These mods took the turbo stallion deep into the 9-second range, with a best elapsed time of 9.62 seconds at 138 mph. In 2003, Jon swapped out the SVO cylinder head for an ARCA piece, which features raised intake and exhaust ports. It also utilizes a square exhaust port design and 2.02-inch intake and 1.69 exhaust valves. Over the next couple of years, a custom air-to-water intercooler was constructed to chill the intake-charge temperatures, a custom intake manifold was welded up, and a Big Stuff 3 engine-management system was wired in.
The Interior consists of upholstered...
The Interior consists of upholstered Jaz race seats, a 10-point rollcage from Andy McCoy Race Cars, and a few Auto Meter gauges. It has proven comfortable enough for a 1,600-mile cruise during Drag Week, and with the addition of some Mickey Thompson drag radial tires, it makes for a nice street cruiser, too.
The ARCA cylinder head is a pricey piece, but in the Ford four-cylinder world, there aren't many choices when you want to make big power. The head, along with the other mods, dropped the Mustang into the 9.20 range, and a rear gear ratio change from 3.73 to 3.55 dropped it further, resulting in a 9.004 at 149.58 mph. Given the hatchback's 2,998-pound curb weight (with driver), the little 179ci powerhouse pumps out around 798 hp at the flywheel.
"We had John Meaney provide a tune in the Big Stuff when we bought it, and we never touched it after that," Jon says. That will all change for 2007, as he has signed with Spectre Performance, which will provide him with its EMS Pro EFI tuning system, along with a tuner that will travel to each race he goes to.
Another recent change is the turbo Mustang's return to the public highways and byways. "We took it on the Hot Rod Drag Week and drove it 1,600 miles with the C4 and 3.55 gears," Jon says. "We didn't do much highway driving, but the car still got 17 mpg with 160-lb-hr injectors. I got a set of M/T Drag Radials for it, and it's a ton of fun to drive on the street now."
In October 2006, Jon's last track outing with the car, which saw the Mustang run 9.00 seconds, resulted in a broken wristpin on the very next run. "Rumor has it that Indy Cylinder Heads is working on a new cast-iron block that will solve some of the current block issues, and I've got my name on one," Jon says. "The tall decks are nearly impossible to find and are pretty expen-sive." Expensive indeed, as Jon told us the last one he bought cost around $4,000, just for the block. Pushing the limit of the 2.3 mill has been a great learning experience for Jon and his father. "We've been messing with it since 1990," Jon says, "and every year it gets faster and we learn a ton of information."
As much help as his father has provided over the years, Jon also wants to thank Zinger Race Fuels, the crew at Precision Turbo and Engine, Randy Gillis at JE Pistons, the St. Louis wrecking crew, Mike Amerito, and the fans and drag race announcers who talk up the car and generate interest in its performance. "I especially want to thank my wife, Lisa, for giving me the opportunity to do this, and my dad for his knowledge, hard work, dedication, love, and support." Sounds like there's far more to the furious four than one might think.
With A pretty rare bullet...
With A pretty rare bullet under the hood, it's no wonder there are all sorts of custom pieces beneath the bonnet, such as this air-to-water intercooler.
Jon J. Huber's father, Jon...
Jon J. Huber's father, Jon A. Huber, fabricated this custom intake manifold, which has now been ceramic-coated. The intake, combined with the ARCA cylinder head and air-to-water intercooler improved the quarter-mile time drastically from 9.62 seconds to 9.20.
MM&FF Featured this car in...
MM&FF Featured this car in May 1998 when it was an 11-second ride. As we went to print, the Huber Perform-ance Mustang cracked off an 8.97 at 150 mph. A 76mm Precision turbo, 35 psi of boost, and a new exhaust header were largely responsible for the improvement. Jon says he thinks there's an 8.70 in it, too.
The Old standard transmission...
The Old standard transmission has been replaced by a Huber Performance-built C4 gearbox, which utilizes a TCI 7,000-stall converter and a Reactor flywheel.
The Hatchback area houses...
The Hatchback area houses the custom battery box and ice chest for the air-to-water intercooler.
Huber Performance is definitely...
Huber Performance is definitely a family affair, with Jon (second from right); his wife, Lisa (left); and his father (right). Jon and Lisa's son, Jon Logan, is next in line to get the turbo terror should he take the high-performance Mustang path.