You may have noticed by the coverage over the last few months that we've gotten back to the task of thrashing on The Fridge, our trusty '99 Lightning. Since 1999, this truck has served as a test mule, first in the Ford press fleet, then as our in-house workhorse. In most cases, the 4,600-pound beast has responded wonderfully, providing us with daily transportation as well as Corvette- and Evo-crushing power on demand. It has also hauled its fair share of loads in the bed, such as car parts and other items.

The Fridge has seen boost from a Magnum Powers ported blower, a 2.3 Whipple, and more recently, the mighty 3.4 Whipple. The JDM Engineering long-block has racked up around 70,000 miles, the Level 10 trans about the same, all while being tortured with 28 psi of boost and over 700 proud ponies at the wheels. Not bad for a commuter, but most folks want to know what 715 hp and 745 lb-ft of torque equates to in the 1,320. Quite frankly, so do we. Not to mention that we were getting heat from the Super Chevy magazine guys who reside down the hall. "Great, you got Earth-rotating power, but when's the last time the truck went to the track?" one editor muttered. "We'll fix that!" was our retort.

Comments such as that got the fire going, not to mention the fact that we've been itching to go for the standing office e.t. record of 10.23, set years ago by former MM&FF tech editor John Hunkins, who in Excalibur, his Vortech-equipped strip Stang, ran the said time.

So, with 715 hp and a tank of C16, we set out to E-Town. We were met with great weather, the Lightning was fitted with slicks and skinnies, and we yanked out the passenger seat for good measure. We left the tailgate and spare tire in place, and race weight was a hefty 4,600 pounds with driver.

Despite the big power numbers, we had mixed emotions about putting the truck on "kill," or "triple-wreck," as another editor termed it. As reported in our last story, when we went from 23 to 28 psi and only picked up 25 hp, we had a feeling the old girl was tired--just how tired was anyone's guess. Any tuner worth his laptop knows that an increase of 5 psi should be worth much more power, so we knew something wasn't 100 percent.

Nevertheless, we marched on after our dyno test produced favorable results. "The engine is tired, the valvesprings are weak, and it's definitely getting some blow-by," says Jim D'Amore. "We built that engine about five years ago, and we run way more valvespring pressure on our current engines. We have much more efficient camshafts, too." However, we had no choice but to tune her up and go for it.

Knowing that we could be limited to only a few runs, I went to the line, heated the slicks, and staged carefully. I did my best to launch smoothly and roll into the power, but on the hit the sneakers broke loose and chattered on the way out. Despite the spin, the truck accelerated well (1.54 60-foot), and I kept my foot in it. As GM High Tech editor Rick Jensen said, "I was in it to win it!"

The Fridge ripped into Second with a chip, then Third, and with that I could feel the enormous load as it fought its way through the air. It pulled really hard right until the end, with the 5.4 screaming and the tach needle pegged past 6,100. Crossing the stripe, the board flashed the new office record of 10.225 at 133 mph! Mission accomplished.

We were pleased with the performance, but at the same time we knew there was more left if we could hook better. The 1.54 was pretty dismal, as we've been 1.50 with this truck in the past. But therein lies the rub. Adding power to a street-driven vehicle, especially a nose-heavy truck, doesn't guarantee better short times or quicker e.t.'s.

Another try brought similar launch results, and I legged it out--at least until Third, when the nose dipped and the truck laid over. I was out of the gas in a flash, but the damage was already done; a lifted head gasket and some white smoke from the exhaust were the results. Oh well, we knew going in that The Fridge had 104,000 miles on the clock, about 70,000 on the engine, and that pushing it may bring parts failure.

But in the end, we owed it to you, our readers, to push it to the limit and see what the truck could do. Dyno numbers are one thing, but e.t. slips tell the real story. On a bright note, we did set the record here at MM&FF Command Central, and JDM has been poking us to try its new all-aluminum 5.4, so it looks like we'll be going for the nines.

Hot-rodders are never ones to leave well enough alone, and the Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords staff members are certainly guilty of that. After we completed Project Stolen Goods, our resident '93 Cobra, we wondered about the many what-ifs that we hadn't tried. This month, our what-if revolved around two main premises that involved two key players in the Stolen Goods buildup.

D.S.S. Racing's Tom Naegele felt that our big-bore (4.125 bore/ 3.25 stroke) 347 Boss engine should be making more than our current 400 (estimated) flywheel horsepower it had produced thus far. The components we chose for our induction setup were a little too mild to offer that level of peak power, but it did produce an abundance of torque, which is what we were aiming for. We had queried Anderson Ford Motorsport's Rick Anderson about which intake cam and heads to use, and he specified AFM-ported Trick Flow Twisted Wedge cylinder heads, an AFM B-41HR camshaft, and a Trick Flow Track Heat intake manifold.

Anderson's recipe delivered exactly what we wanted: a torque-oriented motor that would take advantage of a 3.27-3.55 rear gear ratio. Moreover, it would be perfect for real-world driving and/or coming off a corner or a stoplight. When asked about Naegele's expectation, Anderson noted that a different intake manifold should pick up another 20 hp, but in trade it would lose about 30 lb-ft of torque, and after all, we did build it for torque.

With 358 rwhp and 376 lb-ft of torque, we were pretty satisfied with the way the engine build turned out. The torque makes the car loads of fun to drive whether on the street or at the track. We suppose it's those pesky LS1-powered ponycars that drove us to the intake-manifold test. We've seen bolt-on 346ci LS1s make the same amount of power as Stolen Goods, but their torque peak was much higher in the rpm band. That's not always a bad thing, though, as too much torque can make it difficult to get traction in low-speed situations.

During a recent editorial meeting, Editor Evan Smith made it known that he wanted our teal project car to nab an 11-second timeslip at the strip, and those questions regarding power output were enough to convince us a few tests were in order.

It wouldn't only be a question of power and torque with the different intake manifold, but also one of driveability and the fun factor on the average street cruise. Would we lose torque in trade for power? Would it hurt us at the strip? Would it make the car a dog to drive on the street? These are all questions we hoped to answer, and some of them were solved in the first part of the story. This month, we'll cover the intake-manifold install and dyno test. Next month, we'll throw a steeper gear at the Cobra and let it all hang out. We're tempted to run it again with the 3.55s and the new intake, so we'll see if we can squeeze that in.

Your author had been considering the Trick Flow R manifold, but apples to apples, the Trick Flow Track Heat we were already using was comparable to the Edelbrock Performer RPM II intake suggested by Rick Anderson. The R manifold is said to work best between 2,500 and 7,250 rpm, whereas the Track Heat and RPM II are both suited for 1,500-6,500 rpm. With our 347 making peak power at 5,800 or so, it seemed the Edel-brock piece was the way to go if there was any power left on the table. Anderson agreed and noted that the Trick Flow R seemed to work best on larger 393-408ci motors.

After that assessment--and seeing that Edelbrock was offering a black powdercoated finish that would match our engine-bay theme--we ordered an Edelbrock Performer RPM II intake manifold (PN 71233). It retails for around $820, with the silver finish being a little cheaper and the polished version requiring a bit more bacon.

Anderson also noted that we should step up to an 80 or 85mm throttle body at this time, and to accomplish this we called Accufab for one of its shiny polished pieces. We also specified an EGR blank spacer, which positions the throttle body in its correct location so that the AFM Power Pipe and throttle linkage all line up. The throttle body and spacer kit (PN F80K) retails for $320.

For the installation, we went to HP Performance in Orange Park, Florida, as Stolen Goods had numerous baseline dyno pulls from which to compare the new intake manifold. Switching manifolds is usually a fairly simple deal with a stock Mustang, but when you have as many aftermarket parts as Stolen Goods does, you have to expect a surprise or two with fitment. Our two main concerns with this were the strut tower brace and the water-neck to water-pump clearance.

As it turns out, we actually gained clearance with the Edelbrock unit, and we also picked up a little clearance between our throttle cable bracket and the Ford Racing Performance Parts valve cover. (Astute readers will remember that we had to modify the bracket so it would fit with the valve covers. The bottom of the upper plenum, where the runners curl over top of the driver-side valve cover, was a tight fit, and we weren't able to use the vacuum fittings from the Trick Flow manifold. This was easily remedied as the RPM II upper plenum offers vacuum ports at the back corner facing the firewall.)

Of course, what you really want to know is how it performed. After hooking up our '93 Cobra to HP's Dynojet dynamometer, our first hit was a little on the lean side, with the air/fuel ratio reaching 14:1. Still, power increased to 371.59 and torque fell to 371.75 lb-ft. HP Performance's Tony Gonyon had used an SCT chip to tune Project Stolen Goods before, so tuning changes were only a keystroke away. After checking the data from the SnEEC datalogger that he uses for all of his Fox-body tuning, Gonyon added about 5 percent more fuel, and the subsequent dyno pull netted 372.04 hp and 383.60 lb-ft of torque at the wheels. Air/fuel was steady at 13.3:1, and both power and torque increased across the entire rpm range.

Gonyon noted that the engine seemed to rev smoother and throttle response was improved. We concurred after a quick drive around the block and were pleasantly surprised with the side effect of the manifold swap. With the added horsepower and torque, traction is definitely an issue on the street, even with the sticky Falken RT-615s currently on the car. We may have to look to using a drag radial for everyday driving, but that's a good problem to have.

Next month, we'll swap out the 3.55:1 ring-and-pinion gear set for a stout 4.30:1 setup in our quest for an 11-second timeslip. We'll also swap out the Torsen T-2R differential for a Traction-Lok from FRPP, as Torsen doesn't recommend clutch drops with the T-2R. Between now and then, we'll see if we can't get back to the track with the 3.55s and see what the snake can do.

Last month, we set out on an adventure to further enhance our in-house Lightning project, the Fridge. We had been successfully running a Whipple 2.3L blower on top of our built 5.4L engine. However, we became bored with the 669 rwhp and 732 rwtq on tap. It was time to step things up a bit, so JDM Engineering dropped on the massive 3.4L supercharger from Whipple. That helped our fortified Two-Valve truck engine generate 710 rwhp, which unfortunately taxed the fuel system to the limit. We had plenty of fuel injector (60-pound) and fuel-pump capacity (twin Walbro 255 lph), but our truck lacked larger fuel rails and fuel lines. Our hungry engine needed to gulp more dead dinosaurs in a big way.

To give you a quick recap, the truck is a '99 SVT Lightning that has been a staple in the MM&FF project-vehicle lineup. It began life as a Ford press vehicle, and was then handed over to the magazine to serve as a rolling testbed for the latest Lightning parts on the market. It has evolved from a low 13-second ride to a scorching 10-second street beast.

