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2009 Performance Racing Industry Magazine Trade Show - Horsepower HeavenThe Performance Racing Industry Show Is High-Performance Nirvana From the June, 2010 issue of 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords By KJ Jones, Michael Johnson Photography by KJ Jones, Michael Johnson, Steve Turner
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These aisles are filled with... These aisles are filled with horsepower goodness from countless manufacturers. If it makes your Mustang faster, safer, or cooler, you can find it at the PRI Show. From brake hoses to billet cranks to fuel rails, it's all represented. The 2009 PRI show covered 1,000,000 square feet inside the cavernous Orlando Convention Center. How big is that, you ask? With a pedometer (a device that measures the amount of distance a person walks) clipped to his belt on Day 1, your tech editor traversed every aisle from wall to wall and covered a total distance of five miles... totally indoors. A five-mile, early December stroll through a roomful of go-fast badness is something that definitely qualifies as walking in a winter wonderland! Have you ever read a tech article here in 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords and wondered how we found out about the part being featured? Yes, we receive calls, press releases, and emails from manufacturers about their new products all the time. There also are occasions when cool innovations are discovered totally by chance, while working at shops, checking out 'Stangs at shows, and so on. While those methods of gathering intelligence on new parts obviously work pretty well, we also count on the major high-performance trade shows for finding cool new pieces to try out. Performance Racing Industry magazine's trade show, held every December in Orlando, Florida, is one such gathering. Actually, as hard-core racing goes, PRI is the ultimate racing-parts-and-equipment confab for performance enthusiasts from all walks of brand allegiance. The show gives attendees an opportunity to experience the latest and greatest hardware (and see superstars from all facets of motorsports), as there are literally thousands of serious race pieces available to see, touch, and learn about over the course of three days walking the show. For our crowd, parts for S197s-and even '10 'Stangs and Shelby GT500s-were the most-prominent items on display at the '09 show, but we also found plenty of stuff for beefing-up earlier Mustangs for total dominance on the street, dragstrip or road course. As usual, your tech editor, Editor Turner, and Associate Editor Johnson converged on PRI and prowled every aisle in search of the hottest Mustangcentric newness, and the following photos and captions represent just a small sampling of some of the cool bits that we found for late-model Ponies.  Advanced Composite Products...  Advanced Composite Products
If Trans Am, Grand Am, GT1, or IMSA racing are more your speed as opposed to running the quarter-mile, Advanced Composite Products [(800) 832-8624; www.acproducts.us] offers two variations of its clean-fitting fiberglass and carbon-fiber '10 Mustang bodies that are specific to the bodywork dimension requirements for those sanctions.  American Racing Headers
We've...  American Racing Headers
We've installed a pair of American Racing Headers' [(631) 608-1986; www.americanracingheaders.com] long-tube offerings before, but not these monsters. ARH now has these 2-inch-primary-tube headers for '05-current Mustangs featuring 5.4-liter engines, like Shelby GT500s and Cobra Jets. ARH was the OE-supplier for the headers found on the Cobra Jet; these are aimed at improving the performance of your 5.4-equipped Mustang.  Auto Meter
On race day,...  Auto Meter
On race day, knowing your tires' air pressure is vital for maximum traction. One way to make sure your Mustang's pressure is up to spec is with Auto Meter's [(866) 248-6356; www.autometer.com] Tire Pressure Monitoring System. The TPMS will keep you apprised of your tires' air pressure at all times, making sure you're getting the most traction available, and let you know if a tire should lose or gain air pressure due to changing weather conditions.  Canton Racing Products
Our...  Canton Racing Products
Our stop at Canton Racing Products' [(203) 481-9460; www.cantonracingproducts.com] booth at PRI was full of surprises. The first "new" item came in the way of personnel, with the return of friend Chris Tiso to the Canton family. Chris showed us the company's new goodies for S197s and 4.6 engines, among them a large-capacity, aluminum coolant reservoir for Roushcharged '05-'10 Ponys. The tank mounts in the factory location using OEM hardware, and increases coolant capacity nearly 2.25 quarts over stock. Canton also had its 4.6/5.4 oil pan with windage tray at the PRI show.  Comp Cams
With proper balancing...  Comp Cams
With proper balancing being one of the keys to building a smooth-running engine, we were excited to see that Comp Cams [(800) 999-0853; www.compcams.com] has put a new spin on its high-lift race (0.530- to 0.660-inch lift) and standard-lift street (0.440- to 0.570-inch lift) camshafts for 4.6-liter Four-Valve engines (heads require clearance for counterbalance weight when using high-lift cams). This is industry-first technology here, boys-camshafts that are balanced just like a crankshaft is spun and manipulated, to achieve harmonic perfection. We think it's pretty cool, especially for those of you who like to spin Four-Valve engines way up there  Fluidyne
