Pushing nearly every Mustang styling button there is was thisexciting-looking GT in the GITI tire booth. Positively dripping withClassic Design Concepts [(248) 624-7997; www.classicdesignconcepts.com] bits, including a Glassback roof, bodykit, and Mach 1 hoodscoop, the car stood on FR500-type wheels and245/40ZR18 Champiro 328 tires. After wandering halls full of 22-inchrims, this almost seemed inadequate, but out on the streets it would bea real head-turner.
New hardcore cams for EFI 5.0s ought to please pushrod enthusiasts, andComp Cams [(901) 795-2400; www.compcams.com] nowhas two such bumpsticks in its new XFI hydraulic roller line. Maximumduration is 258 degrees at 0.050 inch, and max valve lift is aninteresting 0.608-inch--all on a 114 lobe center. Sounds like a dynotest to us. There was also an XFI cam for the '05's Three-Valve engine.Also new: Tri-Power Xtreme SOHC 4.6 truck/SUV cam, ovate-wire beehivevalvesprings, stainless or titanium 7-degree retainers, Hi-Tech7/16-inch pushrods, Endure-X pressure-oiled solid lifters, anti-pump-upPro-Magnum retrofit hydraulic roller lifters for 289-351W and 460s, andJohnson-style solid flat tappets for all the pushrod Ford V-8s(yep--Clevelands and 460s too).
Argentinean damper pros, Corven [(03462) 420396; www.corven.com.ar] hada new Mustang in its booth, and a set of coilovers for the latestMustang on display. The company also offers dampers for '94-'02Mustangs.
Hardware-wise, Crane was touting a Mikronite finishing process oncamshaft, lifters, rocker arms, and such for reduced friction andincreased strength. New cams for Three-Valve applications are in theworks. Electronically, Crane [(386) 258-6174; www.cranecams.com] had itsSniper tuning front and center for 4.6 modular, Power-Stroke diesels andother Chevy and Dodge applications. The system uses the vehicle's stockcomputer, an interface box, and Crane software. Each tune, or "bullet,"is downloadable over the Internet and requires no hardware changes. Anall-new Fireball HI-5RS ignition with dial-adjustable rev limits,magnetic triggering, tach output, and long-duration spark was alsoexhibited.
Continuing to build its line of quality, American-made internal engineparts, Crower [(619) 661-6477; www.crower.com] had steelbillet Three-Valve cams, titanium retainers, valvesprings, standard andoversized valves, connecting rods, and more ready for the new Mustang GTengine. And for those looking for major modular stroke, a new 4.415-inchstroke crankshaft was announced. It's a billet 4340 steel part retailingfor $2,800.
Steve's Top 10
1. Professional Products' Two-Valve Intake
The long-neglected Two-Valve engine should break into the mainstreamwith the new, affordable Typhoon intake.
2. Garmin 2730 Portable Navigation System
This do-it-all portable solution for navigation, traffic avoidance, andmusic (XM and MP3), offers everything Ford doesn't.
3. Three-Valve Turbo Systems
With the likes of Garrett, Hellion, and STS offering bolt-on turbosolutions for the latest Mustang, turbos may finally hit the mainstreamlike superchargers have.
4. Eagle 4.6 Stroker Crankshaft
It looks as if stroker modulars are about to gain some ground on pushrod347s.
5. Agent 47 Innerframe Kit
A complete chassis stiffening kit that bolts in and looks factory isgreat news for those of us without welders at home. The New Edge kit isready now, and an S197 kit is on the way (of course).
6. Painless 4.6 and 5.0 Harnesses
With Fox Rodding ready to hit prime time, we need an easy way to swapthose new engines into stripped four-banger chassis. Painless to therescue.
7. Granatelli Fuego Flash Tuner
Sure the world is full of flash tuners, but JR's Fuego is the first toincorporate direct input from a wideband O2 sensor, which willpractically let the car tune itself.