A JDM Engineering 5.4L engine was installed five years ago and has served as a reliable platform. Over the years, a new Level 10 transmission, a built rearend, and many other parts and pieces have found its way onto the Fridge. The Whipple 3.4L blower is the fourth supercharger (if you count the stock one) to be bolted to the engine. We also dabbled with a nitrous hit on top of the Whipple 2.3L unit.

It was time to take the truck to the next level, and the only way we could do that was with a larger fuel system. Unlike other '99-up modular-powered Ford vehicles, the Lightning utilizes a return-style fuel system. That means the rails are fed fuel, and the injectors use only what they need with the unused gasoline returning to the fuel tank. The fuel rails have constant pressure due to a fuel-pressure regulator, which restricts the fuel flow from returning back to the tank. The fuel rails are pressurized to 39 psi in stock trim, and-more importantly-most fuel injectors are rated at that pressure. One trick to get more gasoline to the injectors is to raise the fuel pressure. A 60-pound injector's pressure increases when the fuel-rail pressure is greater than 39. Usually under boost, the fuel pressure jumps 1 psi per 1 psi of manifold boost.

As with everything in this hobby, there's a point of diminishing returns, and you can crank the fuel pressure only so high before the injectors max out in effi ciency. The problem with the Fridge was that we couldn't feed the injectors more pressure because of an inadequate supply line, fuel rails, and return line. The prescription for relief was in the form of a JDM Engineering fuel system. It consists of a JDM billet fuel hat, twin Walbro 255-lph pumps, larger supply lines, a high-flow Mallory fuel filter, Aeromotive 1/2-inch fuel rails and billet fuel regulator, and larger return lines. We retained the JDM 60-pound injectors, which have been on the truck for quite some time.

The game plan was to have each pump feed a -6 size line, which goes into the fuel filter. The filter acts like a Y-block in that it has two -6 feed lines in and a single -8 line out. The -8 line goes to the engine bay where it supplies the Aeromotive fuel rails. Jim D'Amore of JDM Engineering added stainless steel fittings to every fuel connection inside the engine compartment. His rationale was that since the engine moves under acceleration, the stainless steel fittings are more durable and not prone to cracking like aluminum fittings. We have never seen that kind of damage to aluminum fittings, but since D'Amore has never steered us wrong in the past, we went with the stainless steel stuff.

An Aeromotive fuel-pressure regulator was mounted above the passenger-side fuel rail thanks to a custom-built plate that JDM's Shawn Lacko made on the in-house lathe and drill press. Another unique product used on the truck was a Teflon fuel line, also at the request of D'Amore. He has seen some Lightnings come into the shop with a miss. After a thorough inspection, the conclusion was that the rubber line had deteriorated and rubber chips clogged one or more injectors. D'Amore feels that the fuel quality today (read: high use of ethanol) kills the rubber lines, and the Teflon ones are more durable. He also pointed out that the Teflon lines have larger inside diameters compared to similarly labeled rubber lines.

The fuel system took a few days to complete; the JDM crew custom-made brackets and even wrapped the lines for protection and performance. Subsequent dyno-testing commenced, and D'Amore took a few easy runs to dial-in the computer tune properly. As always, he manipulates the ECU using SCT software. The truck was tested using 93-octane first. Timing was set at a paltry 10 degrees and boost thumping to the tune of 23 psi. The fuel pressure was dialed to 42 psi base and 76 psi at WOT. In this trim, the Fridge spun the DynoJet chassis to an impressive 635 rwhp and 630 rwtq. On street VPC-16 race fuel, a smaller pulley (28 psi), and 17 degrees of timing, the Fridge produced 714 rwhp and 745 rwtq.

One of the most amazing feats with the Fridge is that it's still streetworthy. With 105,000 miles on the odometer and 70,000- plus miles on the built engine, it's running as strong as ever-this time with 714 rwhp at the touch of the throttle.

This Issue marks the 12th installment of project Stolen Goods and the conclusion of the buildup portion of our '93 Cobra. It has been a long road, but the snake is finally running, hissing, spitting, and biting at whatever's in striking range.

More than two years ago, your humble author was approached by a good friend, George Xenos, about the sale of his 1,331-mile, '93 Teal Metallic Cobra Mustang. While it was completely void of its original drivetrain and suspension components, Xenos' religious upkeeping-including, of all things, an inflatable bubble-kept the Cobra's shell and interior in pristine condition, new-car scent and all. My friend needed out, so an asking price was set, then agreed upon, and a little while later, money and Mustang changed hands. While I've owned many fast Fords, I always wanted a '93 Cobra, and now I had one in my possession.

Stolen Goods sat dormant for another six months before work actually commenced on the project, but proper planning laid out an effective strategy on how to return this snake to the pinnacle of Ford performance.

Yes, we at Muscle Mustangs and Fast Fords had hoped to outperform not only the stock Cobra numbers of the '93, but those of the '95 and '00 Cobra R models as well. We're here to tell you that Stolen Goods made good in the horsepower and torque numbers, as well as the quarter-mile times. It's only a matter of time before we get SG back to the track to knock off the rest of the performance goals.

Motivation
Having worked on numerous project cars during my tenure at MM&FF, I've learned a few things about owning, driving, working on, and caring for a late-model hot rod, and the main goal for this project was for it to be virtually maintenance-free. Get in, turn the key, and go.

When it came time to decide how to build the engine, we went normally aspirated. Cubic inches would play a vital role, as would the induction components, which were selected to provide abundant torque and horsepower, with stock-like driveability. Awesome throttle response and the ability to have this Pony rip off a corner was as important as quarter-mile times, since most of the miles would be clocked on the street.

Jesse Kershaw and the rest of the Ford Racing Performance Parts group had signed on for the project, and in addition to the numerous components that they would later supply, the big-ticket item was the foundation of our Cobra's powerplant-a new FRPP Boss 302 block. This all-new piece was more than adequate for the road-racing and dragstrip terrorizing that we planned. Filling said Boss block is a D.S.S. Racing rotating assembly that consists of a forged steel crank, forged H-beam connecting rods, and D.S.S. forged Pro-Lite pistons. While the cubic-inch count comes to 347, we attained it using a better rod ratio thanks to the large cylinder bores the Boss offers. This, in the long run, will allow our engine to make tons of power for years to come.

Obviously, we knew we'd have to sacrifice some power to make the car user-friendly, but enjoying the car as much as possible and not being under the hood time and again were the main priorities. To that end, we contacted induction guru Rick Anderson at Anderson Ford Motorsports (AFM) and talked with him at length about our requirements. What we decided on was a trick set of AFM-ported Twisted Wedge cylinder heads from Trick Flow Specialties, Trick Flow's Street heat intake manifold, and an AFM B-41HR camshaft. Anderson also recommended Meziere's electric water pump as well as a Velocity mass airflow meter from Professional Mass Air Systems. Combined with an AFM Power Pipe, we were assured that our 347 would be breathing soundly.

On the opposite side of the combustion process, we went with DynoMax and Cyclone products for the exhaust system. When it came time to choose the exhaust components, we put our vast time at the dragstrip to good use and focused on sound in particular. The DynoMax Ultra Flo welded muffler got the nod for its incredible exhaust note without the drone commonly associated with welded-case mufflers.

We originally planned to use shorty headers for ease of installation and maintenance, but we needed to maximize our NA engine combination, so we opted for Cyclone's ceramic-coated 1 5/8-inch long-tube headers. It took a little finagling to install the tubes, but time-wise it was on par with an equal-length shorty-header install. The Cyclone header's ceramic coating holds the heat in and keeps it out of the cabin, which were pluses.

Part of the sound that we were looking to achieve would come by way of an x style midpipe setup. We found out later that DynoMax didn't offer one for use with its Cyclone long-tube headers, though. The H-pipe we ended up using sounds great; for those who like a deep, muscular sound, it's perfect. Eventually, we plan to fabricate our own x setup using the x crossover kit that DynoMax sells so we can extract the higher-pitched exhaust note from the snake.

This And That
The key components that Stolen Goods needed to run came from a variety of great companies that you'll usually find advertising in MM&FF. The folks at Federal-Mogul opened up their Fel-Pro gasket catalog and provided us with everything we needed to stick this part to that one. ARP Fasteners gave us most of the hardware, such as head studs, intake manifold bolts, and such, while Brothers Performance supplied us with all of our fuel-system needs, from the 38-pound injectors, to the 255-lph fuel pump, and the adjustable regulator and fuel-pressure gauge.

Performance Distributors hooked us up with its 5.0L ignition system, which included a Screamin' Demon coil, Livewires, a Dyna module, and an all-new PD distributor. We also popped for one of PD's 130-amp alternators to keep everything juiced up.

Texas Mustang Parts came through for us with an FRPP aluminum driveshaft, and MPS Auto Salvage saved us from some tedium by supplying numerous factory fasteners and wiring harnesses. Without its assistance, we could have easily added another couple of weeks to the project just trying to fit things together and wire stuff up. When you have a project where you're missing most of the factory items, a place like MPS Auto Salvage is a godsend.

Mustangs Unlimited provided Stolen Goods with a number of small items, including engine and transmission mounts, a harmonic balancer, and virtually every sensor the engine required. Going through a company like Mustangs Unlimited that has a specific clientele is much easier and more accurate than going to your local parts house and having them ask you, "Does that have air conditioning?"

Since I planned on doing a bit of road racing and autocrossing with Stolen Goods, keeping the Cobra cool was paramount, so I called upon two cooling experts in the Mustang aftermarket. Meziere sent one of its billet electric water pumps-an item that came highly recommended by AFM's Rick Anderson, who stated that he "wouldn't build another car without one." The pump's operation is seamless, and the car has stayed cool even in scorching Florida summer traffic jam conditions.

The other part of the cooling system is the trick unit from Flex-a-lite. The radiator/electric fan combination fit like Ford engineered it and has also done its part to keep the Cobra operating at a constant 185 degrees. At the dragstrip, we could leave the key in the "On" position in the lanes and cool down the car considerably, despite the sweltering summer heat.

Slithering And Stopping
With driveability being first and foremost, we didn't want to go hog wild with the suspension modifications; we just needed something that would give us spirited support on the track and good manners on the interstate. To that end, Maximum Motorsports hooked us up with its Road and Track box. Conventional performance coil springs from MM, combined with Bilstein struts and shocks, offer the ride quality we were looking for, but one that doesn't sacrifice stability when pushed hard. Some of that also comes from the MM Panhard bar we installed, and we have yet to mount up the MM torque arm, which should be remedied by the time you read this.

