Alex Domingez used to own one killer drop-top. A triple-white '92 GT convertible pumped up with all the latest performance upgrades. The car was capable of running 11.30s at 127 mph all day long on drag radials, but the lack of a rollbar would only allow a single 11-second run before getting kicked off the track. So Alex made plans to have Chassis Craft in Jacksonville, Florida, install one of its eight-point rollbars. However, on the trip from his Altamonte Springs, Florida, home, the trailer the GT was riding on experienced a malfunction, sending itself and the GT flipping down the highway. Needless to say, the GT was done. Alex says the convertible was so nice it even looked good wrecked, but alas, a replacement had to be found.
Jake LaMotta and Jay Meagher of LaMotta Performance in Longwood, Florida, found this '87 LX in a junkyard and performed most of the work on the coupe. Although the former Florida state trooper car had definitely seen better days, it was found to be a suitable replacement. The first order of business was to strip the coupe and send it to Samuels Auto Body in Sanford, Florida, to be straightened out. Once the panels were free from ripples, Brad Samuels mixed up and sprayed a batch of top-secret, three-stage, custom candy blue. The coupe then made the same trip that cut short the life of the GT to Chassis Craft in Jacksonville (probably on a new trailer) for an eight-point rollbar.
Once back at LaMotta's shop, the complete drivetrain from the GT was transferred to the coupe. The engine combination consists of a '68 302 block punched out to 306 ci, with TRW pistons being the only other deviation in the short-block. Providing lungs for the small-block is a pair of GT-40X aluminum heads treated to a port job and topped off by a set of FRPP 1.6 rockers.
Actuating the X-head's 1.94/1.54 valves is a Comp hydraulic roller. An Edelbrock Performer RPM intake ported by Central Florida Motorsports resides up top with 36 lb/hr injectors and Incon Systems fuel rails, fed by a Paxton Kamikaze fuel pump. A Pro-M 77mm mass air meter reads incoming air while an Anderson Ford Motorsport Power Pipe feeds the star of the show--a Vortech T-Trim capable of pushing 15 pounds of boost. A mix-and-match exhaust system includes Hedman long-tube headers, a custom H-pipe, DynoMax Ultra-Flo mufflers, and MAC tailpipes. An FRPP radiator keeps the Mustang cool in the Florida heat with help from an Incon Systems radiator-hose kit.
Being part of the convertible's drivetrain, a Tremec 3550 also easily made the transition to the coupe. If the tranny could talk, we're sure it would say it likes its new, lighter surroundings. A Pro-5.0 shifter is the gear-changer of choice, while a Zoom Kevlar clutch helps connect the power to a 3.55-geared 8.8 rear with help from a FRPP aluminum driveshaft. Moser 31-spline axles reside within the axle tubes and are spun via an Auburn Pro differential.
Suspension mods remain dangerously minimal, especially at the rear where they're needed most. Up front it's a different story. A tubular K-member and front control arms provide weight savings and added clearance, while a pair of Lakewood 90/10 coilover struts work to transfer the weight rearward. The rear suspension, as mentioned, is scary stock, with only the addition of an Energy Suspension bushing kit and Hotchkis lowers. For this reason, Jay Meagher won't get behind the wheel until this issue is further addressed. Stock brakes don't help the situation either.
At least the Weld skinnies and wides give it an aggressive street stance. Interior mods are limited to the aforementioned rollbar, an Auto Meter boost gauge, and an MSD shift light.
When the smoke and bondo cleared, Alex's coupe churned out 585 hp and 552 lb-ft of torque--enough for a best time of 10.60 at 132 mph, with Jay doing his best to keep the coupe off the wall. With more attention paid to the rearend (upper control arms, shocks, something) the coupe would no doubt be able to do the quarter-mile happy dance in the 10.30 range, all the while still maintaining excellent street manners. Considering the shape the coupe was in before the transformation and looking at it now, there may just be hope for Editor Turner's bucket of bolts (sitting behind the shop) after all.
Horse Sense: Alex owns his own sandwich shop called Alex's Cuban Cafe in Longwood, Florida. His specialty is Cuban sandwiches with black beans and rice--so good they'll make you wanna slap your momma.