The Boss 347 delivers 404...
The Boss 347 delivers 404 hp to the rear wheels. James can boost this figure by 150 with a shot of nitrous. Torque is 375 lb-ft max and 572 "when we sprayed it." James has since added a Hellion single turbo, which boosted the Fox beyond 700 rwhp before it asked for a new engine.
The LX recipe was simple: 400 rwhp in a fast street car with amenities like A/C and heat. James knew Chris Carroll as a formidable racer and builder in the area. Boring and stroking a Ford Racing Boss 302 block, Chris built a naturally aspirated 347 with "good compression (10.6:1), a decent cam (custom grind), and good heads (AFR 205s)."
Chris calls this 347 "a proven combination that we've done several times" and one that "seems to be the one making the numbers." The build met James' horsepower expectations, as the dyno showed 404 to the rear wheels and 375 lb-ft of torque. Chris says this power makes the LX a solid 11-second quarter-mile car, say 11.40s, and low 10s on nitrous. "With the 150-shot, we made a hair over 520 and 542 on torque," he added.
James restored the interior...
James restored the interior to stock. The TKO 600 five-speed manual mixes a set of 4.10 gears and a Traction-Lok in an 8.8-inch rear axle.
The full specifications on the LX reveal a highly customized '93 model. Yet, the car still looks like a vintage LX. Meanwhile, the Shelby is virtually a stock ride except for "monstrous" power and the few suspension upgrades. "When they were putting the [turbocharger] kit on, I had them put on the BMR rear adjustable suspension components-the lower control arms and the Panhard bar," James said.
The Shelby gets its awesome power from the stock supercharged 5.4, compound-boosted by Hellion's twin 61mm turbos with intercooler and supporting mods. "I opted to keep the blower on," James said. "A lot of people argue to take the blower off, but with the turbos feeding into a supercharger, the car is a monster." Meanwhile, the whir and purr of the 5.4 at idle is misleading. "You drive that car and don't put your foot in it, it's just like driving a stock GT500," James elaborated.
"I had been watching the market...
"I had been watching the market forever," James said of his search for a new Shelby GT500. New Shelbys sold for more than sticker. James was patient and got a good deal on a new GT500 in Grabber Orange, the color he wanted. James got to work modifying the Shelby right away. He said, "Within 700 miles I had already put a pulley on it, tuned it, did the intake, and put a C&L on it. And the car was great, it was fun, but...
Both cars are in a constant of upgrading. James calls them "ongoing goals." He just might get as much fun planning and dreaming of what the next mods might be as he does from lighting the firepower at his disposal today. He's already talking about a T76 Hellion turbo kit with a tubular K-member on the LX, and he's trying to decide whether or not to go to coilovers all around on the Shelby ...
5.0 Tech Specs
'93 Mustang LX
Engine and Drivetrain
Block Ford Racing Boss 302
Crankshaft Eagle chrome-moly
Rods Eagle chrome-moly H-beam
Pistons Probe forged
Camshafts Custom grind (trade secret)
Power Adder NX Nitrous Kit, 150 shot
Cylinder Heads AFR 205
Intake Manifold Edelbrock EFI Spyder w/Pro-M mass air, 70mm Professional Products throttle body
Exhaust BBK 1 3/4-in long-tube headers, MAC Prochamber (modified), DynoMax mufflers dumped over the rearend
Transmission TKO-600 with SPEC Stage III clutch and FRPP aluminum driveshaft
Rearend 8.8-inch w/4.10 FRPP gears with a 31-spline Traction-Lok and Moser 31-spline axles
What's a Hellion compound-boosted...
What's a Hellion compound-boosted Shelby GT500 without a set of True Forged Chicane wheels? They measure 20x9 in front and 20x10 in the rear. James plans a return to the Texas Mile in Goliead, Texas, in his Shelby GT500. He said, "There is no doubt in my mind that as the car sits it can pull 200 mph."
MSD Digital 6
Gauges Stock
Chassis and Suspension
Front Suspension
K-member Stock
Struts Lakewood 70/30s
Springs Stock
Brakes Baer Brakes, 13-in rotors
Wheels True Forged Victory, 18x7-in
Tires Nitto 235/35-18
Rear Suspension
Shocks Stock
Springs Stock
Brakes Baer Brakes, 12-inch rotors
Wheels True Forged Victory, 18x10.5-in
Tires Nitto 305/35-18
James wanted more power for...
James wanted more power for his Shelby, and turned to Hellion Power Systems for more boost. "We slapped that turbo kit on there-twin 61mm turbos-and made monstrous power," he said.
Stock iron-block
Crankshaft Stock forged-steel
Rods Cracked forged-steel I-beams
Pistons Stock
Camshafts Stock
Power Adder Hellion Turbo Systems twin 61mm turbos with intercooler, Abaco DBX MAF, stock Eaton supercharger
Cylinder Heads Stock aluminum
Intake Manifold Stock cast-aluminum
Fuel System Stock with 80-lb/hr fuel injectors
Exhaust Stock cast-iron manifolds with no mufflers
Transmission Stock TR-6060 six-speed manual
Rearend Stock 8.8-inch with 3.31 Traction-Lok
Electronics
Engine Management
Ignition Stock coil-on-plug
Gauges Stock
The Shelby retains the stock...
The Shelby retains the stock GT500 interior with a few notable exceptions.
Stock, modified with BMR adjustable upper and lower control arms and Panhard bar
Struts Reverse-L independent MacPherson strut
Springs Stock
Brakes Brembo 14-in vented and crossdrilled disc
Wheels True Forged Chicane, 20x9-in
Tires Nitto 265/35-20
Rear Suspension
Shocks Stock
Springs BMR lowering springs
Brakes Baer Brakes, 12-in rotors
Wheels True Forged Chicane, 20x10-in
Tires Nitto 305/35-20