OK, so you saw the April cover about this being an Xtreme Street 'Stangs issue. And, you bought the magazine because you want to see a nasty street car. Well, if you still want more Xtreme Street 'Stangs I have something for your $4.99! Not only does Chad Schieler, a 23-year-old Radio Shack store manager from Indianapolis, Indiana, have one sharp-looking, streetwise Saleen, but it's also a modular-motored 600rwhp freak on the street! Better than that, at the time of this writing, this is the fastest stock-headed, stock-intake, Two-Valve modular Mustang in the world. Here's the story.
Chad had always been into motorcycles-even raced them for a few years-then, as do most motorcycle racers, he had a serious accident. The bikes went away, and Chad was looking at his next toy. He went into a local dealership in 2002, looking for a special Mustang. What he found was a brand-new '01 Saleen that the dealer wanted to move. When $34,500 changed hands, Chad had a Saleen. From that point on, it was your basic Mustang story, with simple bolt-on parts giving way to more complex modifications, to the point that major engine reengineering was required.
Here's how Chad summed up his own story when asked what happened next. "I bought the car in June 2002 and kept it stock for about a year and a half. In November 2003, I started looking at all the modifications I could do to it. It all started with a MAC cold-air-induction kit. Since Kenny Brown Performance is local to me in Indy, I had them do a few things to the suspension-caster/camber plates, strut-tower brace, and subframe connectors. Toward mid-December, I bought the Paxton Novi 2000 from Modular Power House (Atlanta, Georgia) and installed it by Christmas. After the kit, the car made 393 hp and 375 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheels. A couple months later, I decided that wasn't enough, so I called Modular Power House for advice. I told them I wanted 500 rwhp. So, on their recommendation, I had them build a short-block, add some cams, and a couple of other minor things. I had originally asked for some off-the-shelf cams, but Tim said they were working on a custom cam grind. I was really glad I waited the extra couple of months for the cams, because when Tim called me and told me the car made 598 rwhp, I couldn't believe it! I was pumped up! I went to pick up the car a week later, and while I was there, we strapped it on the dyno. This time, the car made 601 hp and 498 lb-ft at the tires. From what Tim has told me, and as far as I know, this is the most powerful stock-intake, stock-headed, Two-Valve modular Mustang to date. The car has been running strong for the last few months, but I will be taking a trip to Modular Power House in the spring to get a few other parts, including a nitrous kit. A special thanks to Tim, Andy, and Rhonda at Modular Power House for all of their hard work and excellent customer service."
What Chad didn't tell you was that he really couldn't work on cars when he started messing with the Saleen. So, he spent months of research studying old issues of 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords magazine as well as several hours a day on Mustang-specific Internet message boards gleaning knowledge from those who had similar combinations to the one he was interested in. But, once you put yourself in the position of working on your own car-as when Chad bought his Paxton blower kit-you force yourself into learning how to work on it. Now, Chad has no problem swapping out his own transmission, building a fuel system, or installing blowers. He admits that Tim from Modular Power House helped him out a great deal, but it was Chad spinning the wrenches during those moments of truth.