During the years, the modest modifications have turned this GT into an eye-catching street profiler that does most of its damage at local car shows. Out of 29 events to date, Michael has made off with 19 First-Place wins. And the car's fun to drive too, courtesy of some well-chosen hardware installed by the crew at nearby Brad's Custom Auto.
For visual impact, Michael would have been hard-pressed to choose a better color out of the factory palate. With the Bright Red hue going for him, a few easy bolt-ons began to separate this one from the crowd. A Dugan's rear wing, an '83 GT hoodscoop, body-colored mirrors, and 17x8.5-inch Borbet wheels are the main players, while Maier sport springs help bring it together with the all-important ride height.
What could look better with...
What could look better with a red topcoat than a factory red interior? The cockpit of Michael Pamin-tuan's GT ups the ante a bit with a B&M shifter for the AOD, Saleen white-faced gauges, and an Alpine CD system with 10-inch sub box. A chrome Hooker four-point rollbar is next on his to-do list.
But enough of the cosmetic stuff. What makes this car fun when the show is done? The number-one contributor is undoubtedly the Paxton SN-93 blower, which is the lone engine modification save for a set of MAC equal-length headers. A Bassani X-pipe and a Flowmaster after-cat system account for a bit more grunt and growl, while a 155-lph pump and Paxton regulator assure the proper amount of fuel gets to the force-fed powerplant.
Chassis upgrades consist of Global West engine compartment bracing and caster/camber plates, Factory Five upper and lower control arms, Koni struts and shocks, and the aforementioned progressive coils. Yokohama AVS Intermediates stick it all to the road, while the stock brakes have been augmented with Hawk friction surfaces front and rear. Yep, by any reasonable accounting, Michael Pamintuan's '90 GT truly runs, drives, and looks better than new.
The interior may not be the...
The interior may not be the first place most enthusiasts lay out their cash, but it's a smart idea when you consider how much time is spent here. When Michael Koehnen plants himself inside, he feels the security of Corbeau buckets and Schroth three-point harnesses, while banging gears comes by way of a Pro-5.0 shifter. Auto Meter gauges monitor the engine vitals, though in addition to functionality, the cabin sports a few items that are strictly for visual and aural enjoyment-including custom carpet and rollbar padding, carbon-fiber trim overlay, and an Alpine stereo system
One of the great things about the automotive hobby is that it has something for everyone. Some are into the show thing, others are all about the go thing, and then there's everywhere in between.
Whereas Michael Pamintuan's '90 beauty leans toward the show-and-shine end of the spectrum, Michael Koehnen's '89 is a couple notches further up the performance ladder. Still, go-faster cars usually want the looks too-thus the Dugan rear spoiler, cowl hood, and OZ wheels. Raising the 'glass lid reveals a spotless and modified 5.0, though without the flashy details of its red counterpart. The original short-block remains, topped by ported factory heads that take their valvetrain cues from a B303 cam and Cobra roller rockers. A Vortech A-Trim leads off the intake side of things, feeding a BBK 70mm throttle body and an Edelbrock Performer intake. Additional fuel is supplied by a 190-lph pump and pressure regulator, while the products of combustion are swept away through BBK equal-length short-tubes and original pipes.
Michael originally began beefing his car for an occasional foray on the parking lot of an autocross, though these days the car is used predominantly for street enjoyment. Chassis mods help in both arenas, and include urethane bushings, Eibach springs, Monroe struts and shocks, Hotchkis caster/camber plates and control arms, and a Panhard bar. Of course, the flexible Fox platform had to be shored up to get the most out of the handling hardware, so BBK subframe connectors and a Dugan six-point rollbar got the nod as well. As sweet as it looks, Michael Koehnen's '89 may not be better than new in every cosmetic sense, but it surely captures more attention and is way more fun to drive some 12 years later.