One manufacturer...  Fluidyne
One manufacturer aimed at keeping our Mustang running cool and fast is Fluidyne High Performance [(800) 358-4396; www.fluidyne.com]. Fluidyne has radiators for pretty much every Mustang. It has now added an S197 radiator to its lineup. This one's a direct-fit aluminum replacement, and Fluidyne also has a heat exchanger for supercharged S197 Mustangs, including Shelby GT500s.  Ford Racing Performance Parts...  Ford Racing Performance Parts
As usual, Ford Racing [(800) FORD-SVT; www.fordracingparts.com] had a huge PRI show presence, and its area was always crawling with people. There was so much to see: The area boasted Ford Racing's Pro Stock engine, the new Kent-block four-cylinder, a Three-Valve engine on a makeshift engine dyno featuring the new Three-Valve intake, a Ford GT supercar engine with a wicked billet engine plate, and a '10 Cobra Jet, among many other sights. For some reason, we couldn't get enough of the Ford Racing booth; we have so much to look forward to from Ford Racing.  Gaterman Products
Part of...  Gaterman Products
Part of the magic of the push-rod 5.0-liter engine was its hydraulic-roller cam design. The roller-lifter design makes for greatly reduced valvetrain friction, easy revvin', and excellent throttle response. Taking that design to another level is Gaterman Products' [(386) 253-1899; www.gaterman.com] new roller lifters. These lifters feature dual oil feeds for increased oil flow, an extended body length for increased lift capacity, and oil lubricators for reduced friction. They use stock-length pushrods, too.  Holley Performance Products...  Holley Performance Products
Focusing on the EFI side of things, Holley Performance Products [(270) 782-2900; www.holley.com] had its Dominator EFI vehicle management system at PRI. Holley says the only limiter on the Dominator EFI is your imagination. That's saying a lot, but the system does handle many functions. The Dominator is capable of driving up to 24 injectors, serving as a transmission controller, performing boost-control functions, handling water methanol systems, and data-logging.  Innovators West
Each year...  Innovators West
Each year at PRI, Innovators West [(785) 825-6166; www.innovatorswest.com] seems to always be at the ready with a slew of new dampeners for 4.6-liter engines. Among the latest hotness is this factory-replacement balancer for '03-'04 Cobras. It's designed for use with the OEM crank-support system on Terminator engines, and it really shines when bigger blowers are added. IW also introduced a 15-percent overdrive balancer for Two-, Three-, and Four-Valve engines. The dampener fills the middle void between the company's 10-percent overdrive street unit and the 18-percent wheel that is used for race applications.  Kooks Custom Headers
The...  Kooks Custom Headers
The Shelby GT500 is the top of the mountain in Mustang circles, which is why the car has spawned so many new products since its introduction in 2007. Kooks [(866) 586-KOOK; www.kookscustom headers.com] has these large-tube headers for the big Snake, featuring 1 3/4-inch primary tubes with 3-inch collectors. The headers are available with a corresponding X-shape crossover pipe, with or without catalytic converters.  L&M
The L in L&M is none...  L&M
The L in L&M is none other than 5.0 Mustang legend Jimmy LaRocca, and though he's not as active in the Mustang game as in years past, he still dabbles around in the background, as evidenced by this new Shelby GT500 throttle body, which is available through dealers like Evolution Performance and Lethal Performance. The L&M Super Flow dual 66mm throttle body is made from billet and is said to flow over 2,000 cfm, and support over 1,200 hp.  Livernois Motorsports
In...  Livernois Motorsports
In talking to Livernois Motorsports' [(313) 561-5500; www.livernoismotorsports.com] Rick LeBlanc, the company's new stroker modular engines are one of its most popular items. Livernois starts with short-blocks ranging from a 4.6-liter 298ci stroker to the company's 5.4-liter 358ci monster. The 358ci stroker uses a Ford GT aluminum block, while many of the other stroker offerings are available with either iron or aluminum blocks. The crate engines feature Livernois' valvetrain items, and the company's CNC-ported heads.  Magnuson Products
One supercharger...  Magnuson Products
One supercharger manufacturer looking to make a big impact in the Mustang market is Magnuson Products [(805) 642-8833; www.magnusonproducts.com]. This new 3.1-liter TVS supercharger should could put Magnuson in the mix with the giant twin-screw offerings, but as of yet, it's not available. Magnuson hasn't decided whether to release the 3.1, which would be aimed the Shelby GT500 market as a supercharger upgrade for the factory Eaton. In the meantime, Magnuson does have kits available for '05-up Three-Valves. The company also had an Eaton TVS blower for 351 Windsor applications at PRI. Could you imagine a TVS on a Windsor? That would be ridiculous.  Patriot Performance