Adding to the grip situation are the Falken Azenis RT-615 tires at all four corners. We chose them because they're designed for autocrosses as well as interstates, and so far they have proved to offer exceptional grip on the street both in the dry and in the monsoon Florida rain. We'll follow up in a future issue with Stolen Goods' first autocross excursion and get back to you with an at-the-limit tire assessment.

Of course, wheels make any car, and we mulled over the options for several weeks. We even experimented with Adobe Photoshop, trying on different rims for the Cobra. The braking system we utilized required an 18-inch wheel and, when combined with the Fox-body's stock track width, we were left with just a few choices.

After some Internet investigation, we decided on a quartet of black FR500-style wheels from American Muscle. The black would give the Cobra an R-model appeal, and it seemed to work well with the Teal Metallic paint. We made the call, and American Muscle sent us 18x9s for the front and a set of beefy 18x10s for the rear. We're happy with the way the car looks, and as it turns out, most people who say they don't like black wheels have given us the thumbs-up, too.

Most people find the SN-95 Cobra brakes to be extremely good when used on the lighter Fox-body Mustangs. Ford thought so too, seeing as how these were standard equipment on the '93 R-model Cobra. We hoped to exceed the '93 R's performance numbers, and thus needed some-thing beyond the SN-95 Cobra fare.

Baer Brakes subsequently sent us its Extreme Plus setup, with 14-inch rotors and Baer's six-piston, Mono-block calipers up front, and its Track kit for the rear, which utilizes 13-inch rotors and single-piston calipers. The main reason we went with Baer brakes is that everything bolts right up without an issue. Everything you need is included, and the end result is an OEM-like finished product.

Shifting And Twisting
We've covered the suspension, brakes, and engine, but the car still wasn't going anywhere without a transmission and rear axle. Having just installed a six-speed in the ProCharged Pony, MM&FF's supercharged Fox GT, we had a spare T5 handy and thus called Tony Sarvis at Astro Performance Warehouse. A trip to APW's home in Tavares, Florida, ensued, and a few hours later I was headed home with a virtually bulletproof A-5 transmission. In addition to the beefy internals, I opted for the road-race-spec Fifth gear, which features an 0.79:1 Overdrive ratio.

Mating the trans to the engine is Centerforce's light metal clutch and pressure plate, as well as its aluminum flywheel. The clutch's lightweight con-struction drops significant weight from the overall rotating mass, and it offers plenty of clamping force with an easy pedal effort. Remember, this Mustang needs to be driver-friendly, and we didn't want to be gear-jamming, Peterbilt-style. Centerforce had just what we were looking for.

After spending a few hundred miles behind the wheel, I must say that I dig the close-ratio Fifth gear, but truthfully, cruise rpm is a little too high for my taste, even with the mild 3.55 rear-gear ratio. At 70 mph, the tachometer is hanging at around 2,800 rpm, and since Florida's 70-mph I-75 corridor is my main access to most racing venues, not to mention my place of employment, there may just be a T-56 swap in Stolen Goods' future. The good thing is Astro Performance can hook you up with one of those, too, if you find yourself in a similar situation. If you're limited to the normal 55-mph interstate system or restrict your civilian driving to around town, you'll have no problem with the A-5 unit.

Behind the A-5 five-speed gearbox is a typical 8.8 rear axle. Since the main caps were missing from the original housing, we procured a used one from Rusty Acres Automotive. Rusty Acres is a Ford auto salvage business located in Jacksonville, Florida, and it dropped the 8.8 assembly off at nearby HP Performance in Orange Park, Florida, for a rebuild. Reider Racing came through with a complete rebuild kit, including new axles, bearings, seals, and shims, in addition to the 3.55 ring-and-pinion gearset. After consulting with Maximum Motorsports' Chuck Schwynoch regarding differential choices, we opted for the Torsen T-2R, a torque-biasing unit that is preferred for road racing.

Crank It Up
The first time Stolen Goods fired up, it crackled with vigor and settled into a perfect idle. The lightweight rotating assembly revved effort-lessly, and all of the Boss 347 engine's vitals looked great. Things were certainly looking good.

To maximize power output, we took the car back to HP Performance to have a custom chip burned. Using SCT's software and plug-in chip to tweak the processor, HP's Tony Gonyon did an excellent job making sure Stolen Goods fired up without issue every time. He also made numerous changes to optimize cruise and full-throttle conditions.

Our original plan for Stolen Goods called for great driveability and lots of torque to take advantage of the 3.55 gear ratio and give us extra grunt for getting the Cobra off of the corners. With that in mind, we didn't expect the 347 to make balls-out power figures. Rear-wheel horsepower came in at 358; it also twisted the dyno drums with 376 lb-ft of torque. Going with a 12-percent drivetrain-loss estimate, that puts us a tick over 400 hp and 421 ft-lb of torque at the flywheel. I can report that Stolen Goods has plenty of bite all the way through the powerband.

A week after the tuning, which included several dyno pulls, Stolen Goods was at the alignment shop where it promptly broke a rocker-arm stud during the test drive. A call to Summit Racing had another rocker stud in the mail so that we could venture to Gainesville Raceway in Gainesville, Florida, for some dragstrip drama. For two hours we drove through a downpour before the track event was finally can-celled, and on the way home, we suffered another broken rocker arm in addition to toasting the mass air meter because of the excessive amount of water that had gotten into the inner fender area.

Great minds were organized, and the consensus was that the rocker-arm issue was a result of the pushrods being too long. A difference of 0.15 inch is seemingly all it took to turn our project car around and make it the hissing serpent we expected it to be. While we took the time to carefully place the rocker-arm roller tip on the valve stem during the engine's assembly, we hadn't been careful enough.

After swapping out our 6.85-inch-long Comp Cams Hi-Tech pushrods for a set of 6.700-inch pieces and having Chris Skotnicki at Professional Mass Air Systems send us another meter, we now have several hundred miles on the odometer and a couple of full-throttle, quarter-mile passes under our belt without a hint of trouble from our 347ci powerplant. Speaking of which, we were able to get in just two quarter-mile passes before this story's deadline, and here are the details.

To make sure we had plenty of traction, we called up Mickey Thompson and ordered a set of 275/40/17 ET Drag radials. We had a pair of 17x8 '99 Cobra wheels laying around, but the M/Ts called for a 9- to 11-inch-wide wheel, so we called up Ford Racing Performance Parts and ordered a pair of '95 R wheels and '03 Cobra wheels. Both measure 9 inches in width, but the '03 wheel has slightly more backspacing, and we weren't sure about the wheel-to-inner-fender clearance, so we got both to test.

Unfortunately, the wheels didn't make it in time for the drag test, so the Mickeys got mounted on the 8-inch Cobra rims. As you can see from the photo, the contact patch isn't optimal, but the tires did offer plenty of traction at the strip nonetheless.

The Runday Sunday test and tune event at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Bradenton, Florida, was packed with cars and unfortunately plagued with oil-downs and crashes, so we got only two runs in before calling it a day. The first pass was a get-acquainted, easy effort. A lazy 2.03 60-foot time and 5,500-rpm shifts netted a 12.81 at 109 mph, which was pretty good given the 96-degree temps and excessive Florida humidity. The Flex-a-lite and Meziere cooling components worked their magic in the lanes, though, as engine temps were a relatively cool 130-140 degrees.

Pass number two started off somewhat better, with the 60-foot time dropping to 1.93 seconds. Shift rpm was raised to 6,500 on the stock tach, which equated to an actual rpm of 6,100. Elapsed time dropped to a 12.58 at 110 mph. Not bad, but certainly not indicative of the 110 mph's capability. Still, Stolen Goods managed to eclipse all of the factory Cobra numbers as well as those of the '93 and '95 R-models.

After checking our records, the 12.58 at 110 ties MM&FF's test of the '00 Cobra R, but given a few more passes, low-12s, if not high-11s on drag radials aren't out of the question. We'll be sure to get back with you once we've had the Cobra back at the track, if you don't catch us at one near you beforehand. Stolen Goods will be hitting a couple of Southern events this year, and you can bet it'll be out and about in the spring as well.

Credit Where Credit's Due
One thing that struck a chord with readers and fans is that we built Stolen Goods on our backs and in a garage, just like most of you. And while I would like to take credit for how well the project turned out, I mostly just orchestrated things and took photos. There have been a lot of people involved who did far more than myself.

Without the help of the manufacturers, things certainly wouldn't have gone as well as they did. When we broke parts or needed things shipped overnight, these companies stepped up to make our deadlines happen. Those of you who have been reading MM&FF for some time may notice that many of the companies we used during this buildup have been in the magazine for years, and it's their tried-and-true aftermarket parts that made this project relatively simple to put together.

I frequently made calls to d.s.s. Racing's Tom Naegele, AFM's Rick Anderson, and Maxi-mum Motorsports' Chuck Schwynoch, as well as many other authorities. When I had questions, they had answers. These are the sort of people you hope to deal with when building a project, and they are highly recommended.

While I spent my share of time underneath the car, it was my friends and family who really stepped in to make this happen. Obviously, George Xenos provided me with the perfect platform-a deal that I couldn't pass up and a project he didn't want to part with. The good thing is, though, he had a hand in returning the Cobra to greatness, almost pretty much like he had originally planned.

I may have helped Xenos install the motor and transmission, but he was largely responsible for all of the wiring, assembling the front engine dress, installing the exhaust, and bleeding the brakes, while I snapped the photos. His attention to detail and meticulous workmanship has made the Cobra-despite its aftermarket parade of parts-look and operate like stock.

Ray Clark and Brian Bohnsack turned the wrenches when it came time to install the Maxi-mum Motorsports suspension, and Mark Johnson wielded the welder when it was required. He also supplied his dually, and Rob Baldwin offered his car trailer to transport the Cobra to its new home.

My brothers Brian, Tom, and Anthony, along with Dennis Fahey pitched in, loaning an axle and wheels to get the car movable and helping out whenever an extra hand was needed. I also need to thank my sister-in-law Kim Lewis, who allowed me to tie up her extra garage with my projects. Yes, that's projects in the plural, as I still have two more cars there. All in due time.

Then there's my wife, Erica, who has put up with my many late nights spent watching all of my compadres assemble Stolen Goods, and our illustrious Editor Evan Smith, who gave the go-ahead for the project in the first place.

I have to admit, it's been both fun and painful at times. However, it's done, and it's time to enjoy it. Like many project cars before it-Superfly DOHC, Stocker, The Fridge, and other nameless Fords-Stolen Goods slithers off into project-car semiretirement only to return for this story or that. We plan to use it to test out the latest perfor-mance tires and anything else we can think of. What's that? Do I smell nitrous?