8. Pioneer AVIC-Z1 Head Unit
If you like to have it all and have it right in your dash, Pioneer's newAVIC-Z1 offers that and more in a package that fits the new Mustang'sdash.
9. Maximum Motorsports S197 IRS
We know how well Maximum has done with the solid-axle in the priorMustangs, so we're anxious to see what an IRS can do in the improvedS197 chassis.
10. Extreme Dimensions Carbon-Fiber S197 Body Kit
OK, it might be a bit flashy for some, but for me, you just can't gowrong with carbon fiber.
Usable cores of the robust 9-inch rear axle are drying up, so CurrieEnterprises [(714) 367-2677; www.crate-rearends.com] invented the crate rear end--the 9-plus--an all new 9-inch Fordrear axle built to hot-rod standards using all the desirable parts andto the Aftermarket Brake Configuration Standard (an industry set ofspecifications standardizing axles, brakes, and studs to avoid fitmentissues). The 9-plus is a brake-to-brake assembly, and the list ofoptions from Currie is all-encompassing. Mustang 9-plus fitments listedso far range from '64 to '93, and pricing is $964.95 for early cars and$1,124.95 for Foxes.
If you love rolling on Nittos, but you want something a littledifferent, check out the Nitto RD-1 Redline, available exclusively fromDirect Performance Tire & Wheel Wholesale [(866) 531-5217; www.directperformance.com]. It features a wide center rib, anasymmetrical tread design, a wide 3D groove, and a redline on thesidewall.
A new Mustang exhaust player is Dynatech Headers [(800) 848-5850; www.dynatechheaders.com], which showed off its new S197 GT long-tube headers andcatalytic X-pipe. Dynatech's headers feature 13/4-inch primaries andT-304 stainless steel, while the X-pipe wears dual high-flow Powercatconverters.
Eagle [(662) 796-7373; www.eaglerodcom] has beenfeverishly building stronger con rods and crankshafts for years, and theFord V-8 scene was just about covered. But this year Eagle addedsignificant Ford items. Important to 5.0 readers is a 4340 chrome-molysteel stroker 4.6 modular crankshaft designed to yield 302 ci with an0.030-inch overbore. The others are similarly constructed cranks for theFE--an engine that seems destined to go forever--and 4.130-, 4.300-, and4.500-inch stroke 460 cranks.
Imagine the sound of a ground-shaking tremor rumbling through your'Stang's trunk or hatch. Earthquake's "Subzero" series brings the boomof the bass, with 10-, 12-, and 15-inch subwoofers that feature aspace-saving SWS (Shallow Woofer System that reduces the mounting depthof a speaker by 60 percent) construction. Subzeros are designed toprevent the type of cone distortion that's typical of most conventionalspeakers, with a triangular lattice flat piston that dumps massiveamounts of air into the cabin, without generating mechanical sounds thatcan compromise bass notes. And, thanks to Earthquake's [www.earthquakesound.com] forced-air-turbo cooling technology, the voice coils in Subzerowoofers stay cool all the time.
Edelbrock's [(310) 781-2222; www.edelbrock.com]aftermarket muscle is becoming obvious, and the company has hammered outthe goods this year in impressive quantities. For the '05 Mustang,Edelbrock wheeled out short-tube headers, an after-cat system, a nitroussystem, and five suspension pieces (various upper and lower trailingarms, a Panhard rod, and a strut-tower brace). There are three newintake manifolds: an FE EFI intake and two SOHC 4.6 intakes--one forcarburetors and one for EFI. There's also a timing control module for4.6 Two-Valve engines when running carbureted. For the cylinder head,four new Pro-Port versions of the Victor, Victor SC-1, Ford/GliddenVictor II, and Ford/Glidden 18-degree Victor Jr. heads are now availablefor those wanting more porting freedom. Late-model F-150s now have theirown after-cat Edelbrock muffler systems, and there's even a stand-aloneQwikdata Pro data-acquisition system. Finally, old-school finned valvecovers with "Edelbrock" script for FEs are listed--Granddad will love'em.
