This '94 looks like your typical street Mustang GT--set up to look good and run decent. You know--lowered, 17s, big wing, stripes, the whole deal. Most cars set up this way can only manage low-14s in the quarter-mile, because they're built just for cruising, not racing. That's exactly what Brad Christian from Brighton, Illinois, wants you to think.
You see, while Brad's car is not a 9-second mind-blower, it does run deep into the 12s, which is much quicker than what we gave it credit for at first glance. There's no blower whine, no blue bottle hidden anywhere, and nothing outwardly obnoxious that would give it away. As pretty as this thing is on the outside, though, it's under the skin where it really shines.
Brad's goal was to have a fast car that he could drive anywhere. To that end, the engine is warmed-over but not overdone. The short-block is bone-stock, save for ARP head studs, but it carries a Crane/ Wolverine roller cam (279/289 duration, .498/.510 lift). The heads are TFS Twisted Wedge units with minor bowl work and a good valve job, performed by Paul at B&H Speed & Custom in Bethalto, Illinois. BBK equal-length short-tube headers are on the exhaust side, and the induction is handled by an S&B Motorsports air filter, a 77mm Pro M mass air meter, a BBK 75mm throttle body, a ported Cobra intake, and 30-pound injectors. A Crane HI 2000, and PS91 coil light it off.
The trans is a stock T5 with a Hurst shifter with a homemade handle, and it spins a Motorsport aluminum driveshaft. The stock 8.8 rearend was stuffed with a set of 4.30:1 gears, an Auburn Pro differential, Moser axles, and a Strange girdle. Suspending the rear is a set of South Side Machine lift bars, stock springs, and Lakewood 50/50 shocks. The front suspension carries stock coils that have been cut down an inch, as well as Lakewood 90/10 drag struts. The sway bars were removed for maximum weight transfer. Tying the front and rear suspension together is a set of welded-in subframe connectors that are done the right way, through the floorpan, for maximum strength. The wheels are the tried and true (yet still cool) 17x9 Cobra Rs with 275/40-17 rubber in the rear, 245/45-17 in front.
The exterior has been livened up with a Cervini's hood, a Stallion wing, Stylin' Concepts side exhaust kit, and removal of all the stock emblems in exchange for Cobra insignia. The Performance Red DuPont paint is highlighted with a pair of white stripes by Bloomington Auto Body. Inside, the only deviations from stock are pillar-mounted Cyberdyne digital gauges, a shift light, and an Eclipse CD player.
Like we said, we'd guess this as just your typical, low-14- or high-13-second Mustang. But Brad tells us his GT runs high 12s, with a best pass of 12.86 at 106 mph. And since he indeed does drive the wheels off the car, it has successfully met both his goals.