photographer: E. John Thawley, III
When we first spied John Siderfin's '86 GT at a major Mustang show in Seattle, we knew we were onto something good. The big crowds were a predominantly vintage bunch--with a decidedly street orientation to boot. We could almost imagine the comments. "Hey, Martha, look at those funny Volkswagen tires on the front of that orange Mustang." In short, John's GT seemed a bit overlooked--out of its element--until we came drooling around. What we discovered is one of the finest square-light cars going--a 10/10 effort if there ever was one.
For those who appreciate the clean lines and subtle graphics of the '85-'86 GTs, this one's for you, baby! John's affinity for the era is obvious, and a search for the perfect beginning point was eventually found in this formerly Canyon Red hatchback. While the original intent was to build a modest street car, things got out of hand in a hurry. John soon had the GT completely disassembled and stripped to the bone. He turned the car over to Rich City Collision for a gorgeous Sikkens three-stage topcoat in '92 feature-car red--a hue bright enough to garner almost as much attention as the din of serious horsepower under the hood. Throw in a set of sparkling big and littles from Weld Racing, and the visual result is a veritable knockout.
In many respects, John's work is similar to what goes into the best vintage restorations. NOS Ford pieces abound, including all new glass and nearly every exterior trim piece. Only a perfectionist would replace the doors because of some light surface rust hidden along the bottom edges, but that's exactly what happened. Swinging those doors ajar reveals the same appreciation for factory aesthetics that's so obvious on the outside. The original sport seats, dash, and door panels remain in pristine condition, while the myriad of panels were redyed for a like-new look. Of course, nothing from Dearborn came with the kind of instrumentation to help support more than 700 hp, so a full complement of Auto Meter gauges were added to help monitor the engine vitals. An absent rear seat and a hatch-mounted battery help trim and redistribute a bit of weight, though a few pounds were conceded to finish the area with a custom-sewn carpet.
But the little touches are what separate this '86 from the 9/10s material. Many a hack would've simply removed the door-mounted armrests that interfered with the six-point rollbar by Pro Gas Engineering, but John carefully cut the pieces for clearance and then had them recovered in a factory-like material. By thinking ahead and studying available components, he has also managed to tastefully coordinate the colors and finishes from stem to stern. Such a philosophy doesn't cost any more than throwing together a color palate of parts, but the end result makes a world of difference. A shining example of this line of thinking can be found under the hood, where you'll find nary a wire out of place. What isn't painted is powdercoated. What isn't powdercoated is polished. What isn't polished is ceramic coated. What isn't ceramic--well, you get the idea.
Although this GT can go toe to toe with anything on the show field, it'll trash nearly everything that's likely to turn up on the streets of John's hometown of Richmond, British Columbia. John explained that the car's somewhat docile look actually draws regular stoplight challenges--rather mind boggling when you consider the sounds that emanate from the Flowmasters.
No question about it--you'd better bring plenty to the table if you're hoping to outgun 25 psi of Vortech-boosted stroker small-block. The stout 331-inch Windsor was assembled by Bliss Performance of Spana-way, Washington, while the World Castings cylinder heads were treated to a serious workover at the hands of Air Flow Research's John Haskle. The iron castings now sport a 2.08/ 1.60 valve combination and reportedly flow 328 cfm on the intake side and 242 cfm for the exhaust--at 0.700 inch lift.
Street miles are the sole reason for the rock-hard BFG rubber shown in our photos--28x10.5 Mickey Ts will hitch a ride to the track in the hatch. If you caught the operative word will, we're using it because an e.t. has yet to be established for this thrill ride. We'd hoped to have some numbers for you before going to press, but John has gone back to the shop for a few more drag-worthy upgrades--a 10-point cage, a Wolfe Racecraft rear suspension, and Wilwood discs. Now we'll have to wait for the Canadian winter to thaw before getting to see this car hang its wheels on the 1,320. Could there be a better reason to look forward to summer?
Horse Sense: Why does Siderfin’s GT look better than new? Sharp eyes will notice the exterior trim has been changed from the dull factory gray to a matte black, including the painted hood stripe (the original was a decal). Body-colored rub moldings and headlight buckets further a super-clean appearance, but the biggest contributors are apt to be the premium Swedish paint products and first-class workmanship.