Thanks for reading.

It's The backbone phrase of the wedding vows: 'Til death do us part. Unfortunately, it has come time to remember that phrase as we say goodbye to our '06 Mustang GT project car, Project MILF, as this month's installment will be her last appearance in MM&FF-at least for now.

While MILF will be saying goodbye to make room for new projects, by no means are we killing it. The original goal with Project MILF (Mustang I'd Like to Flog or Mommy Is Lightning Fast) was to improve all characteristics of the car and make it a high-11-second ride at the strip using basic bolt-on parts. While that seemed simple enough, we threw a kink in the plan-it must be able to handle weekly trips to the grocery store or to soccer practice. In other words, we didn't want to compromise driveability one ounce. To say we went above and beyond that would be an understatement.

We started by installing Ford Racing Performance Parts' Handling Pack. With the underpinnings of Project MILF squared away, we decided to go for the lungs, so we cruised to Crazy Horse Racing and threw on FRPP's Super Pack. The accompanying Whipple supercharger got the car easily into the 12-second zone, and after a custom tune from JDM Engineering and the installation of a complete Stainless Works exhaust system (with headers), a set of FRPP 4.10 gears, and the company's Big-Boost kit, Project MILF ripped off mid-11-second laps (an 11.54 at 120-plus mph to be exact) at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey.

Following the power upgrades, we improved the stopping power of the Legend Lime GT with an AP Racing big-brake kit from Stillen. At the same time, we bolted up a set of MD Drifter 20-inch rims shod in Nitto NT555 rubber, courtesy of Discount Tire Direct. The bigger meats and larger brakes conspired to shorten our braking distances, improve handling, and increase the amount of looks the car received.

While all of the bolt-ons worked together to create one wild child, the ride quality and feasibility of usage did not diminish whatsoever. Project MILF is just as adept to going to the local supermarket for groceries as it is slapping down a pesky Camaro or Corvette at the strip or road course. We could load up the back of the car with slicks and a helmet and make some cash at the local track, or load up a baby seat and take the kid to Chuck E. Cheese. Talk about options.

For a tick over $17,000, we were able to drop our track times from the stock 13.52-second effort to an 11.54, which would mop up most anything on the road under $75,000. In addition, our trap speed increased from 100 mph to a thundering 120 mph. Finally, the power increased from a stock dyno measurement of 251 rwhp and 265 rwtq to 439 rwhp and 422 rwtq. That's an increase of 188 rwhp and 157 rwtq with just bolt-on items.

While our lovely lady will be disappearing from these pages, you can still find her on the road or the track. Just make sure you look fast, as this hot momma will be gone in a blinding flash of green if you let her. That's what she does best, after all. In a few months we may up the boost, toss in some race gas, and go for the 10s, so be on the lookout for this green mamba.

The Final Tally
Here it is, the final grocery list. We've been keeping track of our costs to keep us from filing for bankruptcy, and we were quite happy with the amount we spent and the results we received. Keep in mind that this tally includes prices for parts only. In addition, the prices for the tires and wheels are the front two and the rear two combined. To find the individual cost of each wheel and tire, take the price listed and divide by two. The original cost of the car and labor rates are not included as there are variables to both figures.

Part	Manufacturer	Part No.	Price
Handling Pack	FRPP	M-2005-FR3	$1,299.00
Super Pack	FRPP	M-6066-M463V	$4,899.00
Billet Oil Fill Cap	FRPP	M-6766-MP46	$44.00
Valve Covers	FRPP	M-6582-3VBLK	$269.00
1 3/4-in Long-Tube Headers	Stainless Works	M05H175	$1,542.40
3-in After-Cat Exhaust System	Stainless Works	M05CB3	$880.90
4.10 Gearset	FRPP	M-4209-G410	$225.00
Rearend Girdle	FRPP	M-4033-G2	$199.00
75W90 Rearend Fluid	Royal Purple	RPO-RP01300*	$21.90
XCalibrator2 Programmer	SCT	946-9415A*	$379.99
48-lb Injectors	FRPP	M-9593-G302	$499.00
Big-Boost Kit	FRPP	M-9066-M11	$2,099.99
1-gal Motorcraft Engine Coolant	Downs Ford	VC-7	$14.50
Nitto NT555 Extreme Tires 255/35ZR-20	Discount Tire Direct	40184	$286.00
Nitto NT555 Extreme Tires 275/35ZR-20	Discount Tire Direct	40211	$570.00
MB Drifter 20x8.5 Wheels 45mm Offset	Discount Tire Direct	61387	$340.00
MB Drifter 20x10 Wheels 50mm Offset	Discount Tire Direct	61389	$450.00
Wheel Install Kit	Discount Tire Direct	80300	$45.00
AP Racing Front Six-Piston Brake Kit	Stillen	AP4100	$3,095.75
Tire Mount and Balance	B-C Tire Service	NA	$181.90
*Priced though Summit Racing Equipment (www.summitracing.com)		Total: $17,342.34

If You've been following the modification of our resident '93 Cobra, Project Stolen Goods, you're probably as ready as we are to know that it's finally running, driving, and turning dynamometer rollers.

Last month, we fired up Stolen Goods for the first time in more than a decade, making sure everything was functioning as it should. After a 15-minute break-in period, we changed the oil and filter and poured in a bottle of D.S.S. Racing's oil additive. We did the same thing again after another 30 minutes.The Meziere electric water pump and Flex-a-lite electric fan worked flaw-lessly, and we had plenty of oil pressure, so it was time to get the car on the dyno.

In order to optimize the combination and get horsepower and torque numbers, we took Stolen Goods to HP Performance in Orange Park, Florida, where our Cobra was strapped to the company's Dynojet. Before we let loose with the throttle, however, HP's Tony Gonyon hooked up his datalogging equipment to see what the engine was doing while he was tweaking the A9L ECM with a custom SCT chip. The original X3Z processor had long since been separated from SG, so a standard 5.0, five-speed ECM would work just fine.

Professional Mass Air Systems did a great job with the mass airflow calibration, which was tuned to match the 38-lb/hr fuel injectors we used. Mass airflow sensor calibration, however, has to be a middle-of-the-road approach to suit the many different combinations out there. Considering that, and the fact that manual fuel pressure and timing adjustments are one dimensional in their function and only a small part of the tuning equation, we needed to optimize our Boss 347 bullet using an aftermarket piggyback-style computer chip.

We began by setting the base fuel pressure at 40 psi with the vacuum line off and the base timing at 12 degrees. Being able to datalog what's going on in the engine is extremely helpful when you're trying to nail down the proper tune-up, and we realized there were several changes that needed to be made to the program. Because of the larger injectors, the cranking fuel and air tables needed to be altered to allow more air and less fuel for an easier startup. Knowing that we had moved the O2 sensors way downstream, Gonyon delayed the O2 read time. With shorty headers, the O2 sensors heat up quickly, and then they start reading the exhaust. With the O2s placed further away from the exhaust ports in a long-tube configuration such as ours, they need more time to heat up so they can accurately read the exhaust information.

Other changes to the idle and drive air tables which control the IAC solenoid were made, along with a slight reduction in cruise timing to reduce a bit of light throttle bucking that we noticed. Lastly, Gonyon altered the fuel and spark tables to create his own timing ramp and fuel compensation, and he also raised the factory rev limiter to 6,400.

With the tuning finished, the Boss 347 was cranked up, and a full pull was made in Fourth gear. The numbers came up at 342 rwhp and 368 lb-ft of torque. Given the humid temperatures and relative lack of break-in miles, we expect to see a bit more power down the road and during cooler weather. All in all, we got exactly what we wanted-a very torquey motor that, depending on what estimate you use to calculate the drivetrain loss, makes right at about 400 hp at the crank. More importantly, the car is a blast to drive.

A few tuning sessions out on the road followed and all was deemed well except for the rearend whine that we noticed. After disassembling the rear, we found that the pinion bearing had failed, which caused the backlash to be off. Our plan was to get the car on the alignment rack and then get a few street miles around town before returning to HP for a new gearset.

A few days later, we pulled out of the dealership where our friend George Xenos had just performed the alignment. After mildly easing through Second and Third, we suddenly heard a loud tapping from underneath and in front of the car. A roadside audible assessment pointed to a pushrod tapping the valve cover, and that was later confirmed once we had the intake and valve cover off. The reason it was hitting was because the rocker-arm stud had snapped right above the nut. Our contact at Summit Racing had a replace-ment stud shipped in short order.

The following week, we trekked back to HP Performance and installed the new stud and adjusted the valve. The new ring-and-pinion went in (same 3.55:1 ratio as before); then, we strapped the Cobra to the dyno once more just to see how things were. Once the run was stopped, Stolen Goods and its Boss 347 engine had improved power output to 358 hp and 386 lb-ft of torque. The tune-up was still dead-on, so no changes were deemed necessary.

Now that the snake was back in action, it was time to burn rubber, so we set off for Gainesville Raceway in Gainesville, Florida, home of the NHRA Gatornationals and the first outing for our recently finished project car. The two-hour drive on I-75 went off without a hitch, but it rained the whole time and the track called it right before we got there.

After stopping for a bite to eat, we noticed that the throttle seemed to be hesitant, as if the engine was loading up with extra fuel. We thought the plugs might possibly be fouled. After about 40 minutes of interstate driving, the Cobra was down on horsepower, and it definitely wasn't running properly. We pulled over at the nearest rest stop to check things out.

Your author had experienced symptoms similar to this in another project car, and it turned out to be a wet mass air meter and harness. After surveying the meter and air filter on Stolen Goods, it was immediately apparent that both were well soaked in water. Since the car wasn't making any odd noises and the gauges checked out, we wrapped the meter and harness with a towel and completed our journey home.

We picked up a new set of NGK BKR6E spark plugs, but before we swapped them in, we pulled the meter, air filter, and harness to make sure everything was clean and dry. We also cleaned the mass air sensor's element in case the water on the air filter had brought in any oil from the filter. A quick twist of the key and we could still tell the engine wasn't up to snuff, so we swapped out the plugs. Interestingly enough, the front four plugs were perfect, while the rear four were gas-fouled. We also noticed that we weren't getting a positive snap when we put the spark plug wires on, so a little WD-40 was in order for the boots. Time for a test run.

The engine still wasn't running correctly, so we pulled the plugs again to find that the fuel-distribution problem was gone, but the No. 7 plug had not fired at all. After pulling the valve cover, we realized that the very same intake rocker arm stud had snapped again, but this time the rocker wedged itself sideways, which restricted the pushrod's movement and explains why we didn't hear the pushrod tapping the valve cover.

