We know that this is going to be hard for you to believe, but sometimes we let something slip by that may not be-well-let's say 100-percent accurate. A few issues ago, we published a couple of stories about naturally aspirated 351-block based street cars from Texas. The owners filled out their tech sheets-just like every owner of a feature car that graces these vaunted pages. When it came time to report the car's horsepower level, we went right along with what the owner had reported, since we have no reason to argue with these good people, even though these two particular owners seem to have embellished their car's true potential.
Since we had no way to prove these guys wrong, without spending a day at the dyno, we gave them the benefit of the doubt. One reader, Mr. John D. Hartman, the owner of the notchback pictured here, wasn't buying the horsepower that the owners claimed. He sent us a lengthy e-mail regarding the two Texas cars and how he didn't believe what we had published. John referenced his own experience with 351-based street cars and his knowledge of what Mustangs run at various weights and power levels, and after a little more familiarization we forgot about the other cars and decided to take a closer look at John's '93 Calypso Green notchback.
John has had a 10-year love affair with his coupe that dates back to the day he first saw it. And, when this car came up for sale, John, who was driving/building/racing a '93 notch of his own, decided this would be his next project. With the basic heads/cam/intake package and a lot of testing, the coupe was running 11.90s at 112 mph while John still drove the car on the street-even with snow tires on the back through tough Indiana winters. We suspect that this time spent in his 5.0 Mustang, as his only transportation, laid the groundwork for the amazing street car into which it evolved. Because, as you will see, John has built a 10.70 rocket ship that rolls down the street with unabashed streetability.
Once John broke a piston in the stock short-block, it was just the excuse he needed to take the car to the next level. John was looking for something mean, and 11-second performance wasn't going to do it for him.
"I wanted a streetable 10-second car," John told us. "I looked at three possible scenerios-big-inch Windsor, supercharging, and turbocharging-to do that, and after I examined the pluses and minuses of each-I went with inches. I've always been an 'all-motor' kind of guy."
And, so it would be. John went to work buying parts and assembling pieces from all over the country. We're not sure who assembled the engine, because on his tech sheet (amongst other semi-amusing diatribes) he wrote "I can't remember" on the line reserved for engine builder. What we do know is that John went with a 428-inch small-block that has a mild 10.2:1 compression-ideal for street gas and good manners at operating temperatures. On top of that rests an induction package from Flow Tech Induction-a house of custom camshafts and cylinder head work that has specialized in the best combinations for street-going 5.0 Mustangs for the last decade. Above all, this is as clean as any show car could hope, but it holds a powerful 10-second secret that most show-car guys could only dream of. We spent a day with John in Indy, watching the car in action, listening to it, and not once did we have to come up with excuses for the car because it wouldn't start, idle, or run at temperature.