Our...  Patriot Performance
Our love for stroker engines is still strong, and Patriot Performance [(888) 462-8276; www.patriot-performance.com] answers the need with this 347 stroker featuring a Scat crankshaft and rods, forged pistons, Patriot's own 185cc Freedom heads, and an Edelbrock Victor Jr. intake. Yep, it's that easy to drop 425 hp between your Mustang's framerails.  Performance Automatic
In...  Performance Automatic
In the Mustang world, we have many transmission choices. When the '05 Mustang was introduced, a five-speed automatic transmission came with it. Thanks to Performance Automatic's [(301) 963-8078; www.performanceautomatic.com] Pro Fit bellhousing system, Fox owners can slide one of these transmissions in the tunnel and connect it to a hallowed 5.0 pushrod engine. The gearing in the 5R55S is close, and you don't lose rpm like with an AOD. We haven't experienced or tried this swap as of yet, but we bet it would be a blast.  Performance Distributors ...  Performance Distributors
A manufacturer specializing in ignition products, Performance Distributors [(901) 396-5782; www.performancedistributors.com] has this new billet distributor for 5.0/5.8-liter engines. This distributor is designed as a performance replacement aimed at higher horsepower engines. The company also had its SOS coils for modular engines at PRI. The Sultans of Spark coils boast increased windings aimed at boosting spark output up to 40,000 volts.  ProCharger
Those of you...  ProCharger
Those of you who read 5.0&SF regularly (shame on you if you don't-Ed.) are familiar with your tech editor's application of ATI ProCharger's [(913) 338-2886; www.procharger.com] race-specific F-1A supercharger to the Two-Valve engine in his wife's '02 Mustang GT-a project that had its challenges, especially keeping the serpentine belt intact when boost gets big. Those enthusiasts interested in bolting F-series ProChargers to their Three-Valve Mustangs now have an easier go at keeping a belt in place thanks to this badass Reverse Cog Race Kit for Three-Valves. The new system is highlighted by a 50mm (wide) cog drive and tensioner combination, and a stout, billet bracket that provides a solid, stable mounting structure for F-1 through F-2 self-contained blowers.  QA1
If your Mustang needs...  QA1
If your Mustang needs to get right in the suspension department, QA1's [(952) 985-5675; www.qa1.net] new single- and double-adjustable shocks and struts are a good start. The single-adjustable shocks and struts have 24 valving options, while the double-adjustables boast a ridiculous 576 valving options. QA1's Drag Race R series features 24 rebound options. These shocks and struts also have a coilover conversion option as well.  Real Street Performance
Our...  Real Street Performance
Our boy Jay Meagher from Real Street Performance [(407) 695-0699; www.realstreetperformance.com] built the car found in Turbonetics' booth. The S197 Mustang features a 427ci Windsor under the hood with twin Turbonetics turbochargers on board. Jay is still tuning on the car, but so far it's made 730 hp at the wheels on just 11 pounds of boost. Of course, there's plenty left, but Jay wants to sneak up on the ragged edge. The car should easily make a 1,000 hp when all sorted out.  Trick Flow
Trick Flow [(330)...  Trick Flow
Trick Flow [(330) 630-1555; www.trickflow.com] has played a huge role in the Mustang's performance popularity with its High-Port heads, the legendary Twisted Wedge head, and now this Powerport billet small-block Ford head. This head is available in any Trick Flow port size and combustion chamber volume.  Weld Wheels
We've loved...  Weld Wheels
We've loved Weld Wheels [(800) 788-9353; www.weldwheels.com] for years. They might as well have been optional from the factory in the Fox days. Weld is still churning out hot wheel designs such as its new V-series spindle mount, and a lug-mount V-series will be available soon. Weld has several new beadlock style wheels on the market for 2010 as well. The RT-S line of forged aluminum wheels fits a large array of Mustang applications and are available with black-anodized centers for that murdered-out look that's all the rage.  Whiteline Flat Out
Returning...  Whiteline Flat Out
Returning to PRI to once again showcase its suspension wares, Whiteline Flat Out [www.whiteline.com.au] showed up with several parts and pieces, but most important to us Mustang guys is the company's S197 Mustang Roll Center kit. This kit uses revised ball joints and tie rod ends to improve bumpsteer and raise front roll center geometry, leading to enhanced handling characteristics.  Wilson Manifolds
Wilson...  Wilson Manifolds
Wilson Manifolds [(954) 771-6216; www.wilsonmanifolds.com] showed off this absolutely monstrous 123mm throttle body and its complementary billet elbow at the 2009 PRI confab. The throttle body is a huge step up from the company's former-largest, 105mm piece, and the 100-degree elbow is designed to flow smoothly into a Dominator-style 4500 intake-manifold flange. This unit is recommended for enormous-boost, EFI applications, and includes a 5-inch V-band coupling that will make plumbing the big tube that is necessary for such setups a breeze.
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