SEMA Mustang Project Part 2: The Art of Matching Suspension to High-Horsepower

By now, we hope MM&FF readers are following one of the coolest Mustang projects in existence, one that's going down in our Los Angeles Source Interlink Media Snap-on Tech Center. If you haven't heard about it, then get ready -- because we're bringing you the scoop on a Coyote-powered '13 Mustang GT/CS project being built entirely by voracious female gearheads. This isn't just any basic Mustang either. This loaded-out Pony was donated for a great cause by Ford Motor Company in an effort to raise awareness of women in the aftermarket automotive industry, as well as assist in raising funds for the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund. The fund was put in place to help cultivate the next generation of leaders for our aftermarket performance industry.

The finished project will be unveiled to the world at the upcoming SEMA trade show in Las Vegas this November. From there, this sensational Steed will be auctioned off on eBay Motors, and one lucky bidder will own a piece of Mustang history. It's not often that we come across something as groundbreaking as this -- a street and track-ready ride totally designed and built by women. Jennifer Seely of Ford created the concept rendering, and the design was chosen by enthusiasts via Internet vote. The exterior will feature a stealthy satin-black finish with rose-gold accents, and the inside will have a totally custom interior with plush highlights you're not likely to find in another Mustang. It's the perfect combination of sultry and sexy -- truly one-of-a-kind, just like each of the women pouring their blood, sweat, and tears into this momentous deed.

What goes together better than women who know their way around an engine bay, a sweet Mustang with a cause, and forced induction? We can't think of anything legal that gets the blood flowing like this. The female-built Mustang venture began a few months ago, and the ladies wasted no time jumping into the juiciest part of any overhaul -- the engine! Edelbrock stepped up by donating a power-enhancing E-Force supercharger kit to the project. With a conservative tune, it has already cranked out nearly 500 rwhp.

The engine bay portion of this purebred has been completed, but the job is far from over. It's time to concentrate on "hooking up," so for this installment, the ladies shifted their focus onto the suspension portion of this SEMA mare. What are all those ponies under the hood worth if you can't get traction? Roasting tires is fun, but at the end of the day, the girls want to see this ride squat and launch like it's chasing down an all-male built project car, plus they want some corner-carving capabilities, too. We think this would make for a pretty interesting male-versus-female racing showdown.

It's important to choose the right components when properly setting up the suspension of a high- horsepower vehicle, and the market is flooded with many options, especially for the Mustang platform. After doing her homework, Suspension Team Lead Mollie Lewis summoned the help of H&R and Whiteline USA for the undercarriage portion of the overhaul. H&R supplied the project with coilovers, front struts, rear springs, and rear shocks. Whiteline brought almost all of its catalog to the table, with totally adjustable upper and lower rear control arms, four-point adjustable front and rear sway bars, a rear chassis brace, geometry correction brackets, and an adjustable Panhard bar. There shouldn't be slip with these hard-hooking goodies bringing the power to the pavement.

With the engine and suspension segments almost behind them, the ladies still have to install the new clutch and flywheel, finish up the interior with a banging stereo system, install the new wheels and tires, and then focus their efforts on the small details to perfect the project. Once the minor touches are finished, the final stage will be custom paint, but we won't get to see ituntil the unveiling at the SEMA event. Stay tuned to see the spectacular finished product, a build that can only come from a team of passionate women dedicated to making this one of the most uncommon and liberating automotive undertakings to date. Who says manicures and wrenches don’t go together? We say ladies can build bad-to-the-bone Mustangs, too.