With the brakes and wheels ironed out, Mike got the urge to drive the car more often. Luckily he met Pro Speed Performance's Jeff Harris. Jeff, who now runs Mo Speed in the Atlanta area, was able to get the car running like a dream, turning it around in less than a week so Mike and Ashley could take the car to the NMRA Bowling Green World Finals-in 2006. As time passed, we kept in touch with Mike and Ashley, and were able to shoot the car in the spring of 2007.
During Mike's time with the car, he found a girlfriend, who became his wife; achieved a college degree, uprooted his life for greener pastures in a different state, and now Mike and Ashley are adding a child to their mix.
However, Mike has parted ways with the McLaren. Mike once said he would probably take the car to his grave, but priorities change, and now Mike wants a coupe. He wanted to race the McLaren, but as you can see, the car was just too nice.
Using his life’s savings while...
Using his life’s savings while in college, Dennis Ramsey from Ramsey’s Performance built the engine using the stock bottom end with a custom cam, Trick Flow Track Heat heads, Ford Racing Performance Parts roller rockers, a ’93 Cobra intake, and a Vortech S-Trim supercharger. Even with a loose converter within the Performance Automatic Super Comp C4, the car still put down 443 hp to the wheels. Mike wanted to drag race the car, but getting this car past tech would be like trying to use an elephant as carry-on luggage.
Stock 5.0
Crankshaft Stock
Rods Stock
Pistons Stock
Camshaft Custom ground
Cylinder Heads Trick Flow Track Heat, Ramsey's Performance-ported, and Ford Racing Performance Parts roller rockers
Intake Manifold '93 Cobra, Ramsey's Performance-ported
Throttle Body FRPP 75mm
Mass Air UPR Products
Power Adder Vortech S-Trim, 12 pounds of boost
Fuel System Vortech T-Rex fuel pump, Aeromotive fuel rails, FRPP 42-lb/hr injectors, Vortech fuel pressure regulator and FMU
Exhaust MAC long-tube headers, Bassani Xhaust X-shape crossover and after-cat exhaust
Transmission Performance Automatic Super Comp C4 w/a 2,800-rpm stall converter and an FRPP aluminum driveshaft
Rearend Stock 8.8 w/FRPP 3.55 gears, Moser axles, and an Auburn Pro differential
Electronics
Engine Management Stock computer, SCT tune
Ignition MSD 6AL w/boost retard, FRPP spark plug wires, and NGK spark plugs
Gauges Auto Meter Ultra-Lite
Suspension And Chassis
Front Suspension
K-member D&D Motorsports tubular
Control Arms D&D Motorsports tubular w/Steeda Autosports X2 ball joints
Caster/Camber D&D Motorsports
Struts Tokico Illumina five-way adjustable
Springs Coil-over
Brakes SSBC Force 10 four-piston calipers with 13-in rotors
Wheels FRPP '98 Cobra, 17x8-in
Tires BFGoodrich Comp T/A, 245/40-17
Rear Suspension
Shocks Tokico Illumina five-way adjustable
Springs Stock
Control Arms UPR Products tubular
Brakes FRPP Cobra, 11.65-in rotors
Wheels FRPP '98 Cobra, 17x8-in
Tires Nitto 555R Extreme Drag radials, 275/40-17
Chassis Stiffening Kenny Brown Performance subframe connectors and strut-tower brace