Since we had a deadline to meet, we pirated a rocker-arm stud from another car and reassembled everything. Unfortunately, Stolen Goods still ran poorly, and pulling the plugs again revealed that the No. 7 cylinder still wasn't firing. After consulting with engine builder Tom Naegele at D.S.S. Racing, we were looking at the possibility that the pushrods were too long and the rocker didn't have enough travel, which ended up binding the assembly, and the stud took the brunt of the force applied.

On Naegele's recommendation, we used some White-Out tape and our Comp Cams pushrod checker tool to see where the roller was riding on the valve tip. He pointed out that having the roller centered is only part of the adjustment equation, as you also need to take into account the amount of sweep across the tip as well as where the sweep centers itself.

With the 6.85-inch pushrods we were using, we noticed the sweep to be located towards the exhaust side of the head. Running the assembly with the checker tool at 6.75 and 6.70 inches moved the sweep towards the intake where it needed to be. We also noticed that the width of the sweep decreased as the pushrod length was shortened. This is a better scenario for the valve as it doesn't create as much side-loading force.

At this point, we're looking at ordering a shorter set of pushrods, but we also need to perform a leak-down test to make sure the intake valve has not been damaged in any way. We performed a compression test and found no compression whatsoever in cylinder No. 7, which may be a result of using the incorrect rocker-arm stud and/or incorrect pushrod length. Either way, we'll have this mystery sorted out for the next installment, and we'll fill you in on the details.

Now that we've had a taste of what Stolen Goods has to offer, we're looking forward to getting the snake slithering on the nearest track.

While we guys love shop-ping for speed parts for a fast Ford, women don't think twice about picking up a new pair of high heels, even if they're to go with a dress they'll wear only once.

The same can be said for Project MILF, our '06 Mustang GT. The shopping spree began with the installation of Ford Racing Performance Parts' Handling Pack, promptly followed by FRPP's Super Pack. Once the Super Pack's Whipple blower was on, a set of 4.10 gears, a full-on exhaust system from Stainless Works, a custom tune from JDM Engineering, and an FRPP Big-Boost kit enabled the Legend-Lime S197 to whip down New Jersey's Old Bridge Township Raceway Park's quarter-mile in 11.54 seconds at 120 mph and later take home groceries from the local supermarket.

With Project MILF's closet stocked with a nice wardrobe of speed parts, it was time for new shoes-a set of wheels and tires, and a big brake kit to improve the stopping time. Our GT was originally equipped with 12.5-inch front rotors and two-piston calipers, which is a decent front braking system for a factory piece. The thing is, we weren't totally satisfied with the stock brakes. We wanted to give Project MILF a big upgrade, so we called Stillen and ordered the AP Racing Big-Brake kit.

Stillen offers two versions of the kit: one comes with a four-piston caliper and the other-the one we chose-the large-and in-charge, six-piston caliper kit. Both come with 14.25-inch drilled and slotted rotors. The advantages to using these rotors on the front are numerous. The rotors increase brake bite, allowing the pads to grab the rotor more effectively. Additionally, the rotors themselves are mounted on an aluminum hat to lower some of the weight mass that accompanies the larger braking system.

Obviously, a six-piston caliper consists of six pistons, though of different sizes. With more area due to the larger amount of pistons, you can use larger pads and effectively have more braking power. The larger components also help to dissipate heat more efficiently than the stock stuff, enabling the aftermarket brakes to stave off brake fade.

The kit's six-piston calipers are made of lightweight aluminum and are stocked with Mintex XTreme pads. The pads are race-style pieces that can also be used on the street and work great from cold temperatures all the way to 1,300 degrees F. While we went with the big, bad wolf of a brake kit, the four-piston setup would also have been a great upgrade for less money. Additionally, we didn't go with Stillen's rear brake upgrade, which contains the same type of hardware, though the calipers are a four-piston design and the rotors measure 13 inches.

Knowing that the Shelby GT500 sports 14-inch rotors and four-piston calipers hidden by 18-inch wheels from the factory, we knew MILF's stock 17-inch rims wouldn't clear the calipers. Plus, in all honesty, what's the point of putting on a romping set of brakes if you don't have some nice, shiny, new rims to go with them? Stillen has a great tire-fitment template on its Web site. While it took a bit of an in-depth dissection to figure out how to use it, we came up with rim sizes that we were pretty sure would work.

With the new rotors being 14.25 inches and having big calipers, we knew that 19-inch rims would be cutting it close in regards to clearing the calipers. After a long consultation with Discount Tire Direct, we ordered a set of MB Motorsports Drifter wheels. The old-school, five-spoke design showcased a silver finish with a machined lip that gave off just enough bling without being too flashy. As for sizing, we wanted a little more tire in the rear, so we went with 20x10s with a 50mm offset. As we stated, the front was more critical, but we were confident that the 20x8.5s we picked, along with the wheels' 45 mm offsets and outward spoke designs, would clear the calipers.

One thing to note is that the larger wheel and tire combo will affect the gear ratio. If we ever got Project MILF to hook on the new tires and wheels, we'd probably lose a little e.t. and speed.

In addition to shipping us the wheels, Discount Tire Direct also kicked over a set of corresponding Nitto NT555 Extreme tires. The Nittos would replace the stock tires, which were sized at 235/55ZR-17 on all four corners. The new meats were sized 275/35ZR-20 out back, while the front hoops came in at a slightly smaller 255/35ZR-20. Either way, both the front and the rear tires had a larger tread width, meaning that more rubber would meet the road. This would aid in cornering and braking, as the contact patches are greater. In addition, the sidewalls for the new Nittos were much shorter than stock, so we knew that once we got the tires on the wheels and took Project MILF down the road, the feel of the car and its ride quality would (or should) be a bit different.

The tread design of the Nitto NT555 is aggressive, supplying plenty of dry-weather performance. The tread pattern was designed to optimize maximum contact under hard acceleration, braking, and cornering. At the same time, though, the tread design is also effective when the skies open up. This tire is arguably the closest thing to being a competition track tire that's still suitable for everyday driving. We planned on flogging Project MILF on the road course at some point in the future, so we knew the NT555s would be perfect for taking the kids to soccer practice as well as turning a few hot laps around the twisty Old Bridge Township Raceway Park road course.

We loaded up Project MILF (and a chase car) with all of the parts and pieces for the installation and cruised back to South Amboy, New Jersey, where Chris Winter of Crazy Horse Racing performed the brake makeover. Once the brakes were on and bled, and the tires and wheels were bolted on the car, we took Project MILF for a brief ride on the roads around the shop to bed the brake pads. We made a couple of gradual stops from 40 mph to 20 mph, let the brakes cool, and then a few hard stops from 60 mph to 20 mph. Once Winter felt comfortable that the brakes were bedded correctly and everything was in order, we drove the car to get a feel for the new rolling stock and braking hardware.

Originally, there were questions as to how the car, with the Handling Pack's lowering springs and the shorter-sidewall 20-inch rims and tires, would perform on the street in terms of driveability and ride quality. While the ride isn't as cushy as a stock Mustang GT's with the factory suspension components and rolling stock, the overall ride of Project MILF with the new gear and the performance suspension components that are a part of the Handling Pack wasn't diminished enough to knock out our fillings.

The larger tires and wheels allow the car to cut into the corners with more authority. Just ask the driver of the Honda S2000 we dusted on a windy road. Best of all were the thumbs-up we got from a few drivers at stoplights.

All These Bills!
Every time we open our mailbox, we find more bills. To slow down a future foray into Chapter 11, we're keeping tabs on our expenditures for Project MILF. Remember, this tally includes prices for parts only. In addition, the prices for the tires and wheels are the front two and the rear two combined. To find the individual cost of each wheel and tire, take the price listed and divide by two. The original cost of the car and labor rates are not included as there are variables to both figures.
Part	Manufacturer	Part No.	Price
Handling Pack	FRPP	M-2005-FR3	$1,299.00
Super Pack	FRPP	M-6066-M463V	$4,899.00
Billet Oil Fill Cap	FRPP	M-6766-MP46	$44.00
Valve Covers	FRPP	M-6582-3VBLK	$269.00
1 3/4-in Long-Tube Headers	Stainless Works	M05H175	$1,542.40
3-in After-Cat Exhaust System	Stainless Works	M05CB3	$880.90
4.10 Gearset	FRPP	M-4209-G410	$225.00
Rearend Girdle	FRPP	M-4033-G2	$199.00
75W90 Rearend Fluid	Royal Purple	RPO-RP01300*	$21.90
XCalibrator2 Programmer	SCT	946-9415A*	$379.99
48-lb Injectors	FRPP	M-9593-G302	$499.00
Big-Boost Kit	FRPP	M-9066-M11	$2,099.99
1-gal Motorcraft Engine Coolant	Downs Ford	VC-7	$14.50
Nitto NT555 Extreme Tires 255/35ZR-20	Discount Tire Direct	40184	$286.00
Nitto NT555 Extreme Tires 275/35ZR-20	Discount Tire Direct	40211	$570.00
MB Drifter 20x8.5 Wheels 45mm Offset	Discount Tire Direct	61387	$340.00
MB Drifter 20x10 Wheels 50mm Offset	Discount Tire Direct	61389	$450.00
Wheel Install Kit	Discount Tire Direct	80300	$45.00
AP Racing Front Six-Piston Brake Kit	Stillen	AP4100	$3,095.75
Tire Mount and Balance	B-C Tire Service	NA	$181.90
Total: $17,342.34
*Priced though Summit Racing Equipment (www.summitracing.com)

Boy, we're getting tired of the local auto parts stores. It seems like we've been going there every other day to pick up this or that, and throughout this story we'll let you in on what some of these expeditions entailed. We may have even forgotten a few, as there were lots of trips prior to this installment of the project. More importantly, though, the end is now in sight and the sound of the crackling exhaust was well worth it.

That's right, Stolen Goods is up and running. As we mentioned last month, we had to leap a few hurdles, but we made it past each one, and our project Mustang has been revived.

In last month's installment, several things occurred that somewhat delayed our progress. Our first issue was a problem with the fabulous-looking Meziere billet starter pressing against the flywheel and subsequently freezing the engine from turning. While researching part numbers on the Centerforce Web site, we realized we had installed the wrong flywheel. Our combination required a 28-ounce weight unit, but we installed a 50-ounce, which would be fine for a stock-stroke, later 302. More importantly, we noticed we were using a 157-tooth flywheel. The Meziere starter works only with 164-tooth wheels. We were sad to see the starter head back to California, as it is truly a work of art and no doubt a stout piece of hardware.

