Although this '94 Mustang GT is, in fact, Bright Atlantic Blue, the car actually resides on the Gulf side of The Sunshine State. But there's much more to the story than its unique hue. Chris Olmo of Mustang Motorsports in Fort Myers, Florida, bought the car from one of his customers in the year 2000. Originally green with a 302 and an A-Trim Vortech, the car was temperamental and the customer wanted out. Hence, the two struck a deal and Mustang Motorsports had a new "shop car."
The Cobra R hood from Cervini's...
The Cobra R hood from Cervini's should almost be required equipment for all SN-95 Mustangs, as it blends beautifully with the factory lines. Though fairly inconspicuous, the front-mounted intercooler and the turbocharger's downpipe are visible behind the Cobra bumper cover when viewed from this angle.
Ever the horse whisperer, Chris had the stallion up and running in no time and drove the car for a year in that form before the temptation to modify it got the best of him. This was no weekend project, however. He made big plans and went to work. First, he removed the drivetrain and stripped the car to a bare shell. Then he added Cobra bumper covers, a Saleen S281 spoiler, and a Cobra R-style hood from Cervini's. He finished off the body work and had it painted. Moving onto the suspension, he installed UPR's proven Pro Series suspension in the front and rear, along with Competition Engineering struts and Lakewood shocks.
From the outset, Chris wanted a strong performer but was unwilling to sacrifice streetability so he switched things up a bit and installed a DOHC 4.6-liter Terminator long-block from Kar Kraft in Michigan. Of course, this swap required a new engine harness, computer, even a swap to the newer hydra-boost braking system in order to utilize the modular motor's power-steering pump. All of the factory engine accessories were fully integrated, including the air conditioner!
Following the street/strip theme, the Lentech AOD transmission bridges the gap between street and race by offering precise shifts, a transbrake, and an overdrive gear for comfortable street cruising. Also, it can be shifted manually or automatically using the factory shifter. Meanwhile the 9.5-inch Lentech converter stalls at 3,500 rpm, so it isn't too obnoxious in traffic.
Not long after Chris installed the drivetrain, his friend Mario Castro from Audio Interventions in nearby Estero, Florida, approached him wanting to build something special. As soon as he laid eyes on the Cobra clone he tried to buy it, but Chris was only willing to sell under one condition: once completed, the car would remain a Mustang Motorsports "shop car" meaning that Chris could continue to show and race it to promote his business. Mario agreed, and the two partnered up to finish the build.
The blue coupe's interior...
The blue coupe's interior is stealthy. The Terminator engine/computer swap necessitated a swap to the '03-'04 Cobra gauge cluster and AEM Air/Fuel and Boost gauges were added to the dash bezel. Just below the Alpine CD player, an HKS Electronic Valve Controller was custom molded into the dash by Mario and the crew at Audio Interventions. A factory shifter controls the Lentech Strip Terminator transmission, and the buttons for its electronic overdrive and the locking differential are hidden in plain sight. Leather seats from an '03-'04 Cobra add a touch of class, as do several billet pieces from UPR Products.
Chris completed the project by installing a 76mm turbo kit from Hellion Power Systems. The kit uses a Sniper draw-through mass airflow sensor and a front mounted air-to-air intercooler, which feeds a Sullivan intake manifold. Chris tuned the Terminator ECU using Sniper software and the end result is outstanding. He certainly accomplished his mission of building a strong runner that is completely streetable. Unbelievably, he tossed the keys to your author. I was surprised by how easy it is to drive. You wouldn't hesitate to let Grandma drive it to bingo night, but she'd have a lot more fun with it on grudge night at the local dragstrip!
This Cobra clone made a legit 630 hp to the tire on the load-bearing dyno at Mustang Motorsports at 18 pounds of boost on pump gas. A couple of test hits at low boost yielded eighth-mile times in the 6.30s at 116 mph-and a polite request from the track officials not to bring the car back without a rollcage. Those eighth-mile times indicate 9-second potential in the quarter-mile, which is plenty stout for a full-weight street car with power steering and air conditioning.
At press time, the car was on the prowl rocking 23 psi. Most notably, the blue "Cobra" easily dispatched a certain 9-second Camaro that was recently featured in a Brand C magazine. Visit our website to see this car in action!
Hunkered down on 18-inch Godspeed...
Hunkered down on 18-inch Godspeed wheels, the GT-turned-Cobra looks remarkably innocent for a 9-second brawler. Several "victims" in Southwest Florida have been duped by the car's subdued appearance.
The underbody of Chris and...
The underbody of Chris and Mario's Mustang is crazy clean. The car does a great show-car impersonation with its polished Hellion/Magnaflow exhaust, polished FRPP driveshaft, and powder-coated UPR suspension. Wiring for the Auburn ECTED differential is barely noticeable where it enters the FRPP rearend girdle.
A stock Terminator long-block...
A stock Terminator long-block replaced the original pushrod 5.0-liter engine. A 95mm Sniper mass-air sensor meters air drawn in by the Turbonetics 76mm turbocharger from Hellion Power Systems. Once pressurized, the air is cooled by a front-mount air-to-air intercooler and passes through an Accufab dual-60mm throttle body before entering a Sullivan intake manifold. Custom powdercoated cam covers with Ford Racing coil covers make the swapped engine look factory, while aluminum bits from UPR Products and Moroso add to the underhood look. This simple combination is good for 630 hp to the tire at 18 psi on pump gas.
5.0 Tech Specs
Engine and Drivetrain
Block Stock '03-'04 Cobra
Displacement 281 ci
Camshafts Stock '03-'04 Cobra
Cylinder Heads Stock '03-'04 Cobra
Intake Manifold Sullivan
Throttle Body Accufab Twin 60mm
Mass Air 95mm Sniper mass-air sensor, calibrated for 80-lb/hr injectors
Power Adder Hellion Power Systems 76mm Turbo w/air-to-air intercooler
Fuel System Stock tank w/Twin Ford GT Supercar pumps, -8 fuel line, Sullivan fuel rails, and FRPP 80-lb/hr injectors
Exhaust Hellion, with Magnaflow after-cat system
Transmission Lentech Strip Terminator AOD w/transbrake, Lentech 9.5-inch converter with 3,500-rpm stall speed, factory shifter
Rearend 8.8-in w/31-spline Moser axles, FRPP 3.55 gear, Auburn ECTED differential, and FRPP girdle
Electronics
Engine Management Factory Terminator ECU with Sniper tuning by Mustang Motorsports
Ignition Factory Terminator, with MSD two-step
Gauges '03-'04 Cobra instrument cluster, AEM wideband air/fuel meter, AEM boost gauge
Suspension And Chassis
Front Suspension
K-Member UPR Pro Series
Struts Competition Engineering 90/10
Springs UPR coil-over
Caster/Camber UPR
Brakes Stock, with drilled/slotted rotors
Wheels 18x9-in Godspeed
Tires 275/35-18 Nitto NT555
Rear Suspension
Control Arms UPR Pro Series
Shocks Lakewood 50/50
Springs Moroso Trick
Brakes Stock w/drilled and slotted rotors
Wheels 18x10.5-in Godspeed
Tires 305/35-18 Nitto NT555R Drag Radials
Chassis Stiffening Custom subframe connectors