Matt Snow cruises the streets...
Matt Snow cruises the streets of the San Fernando Valley during a visit to SoCal. With nothing more than a Garrett 60mm turbo, a DiabloSport tune, and his company's Boost Cooler water-methanol injection system, Matt's '05 rocked the dyno's rollers with 455 hp and 498 lb-ft of torque at the back tires. From a driver's standpoint, the power surge from 3,000 rpm and upward is phenomenal in this car.
Horse Sense: Water-methanol injection first hit the high-performance scene in World War II when a 50/50 shot of it hiked a fighter plane's horsepower from 1,776 to 2,240. Today, water meth's magic mixture is still 50/50. All-inclusive systems such as Snow Performance's [(866) 365-2762; www.snowperformance.net] Boost Cooler take all the guesswork out of using the chemical 'cooler on supercharged, turbo-charged, or nitrous-injected 'Stangs.
The collective sum of a Mustang's overall makeup-drivetrain, suspension, interior, exterior, and so on-is something we refer to as the total package. Through-out the years, we've seen rides that have blown us away with their composition and performance.
We come across Ponies in person and through the thousands of e-mails we receive from proud 'Stangbangers worldwide. While they're nothing short of "next level" with off-the-scale horsepower, living-room comfort, dripping-wet paint, and the brightest bling imaginable, we also dig it when we come across Mustangs that have simpler attributes but are done in a manner that gives the car a certain touch to really make it appealing.
Matt Snow, owner of the water-methanol injection company Snow Performance, has the type of 'Stang we're talking about. His '05 GT isn't as flashy as a lot of the cars we've encountered, but with its high-gloss Screaming Yellow paint, custom Boss-style stripes, lowered stance, and chrome dubs (20-inch wheels) on all four corners, the Mustang gracing these pages has a clean, ready-for-action look. As you know, having "the look" alone doesn't necessarily seal a feature deal for an attractive 'Stang. In order for us to be really impressed with Matt's GT, we had to see for ourselves that it has muscle to back up its good looks.
Matt accented the yellow with...
Matt accented the yellow with a custom Boss 302 stripe package and MRT's rear-window louvers-all in black.
Muscle is something you shouldn't second-guess if it pertains to Matt in any way. As the former owner of several Southern California fitness centers and with a physique that would give the Incredible Hulk a good run, it's easy to see that Matt takes strength seriously. It's also obvious that his attitude on brawn has been applied to his 'Stang, because once you look beyond its bright paint and bigger wheels, you'll find a Three-Valve engine that's just as yoked as Matt is.
The bulk of Matt's 'Stang's modular muscle is derived from an HP Performance [(505) 623-2555; www.hpperformance.com] MaxTurbo turbocharger system for '05-'07 Mustangs and, of course, Snow's water-methanol injection. Together, and in addition to a custom DiabloSport tune, the duo makes twice the amount of rear-wheel horsepower the Pony left Dearborn with, and more than double the torque.
We had the good fortune of being able to check out Matt's Mustang and experience water-meth-injected turbo power from a driver's perspective when he tossed us the keys and let us play with his deceptive GT on the roads of SoCal's San Fernando Valley. We even blasted down the quarter-mile of the Valley's infamous San Fernando Road. At the time, the car was the first turbocharged street S197 we'd seen in person, let alone had a chance to drive. You can imagine how high our hype levels were when we slipped into the driver seat, turned the engine over, and heard the turbo spool for the first time.
We always meet enthusiasts who want street Mustangs with a lot of power, good looks, and matching comfort. By keeping nearly all of his 'Stang's other attributes original-the exceptions being H&R lowering springs, 20-inch Diablo Delta Force wheels, and Goodyear's big tires-Matt built a Mustang that fits this description to a tee.
While we were out on our awesome ride-and-drive experience, we stopped to take these photos for you. Keep reading to learn more about one Mustang that doesn't have the most outrageous combo we've seen, but it uses what it has effectively.
 We were really impressed with...  We were really impressed with the way the MaxTurbo system fits on and around the untouched 4.6. That's right: with the exception of the turbo, this Mustang's bullet is completely stock, as are the automatic transmission and 8.8 rearend. All of the OEM accessories (power steering, A/C, and so on) have been retained and are fully functional. Matt credits DiabloSport's tune for the awesome driveability. We saw steady 180-degree engine temp during our cruise-with air conditioning blowing ice-cold in the passenger area. |  The water-meth injection setup...  The water-meth injection setup also features this SafeInjection unit. The device monitors the flow of Boost Juice through the system. If flow drops below a safe level, SafeInjection triggers a red light inside the cockpit and its output signal is used to slow ignition timing, bleed off boost pressure, or even switch engine-management maps in the 'Stang's PCM. |  This Garrett 60mm turbocharger...  This Garrett 60mm turbocharger produces 9 psi of boost on the stock trey-valve under the hood of Matt's 'Stang. There's no intercooler with this setup, as Snow Performance's Boost Juice is the cooling agent of choice. Note the bung and spray nozzle positioned at the end of the turbo's discharge tube, just before the throttle body. They're the gateway for water-meth's entry into the turbo's air stream. |