To build up boost on the line and to get to the ground as efficiently as possible, Matthew uses a C4 with a 4,000-rpm converter. This helps with driveability and has made his Mustang infinitely more reliable at his power level. We're also happy to report that Matthew still gets good mileage on the highway, considering the car's performance abilities. "I still get 16 mpg with no overdrive," he says. "I hope to put a Gear Venders overdrive in it, so the fuel mileage might go up to 20-ish mpg."
The foundation for this science...
The foundation for this science project is a bored and stroked V-6 that now displaces 260 ci. Ported stock heads and a lower intake sit under a custom sheetmetal plenum that gets its 75mm face fed with 30 pounds of boost from a Turbonetics T72 and a custom liquid-to-air intercooler that sits neatly on the driver side.
The street/strip nature of the car dictates a suspension that can handle the abuse of day-to-day driving and make those quarter-mile sprints as effectively as possible. To accommodate those needs, a QA1 tubular K-member with 175 lb/in coilovers wrapped around a pair of Lakewood 90/10s work wonders to shed weight off the front and to transfer what remains to the 8.8 that's packed with 3.31 gears, 31-spline Mosers, and an Easton diff. UPR double-adjustable upper control arms and solid lowers keep this Pony running straight and true no matter in what direction the steering wheel is pointed.
Matthew says he loves Mustangs, and more importantly, V-6 Mustangs. When we asked what he liked most about his ride, he said, "The sleeper effect. No one expects a V-6 to run nines. It's also quiet, so nobody expects to get rolled by a stock-looking car. The only thing that shows the car is fast is the sumped tank and the cage. One cool part is that I built the cage to still allow my kids to ride in the back in their car seats. I go to all the local cruise-ins with the kids in the car."
Speaking of the kids, he credits them and his fianc, Christie, for making his dream of building one of the most incredible Mustangs a reality, despite the two missing cylinders. His pal Brian Brooks and all the folks at Delk worked from late nights to early mornings, but the end result is certainly worth all the hard work. How else would you explain seeing us frumpy magazine editors so excited over a V-6 Mustang? Normally, we only get wound up by Krispy Kremes.
This '95 Mustang appears to...
This '95 Mustang appears to be a Cobra at first, but with a flick of the key, the hushed rumble of a turbocharged V-6 is heard. Can you believe that this six-banger runs nines?
An eight-point rollbar blends...
An eight-point rollbar blends neatly into the red interior panels. The B&M ProStick has a factory manual transmission shift knob for stealthy looks as the rest of the interior lends itself to practical street and full-on strip use.