1983 Ford Mustang GT - Turning It Around

Inside the car is a mild-steel, eight-point S&W rollbar that Ricky installed himself. A TCI line lock, a full array of Auto Meter gauges, and a removable steering wheel from an older Fox-body 5.0 Mustang are the standout features. The Pro-5.0 shifter is connected to a Jim Swarr-built, pro-shifted Tremec from Hanlon Motorsports. The clutch and pressure plate are from Ram, and they are contained in a blow-proof bellhousing should the worst-case scenario of clutch integrity come true.

Who would cut up a new '01... 

   

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Who would cut up a new '01 GT to go Pure Street racing? No one we know. Ricky Reynolds picked up a body-in-white GT from Total Performance in Detroit, Michigan, to begin his project. He painted the car black after adding an aftermarket 2.5-inch cowl hood, a Saleen front bumper cover, a junkyard full of trim and interior pieces, and hours of time and effort to get this puppy roaring to life. Ricky's best e.t. has been an 11.32-second pass at more than 123 mph (1.48-second 60-foot time). Not bad for a hydraulic-roller 302 with no power adder and a race weight of 3,200 pounds.

When the car made its debut at the '01 World Ford Challenge, it had something none of Brandon's previous cars boasted-a five-speed. This is his first race car with a stick, and after exorcising his demons last year, he won a southern-style Quick 8 race and runner-up'd a few times at Immokalee Raceway in Immokalee, Florida. His crowning achievement came with a win at this year's Bradenton NMRA race. So far, the car has run as quick as a 6.89 at 200.56 down at the recently repaved Moroso Motorsports Park.

In 1999, Brandon entered into a partnership with Keith Wilson of Wilson Manifolds, which led to the introduction of Nitrous Pro-Flow. So, besides the racing aspect of the car, it also serves as a rolling test bed for future Nitrous Pro-Flow products. To emphasize the car's importance for testing, Brandon says they have tried eight different induction setups on it to aid in product development. As a matter of fact, Nitrous Pro-Flow just finished a nitrous system for the PRO series' Cheap Street class and is always working on new fuel-injection systems.

Brandon plans to sell the car once he gets everything totally ironed out. He wants to have built another RaceCraft car to take advantage of the new Pro 5.0 rules, as he doesn't like the idea of cutting up the existing car to incorporate them. He would like to build a car that allows for the lower roofline and the extended overhang and wheelbase, along with a carbon-fiber body. Before he sells his current car, though, his goal is to get it into the 6.70s at more than 205 mph.

Now that's a fast turnaround.

Big hook is the name of the game if you choose to go heads-up NMRA racing. Getting the power to the ground will win you more races than having the hottest motor but no traction. To that end, Tricky Ricky added Fox chassis four-cylinder springs, a QA1 K-member, and CPL Racing subframe connectors and antiroll bar. Yes, the rear control arms are stock, Fox-chassis units-rare to find on such a capable machine. The 8.8-inch rearend houses a Strange spool, Strange 31-spline axles, and 4.56 gearing. Power comes through an FRPP aluminum driveshaft. Rims are from Bogart, with Goodyear skinnies and Mickey Thompson 26x10-inch slicks (Pure Street class limit). Short times are always in the 1.40s, with big wheelies the norm.