So the transmission came back out, the new flywheel went in along with Centerforce's Light Metal Clutch assembly, and the Astro Performance-built T5 was reinstalled. To remedy the starter issue, we called up MPS Auto Salvage in Winder, Georgia.

In addition to supplying us with a number of factory fasteners for the engine/transmission assembly, the MPS guys hooked us up with a number of items we were missing, including a serpentine belt tensioner, a clutch cable bellhousing clip, a T5 reverse light harness, a starter motor, and a harness.

The '93 Mustang-or at least our Cobra-came from the factory with a mini starter, which we didn't realize until the MPS box showed up with the same harness that was on the car. The problem was, our wire-hiding efforts rendered the harness too short, so a new one was created. We have to say, though, that with a buildup like this, MPS Auto Salvage was an invaluable resource as we would've spent countless hours at the local home center trying to get things to bolt up, or in cases like the clutch cable clip and reverse light harness, fabricating something from scratch.

The second issue that we left off with last month was an interference with the throttle cable bracket hitting the valve cover. We tried a different throttle body spacer, but it moved the bracket from hitting the valve cover to hitting the heater pipe on the intake manifold. We ended up cutting off a portion of the bottom of the bracket; welding up a gusset, and bolting it back in place with the normal-sized throttle body spacer. Problem solved.

When planning Project Stolen Goods, we tried to keep things as simple as possible, but there were always issues-minor ones for sure, but when deadlines are looming, they look awfully big. Thankfully, Editor Smith has been understanding about the situation, and you guys haven't sent us hate mail. We also want to thank Stolen Goods' previous owner, George Xenos, who has toiled with us in the garage trying to get the Cobra back on the road. We've spent some long days and late nights-one while tackling the wiring issue.

Prior to selling the car, Xenos started to hide the major wiring harnesses inside the fenders, and we had planned to finish that task. Several trips to the parts store later for wiring, connectors, and a plastic loom, and we finished everything but the O2 sensor harness. That didn't stop us from firing this bad boy up, however, and we were extremely pleased with the engine's response and sound. We did hear some valvetrain noise from the passenger-side valve cover and had to grind down the baffle bosses for rocker-arm clearance, but other than that, everything looked and sounded perfect. We've even put up a short video of Stolen Goods on our Web site, www.musclemustangfastfords.com, for you to enjoy.

The one thing we haven't done yet is fill the brake fluid and bleed the brakes, as we discovered we have the wrong fittings for the rear brake lines. Obviously, we haven't track-tested the car yet or even put it on the dyno, but we promise to have all that and more for you next month as we take to the road in Stolen Goods.

We had hoped to have our '93 Cobra project car, Stolen Goods, up and running in this month's installment, but we've come to the conclusion that no matter how long and precise your parts list is, you can still come up short when it comes time to actually put things together.

At the beginning of this project, we started a list to keep track of items needed for the build. We modified it as we went along, marking things off and adding things that we left out. The list is now over two pages long, yet we still find ourselves scrounging for parts we hadn't thought of.

These parts consist mostly of bolts and other fasteners, but these are the things that hold the car together so they're fairly important. Some of them, like the harmonic balancer bolt, are nearly impossible to find at the local auto parts or hardware store, and we found ourselves waiting on bolts to come in the mail. This can easily push back a job two or three days unless you overnight everything-and let's face it, there's only one Donald Trump.

This sort of thing kills deadlines and delays progress, but we didn't get discouraged. Assembling a project like this is no easy task, so you should expect issues to pop up, unless you have a complete donor car sitting right next to your main vehicle. Even then, there's the possibility of rusted or broken parts as you remove them.

We were thankful that Stolen Goods' previous owner, George Xenos, was on hand to help us with the assembly and for his knowledge of the car and Mustangs in general. While we had sourced a lot of fasteners from MPS Auto Salvage in Winder, Georgia, there were things that we just didn't think of. Luckily, Xenos' garage full of spare parts provided us with numerous items.

Beyond the missing bolts, we were able to finally install Centerforce's Light Metal Clutch setup, which is a low-inertia clutch assembly designed to reduce rotating mass while offering plenty of grip to get the power to the pavement. The LMC piece was designed with road and circle track racing in mind and is SFI-approved for competition. Of course, it uses Centerforce's patented ball bearing-actuated diaphragm to keep a strong grip without too much pedal effort.

In order to lighten up the pressure plate, Centerforce machines it out of billet aluminum and attaches it to a heat-treated, replaceable friction surface. The clutch disc uses a dual-segmented composite lining for better cooling and more torque capacity.

We also ponied up for one of Centerforce's SFI-approved, low-inertia aluminum flywheels. These pieces feature a mechanically retained starter ring gear, as well as replaceable steel friction surfaces that have been heat-treated for abrasion resistance and long life. They're designed using CAD/CAM software and are then cut using a CNC machine for a perfect fit. The LMC clutch assembly retails for around $800, while the flywheel goes for about $680. They're not the most inexpensive pieces, but nothing great ever is. Behind the LMC clutch assembly we mounted the Astro Performance A-5 five-speed manual transmission that we showed you in the May '07 issue.

We also installed Flex-a-lite's new Black Magic Extreme radiator and fan combination. The Extreme is a drop-in unit from Flex-a-lite that retails for $749 (Summit Racing), and comes with just about everything you need for a clean installation. We popped for Flex-a-lite's optional aluminum coolant overflow reservoir, and the whole assembly fits like a glove. In fact, the included radiator and its support brackets look far and away better than the factory pieces.

Flex-a-lite started with a two-row aluminum radiator and utilized unique, grooved end tanks for better cooling and easier mounting. The grooves are used to mount the electric fan, which is much better than running the plastic ties through the fins. We also used the grooves to mount the aluminum coolant overflow tank as well. The company includes a temperature-control module and all the wiring you may need to hook up the unit.

After we installed the engine/transmission combination, there was a definite sense of accomplishment and of things finally coming together for this snake, which hasn't seen public roads in about eight years. The front end was no longer high in the sky, and the car looked as though we could hop in and take it for a spin.

But things don't always work that way, and Stolen Goods is no exception. We ran into several issues that prevented us from firing up the Boss 347, and we will outline each solution in the next installment. Some of these problems were related to missing, broken, or incorrect parts, but we'll have our Cobra sorted out and track tested-or editor Smith will have our heads. See you next month.

It's a pretty simple philosophy: What goes up must come down, and what goes in usually comes back out. In automotive terms, when you put more in (meaning air/fuel mixture), you usually get more horsepower out. That's what we had in mind with Project MILF.

If you recall, we took a Ford Racing Performance Parts Super Pack and put it on our '06 Mustang GT project car. The resulting boost from the Whipple supercharger lofted our mighty Three-Valve's rear-wheel power and torque numbers to 335 and 308, respectively. But that was only the beginning. Knowing that the blower was pumping in a higher volume of air, we wanted to upgrade the exhaust system to get the combusted mixture out of the cylinders quickly and effectively. That's why we decided to give Project MILF the works.

We dialed Stainless Works and ordered a pair of stainless steel long-tube headers along with a stainless steel after-cat exhaust system. The headers we installed were of the 1 3/4-inch primary tube variety, and they empty the exhaust gasses into 3-inch collectors. Included with the headers were high-flow cats and mid-pipes, front and rear O2 sensor extensions, and adapters to fit the 3-inch collectors to the 2 1/2-inch factory exhaust tubing, should we have chosen to do that. Of course, we didn't. Backing up the headers would be Stainless Works' 3-inch after-cat system, which showcases two high-flow mufflers, polished rear tips, a custom x pipe system, and all the hardware needed to make it fit like stock.

One interesting thing about the system is that it was CNC-bent, so each one will fit the same way. An exhaust system's tubing is formed by one of three processes, those being pressure, mandrel, and/or CNC bending. Pressure bending involves placing a tube between a die and a hydraulic ram. The two are then pressed together, pushing the tube around a preselected radius, thus creating the bend. The problem with pressure bending a tube is that there's nothing inside of the tube to prevent it from collapsing or buckling. Not only does it look less than desirable with the bumps on the tubing at each bend, but inside, the corresponding rises impede flow. While this type of exhaust system is not great for performance, it's a quick and inexpensive way to equip vehicles with an exhaust system.

In response to the pressure-bent systems, the aftermarket developed mandrel-bent exhaust systems. To mandrel-bend a tube, a series of balls, known as mandrels, are inserted into the pipe when it's being bent. The balls are positioned and pulled through the pipe, thus supporting the tubing as it is bent. The smoother bends allowed exhaust manufacturers to make tighter radius bends. More importantly, with the tubing not being crushed, the system still flows well, even with the ability to bend the tubing to a tighter radius.

Stainless Works has gone one step further with its systems, however. The after-cat system we installed on Project MILF is CNC-bent. Bending a tube in this manner is done entirely by a computer that controls both the position of the tube and the rotation of one bend in relation to another. Instead of having a person take care of bending the pipe, the machine cuts the tube to the desired length and then bends it perfectly. In addition, by CNC-bending the tubes, you can get away with using stainless tubing with a thinner wall for weight savings. Naturally, the stainless pipes have great corrosion resistance.

Additionally, our Stainless Works system came complete with an x pipe crossover. Obviously, the name for each component is a derivative of its shape; for example, an H-pipe looks like the letter "H," while an x pipe is manufactured in the shape of the letter "X."

A difference lies between the power and sound. An H-pipe has a deeper tone, one more in line with a classic musclecar, while the x pipe has a higher pitch. Both can make great power, but we've generally seen x-style pipes outperform the H-style exhausts.

Finally, we were forced to choose between long-tube and short-tube headers. Shorty headers are usually the closest thing you can get to a direct replacement for the factory exhaust manifolds. In addition, they are fairly easy to install. By comparison, long-tube headers dictate a more involved install, and there can be some clearance issues, depending on the vehicle in which they are installed. As for which is better, the long-tube or the short-tube, you will get varying opinions. The general consensus is that short-tube headers will improve low-end torque on lower-horsepower applications, but they give up some horsepower upstairs. We went with the long-tubes.

