Custom Blue '90 Mustang LX With Pete Jackson Heads - Undercover Pop

Horse Sense: Jimmy Boston was a cop for 17 years, but then he went into the private sector chasing cable theft and cheating husbands, among other things. Along with his children, Matthew, Mandy, and Alyson, the job brings him great satisfaction.

Jimmy Boston grew up a Chevy fan. "Sad, but true," says the Arbutus, Maryland, resident. His dad always had Chevys around, so it was natural to follow in his footsteps. "I purchased a new '86 Pontiac Firebird at age 19," he says. Jimmy had just become a police officer at that time, so he had the finances to pull off a buy at such a young age. However, while having a few adult beverages with his fellow officers, one of them told Jimmy about his new purchase, a '90 Mustang 5.0 LX. "He said it was the fastest car he had ever driven and that I had to drive it," Jimmy adds. Like good officers, they found a closed highway where they could put his buddy's words to the test.

Jimmy had driven plenty of stick-shift cars, so it didn't take long for him to get settled behind the wheel. "Pretty soon we were nearing 130 mph, and I was in awe."

Two weeks later, he traded the Firebird for this car at Towson Ford. "It's $14,000 of pure adrenaline," Jimmy says. At first he was scared of the car, but that didn't keep him from driving it hard all the time. "It was impossible to drive slow. The car wanted to run and I wanted to go along for the ride." Finally, he became comfortable-maybe too comfortable while turning onto a little road that had water on it. "The car sawed back and forth until I hit a retaining wall," he says. "So there I was, standing in the roadway with tears in my eyes."

However, Jimmy rebounded and had the car fixed, but not in the normal sense of the word. He had previously owned a black car that had problems, so he reasoned the black needed to go. While working part-time security at a Mitsubishi dealership, he came across a new Conquest TSi painted Bright Blue Metallic. That was the color he wanted, so the car was sprayed in that hue.

"I could've stopped right there," Jimmy says, "but I had the fever." The modifications came one right after another, beginning with a ram-air kit, an H-pipe, underdrive pulleys, and headers. He watched his bank account get smaller and smaller as his Mustang got faster and faster. He thought he had reached the limit until he attended the Ford Nationals at Maple Grove. "The sickness was back," he says. He wanted a show trophy.

Jimmy scoured the magazines and car shows to see what would take his LX to the next level. He learned how to polish metal and pay attention to detail. His most important lesson was learning that chrome is king on the car show field. "My UPS guy and I were on a first-name basis."

Jimmy thought he finally had the car show thing figured out, and he entered his first show. "Man, I didn't know that reality slapped so hard," he says. He didn't win a thing. Thankfully for Jimmy, his friends knew how to win, and they took him under their wings to show him the ropes. He sought advice on presentation and they were happy to oblige. Finally, he won a Second Place trophy, which put him on top of the world-but he still wasn't satisfied. Jimmy wanted his LX to be unique with different styles and parts, but it's hard to stand out in a sea of Mustangs.

Aside from the car show aspect, Jimmy had two problems: One was the fact he didn't have a garage, and the other problem was the car was still his daily driver. Since everyone knew Jimmy was a cop, no one messed with the car, but leaving it parked outside didn't sit well with him.

Getting married brought two incomes, but also the voice of reason; Jimmy's wife wanted a house, so that was first on the list. Fortunately for him, he found "a car guy's dream," a four-car garage with an attached house. With the newfound space, Jimmy's friend Rob Pierpont offered him the sweetest deal we've ever heard. If Jimmy let Rob store his '86 GT-a past 5.0&SF feature car- in his garage, he would paint Jimmy's LX. Seeing Rob's work in person, that's a great deal, and one that benefited Jimmy greatly.

Jimmy and Rob took the car down to its foundation and added a Cervini's Auto Designs Cobra R hood up front and an Ed Quay sheetmetal wing out back. "Rob laid out the Bright Blue Metallic paint like it was glass," Jimmy says. He couldn't have been happier, but Rob wanted to take the paint a step further, adding Caribbean Night Mist down the center of the hood. "Words couldn't express my satisfaction," Jimmy says. But how would the LX hold up in show competition?

Jimmy got his answer at the '03 World of Wheels show in Baltimore, Maryland. Actually, he got two confirmations to let him know he had done well. The first was when a spectator asked permission to use the same color on his '67 Mustang project. The second confirmation was when the LX received a Best in Class trophy. He followed up the World of Wheels success with back-to-back trophies at the Ford Nationals at Maple Grove.

Jimmy's final goal was to see the LX featured in a national magazine, which has now been achieved. However, he has a new goal-to again find a garage for his car. A divorce has left him in a townhouse and the LX under a cover-which is ironic since Jimmy has since left the police force to become a private investigator. Not only is the LX under cover, so is Jimmy.

To keep comfortable, Jimmy added Corbeau TRS seats with RCI harness. For a pleasurable ear-splitting ride, the LX boasts an Alpine head unit, JBL door speakers, Rockford Fosgate dash speakers, and a pair of MTX 12-inch subwoofers in a custom truck enclosure. Driving all this sound is an Earthquake amplifier/ of course, new ACC carpet from Latemodel Restoration, new billet trim form UPR Products. And new paint on all interior plastic pieces helps Jimmy's LX stay ahead of the competition.

Tech Specs

Engine And Drivetrain

Block
Stock 5.0
Displacement
302ci
Rotating Assembly
Stock 5.0
Camshaft
FRPP E303, Pete Jackson geardrive
Heads
Stock E7TEs
Intake
Performance Products polished
Throttle Body
Accufab 70mm
Mass Air
Stock, Dugan Racing ram air
Power Adder
Nada
Fuel System
Stock, adjustable fuel pressure regulator
Exhaust
MAC short-tube headers and H-pipe, Flowmaster twochamber mufflers w/dumps
Transmission
Stock T5, FRPP King Cobra clutch, Hurst shifter
Rearend
Stock 8.8, FRPP 3.55 gears

Electronics

Engine Management
Stock
Ignition
Stock, ACCEL coil, Taylor Performance 409 spark plug wires, Denso Iridium spark plugs
Gauges
Stock, 140-mph speedometer, Auto Meter tach with external shift light, Sun Pro vacuum gauge on A-pillar

Suspension And Chassis

Front Suspension
K-Member
Stock
Control Arms
Stock
Struts
Monroe GTP
Springs
Saleen progressive rate
Caster/Camber
Stock
Brakes
Stock
Wheels
Weld Racing Draglite15x31/2-in
Tires
Kumho 165R15Rear Suspension
Shocks
Monroe GTP
Springs
Saleen progressive rate
Control Arms
Stock
Brakes
Stock drums
Wheels
Weld Racing Draglite 15x7-in
Tires
BFGoodrich Radial T/A 255/60
Chassis Stiffening
Maximum Motorsports weld-in subframe connectors