You might say we have a non-discrimination policy here at 5.0&SF. To the point, we don't discriminate against road racers, street machines, show cars, or drag stars. We don't discriminate against do-it-yourself homebuilts, checkbook rides, or anything in between. Fact is, we think there's room for all the above in our chosen field of interest, recognizing that what works for one person may simply not work for another. Different interests, incomes, skill sets, and disposable time are the root of the many variations we see played out on a regular basis. In the end, we all share one important thread-an appreciation for high-performance Mustangs.
With the above being said, we do admit to having a soft spot on a couple of counts. For one, we're big fans of cars being driven-well duh, so better said, driven hard. We respect the guy or gal who builds a car so nice it ends up on the show field rather than the street or track, but it's not what gets us truly excited. Second, we hold in particular high esteem the few individuals who can do it all. Better yet is the individual who does more than just turn the wrench on a bunch of bolt-ons, instead putting significant talent to work and thinking outside the box. Such is the case with Justin Rezentes and his '92 notch.
Justin got his first taste for Mustangs through his brother and friends during formative years in Hawaii. After enjoying a '91 GT of his own in paradise, Justin moved to Oregon for a job in the computer industry and soon found himself with the LX seen here, albeit in far less pristine condition.
Bolt-ons provided typical 5.0-liter fun, and it wasn't long before Justin hooked up with John Dewar and his Krazy Koncepts shop in Beaverton. Justin moonlighted in John's shop, helping build customer cars, all the while mulling over plans for a major rehash of the '92.
Eventually Justin decided to go with a Four-Valve modular-in part to be different, in part because he likes their sewing machine smooth performance potential. Initially the plan was to perform a Terminator conversion, but "after assembling about 95 percent of the necessary parts, I became convinced a turbo was the way to go." With John and his own skills readily at hand, Justin plunged in with enthusiastic abandon.
The basis for motivation is a fresh '01 Cobra 4.6, fortified with Scat rods and SRP blower pistons. Receiving only mild port work, the top end retains the stock cams. Decidedly not stock is the turbo setup Justin put together using '03 Cobra manifolds, a Master Power T70 turbo, a JGS wastegate, a blowoff valve, and plenty of trial and error fabrication. If it was only as easy as it sounds!
While the Cobra engine was perfectly capable of handling the expected 15-20 pounds of boost with little more than rods and pistons, not so capable was the factory fuel system. Justin sumped the tank and assembled a high-flow system using components from MagnaFuel, Aeromotive, and Precision Turbo. Likewise, the EEC IV hit the road in favor of a Big Stuff 3 tuned by John, with the results on a pump-gas tune being 604 horses and 668 lb-ft at 16 psi.
As rewarding as these numbers are, Justin also made a point of making the underhood package just as impressive in appearance. To that end, "I spent countless hours welding, smoothing, and making patch panels for every hole in the engine bay." The predominance of wiring was also located out of view, leaving nothing to distract from the impressive turbocharged, DOHC V-8. The combination is modular-smooth, belying the power potential under Justin's right foot.
Black and white proves to...
Black and white proves to be a simple and effective color combination throughout this '92, with the interior clearly leaning to the dark side. Deviations from stock include a Competition Engineering cage, and Florida 5.0 gauge cluster, filled with enough Auto Meter Phantoms to help track the comings and goings of the 600-horse effort.
In addition to the high-tech 4.6, Justin tapped the modern Mustang parts bin for other critical mechanics. Chief among them is an '03 Cobra T56, augmented by a steel flywheel, SPEC clutch, and custom driveshaft. Ever popular and competent Cobra five-lug brakes provide plenty of grip with help from drilled/slotted rotors and Hawk pads, while a Cobra Hydraboost resolved clearance issues generated by the mod motor.
But Justin's mantra of a hands-on approach didn't end when the mechanical components were finished. Jase Saragena, a friend and painter from Hawaii, flew in to lead the body and paint effort in the confines of Justin's home garage. A color change from the original Calypso Green to Oxford White was achieved using base/clear PPG products. New quarter-window moldings, HID headlights, and a 3-inch Harwood cowl hood all add to the completely freshened exterior, not to mention the 9- and 10.5-inch-wide FR500 replica rims.
When we got together to capture these images, Justin's '92 had been finished for about a year, and already he has plans to revise it significantly. "Well, a car is never really done ... after I run it a couple of times at the track with the T56, I've got a Turbo 400 automatic that I'm going to swap in, which should limit parts breakage, and I plan to upgrade to a 76mm turbo and electronic boost controller."
In the meantime, when the weather is nice in the Pacific Northwest, Justin enjoys rolling with his buddies in his local car club, Sikkreations. It's an apt name for a car such as Justin's-a clean, turbo-mod Fox is certainly one sick creation.
Think Justin made the right...
Think Justin made the right choice by going turbo? Well, 604 hp and 668 lb-ft on pump gas is plenty impressive for 284 cubes and stock cams. We dig the super-sanitary underhood view!
'01 Cobra aluminum, 0.020 in over
Displacement 284 ci
Crankshaft Cobra forged
Rods Scat
Pistons Forged SRP
Camshafts '01 Cobra
Power Adder Custom turbo kit w/MP T70 turbo, JGS 50mm wastegate and 56mm BOV, manual boost controller
Cylinder Heads '01 Cobra
Intake Manifold '01 Cobra
Throttle Body '01 Cobra
Fuel System Sumped tank; MagnaFuel pump, filters, and regulator; Aeromotive rails, 60-lb/hr injectors
Exhaust '03 Cobra manifolds, MAC Pro Chamber, Magnaflow mufflers, and Flowmaster 3-inch tailpipes
Transmission '03 Cobra T56 w/SPEC Stage 3 clutch, steel flywheel, and MGW shifter
Rearend 8.8 w/3.27 FRPP gears, FRPP 31-spline Traction-Lok, and Moser axles
Electronics
Engine Management Big Stuff 3
Gauges Auto Meter Phantom
The LX's grocery getting days...
The LX's grocery getting days are clearly over, so why not fill the trunk with really important stuff? A thumper stereo and rear-mounted battery show the range of Justin's priorities.
Kenny Brown tubular
Control Arms QA1 tubular
Springs Coilover
Struts KYB
Caster/Camber Pro3i
Swaybar '95 GT
Brakes '03 Cobra rotors/calipers, '95 spindles, Hawk pads, Cobra Hydraboost
Wheels 17x9-inch FR500 replica
Tires Riken 245/45ZR-17
Rear Suspension
Springs Eibach
Shocks KYB
Control Arms Tubular upper and lower
Brakes '95 Cobra
Wheels 17x10.5-inch FR500 replica
Tires Mickey Thompson ET Streets 275/40-17
Chassis Stiffening Custom subframe connectors and Competition Engineering eight-point rollbar