2006 Ford Mustang - Without Limits

The exterior of the car might look like it belongs on the showgrounds, but in reality the body components were chosen for their aerodynamics first and style second. Greg planned on building a Mustang GT-R clone, but the front fascia was not for sale from the concept car. The team chose 3d Carbon as the next best thing, and Predator added a few modifications to help downforce at excessive speeds. White paint adorns the modified S197 body along with a pair of racing stripes running front to back. A splitter was molded to the front fascia and helps prevent air from getting underneath the front end, which can cause it to lift. A custom diffuser was attached under the car to help channel the wind out from under the frame.

Looks are one thing, but performance matters most, so Greg went full tilt in the engine compart-ment and with chassis upgrades. The powerplant is nothing short of insane as Predator stuffed an 870hp engine under the carbon-fiber hood. That kind of power doesn't come from a modular engine, but rather from an old-school Windsor bullet. Durability is just as important as big horsepower, so a Dart iron block was chosen. Its cylinders were enlarged to 4.125 inches. A 3.750-inch stroke crankshaft from Scat was dropped into place and final displacement is 400 ci. JE custom pistons were made for this engine, and the compression percolates at 8.5:1. Connecting those pistons to the steel crank is the job of eight Eagle steel rods. A radical solid-roller camshaft sits in the block and features 0.660-inch lift on the intake lobes and 0.646-inch lift on the exhaust. Other breathing components include AFR 225 cylinder heads with 2.08/1.60 Ferrea valves, a TFS lower intake and a box R-series manifold, an Accufab 90mm throttle body, and a ProCharger F1R supercharger. Boost output from the stout street blower is a rather sedate 15 psi-despite the blower being capable of cranking out 25-plus psi on an engine like this one. A giant air-to-air intercooler sits behind the large opening in the lower valance-plenty of air rushes over it to help cool the intake charge.

The dyno-proven 870 horses are reported to be on the conservative side, and Greg thinks 1,000 hp is possible. He resisted the urge to turn it up, as the team didn't want to sacrifice durability while trying to achieve a grand of horsepower on the engine dyno. This engine will be running at high rpm for long periods of time, and 870 hp is plenty of power to get the car well over 200 mph. Controlling the RC Engineering 750cc fuel injectors and MSD ignition is a FAST engine-management system, tuned by Bart Grande. Custom headers were made specifically for this application, and they dump the exhaust through an H-pipe and into SpinTech mufflers and custom exhaust pipes. The final product rips on the street and sounds as great as it runs. One can only imagine how this Mustang roars when it's singing at a 200-mph cruising speed.

The suspension system is an eclectic compilation of bolt-on components bought by people like you and me and custom components fabbed by the experts at Predator. The backside features Steeda billet-aluminum upper and lower control arms, which attach the 8.8-inch rearend to the unibody. Inside the 8.8 rear are Moser axles, a Moser differential, and a set of rear gears with an undisclosed gear ratio. The gear ratio will depend on the course and type of racing environment. The ultra-racy Dynamic Suspension was tapped for just about everything else that helps suspend the car. The front struts, springs, sway bar, and polyurethane bushings are Dynamic pieces as is the high-performance power-steering rack. Out back, it's more of the same-Dynamic shocks and springs. This type of suspension setup allows Greg the ultimate in versatility and adjustability so he can tackle the public highways of Nevada or the high banks of Daytona Speedway, and anything in between.

Making a run in the Unlimited category in Nevada will put Greg against some awesome teams, and he certainly doesn't want to be unprepared. The Mustang is slated for wind-tunnel testing in North Carolina. The aero-dynamics will be optimized, and then it's off to Utah, as Greg wants to have some top-speed fun on the Bonneville Salt Flats. Afterwards, he and the car will travel to Nevada to qualify for the Unlimited class. In order to be eligible, he must first compete in the 180-mph-average club.

The line between street and race might not be clear with this car, but it's all good as long as Greg is having fun and reaching for 200-plus mph. And that's all that matters.