We're skipping all of the air-line plumbing and harness routing. Finally, it came time to mount the processor and controller. Ever the perfectionist, Mason decided to eliminate the coin holder the factory had placed to the right of the steering column and create a precise mounting hole for the controller. The ECU went out of sight in the kick panel.
The PHP Touch
We'd be remiss if we didn't throw out big-time props to Paul Svinicki and his gang at Paul's High Performance. As many of you know, PHP is a full-service Ford performance shop specializing in all facets of street performance and racing. Despite our tight deadline, Paul dug in and completed much of the Thundertruck buildup in just two weeks.
PHP has more than a decade of experience in the aftermarket industry and has worked closely with Ford Motor Company, Ford Racing Performance Parts, and many other top-notch firms. PHP uses a NASCAR-approved Dynojet and tunes using SCT software.
You may not know that Svinicki is also an accomplished racer having competed from age 10 in soap-box cars and on road bicycles. He then went into motocross, winning races on a 500cc Yamaha, before moving to-of all things-flat-track motorcycle ice racing. From 1978 to 1984 he ran a dirt Sprint car; then he stopped going in circles and found drag racing to be the motorsport of choice. He currently runs a team of cars in NMRA Mod Motor, where his best finish was Second Place in 2001, though he's been a multitime Top-10 finisher. His Shelby GT500 recently ran 10.60 at 138 mph in Bradenton, Florida, in March and his V-6 car went 10.80 at 122 mph.
Paul says, "THUNDERTRUCK was a real challenge, but we got it done, and I think whoever wins it will be very happy. Cervini's did a great job, and the Air Ride suspension install was sweet. It took only two hours to do the front and four to do the back. A few more hours was needed to run the wiring.
"Then we did the SSBC brakes. It was a two-hour bolt-on, and we noticed improved braking. The blower was the last part, and it was easy. The Three-Valve truck engine made 400 hp at the wheels, and torque was outstanding. It made a huge difference."
The Air Ride control module, with its fluorescent blue lighting, makes a handsome and functional addition to the Thundertruck's dash. You can see it has three user-programmable, preset-height buttons across the bottom and up/down buttons for individual adjustment of each corner. | 
Were you to win the Thundertruck, this might be a reasonable setting for normal driving height. You can see that the factory rims are still in place. Wait 'til you see this thing on the 20x10 rims on the way from Ford Racing Performance Parts. | 
This is the full-slam setting, for those times when your friends need impressing. Of course, you can also pump it up to full up-on-stilts height, for flying over roadkill without getting fur stuck on the belly. All this talk of ride height is nice, but whoever wins this beast is also going to get one sweet riding and handling pickup. |