With that said, we got the car up on the lift at Crazy Horse Racing, and in a little over a day's time, Chris Winter swapped out the factory exhaust pipe, cats, mufflers, and exhaust manifolds for the Stainless Works long-tube headers, high-flow cats and mufflers, and stainless steel pipes. One thing we noticed was that the installation of the headers is something you might want to perform with the car on a lift. It was rather involved, as we had to unbolt the steering rack, remove the dipstick, loosen the motor mounts, and raise the engine to give us enough room to slide in the headers. Also, we had to switch a few of the factory studs and bolts for regular Grade-8 bolts to avoid contact issues with the header tubes. The Stainless Works kit does not come with bolts, so you can either reuse the factory bolts or order aftermarket ones.

When we were done, we went back to the dyno. The results were interesting. The Three-Valve picked up slightly when it came to peak power, but it improved by as much as 20 rwhp and 25 rwtq at some points in the curve (see sidebar). And, keep in mind-this came with no additional tuning. If we could do it over again, we'd consider installing 1 5/8-inch primary tubes, as they would probably help MILF's engine make more power, especially in the midrange. Project MILF was also noticeably louder, though not obnoxiously so.

The real question is, did the increase in power translate into quicker times at the track? You bet it did, as MILF went from a previous best of 12.66 at 107.73 mph to a stout 12.47 at 110.00 mph, and it did so in worse weather conditions. Without a doubt, Project MILF has a presence on the road, though it's still docile enough to haul the kids around. Maybe we should change the acronym for MILF from Mustang I'd Like to Flog to Mommy Is Lightning Fast.

Updated Household Budget
As We stated in our previous installments, we're keeping tabs on how much dough we are putting into Project MILF. After all, if we blow our paycheck on the car, how are we going to pay the mortgage? Keep in mind that this tally includes the cost of parts only. The original cost of the car and labor rates are not included, as there are variables to both figures.
PART	MANUFACTURER	PART NO.	PRICE
Handling Pack	FRPP	M-2005-FR3	$1,299.00
Super Pack	FRPP	M-6066-M463V	$4,899.00
Billet Oil Fill Cap	FRPP	M-6766-MP46	$ 44.00
Valve Covers	FRPP	M-6582-3VBLK	$ 269.00
1 3/4-inch Long-	Stainless Works	M05H175	$1,542.40
Tube Headers
3-inch After-cat	Stainless Works	M05CB3	$ 880.90
Exhaust System
		Total:	$8,943.30

Rolling Thunder
To Quantify how effective the long-tube headers and exhaust system were on Project MILF, we did a pair of before-and-after dyno pulls on Crazy Horse Racing's Dynojet chassis dyno. With the stock exhaust manifolds, cats, mufflers, and 211/42-inch exhaust tubing, the car pumped out 328.9 rwhp and 287.4 rwtq. After installing Stainless Works' 131/44-inch long-tube headers, high-flow cats and mufflers, and 3-inch pipe, MILF upped the power number slightly to 330.2 rwhp. The torque number saw a significant increase, as it moved to 304.8 lb-ft. If you do the math, that equates to a 1.3 rwhp and 17.4 rwtq increase.

The peak numbers do not tell the full story, however. If you look at the curves, the headers and exhaust system show an increase of both torque and power above the stock system starting at 4,200 rpm. This increase will help the car throughout the entire quarter-mile, and it's something you will definitely feel in the seat of your pants.

Now, you might be sitting there muttering to yourself, Didn't this car make 335 rwhp and 308 rwtq after the Whipple blower was put on? The answer is yes-and no. When the dyno tests were performed after the supercharger was on, compared to the runs made after the exhaust was installed, the air was much different. Cooler air makes more power, and that is what we had when we dyno'd the car with the blower. Even though the dyno compensates and corrects, it's a good idea to get a new baseline before each change. That's why we rebaselined MILF the day of the install. Nevertheless, the real dyno is the racetrack, so that's where we headed next.

Numbers, Numbers, Numbers
What would a MM&FF test be without some track times? After each install and subsequent dyno test, we rolled to Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey, to gather some real-world track data. Consider this the start of the logbook. For the differences in e.t. and mph, the first number is the difference from the previous modification, and the second number is the difference overall from the baseline.
Baseline Run: 13.529/100.11 (stock powertrain)
Modification	Best e.t./mph	e.t difference	mph difference
FRPP Super Pack	12.661/107.73	-0.868/NA	+7.62/NA
Stainless Works	12.476/110.00	-0.185/-1.053	+2.27/+9.89
Long-Tube Headers and After-cat Exhaust

Your right foot is planted to the wood, but the end of the straightaway is coming fast. With your hands poised at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions on the steering wheel, you roll out of the throttle and drive your foot into the brakes. The action causes weight to transfer forward, thus dropping the nose and slowing your Mustang in preparation for the approaching corner. While under heavy braking, you confidently turn left, roll off the brake pedal, and the Mustang cuts in with authority. At apex, your right foot rolls onto the loud pedal, and your Pony straightens up and accelerates to the next corner. There is no drama, just control.

Everyone with a late-model Mustang wishes the scenario would play out that way, but the truth is, while the new Mustangs handle quite well, there's more left in them in terms of handling. They are fairly pushy from the factory, meaning the front tires tend to push or plow under hard cornering. When run at its limit, an S197 Stang will push quite hard, skidding the front tires instead of them gripping and guiding the car in the desired direction. So, for those looking to improve handling characteristics, improved suspension components are a must.

Enter our new project car, aptly named Project MILF. Now, before you get your shorts in a knot, we actually have an acceptable explanation for the acronym. Instead of thinking of it in American Pie terms, we'll think of it as the "Mustang I'd Like to Flog." Catchy, isn't it? Of course, it could also be "Mommy Is Lightning Fast."

The chosen steed is an '06 Legend-Lime Mustang GT owned by Old Bridge Township Raceway Park's Michael Napp. Well, Michael and his wife, Dee, that is. The Stang is creature-friendly with all the amenities and a 5R55S automatic transmission. Even better, it has a mere 1,800 miles on the odometer, and Napp said we can do whatever we want-as long as Dee can get in and drive it worry-free. Can you imagine someone saying that to the MM&FF staff?

Consider it the perfect canvas on which to create a masterpiece. With that, we've devised a plan. Using simple bolt-on parts, we'll improve all aspects of the Mustang's performance while keeping it streetable enough for anyone to take to the mall.

The first edition of this project lies in the installation of the FRPP Handling Pack. Tag along as we show you how easy it is to improve the handling on an S197.

The Handling Pack comes with everything an S197 owner needs to spruce up the cornering ability of his or her ride (see sidebar for the kit's components) while maintaining everyday street-ability. While the kit is extremely easy to install, we wanted to not only show you how to get the job done, but also explain why you would want to in the first place. The Pack comes with lowering springs that drop the front and rearend up to 1-1/2 inches; the new stance lowers the car's center of gravity, which reduces body roll when cornering. In addition, the sway bars are stiffer than the factory items, and the shocks are tuned to the springs.

"The whole kit is stiffer than the factory parts," says FRPP's Jesse Kershaw. "The sway bars are marginally larger in diameter, but the real increase is the springs, which are 60 percent stiffer than stock, manual-transmission-equipped Mustang GT springs. In addition, we tune the dampers to work best with those springs." Lowering your Mustang will also increase the negative camber (the angle the front wheels are tilted inward when looking at the car from the front), and this helps the vehicle turn in quicker and reduces the push.

With a stiffer spring, body roll is also reduced. "The object is to keep the tires on the ground," Kershaw says. Also helping are the sway bars. Both bars are stiffer, and the front sway bar has three different settings from which to choose. These settings range from full race, street/strip, to street only. "The softest setting, the hole the furthest inward on the front sway bar, will give you more oversteer and adds to the fun factor," Kershaw says. "A more experienced driver will probably appreciate this on dry twisties. In wet conditions, or for a less experienced driver, a little understeer can be dialed in by using the outer holes." By increasing oversteer, you are reducing understeer, or push, thus allowing you to drive into the corner deeper and harder without fear of washing up the track. In other words, it makes the car more neutral.

Two questions that we wanted answered were, what kind of clearance issues would we run into, both with the ground and with the wheel and tire combination, and what will the kit do in regard to overall feel?

"We were lucky to have learned much about the Mustang suspension via the FR500C program as well as the development of the GT500," Kershaw says. "Ford Racing Performance Parts and SVT were doing track days together to dial-in our kit and the GT500. We tested with 245/50-18 tires on stock 18-inch rims, and we had no issues as to clearance. We've run the kits on GTs with GT500 rims as well as FR500 rims without any difficulty. However, if you want to run a stud girdle on the rearend, you will have interference with the Panhard bar. We redesigned our stud girdle to accommodate this and have given it a new part number .

"Overall, the Handling Pack should make the car a little more dynamic feeling. It would be one step closer to a go-kart, but not so much that it rattles your fillings loose. It's very satisfying to whip a Mustang through a turnaround and let the rearend hang out with our Handling and Drag Packs installed."

Also of note is the strut tower brace. This item was a true bolt-and-go part on this '06 GT. Keep in mind, though, that if you have a V-6, a supercharged GT (think GT500), or a GT with an '07 intake shroud (plastic engine cover), the strut tower brace will not fit without modification to components under the hood. As of press time, FRPP has not developed a brace that would fit the V-6 cars or those with the intake shroud.

"You only run into a problem when you use the brace with the intake shroud or on the V-6, which oddly enough, has a taller intake," Kershaw explains. "You can add a couple of washers to raise up a bit, but it will then interfere with the hood insulator a bit. Basically, it's the owner's call as to what gets done to make it fit."

For those of you with a blower, help is on the way. "We are finalizing our '07 Cobra brace and Handling Pack," Kershaw says. "Both should be available soon."

One thing we found out about installing the brace is this: If you are replacing the front struts at the same time as you plan on installing the strut tower brace, leave the brace last; you'll only have to take it back off to swap the struts.

Pack of Parts
We visited the FRPP Web site to get a better idea of what comes in its Handling Pack (PN M-2005-FR3). While each part contained within the kit has its own part number and can be purchased separately, doing it all in one shot with the Handling Pack would be the way to go to ease headaches and installation time. Check out what comes in the kit.

Damper Kit (PN M018000-A)
Mustang GT Lowering Spring Kit (PN M-5300-K)
Mustang GT Antiroll Bar Kit (PN M-5490-A)
Mustang Strut Tower Brace (PN M-20201-S197)

We're in the home stretch with the buildup of our resident '93 Cobra a.k.a. project Stolen Goods, and this month we will assemble the top half of our D.S.S. Racing-built, Boss 347 engine.

While the new Boss block from Ford Racing Performance Parts is quite capable of handling high horsepower and high rpm, it was never our intention to spin the motor to the moon in search of peak horsepower. What we wanted was a fun-to-drive powerplant that put out something north of 400 hp at the flywheel. In order to come up with a usable combination, we called Rick Anderson of Anderson Ford Motorsport (AFM) in Clinton, Illinois, to see what he thought about our goals for the engine and what the best way to achieve them would be.

