Custom Roush Mustang - Sticker Shocked

Right off the dealer lot, Roush Mustangs are lookers, but you wouldn't expect the guy who owns Sticker Dude Designs to leave the company car stock. All the body panels are stock-after our shoot he added a Boss Cyberstallion fiberglass hood. What really sets this car off, however, are the dark-silver tribal flames that appear riveted onto the car. The thoroughly modern design is, of course, another example of vinyl mayhem from Sticker Dude.

Horse Sense: Luke promises the next time we see the car it will feature a completely revamped engine courtesy of Fox Lake Power Products. The built 4.6 will include a steel crank, Carillo rods, JE pistons, Fox Lake-ported stock heads, and a Fox Lake P-51 intake manifold topped off with a bigger ProCharger D-1 blower. He is expecting horsepower in the mid-600 range.

You'd have to believe the guy who runs a company called Sticker Dude Designs [(847) 550-7100; www.stickerdude-designs.com] would be a character. He's not quite the long-haired character embodied by the company's logo anymore, but he's a character all the same. Not only are Luke Zoetmulder and his gang of vinyl vandals the masterminds behind the looks on Tim Huston's ASSC Pro 5.0 and Billy Laskowsky's Outlaw rides, but they also do all manner of sticker creations for everything from cars to Jet Skis to motorcycles.

Of course, the sticker business is highly competitive, so Luke has long combined his vinyl work with his speed lust. You see, Luke wasn't born into the sticker business. He was actually a professional tennis player. He had to leave the court to stay home and help his dad recover from back surgery. During that time, he looked for part-time work.

He ended up hiring on at a pinstriping business. Eventually he got the inspiration to strike out and start his own decal business.

Luke borrowed money for the equipment and went to work in a 10x10 office at a Jet Ski shop, where he-obviously-did sticker work for personal watercraft, particularly the racing variety. Luke eventually began racing 'Skis himself, and somewhere along the way, Chris Fishetti, a popular watercraft racer back in the day, dubbed Luke the sticker dude. The name rang true for Luke, and in about five minutes he sketched out his now familiar long-haired logo. He's even gone the lengths of trademarking the name, so he really is the sticker dude these days.

If you've been to an NMRA event or the World Ford Challenge, you no doubt have seen Sticker Dude Designs' wild rig on the manufacturer's midway. The company has become dedicated to serving not only Ford events, but also a wide variety of automotive and other racing events. Of course, any company catering to the car crowd needs a project car, and for Luke the choice was down to an '03 Cobra or a used, 1,009-mile Roush he could get for a song. Knowing he needed a looker, and a car that could appeal to more than just the Mustang crowd, Luke opted for the Stage II Roush Mustang you see here.

Initially, he didn't imagine the per-formance heading in the direction it did.Of course, that happens to all Mustang owners, but Luke did take his time dreaming up the flame job for the car.He went as far as doing half the car like the famous ASSC car with the wild yellow flames, and setting up the other side the way you see it here-obviously that's the way he decided to go. He wanted something classy and unique, and we have to agree the riveted-on flames fit the bill. We suspect with this car out front to lure you in,a lot more of you will get to know the Sticker Dude.

The base Stage II Roush car's only interior upgrades include a dash badge and embroidered floor mats. Options such as leather seating, aluminum pedal covers, white-face gauges, and the lightbar are available, but we'd say Luke took his interior up a couple more stages, thanks to the black Corbeau VX2000 seats with silver inserts, as well as bits from Auto Meter and UPR.

Don't tell anyone, but Sticker Dude also displays at import events, so he wanted a Mustang that could appeal to both crowds. Best illustrating that dichotomy is the 17-inch RaceCraft sheetmetal wing, which is sure to appeal to Mustang guys. Meanwhile, the clear taillights and sponsor stickers are obviously import styling staples.

Luke further upgraded the interior by continuing the Corbeau theme with matching four-point harness belts, which faithfully use the seatbelt holes standard on the VX2000 seats.