Despite all its new-found outward beauty, you really need to take a gander underhood to appreciate John Gullet's Pro 5.0 '88 Mustang GT. Your eye will catch a hulking 393ci Windsor, Yates heads, a sheetmetal intake, twin Holleys, and enough nitrous tubing, solenoids, and lines to equip the space shuttle.
Ironically, John's Pro car is almost as fast as the shuttle, with a top speed of almost 180 mph (in the quarter-mile) and a best elapsed time of 8.02. The GT wasn't always a drag-only 5.0--John's parents gave him the car on his 17th birthday (only 10 years ago) to drive back and forth to high school. But we all know how long that lasts. Before he knew it, John was dragging his stallion at local Gainesville Raceway, in Florida. Over the years the GT got more and more radical, with John experimenting with different cylinder heads, short-blocks, and nitrous setups. It wasn't long before the car blasted through the 13s, then the 12s, and eventually down in the low 11s on the juice--all the while still being used as a street car.
At that point, however, the car was on the edge of streetability, and John soon decided that he wanted to play with the big boys of Pro 5.0. The GT got chopped up, with a four-link rear, wheeltubs, a full rollcage, and a hot 302-based nitrous powerplant. Low nines were the norm but, again, John wanted more. He hooked up with Brent Frazier, a professional engine builder from Jacksonville, Florida, and they constructed an alcohol-fed, Enderle-injected 398ci Windsor that had no problem running in the mid and low eights. But the alcohol was illegal for Pro 5.0 and some of the other heads-up 5.0 racing categories. So they knocked around some ideas and came up with the current combination.
Frazier opened up the killer engine crockpot and started stirring. In went an SVO four-bolt 9.5-deck 351 block--professionally machined, of course--to provide a strong foundation. Bill Miller 14:1 pistons and aluminum rods whip around an LA Billet 3.900-inch-stroke billet steel crank, creating 393 ci of angry Windsor. Childs & Albert stainless rings and Federal Mogul bearings finish off the mix. Frazier elected to build a dry-sump oiling system for this radical powerplant, and used a Stef's oil pan, and a 3-stage Weaver external oil-pump.
Serious racers and engine builders know that the real deal horsepower is found in the heads, intake and camshaft. To that end, Frazier didn't skimp at all. Top-of-the-line SVO Yates heads were ported and polished by Jeff Lilley, and house 2.150- and 1.625-inch valves. Comp Cams triple springs get slammed up and down by a Jesel shaft-rocker setup, Manley pushrods, and Comp Cams solid roller lifters. Comp Cams custom ground the mechanical roller cam with plenty of duration (280/305 at .050-inch lift). Jeff Lilley also gets credit for constructing the sheetmetal intake manifold, which is fed by two Holley HP950 carbs!
The remainder of the drivetrain is standard Pro 5.0 fare, including a two-speed 'Glide, a TCI 9-inch converter, Aerospace brakes, an Alston Fab-9 rearend with 4.86 gears, a spool, and 35-spline axles. John prefers to keep the car legal for the Hot Rod Series Super Street class, running on 31x10.5W tires that measure 11.2-inches wide. Although he could probably pick up a good dose of hook with a set of 32x16-inch slicks, John prefers the challenge of trying to run sevens on the 10-inch meats.
We've spent the majority of the space here describing the mechanicals of this rad 5.0 race machine, but the most glaring thing about this GT is its new paint job. Designed, prepped, and sprayed by Paul Holman, the green, purple and silver "ripped" look stands out at any race John chooses to attend. It's gorgeous, and perfectly complements the custom-matched Holman interior upholstery.
As we mentioned in the title of the story, John's goal is to run seven-second quarter-miles on 10-inch tires, and he wants it bad. He's almost reached his goal, posting a bunch of eights at speeds ranging from 176 to 179 mph. The high speed indicates that the narrow slicks are hurting his elapsed time significantly in the first half of the race track, and with adequate traction, this Pro 5.0 GT is capable of easy high sevens. He's already an intimidator on the Pro 5.0 circuit, qualifying at the World Ford Challenge, and winning last year's Stormin' Norman Shootout Quick 8.
But before tackling the heads-up world, John first wants his seven on 10-inchers--and the rest of the Pro 5.0 world will watch to see if he gets there.