His first recommendation was a cylinder head and intake manifold package from Trick Flow Specialties. A set of Twisted Wedge small-block Ford heads (PN TFS-51400004) and a Trick Flow Track Heat intake manifold (PN TFS-515110002) were sourced from Summit Racing Equipment. The cylinder heads feature a uniquely twisted combustion-chamber design with a 2.02-inch intake and 1.60-inch valves.

These would not go on the Boss untouched, however, as Anderson opted to give them AFM's Stage III port job in addition to a set of AFM Hi-Rev valvesprings to support the B-41HR camshaft that Anderson also provided. In order to allow the AFM cam and spring set to work together, we called Comp Cams for a set of its Pro Magnum 1.6:1 ratio roller rocker arms, replacement roller lifters, and Hi-Tech pushrods.

"For what we are doing, we want to keep the port velocity high," Anderson says. "Bigger runners might be suitable for drag racing where your rpm range might be only 1,500 rpm wide, but they would be lazier in other areas under the curve. For getting in and out of the corners, we want to keep the velocity up to provide more horsepower and torque down low. I like the Twisted Wedge heads the best because of the combustion-chamber design and how the flame front travels across the combustion chamber."

Jon D. Carls of JDC Engineering handles all of AFM's hand-port work and performed a Stage III porting of our Twisted Wedge heads. Hand porting was chosen over CNC-machining to keep the runners on the small side to promote better midrange flow numbers. This keeps the horsepower down low and pulling hard all the way up the powerband.

The Stage III work costs $1,050, and Carls shapes the intake and exhaust ports for maximum efficiency. This includes the runners, the bowl area under the valves, and the valve guides, as well as polishing the intake and exhaust tracks. The combustion chambers are shaped, polished, and blended to the valve seats, intake ports are matched to a Fel-Pro 1262 intake gasket and the exhaust ports to a Fel-Pro 1415 gasket. The valve seats and valves receive a performance multi-angle valve job as well.

We mentioned before that we'll be using Anderson's B-41HR camshaft, and while we would like to give you the specs, we were asked not to. "The B-41HR is designed to give more power through the midrange, but the hi-rev design will pull all the way to 7,000 rpm without falling off," Anderson says. "From 3,500 to 4,500, it will pull really hard with a smoother transition. Cams that come on hard don't work well when you're at the limit in the middle of a turn." According to Anderson, the AFM cam profiles are constantly updated, so you get the latest technology when you order one.

As for the intake manifold, Trick Flow has three to choose from, all of which have different runner lengths to match the powerband of the engine. "The Track Heat intake will make more power through the midrange versus the R-Series," Anderson says. The Track Heat power range is 1,500-6,500 rpm and features a 12-inch runner length versus the Street Heat's 15-inch length.

With the induction sorted out, we needed some ignition components, and for those we called Performance Distributors in Memphis, Tennessee. Proprietor Steve Davis was just releasing his new Ford distributor, which is equipped with a full-length oil impregnated bushing for improved shaft rotation and magnetic pick-up coil signals. "The new full-length bushing replaces the weak upper bushing that is standard on these units," Davis says. "This provides increased durability and more accurate timing signals in the higher rpm."

The Performance Distributors unit uses Motorcraft distributor housings, which can be powdercoated in Ford Blue or left natural. This is a drop-in OEM replacement distributor for '86-'95 Mustangs, so no modifications need to be made to stock wiring. Supporting the distributor is one of PD's Screamin' Demon coils (PN 31724; $69.95) and a set of Livewire spark plug wires (PN C9057; $105.00).

Keeping the Boss cool will be the responsibility of Meziere Enterprises' electric water pump. We went with the WP312 pump as it features a freewheeling idler pulley to allow us to use the factory serpentine belt setup. This would be one less issue to sort out.

The Meziere electric water pump cuts parasitic drag, and the company claims to have seen gains of up to 11.3 hp. We obviously can't test this without a baseline, but we definitely agree with their thinking. The pump comes in black, blue, red, and natural finishes, as well as polished or chrome-plated and is covered by a two-year unlimited-mileage warranty.

The one-piece main body is CNC-machined, and the pump includes inlet, heater, and bypass fittings; it's a top-of-the-line piece that sells for around $490. We also had Meziere send us one of its aluminum thermostat necks for the 5.0 engine (PN WN0023).

While the Meziere water pump comes with its own stainless steel fasteners, the same cannot be said for much of the engine. In order to bolt everything together, we contacted two stalwarts of the automotive aftermarket, Automotive Racing Products (otherwise known as ARP) and Federal Mogul, whose Fel-Pro division sent us a 2816 gasket kit. ARP provided us with a set of cylinder-head studs (PN 154-4003) as well as intake-manifold and valve cover bolts (PN 454-2001). Without these two companies, we'd have a nice collection of aluminum and cast-iron paperweights.

In addition to providing the Boss block for our buildup, FRPP sent us a set of its black, crinkle-finish Cobra valve covers to dress up the outside of the engine. FRPP's Jesse Kershaw informed us that the company has a new Boss valve cover coming out, and he plans to send us a set once they're ready for production. In the meantime, the Cobra valve covers look fantastic. Tom Naegele at D.S.S. Racing had specified a multi-index timing chain, and FRPP had just the one. PN M-6268-A302 is a double-roller piece that offers nine different index positions.

While we've made great progress with Stolen Goods up until this point, now is when it starts to get tedious, as we'll come across all of the little nickel and dime items we overlooked, though something tells us it'll add up to more than 15 cents. We've kept a running list of needed items, but we're sure we'll overlook something along the way. We'll mention every little thing we run into, as it may just help prevent you from making an extra trip to the auto-parts store should you find yourself in a similar situation.

Next month, we should have the Boss up and running, and we'll see if we can get a video clip up on our Web site. See you then.

Airflow of AFM-ported vs. Stock Trick Flow Cylinder Heads
AFM-Ported			Trick Flow
Lift	Intake	Exhaust	Intake	Exhaust
0.200	166	110	141	107
0.300	219	140	205	144
0.400	261	164	233	171
0.500	288	183	251	187
0.600	295	201	251	193

Last month, we introduced you to Project MILF (Mustang I'd Like to Flog) and showcased the installation of Ford Racing Performance Parts' Handling Pack. With the Legend Lime S197 GT looking and handling smart with the upgraded suspension components, we decided to dial up the fun factor with a bit of forced induction. Once again, enter the crew at FRPP, who supplied their Super Pack, which includes one hot Whipple blower.

With the focus of this project being the creation of a dual-purpose grocery-getter/butt-kicker, the power increase needed to be sizeable yet suitable for daily use. Instead of giving Project MILF a lumpity idle with a set of cams or swapping out the stock Three-Valve heads for a set of ported items, we went the easy route. We ditched the factory induction setup for the Super Pack to ram air down the Pony's throat.

The Super Pack is an all-encompassing blower kit that centers around a nonintercooled Whipple supercharger. As is common knowledge, utilizing forced induction can be-with the right tune-a sure-fire way to easily raise the power output of any engine. The principles behind supercharging are pretty basic in that the supercharger, commonly known as the blower, forces the air charge into the cylinders, rather than relying on Mother Nature to get it in there. The larger volume of air allows you to step up the fuel volume, thus the engine burns more fuel (at the proper air/fuel ratio) and makes more horsepower.

Obviously, heat plays a major role in the oxygen count in the air charge, as the hotter the air charge, the less oxygen is present. That's why with higher boost levels, an intercooler is needed to lower the temperature of the air charge for more power and safer operation. Also keep in mind that with the blower, premium fuel is no longer a treat, but a necessity.

In actuality, FRPP offers two forms of its Super Pack, the first being the 400hp version we installed. The other is rated at 500 hp and is intercooled, whereas the 400hp kit is not. The only problem is that the 500hp kit is only avail-able for Mustang GTs with a manual transmis-sion. If you have an automatic as we do, you're out of luck unless you want to attempt fabrication and custom tuning.

"Our 400hp kit is available for both manual and automatic cars, while the 500hp kit is not recommended or available for automatic cars," says Jesse Kershaw of FRPP. "With the 500hp kit, there is an air-to-liquid intercooler modeled after the intercooler that was on the '03-'04 Cobras. Also, the calibration is different. We worked closely with auto transmission engineers to prove out our calibration, and we tested it extensively."

The calibration with said tuner not only changes parameters within the transmission but within the tune of the engine to optimize power and reliability. The only item that does not come in the box with the kit is the tuner, however it is shipped separately after you receive the kit through the FRPP Web site. "The tune has gone through the gambit of Ford testing," Kershaw says. "It's been tested at high and low altitudes and temperatures, for emissions and high loads, such as those you'd find in mountainous terrain. We made sure that when we developed the tune, we accounted for all conditions. There may be more power in it at a 70-degree ambient air temperature, but we needed to protect the car for all scenarios. This way you don't blow up the engine at 20 degrees of air temperature when the air meter pegs out and the car runs lean."

With the kit being nonintercooled, the blower is advertised to create only 5-6 pounds of boost. While this may seem like a small amount, it's actually a great boost level for the Three-Valve. "On the 400hp kits, we kept the boost limited to a point where we could make the (horsepower) number safely without adding more complexity," Kershaw says. "Thanks to the excellent thermal efficiency of the twin-screw blower Whipple provides us, we were able to make 400 hp without requiring an intercooler, and it's still very safe. By keeping the intercooler out of the base system, it requires far less install time and keeps the cost down.

"One of the reasons why the kit is so easy to install is that it comes with everything needed to bolt it on and go in two days time. "With this kit, you shouldn't need anything else," Kershaw says. "We include new injectors, which are sourced from the Ford GT, along with every-thing you would need to make it a painless installation."

While it's not recommended for automatic-equipped cars, those with S197 GTs can upgrade to the 500hp kit if they so choose. "When you go over 400 hp, you will need more fuel delivery," Kershaw says. "This is non-negotiable. If you don't have the extra fuel, at cold temperatures the fuel pump won't be able to keep up with the fuel demand no matter what size injectors you run. To get to the 500hp level, we include the GT500 fuel pumps with a unique wiring harness."

You could also swap the blower pulleys, but once again, this requires a change in the fuel system and in the software. "The pulley size is only one part of the equation due to the drive-by-wire and torque-limiting software," Kershaw says. "This software controls the power output via the throttle body. Changing the pulley without changing the software may result in nothing more t