Like most hard-core enthusiasts, we don't have a lot of patience for people who baby their collector cars. Fortunately, Raymond Lee is not one of those people. He's managed to rack up 250,000 miles on his '90 Saleen Mustang.
Lee bought the car in October of 1990 at Drew Ford in San Diego, California, back when he was in the Marine Corps--and you could say this pony has been through the war and survived. The original 302 was good for the first 170,000 miles. Then Lee, who now lives in Phoenix, had Mike Everett of Engine Specialists build a 351 Windsor for him.
Everett topped off the '96 motor with a GT-40 intake manifold and a set of Edelbrock aluminum heads with 2.02/1.60 stainless valves. A Ford Motorsport F303 roller cam (.512-inch lift, 226-degree duration at .050) and a set of stock lifters tell the Crane pushrods when to nudge Crane 1.7:1 rockers.
Lee wanted to make sure the 351 gulps plenty of air, so he had Everett install a Vortech A-trim supercharger that produces seven pounds of boost. Since air's no good without fuel, the motor also received 30-pound injectors, and a 190-liter fuel pump keeps the gas coming. More good stuff coming in means more exhaust going out, so the high-mileage car exhales through Ford Motorsport 15/8-inch short-tube headers, JBA after-cat exhaust and H-pipe, and DynoMax mufflers.
Lee keeps a handle on things via a Hurst shifter, hooked to a stouter-than-stock five-speed from Ford Motorsport. It resides behind a Centerforce dual-friction clutch, and in front of an SVO driveshaft and 8.8 Traction-Lok rear that's home to 3.73 gears.
Lee sobered up the suspension on this car, too: Konis all around, Eibach springs up front, Hotchkis rear upper and lower control arms, and donor parts off a '95 GT rear suspension. Stiffening comes from JBA subframe connectors, a Saleen K-member, inner and outer seam braces, plus torque box braces. Cobra R 17-inch rims are dressed in BFGoodrich 275/40-17 rubber. A pair of '95 Cobra 13-inch brakes up front, plus Saleen '86 SVO brakes in the rear, bring things to a quick stop.
The Saleen interior is home to FloFit seats and Auto Meter gauges, as well as an Alpine stereo that can overpower the music this Mustang makes, whenever Lee is so inclined.
While the motor makes 405 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque--both at 4,000 rpm--Lee wants more. He plans to swap to Vortech's T-trim blower and back it up with an AOD automatic in the near future. Obviously, Lee has no plans to retire Saleen No. 90-123 anytime soon. And so, the question remains: Just how far can it go?