In today's world, where efficiency is paramount, people want the most out of the vehicle they drive. For many of us, the days of dedicated cars for the street, strip, and open track event are long gone, and we are forced to build cars that perform well across the board as opposed to excelling in one specific area.
Joey Buquoi is the owner and operator of Audio Dimensions in Memphis, Tennessee. In his professional life, he specializes in home automation, and provides his customers with an all-in-one approach to controlling everything from stereo equipment and lighting, to heating, air conditioning, and irrigation systems with one central control pad.
Over the years, Joey has had a slew of hot Stangs. A Procharged '95 GT and a nitrous-fed '88 coupe are a few of the rides that have been in his stable. When the Bullitt edition Mustang came out in 2001, Joey fell in love, and in 2004, he picked up this Dark Highland Green model. When he set out to improve the performance of his Bullitt, he applied the same all-in-one philosophy embodied in his business.
"I live about 10 minutes from Memphis Motorsports Park, so I'm a big drag racing fan," explains Joey. "Even though I love drag racing, I like my cars to handle well and also have a comfortable ride."
Joey's original plan was simple: add a Procharger and exhaust-project completed. So he sold his '88 coupe and bought a D1-SC centrifugal supercharger kit from ProCharger. He also installed a PMS from Anderson Ford Motorsports to handle the tuning. But eventually, a broken engine gave Joey the opportunity to build a stronger, more powerful bullet for his Bullitt.
"We had a problem with one of the MAP sensors that the PMS uses to control timing," Joey adds. "Unfortunately, we ended up breaking three pistons." When it came time to build the new engine, Joey turned to BB&T Racing in South Haven, Mississippi. BB&T started by boring the block 0.020-inch over stock. The stock crankshaft wasn't damaged when the motor went south, so it was reused. The bores were then filled with a set of JE pistons and Eagle connecting rods to complete the short-block. Once the machine work and assembly was complete, the new powerplant checked in at 283 ci. Patriot Performance cylinder heads were given the nod and bolted onto the new engine. The Stage 2 CNC-ported heads would greatly increase airflow through the engine, and help make a lot more power. Joey turned to his friend Matt Summerfield for help with cam selection. The combination was topped off with a pair of bump sticks from Comp Cams, that came in at 0.550/0.550-inch lift, with an aggressive 278/278 degrees duration.
Once the powerplant was fortified, Joey decided to add some giggle gas to his blown Bullitt. A one-off bottle mount from Speed Of Sound keeps the custom painted NOS bottle secure in the trunk. The bottle feeds the Nitrous Pro-Flow solenoids that control the amount of spray and fuel supplied to the Nitrous Express Shark nozzles. With a good tune and a little bit of race gas, Joey's Bullitt was easily in the 600-plus-rwhp range.
"The combination made good power," Joey tells us. "I've always liked the ProChargers, but the Bullitt just didn't have the bottom-end grunt I really wanted. One day I got the chance to drive a friend's '03 Cobra, and as soon as got out on the road I knew a twin-screw was what I needed."
Once the decision was made to switch power adders, the D1 was sold and Joey picked up a 2.2L Kenne Bell. After the car was retuned, the Bullitt spun the rollers to a stout 752 rwhp with 745 lb-ft of torque. These numbers were achieved with 20 psi of boost and a 150hp jet in the nitrous kit.
Being that Joey did not build the car just for drag racing, some changes were made to enhance corner carving. Eibach Sport-Line springs sit in all four corners and give his Bullitt an aggressive stance. Tokico shocks and struts provide a comfortable ride, while raising the handling abilities at the same time. Out back, Steeda adjustable upper control arms allow Joey to change pinion angle for a more aggressive suspension setup, and boxed lower control arms help keep the rearend straight under hard acceleration. Black '95 Cobra R-replica wheels from OEM Concepts wrapped in Nitto NT555 rubber sit fore and aft. The fronts check in at 17x9 while the rears are a wider 17x10.5, giving Joey's Bullitt that slick deep-dish look.
"The car is a triple threat-it does everything well." Joey continues. "It drives like a completely stock car until you hit the gas. It handles extremely well, has tons of power, and it's extremely comfortable. I couldn't ask for more" With a great blend of power, handling, and comfort, Joey may have the perfect all-in-one Bullitt.