Eibach [(951) 256-8300; www.eibach.com] has longkept its Mustang offerings up to date, and at show time the company wasstill testing its '05 Mustang gear, so only the '05 sway bars werereleased and on display at the show (snazzy end-links, eh?). Keep an eyepeeled for '05 Mustang coilovers from Eibach soon.
Did we mention Editor Turner likes carbon fiber? Well, ExtremeDimensions [(866) 611-AERO; www.extremedimensions.com] and its affiliate company, Carbon Creations[www.carbon-creations.com], must have known because the companies built the Hot Wheelswidebody kit out of the strong, light composite weave. Look for afeature on the companies' project cars in an upcoming issue.
Comp Cams' electronic engine-management division continues to expand.New this year is an inductive pickup billet distributor for 302s and anupdated electronic distributor (that replaces the old mechanical unitwith an electronic version) called the eDIST2. The e-distributor workswith all coils and doesn't require a crank decoder box. FAST [(901)260-3278; www.fuelairspark.com] says it can be used as a stand-alone ignition for carbureted engineswith coil-on-plug conversions. The eDIST2 features a two-step sequentialrev-limiter.
Focus specialists F2 Focus Performance [www.f2focus.com; www.f2cars.com] dazzledthe crowds in its both with this bleeding edge Focus sedan featuring awild turbo setup, a big stereo, RS-style bodywork, and more. Check out afuture issue of Focus Fanatic for more on this wild ride.
Long known for its line of aluminum flywheels, Fidanza [(440) 259-5656;www.fidanza.com] ismaking the move to a companion line of clutches designed to suitanything from bolt-on Mustangs (Two Point One) to all-out Mustang racercars (Five Point Four). But Fidanza's new adjustable cam-timing gearsfor the 4.6 mod motors really caught our attention. Fidanza adjustablecam gears are made from high-quality 6061 T6 aluminum with 1050 steel(outer sprockets), and are CNC machined to more exacting tolerances thanOEM gears. The inner ring is designed for strength and durability, andthe gears feature 12 degrees (advance/retard) of laser-etchedadjustments for dead-nuts tuning accuracy.
Flex-a-lite [(800) 851-1510; www.flex-a-lite.com]has a new direct-fit Black Magic Extreme electric cooling fan for'87-'93 Mustangs, available with either a black or a blue shroud.
If you make mufflers, you were at SEMA with an '05-'06 Mustang GTafter-cat system. A major Mustang muffler supplier, Flowmaster [(800)544-4761; www.flowmastermufflers.com] was right there with a $336.04 pair ofAmerican Thunder mufflers featuring single 4-inch polished stainlesssteel tips on each unit.
Ever seen the stock radiator in an S197 Mustang? If you have, you'd bewondering how that little thing keeps the car cool. If you're makingmore power than stock, you better call Fluidyne [(888) FLUIDYNE; www.fluidyne.com]. Thecompany has a new two-pass, direct-replacement aluminum radiator.
If you want to give your interior panels a custom carbon-fiber look onthe cheap, check out the carbon-look Carstyling Cockpit Design Film fromFoliaTec [(866) FOLIATEC; www.foliatec.com]. Youcan install the stuff yourself with a cutter and a squeegee, and you caneven heat it up to form it to really curvy surfaces.
Foose Design [www.chipfoose.com] hasteamed with Unique Performance www.uniqueperformance.com] to build the limited edition (up to 3,000cars) '06 Foose Stallion Edition Mustang in coupe and convertible form.Slated to start at $38,000, with soon-to-come optional superchargingextra, the Foose Edition Mustang is mainly an exterior styling job,although the chassis, powertrain, and interior all receive the Foosetreatment via partners such as DuPont, JBA, BFGoodrich and Baer Brakes.It's billed as "the ultimate cruisin' machine that stands out from thecrowd." Production should begin in the first quarter of 2006.