers, both of whom were given a prodigious fortune by their father. The older brother took his money, cultivated it, and used it to further his ambitions and make a bit more money every day. The younger brother took the same amount of money, left the nest, and squandered his fortune. Eventually, when all the money was gone, the younger brother went back home to face the music. Instead of being lambasted by his father for wasting his riches on lavish, unnecessary things, he was welcomed back with open arms.
So what does this have to do with Shaun Strayer and his '99 Mustang GT convertible? Just as the younger brother in the parable returned home to open arms, Shaun did as well, in a manner of speaking. "I know I'm going to get heckled for saying this," he explains, "but I started out in the scene as what is known as a 'ricer.' I had the Altezzas [lights] and neon hood lights. Time went by, and I learned my lesson. I am now very much into clean rides that aren't overdone." You could say the final result of his SN-95 drives that point home.
Shaun's Pony was a stray itself after its previous owner decided to trade it in for a Mercedes. Not content to let the car go to an unwanted stable, Shaun picked up the Stang-with just 12,000 miles on the odometer-for a good price. Since it already sported a Saleen Speedster kit (light bar and tonneau cover) and Saleen floor mats, Shaun decided to Saleen-ize the steed.
The original Two-Valve was switched up in favor of a VT Engines GT Sportsman short-block. Topped with the factory heads and a blower-friendly 8.5:1 compression ratio, it didn't take long for Shaun to introduce the stock-displacement 4.6L mod motor to forced induction. A Kenne Bell 1.7L twin-screw was bolted on between the cylinder heads. Running a moderate amount of boost, the little engine that could pumped out a respectable 390 rwhp with 400 lb-ft of torque. The supercharged Ford powerplant ingests oxygen through a De Molet cold-air intake, an Accufab 75mm throttle body, and an SCT BA-2400 MAF. Cooling the intake charge from the blower is a Gord's heat exchanger, handling the fuel-delivery chores are '03 Cobra fuel pumps and a Kenne Bell Boost-A-Pump, and keeping the tune at the optimum level is an SCT tuner. The exhaust is spewed out through a pair of JBA shorty headers that were promptly linked to a Borla Stinger after-cat exhaust system complete with a MagnaFlow x pipe system. The rest of the drivetrain is stock, save for the Ford Racing Performance Parts aluminum driveshaft and 3.73 cogs in the 8.8-inch rearend.