Doing its best to plant the power to terra firma is a street/strip suspension kit. In front, Koni double-adjustables and UPR's tubular K-member with matching control arms transfer the weight over to the 8.8 that's held into the torque boxes with four Hotchkis control arms. Speaking of tires, we're looking at BFG DRs that say 275/35/17 on their sidewalls. Mounted to 18x9 and 18x10 Saleen replica wheels, the shoes this Pony wears tells us a lot about the car's street-oriented demeanor and dragstrip intention. On the aforementioned DRs, Ron has been able to muster a traction-limited 12.51 at 114 mph. Although it's respectable, the numbers don't reflect the true potential of this ride. We're sure that with slicks bolted up, this car will hustle deep into the 11-second zone without breaking a sweat. Beefy five-lug brakes from an SN-95 (13.0 fronts and 11.65 rears) help bring the fun to a safe stop.
It's hard to make a black car look perfect, but Ron shows that with the proper pain-staking attention to detail, his GT can double as a mirror. The custom paint and bodywork were performed by capable hands at Gil's Body Shop located in the same town that Ron calls home, Kansas City, Missouri. With only a 4-inch cowl as the sole deviation from stock, the immaculate body underneath took to the new paint with incredible ease. The red-flamed pinstripes and paint accents from stem to stern demonstrate how the little things matter to show-judges and onlookers alike. Whether they look in awe or jealousy, they can't deny that Ron's ride is one piece of badass art that can rip the hides with just a tickle of the throttle.
Yes, it has been repainted,...
Yes, it has been repainted, but this super-clean body has only 14,000 miles on it, and upon closer inspection, it's apparent in the details. Ron liked the GT's body lines so much that he decided to leave it mostly factory Ford except for the taillights and 4-inch cowl hood.
Ron's GT shows you don't need beaucoup bucks or incredible amounts of fame to build a car that blows away any and all bystanders. A creative mind, a dash of old-fashioned hard work-and in Ron's case, some help from wife, Jen, and friends Jeff Newkirk, Bill Elder, Terry Pederson, and Mark Miles-prove that blood, sweat, and gears will make any mountain move. In this case, the mountain is 7.0 liters, and boy does it move.