Let's face it-the rear fascia of the '10 Mustang didn't receive much praise when it was unveiled. Though the '10 boasted arguably the most aggressive nose of any Mustang ever, the rear, let's say, came up short. So when Mike Spagnola, president of Street Scene Equipment, got his hands on a '10 GT, he knew expectations would be high to improve on the factory's version, but without stepping on the toes of the Blue Oval.
Street Scene Equipment (SSE) is one of the leading suppliers of exterior styling accessories for Mustangs and other makes and models. Located in Costa Mesa, California, SSE designs, manufactures, and markets components and kits for the Big Three, as well as imports. Mike's heart, though, is with the Mustang. "I've been building Mustangs since the early '70s. My first one was a '641/2 six-cylinder coupe, and I sold it to buy an engagement ring," Mike recalls with a chuckle. Over the years, he has owned a total of seven Mustangs, and a couple have even graced the pages of MM&FF. So when Ford Motor Company approached Mike about having SSE modify a '10 Mustang GT for its booth at SEMA 2009, he sprung at the opportunity.
Once Mike received his black GT in August 2009, he began working with some of Ford's design engineers on the kit. "What a lot of people don't know is how much the '10 is different from the '05-'09. The roof is the only panel that's the same," he explains. So Mike had to start from scratch when designing the kit.
Up front, SSE created a totally redesigned front fascia, complete with a built-in front splitter. It borrows styling cues from body lines on the grille, complementing the natural scowl of the nose. The grille looks stock, but it's an all-new SSE piece with built-in driving lights, mimicking the '67 GT500.
SSE added sideskirts, side ducts, and quarter-window ducts (also available in louvers). In the rear, Mike added a lower valance and a three-piece urethane spoiler. With the prototypes made and molds being produced, Mike then concentrated on the rest of the car.
For underhood improvements, Mike turned to GTR Performance in Rancho Cucamonga, California. The GTR team installed an Si-Trim Vortech Supercharger kit that pumps out 8 pounds of boost. It also added long-tube Hedman Hedders and MagnaFlow's midpipe and axle-back. Once the install was complete, GTR tuned the new combination with a Diablosport programmer.
Mike then called on Louie Morosan at L&G Enterprises in San Dimas, California. Morosan handled the chassis and suspension upgrades, as well as the wheels and tires. Up front, Morosan added H&R adjustable coilovers and Granatelli Motorsports' A-arms, sway bar, and adjustable strut tower brace. In the rear, he added matching H&R adjustable rear coilovers, a Granatelli sway bar, and a panhard bar, also by Granatelli. The GT rolls on 20-inch, three-piece Giovanna GFC wheels, 9.5-inches wide in the front and 10-inches wide in the rear, all wrapped in Pirelli rubber.
Interior modifications were handed to DSV Customs in Los Fresnos, Texas. DSV designed and installed one-off custom (real) carbon-fiber accents and Katzkin leather upholstery. Audio Innovations of Glendora, California, added the sound system, complete with a custom subwoofer enclosure in the trunk.
With production-quality versions of the new body panels in hand, Mike and his GT headed back to L&G. There, Theresa Contreras laid the DuPont Hot Hues Amber Ecstasy and ghost stripes. With just days to spare before SEMA, the SSE team scrambled to reassemble the body without fault. One scratch would have required days of disassembly and repainting-which Mike didn't have time to make happen.
When it was complete, the hard work finally paid off. Mike's GT was presented the Outstanding Achievement in Design award by Ford Motor Company at SEMA in November 2009. Apparently what Mike did to the rear fascia (and the rest of the car) didn't offend anyone in Dearborn.