2002 Ford Saleen Mustang - Building Speed

How do you make a speedy car speedier? Well, aside from asking Big Enos Burdette for more money, you call two companies that have reputations for building the fastest cars around. Modular Powerhouse in Marietta, Georgia, and Pro Line Race Engines in Woodstock, Georgia, are known for building fast cars and fast engines. Put the two together and you get what we have here-a blistering fast Mustang (to which your author can personally attest) with good street manners.

The Pony in question was originally sold through Team Ford of Marietta as number 56 of the '02 Saleen Mustangs. The fact that Saleen laid the foundation for this rocket sets the bar pretty high for improvement, but that didn't stop Powder Springs, Georgia, resident J.J. Frederick from looking for more performance from the convertible's loud pedal.

"I've had six other Mustangs, and they've all been a work in progress," J.J. says. "This time I wanted something that was a sleeper and that didn't need to be tuned or repaired all of the time-and I succeeded." We'd definitely say so as the convertible Saleen is a horse of a different hoof.

Steve Petty, tuner, engine builder, and teammate on the fastest Outlaw 10.5 Mustang on the planet, assembled the powerplant for this filly, starting with a Mach 1 aluminum block. The crankshaft came from the '03-'04 Cobra parts stash, but it swings Eagle H-beam connecting rods and CP forged pistons. From there, the Modular Powerhouse team took over, bolting on a set of its Stage 3-ported Two-Valve cylinder heads that feature Comp Cams valvesprings and a pair of custom turbo cams that Comp whittled up.

No stock, plastic-fantastic intake manifold would do, so the crew threw on Reichard Racing's Gen II aluminum intake manifold and an Accufab oval throttle body. With the generous lack of torque that the modular engines are known for, a power adder was necessary, and as astute readers may have picked up on, a turbocharger was the wise choice.