2003 Ford Mustang Mach 1 - Mach Speed

We've kept you in suspense long enough. The first pass off the trailer netted a jaw-dropping 12.06-second pass at 112.23 mph. Paul then bumped the launch rpm up from 5,000 to 6,000, and, in the process, he triggered off the first-but no doubt not the last-11-second pass ever recorded by an '03 Mach 1: 11.98 at 112.52. These are simply wicked numbers for a naturally aspirated modular with basic bolt-ons. Just to prove the validity of these runs, he then backed them up with a 12.02 at 112.59 mph. Imagine what a power adder would do.

By now it should be fairly obvious the '03 Mach 1 more than lives up to its musclecar heritage. But if you want one, you'd better hurry. It sounds as though only around 6,000 will be built this year, and most, if not all, are already spoken for. And that was before the world heard how quick it is.

One of our first alterations... 

   

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One of our first alterations was bolting on a prototype PHP airbox, which houses a huge conical K&N filter (this box should fit current GTs as well). What we didn't do was mess with the stock mass air meter or throttle body, yet the car was still able to turn an 11-second quarter-mile, further confirming what an outstanding package the Mach 1 represents.

Power To The People
It was obvious from the moment the Mach 1 first belted us in the backside that its new Four-Valve modular is a strong, torquey beast, and this visceral impression was confirmed as soon as it spun up the Dynojet rollers. Mach 1 head and cam packages have been greatly revised from those found in naturally aspirated DOHC Cobras, and the changes favor torque production, as can be seen in the accompanying charts comparing the stock Mach 1 with an '01 Cobra.

The balance of the charts detail output at different stages of our bolt-on frenzy. Note that the PHP airbox/K&N air filter, along with the complete Bassani exhaust, added a whopping 31 hp and 22 lb-ft. But also note the final pull, with the ported intake and underdrive pulleys, came after swapping from the 3.55 to 4.30 axle, which artificially lowered the power figures. A better comparison would have been made had we had time to run these final additions with the stock 3.55 gearset. But, by any standard, these are impressive numbers. It will be interesting to see how the Mach 1 responds to a good supercharger.

		The final underhood bolt-on...        read full caption The final underhood bolt-on was one of PHP's ported and polished intake combos, separated by a 31/48-inch spacer. Unfortunately, the dyno numbers posted after installation of the intake were skewed downward by the fact that we had also swapped to a radically steeper rear axle ratio. Too many things to do, too little time.
	To avoid cutting the factory...        read full caption To avoid cutting the factory tailpipes on removal, the rear axle was lowered and the pipes wiggled out. Shortly thereafter, the entire axle assembly was replaced with one fitted with 31-spline axles, an Eaton Posi diff, and 4.30 gears. Upper and lower control arms were also swapped out, with adjustable uppers installed to perfect pinion angle.