Des Moines resident Derek Rehm wrote to us saying, "I love the magazine and can't wait to read it each month. My car being in [Showcase] would make my day." Derek's just 18 years old and he's had this '02 Laser Red V-6 Mustang since new. "I spend a lot of time taking care of it," he says, "and I've won First or Second Place in my class in the four shows I have entered." The car features a dual after-cat exhaust, a Dashkit.com carbon-fiber 16-piece dash kit, Bullitt brushed-aluminum pedals and door locks, a leather shift knob, a cold-air intake, a black GT hood and sidescoops, a painted rear bumper recess area, factory Mustang foglights, Eibach Pro Kit springs, offset rack bushings, black 18x9 Mustang Bullitt-style wheels, and Kumho Ecsta Supra 712 treads.
Joe Heim owns this '99 Mustang GT, which he has treated to a polished Vortech supercharger, an Anderson Ford Motorsport Power Pipe, a Ford Racing Performance Parts 70mm throttle body, a JMS Racing chip, a Bassani X-pipe, a Flowmaster after-cat, 3.73 gears, BBK subframe connectors, Steeda lowering springs, and an Art Carr shift kit. The body of the GT boasts a Steeda cowl-induction hood and front air dam, a Saleen spoiler and side skirts, Weld Pro Star XP wheels, and R&M Xtreme color flames over the factory black base. The interior has a ton of chrome and billet accessories, Corbeau seats, and Auto Meter Phantom gauges. At the '02 Fords at Carlisle, Joe's GT won First Place in the '94-up modified Mustang class.
Does your Mustang have the right stuff for Showcase? Well, proveit. Send your photos and car descriptions to 5.0 Showcase, 9036 Brittany Way, Tampa, FL 33619. Remember when taking photos to fill the frameand watch out for nonsense in the background. And if you're using adigital camera, crank up the resolution.
Ivan Ramos wanted his Mustang GT convertible to be a well-rounded performer. To that end, he added a Clarion in-dash DVD/MP3/VCD/CD player with a monitor, Pioneer Premier speakers, and JL Audio amps and subwoofers. For performance, he stepped up to a Venom 400 performance control module, a Jet Performance Computer Chip, a K&N filter, Flowmaster mufflers, an MSD ignition, and Eibach Pro Kit springs. To bring the exterior up to par, Ivan added a Saleen Styling bar and Speedster Tonneau Cover, carbon-fiber taillights, and chrome '03 Cobra wheels.
At last count, Ryan Smith told us his '01 GT made 420 hp at the rear wheels, and he's not done yet. "I have modified practically the whole car," he says. He's upgraded the brakes, the suspension, the seats, and the interior, and he's added a Reichard Racing intake, a ProCharger supercharger, and many other items. To make sure the car looks fast sitting still, he added a Cobra R hood and wing. We won't tell you how much Ryan has invested in the car, but you can probably guess the amount is quite hefty.
"I am sending some pictures and a description of my car for you to feature in 5.0&SF magazine," Verona, Wisconsin's Chad Meyerhofer says. Well, Chad, it's not exactly a feature, but how about a Showcase spot? Chad bought this '01 V-6 Mustang off the showroom floor. It's also his first Mustang. "Ever since purchasing this car, I have been in love with Mustangs and have been modifying my V-6," he says. So far, his mods include a cold-air intake, an ASP underdrive pulley and balancer, a '99 GT after-cat with a custom H-pipe, FRPP 4.10 gears and Traction-Lok differential, an FRPP aluminum driveshaft, a TransGo Shift Kit, and a Fordchip custom performance chip. To dress up the exterior, Chad added a GT hoodscoop and foglights, Graphics Express decals and stripes, a Mach 1 chin spoiler and grille-delete kit, Bullitt pedals, and GT wheels. "I get lots of looks and comments from people," Chad says, "and that's always a good feeling."