Humberto's coupe packs a 408ci...
Humberto's coupe packs a 408ci naturally aspirated powerplant supplying a ground-pounding 439 hp to the wheels.
Humberto Ferrer of Maywood, New Jersey, has owned many high-performance Ford vehicles. From a few Fox-body Stangs to an '05 GT and an '04 SVT Lightning, Humberto has had plenty opportunity to decide which one he liked most. Unfortunately, it wasn't until after he sold it and moved on that Humberto realized the '88 coupe, which he owned back in the early '90s, was his perfect match.
Since he works as a consultant and doesn't have time to build a car himself, Humberto began searching for a replacement for his long lost coupe. Finding a Fox-body Mustang that has already been modified isn't difficult, but finding one that has been built with only the best components and assembled in the most meticulous way can be quite a task.
Custom 19-inch HRE wheels...
Custom 19-inch HRE wheels wrapped in BF Goodrich G-Force rubber put the power to the pavement.
After searching for almost a year, Humberto came across an online ad: "1989 Mustang coupe four-cylinder-black leather interior, air conditioning, power steering, power brakes, $25,000."
Intrigued, he read on: "Motor: 408ci Dart iron-block built by Jensen's Engine Technology (Hescopeck, Pennsylvania), 9:1 compression ratio, Scat 4340 forged steel crank, Scat 4340 forged H-beam rods, JE pistons, Brodix Track 1 heads ported by M2 Race Systems (Farmingdale, New Jersey)..." Not only was it a V-8, but a pretty sick one at that.
Humberto was interested, so he responded to the ad. After talking to the owner and looking at a couple of photos, he knew the trip to Pennsylvania was worth it. In his conversation with the owner, he learned the coupe began it's life as a red four-cylinder and only had about 90,000 original miles, which is why the ad read the way it did.
When Humberto arrived at the home of Gus Kirkopoulos, the metallic green notch was sitting outside, glistening in the sun. Taken aback at first, Humberto said, "Gus, it's even cleaner in person than in the pictures." Gus chuckled, and said, "I told you it was nice."
 The Deep Forest Green, taken...  The Deep Forest Green, taken from newer Mustangs, works surprisingly well with the dark gray wheels and smoked taillights. |  Aeromotive fuel components,...  Aeromotive fuel components, including this adjustable fuel-pressure regulator, deliver fuel to the engine. |  |
Humberto circled the coupe in a planetary fashion, taking in all the details. "What do you call that color?" Humberto asked. "DuPont Deep Forest Green," replied Gus. "I had it done at Keeler Auto Body in Allentown (Pennsylvania), and they did a really great job. Keeler even wet-sanded and buffed the whole car." Of course, Humberto already saw that there wasn't a lick of orange peel on the entire body.
Humberto noticed the wheels were unique, but couldn't put his finger on what was different. Gus explained they were custom 19-inch HRE Comp21 forged wheels with BFGoodrich G-Force T/A KDW 2s. Through the spokes, Humberto could see the Baer brakes with drilled and slotted rotors. He turned to Gus and asked, "What's going on with the brakes?" Gus began to go into detail about the stainless steel brake lines, Baer adjustable proportioning valve, and Baer dual-piston calipers.
While Gus talked about the brakes, he leaned his head under the rocker panel near the rear wheel. He noticed BBK Performance upper and lower control arms, Eibach sway bar and coilovers, and an aftermarket differential cover. Gus, noticing Humberto studying the rearend, continued: "I kept the 8.8, but went with an Auburn differential with 3.73s and Superior 31-spline axles."
 Other than the leather upholstery,...  Other than the leather upholstery, the coupe's black interior was left mostly stock. |  Auto Meter carbon-fiber A-pillar...  Auto Meter carbon-fiber A-pillar gauges keep Humberto in touch with his Stang's oil pressure and water temperature. |  The polished intake elbow...  The polished intake elbow sits atop an Edelbrock Super Victor EFI intake manifold. |
As Humberto scanned the BBK subframe connectors and Dynotech Engineering aluminum driveshaft, his eyes were drawn to the front suspension. He saw Eibach's coilovers and sway bar, and D&D Motorsports' control arms and tubular K-member. Getting up and dusting his hands off, he said, "I want to see the interior."
Gus opened the door and revealed the all-black interior. Humberto peered in at the leather-wrapped seats and noticed the shifter knob. "It's a six-speed?" "Yeah, it's a T56 with a RAM 900 clutch and a Pro 5.0 shifter," Gus replied.
Humberto was very impressed with the coupe, but he wanted to see where all the magic happens. "Let's look under the hood," he blurted out as he pulled the hood release. "Absolutely," replied Gus as he lifted the hood and rested it on the prop rod. Humberto took one look at the engine and paused for a moment to imagine himself cruising the streets of Northern New Jersey destroying Corvettes and Vipers.
"She made 439 hp to the wheels at PSI Motorsports in New Tripoli (Pennsylvania) when they did the tune. There's the Anderson pipe and Pro-M mass air meter calibrated for the 42-lb/hr injectors. That's a 90mm Accufab throttle body, an EFI Spyder Power Elbow, and Edelbrock Super Victor 351W EFI intake," Gus said, pointing at the various components. He went on to talk about the Comp Cams stick, Fluidyne aluminum radiator, fabricated aluminum valve covers, and Mac exhaust system.
Humberto wanted to drive it before he made his decision, so Gus let him take the coupe for a spin. When Humberto returned, Gus already knew the answer to his question. "Well, what did you think?" Humberto replied, with a huge grin on his face, "Sold."