A pair of Cobra Suzuka seats...
A pair of Cobra Suzuka seats conspire with a set of Schroth 5-point harnesses to keep Declan and occupant held in check when flinging around corners.
The radio and HVAC were ditched...
The radio and HVAC were ditched and replaced with a Reichard Racing delete panel. Throw in some switches and gauges, and Declan is kept well informed of what's happening under the hood.
Eddie Gomez and Mario Martinez...
Eddie Gomez and Mario Martinez of Stangwerks are largely responsible for the outward appearance changes on Declan's car. Thanks to some custom bodywork and fabrication done to both the front and rear, the car not only looks racy, but Declan was able to fit the large-by-huge 18x11 front and 18x13 rear rims under the sheetmetal. Michelin rubber can be found on all four corners.
In road racing, you can have all the power you want, but being able to harness it and slow it down are the keys to success. To that end, both the front and rear suspension and braking system were reworked. A Maximum Motorsports K-member and a pair of offset A-arms were installed up front. For the rear, a set of Bilstein shocks with Maximum Motorsports coilovers can also be found, along with a Panhard bar and a heavy-duty torque arm. A Baer bumpsteer kit and Maximum Motorsports subframe connectors also made their way onto the car, while making their way out was the front crumple zone and bumper braces, which were removed to save weight. When it came to the binders, Baer got the call, supplying a killer setup consisting of four-piston calipers and cross-drilled and slotted rotors all around.
At this point, we'd normally tell you the make, model, and size of the wheel and tire combination, but to do that, we first must broadcast the tale of the bodywork that goes along with fitting those Texas-sized meats under the Stang. "I started to think of a way to get more rubber on the road, especially in the front of the car," Declan says. "I had seen the Tiger Racing Mustang competing in the SPEED World Challenge Series and loved the front fenders they had on the car." After placing a phone call to Tiger Racing's Paul Brown, Declan was invited to not only check out the house car, but to pick up a set of fenders, which Tiger Racing offers to the public. The fenders led to the overhaul of the rest of the Mustang's sheetmetal.
Eddie Gomez and Mario Martinez of Stangwerks were tabbed to do the exterior transformation of the car. Following the installation of the fenders and front splitter, both of which were mated to an '03 Cobra front bumper, the duo set about figuring out how to fit the planned-for supersized hoops under the rear. "I wanted Eddie to pull the fenders to accommodate an 11-inch wheel and tire combo," Declan says. Instead of trying to fit an 11-inch-wide wheel and tire, the pair of artists decided to custom-fabricate a new pair of rear fenders that gave the Mustang enough room to handle a much-larger 13-inch-wide wheel. A Tiger Racing fiberglass heat extractor hood, an HPM rear wing, and a silver repaint of the entire car along with the addition of black accents along the sides, hood, and rear, made the car not only racy-looking, but ready to accept the wheels and tires Declan had in mind. The stock rims were removed, and on went a set of HRE C21 rims sized 18x11 front and 18x13 rear. The wheels are wrapped in Michelin Sport Cup gumballs sized 315/30/18 front and 345/30/18 rear.
Since Declan had plans to race the Mustang competitively, the appropriate interior changes needed to be made for both safety and proper operational purposes. Eric and the boys at Extreme Mustang installed the 12-point chromoly rollcage and replaced the stock bucket seats with a pair of carbon/Kevlar-shelled Cobra Suzuka chairs. Keeping Declan firmly planted to the seat is a Scroth five-point harness complete with a quick-release hub. Steering inputs are made via a Sparco 300mm wheel with a quick-release hub, while a set of Auto Meter Nexus gauges clue Declan into the happenings under the hood. The stock dash remains, though the bracing and such behind it was stripped out for weight savings. In addition, the rear seat was axed, along with the radio and HVAC controls, the latter of which was replaced with a Reichard Racing A/C-delete panel. A Raptor shift light illuminates each time Declan is required to make a gear change.
"When I started this project, I was skeptical at first, but as the process was being completed, I realized that all of the work would give the car a unique look," Declan says. "I'm very happy with the results."
Since the time that this car was shot for this feature article, it has been completely revamped, and now showcases a custom-built remote twin-turbo system that pulls air in through the rear quarter-windows. The stock trans has been swapped in favor of a TKO600, and the stock Two-Valve bullet has been fortified from top to bottom and kicks out a stunning 740 rwhp.
Either way, Declan can complement his mashed potatoes with some mashed competition.