Back in 2005, Vince Frontino and his dad, Bob, were looking for a new project.
The father-and-son duo had just finished Bob's '88 GT, and Vince needed daily transportation. After scouring the San Dimas, California, area, they found a number of low-mile options for their next project, and the '95 GT seen here became the newest member of the Frontino family.
"I needed a daily driver for school," explains Vince. "A guy brought the car into the shop where my dad works to get a few things done. The car was for sale, and we bought it. We started with the basic bolt-ons and it progressed from there."
Over the next five years, Vince and Bob slowly transformed the 5.0L SN-95 into a wild Stallion. At the heart of the build lies a supercharged 377ci Windsor. The base of the powerplant is a 351 block, which Bob and Vince filled with a Crower crankshaft, Crower H-beam connecting rods, and JE forged pistons. The short-block was topped with a set of ported Edelbrock Performer RPM aluminum cylinder heads. Valve actuation is handled by a Comp Cams hydraulic roller shaft, which measures 0.533-inch lift on the intake side, and 0.544-inch on the exhaust side with a split duration of 224/230 at 0.050.
A '93 Cobra intake manifold was tapped to handle the introduction of air, but not before some major modifications. The upper plenum was cut open and fully ported before being welded back together. To complete the process, the manifold was Extrude Honed to ensure the incoming boosted air passed smoothly into the cylinder heads.
A Vortech V-2 SQ S-trim centrifugal supercharger pressurizes the incoming air, creating 14 psi of boost before a PMAS 95mm Velocity mass airflow sensor meters it. After passing through the Anderson Ford Motorsport Power Pipe, the air charge meets the fuel side of the mixture, which is supplied by a set of 50-lb/hr injectors, fed by Aeromotive fuel rails. The EFI system is controlled by the stock EEC processor, which is piggybacked by an Anderson Ford Motorsport PMS engine management controller-the combination produces 520 rwhp.
Getting the power to the ground is important, and Vince employs an AOD-E automatic transmission as the base of his drivetrain. Power is transferred via a 2,500-stall converter, and the trans is controlled with a Baumannator TCS transmission controller, while Vince uses a B&M Hammer shifter to select the gears. A Ford Racing Performance Parts aluminum driveshaft spins a set of 3.55 gears. A Ford Traction-Lok differential evenly distributes power to both rear wheels. Speaking of wheels, Vince's SN-95 rides on deep-dish black FR500-style hoops wrapped in Nitto rubber.
The exterior has been enhanced with a '95 Cobra R hood and Xenon rear fascia and side skirts for a more aggressive look. The new panels were coated with a few coats of the stock laser Red at Rocky's Auto body in Rancho Cucamonga, California. To finish off the exterior, Vince added smoked headlights, which bring out this Stallion's darker side.
The custom touches continue into the interior also. The stock buckets have given way to a set of black Corbeau A4 race-style seats. Auto Meter boost, fuel pressure, and EGT gauges, as well as an Innovate Motorsports digital air/fuel gauge allow Vince to know exactly what's happening under the hood.
"Sometimes my dad and I feel we got a little carried away," Vince tells us. "Then I realize how fun it is to hit the throttle and instantly spin the tires and get sideways." Since picking up the car in 2005, Vince and his father have build one sick street machine. With a best eighth-mile time of 7.20 seconds at 92 mph, this wild Stallion tears up the track and the street! "There is always room for improvements and more modifications, and we plan on taking it further!"