Dave wanted a good amount...
Dave wanted a good amount of power under the hood of his Stang, so he turned to Edelbrock and Vortech for the go-fast goodies. The stock-displacement 5.0 powerplant sports a set of Edelbrock Performer heads and a Vortech blower to make an estimated 425 rwhp.
The powerful punch of this Pony comes in the form of a Vortech S-Trim centrifugal supercharger that blows in 12-14 pounds of boost through an Anderson Ford Motorsports Power Pipe. The air is funneled into the Professional Products Typhoon intake manifold via an SCT 90mm Big Air 2600 mass air meter and Accufab 70mm throttle body. The nastiness is piped out of the combustion chambers via a pair of BBK 1 5/8-inch shorty headers linked up to a BBK 2½-inch exhaust system showcasing a set of the company's high-flow cats and a pair of MAC mufflers.
The combustion process doesn't happen unless you have fuel and fire, so Dave made sure that both were adequate to cover the expected big power of the stock-displacement, small-block Ford. An SCT chip and tune, as well as some help from XX Tuning in Hartford, Connecticut, made sure that the tune for the pushrod powerplant would be spot on. A Crane Fireball ignition coil and a set of Taylor plug wires and Autolite plugs ensure the spark is present. As for the fuel side of things, a 255-lph fuel pump supplies the needed go-juice, which is regulated to 39 pounds of pressure with a Kirban fuel-pressure regulator. Spraying the flammable fuel into the runners of the intake manifold are a set of 42-pound injectors, courtesy of FRPP.
When it came time for the transmission, Dave knew an upgrade would be needed. "With the new tune and engine, the car was running like a beast," he says. "The transmission was another story, though. It was definitely not able to hang with the new combination anymore." He gave it some thought and decided his only two choices were to rip out the AOD that was in the Mustang and build it to bulletproof specs, or swap to a T5 stick. "I used to own a Thunderbird Super Coupe with a built AOD, which I absolutely loved to drive, so the auto bug was in me," he says. With that in mind, Dave decided to do something different, and that was to retrofit a 4R70W into the Fox-body.
Jay Broader of Broader Performance (Weathersford, Texas) handled the assembly of the 4R70W, which sports cryogenic internals, high-energy clutches, and a fully manual valvebody. Before the trans was installed, Dave threw in a 3,000-stall converter. He then tackled the 4R70W swap, which he said went fairly easy. "Aside from the custom wiring harnesses and the realization of new sensors being needed upon install, my Mustang club member Dan Hyland and I were able to perform the swap with relative ease," he says.
Of course, once the mechanical aspect of the convertible was completed, Dave polished and shined everything under and on the car to perfection before heading to the car shows around his home. His polishing efforts were so good, he offered his services to others on various Mustang Web sites, eventually branching out to sell stock-to-polished parts on eBay. Each time he cruises in the drop-top Stang, though, he's reminded of how much fun he has with this car-crafting hobby.
"I've never had this much enjoyment out of a car," Dave says. "It's still surprising how docile this car is. One second I can drive it like it's the stock AOD-equipped Mustang I started with, and the next moment I can blow the tires off and create a smoke show in Third gear."
He says the best part, though, is the looks his car gets each time he takes it for a spin. "It's a unique build, and the recognition it gets every-where is awesome. I can't take it down the street without people going crazy."
Bart Simpson better put some power to his skateboard. Dave Stinson's Mustang is liable to make him say "Doh!"
Convertible Mustangs look...
Convertible Mustangs look good from all angles. We personally like the rear view, which is what most people see when they try and tango with Dave's '92 drop-top. Check out the Cobra taillights and rear bumper.
The contrasting red and white...
The contrasting red and white interior make this Mustang look just as good with the top down as it does with it up. Custom door panels, a host of billet accessories, and the all-important Auto Meter gauges ensure that those in the car know it's built for speed, comfort, and looks.
The factory buckets were tossed...
The factory buckets were tossed in favor of a set of Cerullo XR chairs that were covered in white vinyl. Complementing the front seats are white-leather recovered rear seats. Our guess would be that rule number one in Dave's car is no food.