2004 Mach 1 - Shot Heard 'Round The World

A little more than 230 years ago, the British Empire was considered to be the world's superpower. Its highly trained and mightily gunned navy controlled the seas, and its red-coated soldiers were regarded as the most powerful ground force of its time. So, naturally, the Brits were surprised when America's 13 Colonies staged the revolt that became known as the American Revolution.

Fast forward to 2008, and the United States has stepped to the forefront of world affairs, with the world's most powerful navy and army. In a way, the venerable Ford Mustang took a similar course. In a time when all of the Detroit manufacturers were pumping out cars packing extraordinarily large cubic-inch engines pushing loads of horsepower, the Mustang was one small offering in a world flooded with horsepower. Today, the Mustang has not only stood the test of time, but it has also been cultivated into many different versions.

Much like the Revolutionary War began in the small, sleepy towns of Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, Doyle Riley's '04 Mach 1 Mustang started off small but ended up ruling the streets of Brea, California.

"I've always liked the Mach 1," Doyle says. "It's truly a classic musclecar. I remember as a kid seeing a '69 Mach 1 on the streets, and I immediately fell in love with it. When Ford decided to resurrect the Mach 1, I rushed down to my local dealership and came home with one."

The car was a Torch Red example. You can liken that short jaunt back home to the ride of Paul Revere. Instead of shouting that the British were coming, Doyle broadcasted to everyone about the power that would soon be coming from his Mach 1.

He teamed up with Modular Mustang Racing and Pro Street Terrorists (a local speed shop), pulled out the naturally aspirated Four-Valve, and stroked it to perfection thanks to Modular Mustang. The bore was kept at the standard 3.55-inch specification, but the stock crank was replaced with a 3.75-inch 4340 forged stroker crank from Ford Racing Performance Parts. With forced induction to come, all of the rotating assembly was upgraded to forged components in addition to the crank. The stock piston/rod combo was swapped over to a set of forged 4340 Manley H-beam connecting rods that have Manley 18cc dished pistons sitting on top of them. Keeping the mod motor lubricated with motor oil is an FRPP oil pump, while adding a bit more fluid capacity to the engine is a Canton 8-quart road-race pan.

After the rotating assembly was balanced and placed in the stock block, the Four-Valve heads were removed for extensive work, including a Stage 3 port and polish job, as well as a five-angle valve job. After being placed back on the short-block, a set of FRPP FR500 camshafts were installed. The bumpsticks showcase 0.472-inch lift on both the intake and exhaust sides, with the only difference between the two's characteristics being the duration, as the intake checks in at 258 degrees duration and the exhaust 245. The whole shebang is milled on a 109-degree centerline.

After reinstalling the stock cam covers, the engine went back down between the shock towers. Once in, the induction that the Mach 1 was originally equipped with ended up on the shelf in Doyle's garage, as a Kenne Bell 2.1 blower was lowered on top of the thundering cammer. Creating 15 pounds of boost, the blower-coinciding with the extra cubic inches and an exhaust system complemented with a pair of Bassani headers and a catted x pipe system-conspires to produce 570 rwhp.