Project Name: Project Ice Box
Car: '01 Mustang GT
Timeline: February 2002-Present
Goal: Push the boundaries of 4.6 Two-Valve street performance.
Grade: A
Best Performance: 10.73 at 131 mph on ET Streets/10.9 at 133 in daily driver trim (radials all around, 3650 lbs). Emissions legal in 49 states (Vortech T-Trim not emissions legal in California), A/C still blows cold.
Biggest mistake: Coilover suspension not up to 621 rwhp on road course.
Best move: Patriot heads, Comp Stage 2 cams, CHP short-block, JDM tune-up.
Seems like there's no limit to 4.6 performance.
Project Name: Hot Handler
Car: '87 Mustang LX
Timeline: June 2002-July 2003
Goal: To build a low-buck 5.0 LX for use on the strip, street, and at open-track road course events.
Result: Car was completed and ran well. The 302 was rebuilt with the Summit Racing engine kit, including forged pistons, AFR 165 heads, E303 cam, and GT-40 intake. This combination made 286 hp at the wheels and 320 lb-ft of torque. It doesn't sound like much, but it was a blast on the street and track. The HP Motorsports suspension also worked great, as the LX had great handling.
Grade: B-
Best Performance: Never got tested properly.
Biggest mistake: Removing the power steering once the pump failed
Best move: Selecting the parts we did for the engine rebuild because the combination worked great and we got the results we expected.
Proving again you don't have to spend a ton of dough to have fun with a 5.0 Mustang.
Project Name: Frightning
Car: '86 Mustang LX
Timeline: May 2002-Present
Goal: Demonstrate benefits of good power-to-weight ratio: i.e., if our Lightning project could go 11s with bolt-ons, how quick could a light Fox-chassis car go with a blown 5.4 Lightning mill?
Result: 10.8 at 121 out of the box, totally stock.
Grade: A
Best Performance: 10.5 at 126 mph with completely stock long-block.
Biggest mistake: Wrong torque converter, inhibiting performance. Thinking blower motor would fit under 4-inch cowl hood--hah!
Best move: Having a car where the blower sticks through the hood.
When Frightning was dropped off in the MM&FF parking lot in 2002, it was in the worst shape of any project car in this magazine's history. Over time, though, we've given it a new life with a modern, modular 5.4-liter powerplant, new paint, and a new interior. We still plan to sort out the torque converter issue in the future and run some nines with it. Will it knock Excalibur off the throne? Stay tuned.
Project Name: Red Hot Chili Pepper
Car: '02 Focus ZX5
Timeline: March 2003-February 2006
Goal: Make a four-cylinder a respectable commuter.
Result: 13-second e.t.'s and a look that's not overly import.
Grade: B
Best Performance: 13.93/96 mph
Biggest mistake: 18-inch wheels with 215/40/18 rubber in New Jersey.
Best move: Precision Turbo & Engine turbo kit. It made up for all the Pepper's shortcomings.
We shoulda swapped in a V-8!
Project Name: Hooligan Hot Rod
Car: '91 Mustang GT
Timeline: October 2004-Present
Goal: First goal--10s with a stock long-block, Second goal--9s in full street trim.
Result: At 10.7/130 mph, it was quicker than modified Ford GT supercar tested on same day--and Hooligan still had the high-mileage, original stock long-block.
Grade: B
Best Performance: 10.33 at 133 mph
Biggest mistake: Using a stock block.
Best move: Turbo kit, Lentech AOD.
Two-piece engine blocks suck!
Project Name: Redheaded Step Child
Car: '96 Mustang GT
Timeline: October 2005-Present
Goal: Build a 300-rwhp, naturally aspirated non-PI-headed 4.6 Mustang.
Result: To Be Determined.
Grade: Project not finished yet.
Best Performance: 355 flywheel horsepower/364 lb-ft of torque to date.
Biggest mistake: None yet.
Best move: Too soon to tell.
We're proving there is hope for these cars after all.
Project Name: X-Rated
Car: '90 Mustang LX
Timeline: June 2004-Present
Goal: Run low eights on stock-style suspension and field a competitive car in a heads-up category
Result: Still a work in progress.
Grade: Incomplete
Best Performance: To Be Determined.
Biggest mistake: Estimating time of completion. Everything is custom made on a race car of this type.
Best move: Leaving the car in the hands of talented people who know what they're doing.
FROM DAILY driver to blown 11-second street car to (hopefully) an 8-second Stang.