Parents play a significant role in shaping the lives of their children. Teenage angst and rebellion against parental control is a normal stage in the emotional development of most young people, and for Tim Crotty, this rebellion led him down a road of fun and fast cars.
Growing up in the '60s, Tim loved hot rods with big power, and the car that started it all for him was a '66 427ci, 425hp Corvette convertible. The muscle-car movement was in its heyday, and American youth was in love with the hot-rod culture.
As for the rebellious part, well, it all started with a haircut.
Simple exterior upgrades add...
Simple exterior upgrades add style, but more lurks under the surface of this S197.
"When I was a kid, I had long hair," Tim explains. "My mother hated it. So she made a deal with me. All I had to do was get a haircut, and I could get whatever car I wanted. I got my Corvette, and I was hooked!"
Over the years, Tim's love for fast cars has only gotten stronger. Having owned a variety of iron from Mustangs and Corvettes to Porsches, he always came back to the Mustang. Tim's newest machine is this '07 Mustang GT that's been fortified with a slew of Shelby hardware. It embodies the classic hot-rodder character and rebellious spirit that Tims's '66 Corvette possessed back in the day.
Under the hood is where the...
Under the hood is where the monster lives. Blow-By Racing built Tim a 301ci Three-Valve that's topped with Kenne Bell's 2.8H Mammoth Twin Screw supercharger making 24 psi of boost. This combination makes a ridiculous 836 rwhp and 770 lb-ft of torque.
"A friend had just bought a twin-turbo Porsche for about $130,000," Tim said. "While we were talking about it, I started laughing and told him I'd build a little Mustang and whup him for half of what he spent." After that conversation, Tim's search for a Pony began. "I have a few friends in the car business," Tim explained, "I knew I wanted a white convertible with a black top. A good friend told me about Arizona Shelby Cobras in Wickenburg, Arizona, so I gave them a call. Richard Creel helped me find a car, and took care of the financing and the post-title Shelby performance package. Before I took delivery, Shelby did the suspension and engine work, including a Roush supercharger."
Tim instantly fell in love, but in typical hot-rodder fashion, eventually there wasn't enough power to satisfy his needs. Back in his home state of Florida, his heavy right foot led him to Blow-By Racing (BBR) in Boca Raton, where Chris Jones worked his magic on the Three-Valve. "When Tim brought the car to us it made 372 rwhp," Jones tells us. "We changed the supercharger pulley and it responded well." With a smaller pulley, Tim's mod mill laid down 427 rwhp on BBR's Dynojet. Though Tim got the fix for his power addiction, the itch would soon be worse than before.
"When I got the car back from BBR, it was a lot of fun, but it just didn't blow my skirt up," Tim jokingly stated. "I had become pretty friendly with guys at Blow-By, and I asked them what we could do to make my Stang something really special." With the bar set high, the BBR crew set out to design and build a motor that would blow his mind.
The BBR engine started with a Kellogg crankshaft sporting a 3.75-inch stroke and Manley rods to raise and lower the CP pistons that fill the 3.575-inch bores, bringing the total displacement to 301 cubes. The bottom end is held together with ARP fasteners, and a Moroso oil pan holds enough lubricant to feed the stock oil pump.
Next Jones bolted on a set of BBR's Stage 3 ported Three-Valve cylinder heads. Post-CNC machining, BBR's Stage 3 heads flow 292 cfm at 0.600-inch lift, a healthy improvement over the stock 224-cfm flow numbers from the factory. When all is said and done, the combination produces a boost-friendly 8.8:1 compression. BBR's Stage 2 camshafts manipulate the stock-size Manley valves, which allow the air/fuel mixture in and exhaust gasses out. Once combustion is complete, gasses exit via American Racing Headers 1 3/4-inch long-tube headers and X-style mid-pipe. Thanks to a 21/2-inch Magnaflow axle-back system, Tim's convertible has that powerful Mustang tone.
Extras inside the driver's...
Extras inside the driver's compartment have been kept to a minimum as well. The added Shelby Performance upgrades give the cockpit some simple classy touches.
Shelby-installed Auto Meter...
Shelby-installed Auto Meter gauges allow Tim to keep tabs on the vitals. The gauge pod blends perfectly into the retro dash and looks like a factory piece.
Shelby accents let you know...
Shelby accents let you know this is more than your average Mustang.
Under the hood is where the...
Under the hood is where the monster lives. Blow-By Racing built Tim a 301ci Three-Valve that's topped with Kenne Bell's 2.8H Mammoth Twin Screw supercharger making 24 psi of boost. This combination makes a ridiculous 836 rwhp and 770 lb-ft of torque.
Breathing extra life into this internal combustion monster is Kenne Bell's 2.8H Mammoth Twin Screw supercharger. The 2.8H inhales through a twin-75mm Mammoth throttle body, and 24 psi is the result. Fuel is fed by BBR's 1,000hp fuel system, which consists of a trio of Ford GT fuel pumps housed in a billet fuel hat from Fore Precision Works, -8 fuel lines, BBR/Fore billet fuel rails, and 80-lb/hr injectors. On a plentiful diet of VP C16 race fuel and water/methanol injection, the 301-cube combo laid down an LSX-slaying 836 rwhp. That equates to roughly 950 hp at the crank!
Getting a disgusting amount of power to the ground is a challenge, however. Especially, when you add the fact that Tim's S197 is a convertible. While the BBR crew was designing the powerplant, steps were taken to fortify the rest of the driveline to handle this Pony's newfound legs. The Three-Valve now spins an aluminum flywheel and Spec twin-disc clutch, which transfers power to a Tremec TR-6060 six-speed. A Shelby shifter assists Tim with the gear selection, and the gearbox moves power to an aluminum driveshaft, which turns the 4.11:1 ring and pinion inside the Moser M9 fabricated 9-inch rearend housing. A Detroit Locker differential transfers power to the Shelby Razor wheels via a set of 35-spline Moser axles.
Massive BBR/BMR subframe connectors keep the car from twisting under hard acceleration, while double-adjustable lower control arms and a double-adjustable upper link keep the rearend located under the car. Ford Racing Performance Parts lowering springs sit in all four corners with Koni adjustable shocks and struts cushioning the ride. Braking power is provided by Baer brakes, which hide behind the Razor wheels and handle the deceleration duties without fail.
With power most of us dream of, Tim is certainly a happy dude. "I can't say enough about the guys at Blow-By Racing and the amazing car they built for me. It's an incredible ride. It gets over 20 mpg and makes over 800 hp. What could be better? The truly amazing part is that the car is extremely tame-it drives and idles like it did when it was brand-new.
There is just something about a Mustang-it really makes me feel like a teenager again."
Shelby Razor wheels wrapped...
Shelby Razor wheels wrapped in BFGoodrich rubber sit in all four corners, and add that distinctive Shelby look.
Water/methanol injection helps...
Water/methanol injection helps keep air charge temperatures under control, while helping boost horsepower numbers at the same time. BBR's custom water/meth plate sits under the massive Twin Screw.