2012 Mustang GT - 'Nine Lives

One of the baddest Mustang to ever prowl the streets of Woodward was the Boss 429. Only 1,358 of these muscle stars were built between '69-'70. That was just enough to get the hulking motor approved for NASCAR competition. Better yet, the Boss Nine engine spread the modified shock towers on a demure Mustang with out a lot of styling fanfare. This Bruce Banner facade hiding a rumbling Hulk underhood made these cars legend.

When it comes to fighting a villain like pediatric cancer, having some legendary support is a great idea. That's what Galpin Auto Sports had in mind when the SPX Corporation (www.spx.com) tapped them to produce a one-of-a-kind Mustang to auction off to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. SPX has a history of supporting St. Judes, and at this past January's Barrett-Jackson auction, the company auctioned off a special FR500S from Miller Motorsports Park. That car benefitted St. Jude to the tune of $175,000.

"St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is an organization whose contributions to finding a cure and saving children with pediatric cancer is immeasurable," said Ted Mengiste, director of Galpin Auto Sports. "So when GAS got the opportunity to work with SPX to build a car that would be auctioned off by Barrett-Jackson to benefit St. Jude, it was an easy response for usù'When do we start?' We were and still are excited about the opportunity to build this exceptional vehicle for an exceptional organization that benefits children with devastating health issues."

Of course when you are trying to generate excitement and the resulting revenue for a charity, you want to bring something pretty special to the stage. As such, SPX set out to have a street car like none other built. That's where GAS comes in. As the performance and custom arm of the massive Galpin family of car dealerships, Galpin Auto Sports has built more custom Mustangs than we can count. What they all have in common is they are the kinds of cars that fit well in a magazine. They are the cars guys dream of building. Still, when you've been at the custom car game for a while, out-doing yourself can be a challenge.

"The Boss 429 Mustang is an Iconic American Muscle car that symbolizes strength and power. These Boss 429 attributes, coupled with courage and determination are driving forces in the fight against the catastrophic diseases St. Jude confronts on a daily basis," Ted explained. "This led the team at GAS to choose the Boss 429-themed Mustang to be a symbol for the fight against pediatric cancer. We developed a number of themes based on the '69 Boss 429, but one theme struck a chord with all involved. The theme was based on a '69 Boss 429 with a modern twist to it ... an all-metal widebody. That theme has resulted in the vehicle you now see."

The one-upsmanship at Galpin of late has involved going big or going home. This is not by increasing the power to astronomical limits, or even building up an outlandish underhood combo. No, with the restrictions omnipresent in California, Galpin toes the line on its street cars. Instead, the going big involves widening the physical dimensions of the car. However, this is not achieved with bolt-on parts or tape-on body kitting. Nope, Galpin actually works over the sheetmetal to create a real widebody. Obviously, this is a modification not for the faint of heart, but it also creates a ride that you likely won't see coming at you on the highway.

"The truth is we were looking to build an aggressive Mustang to put in our display for SEMA in 2010 that participants could notice from a distance and be drawn in for a closer look. We had a total of 20 cars on display and we were all surprised at the amount of positive response we were getting from the wide-body Mustang," Ted said. "That car sold immediately, and we got a lot of inquiries from customers who wanted us to build them one. And so began our wide body Mustang business. We've built quite a few of them in the past year and have even shipped a few of them to customers over overseas."

On this car, all the modifications started by grafting a legit Boss 429 scoop onto the '12 Mustang hood. From there down Galpin spent three weeks reworking the car's flanks with bulging fenders, wheel flares, and even functional rear brake ducts. "The full length of both sides of the car's sheetmetal is changed/widened," Ted added. "So are the front and rear bumpers. With that extensive sheetmetal work, it requires the entire car to be repainted as well." In practice it makes the latest Mustang bolder and meaner. Roll up on the car from behind and the Galpin/SPX Mustang is flat-out menacing.

Despite retaining a street-car theme, the Galpin/SPX Mustang is anything but mild underhood. As of this writing, there aren't too many Coyote engines rocking aftermarket cams. However, GAS was able to get its hands on a full set of Comp's street/strip cams for the latest 5.0. These lumpy lobes blast out a tune through Bassani pipes set up with electronic cutouts for maximum snarl.

That combo will certainly provide a muscle car voice, but when it comes to adding that musclecar punch to the latest engines, there's an effective way to add cubes atop the engine. While a Boss 429 displaced 7 all-natural liters, today's Coyote offers a comparatively modest 5.0 liters. However, once you strap on a 2.3-liter Ford Racing twin-screw supercharger, that's like having a 7.3-liter big-block with the modern manners of a modular small-block.

Just push a button to open up the cutouts and let those Comp Cams lope, and it will feel like 1969 all over again. Then drop the hammer and let the positive- displacement blower eat, and it will make you forget about the past and live in today's muscular moment. Suffice it to say, if you win the Galpin/SPX Mustang, you won't be disappointed. There's 632 lb-ft on tap to match those fender flares. And, no doubt you'll need every ounce to roll those massive hoops.

With a wild appearance, a lopey idle, and a blower whine, it would be easy to overshadow the interior of this car. It is by far the least modified part of the car. However, the few mods are choice. Tying in the red exterior are just enough red suede accents adorn to the factory seating surfaces. Meanwhile, the most obvious mod is the Hurst shifter popping up through the center console. What's just as stealthy as the original Boss 429 are the massive JBL audio upgrades fed by the stock head unit. Twin subs, amps, and replacement speakers join forces to provide enough decibels announce your arrival from down the block.

In all, you'd have to admit that SPX and GAS achieved their assigned goal of creating a street car like nothing else on the road. Now let's hope that the real goal of raising a massive donation for St. Jude comes to fruition in January 2012. With any luck, making this Boss Nine live will improve far more than nine lives.

5.0 Tech Specs

Electronics

Suspension and Chassis
Front Suspension
K-member Stock
A-Arms Stock
Struts Stock
Springs Ford Racing Performance Parts, 1 1⁄2-in drop
Brakes 14-in Wilwood cross-drilled and slotted rotors w/Wilwood six-piston calipers and stainless steel brake lines
Wheels 21x11-in Forgiato three-piece, custom
Tires Pirelli P-Zero Rosso 295/25R-21

Rear suspension
Shocks Stock
Springs Ford Racing Performance Parts, 1 1⁄2-in drop
Control Arms Stock
Brakes Wilwood four-piston calipers w/stainless steel brake lines
Wheels 22x14-in Forgiato three-piece, custom
Tires Pirelli P-Zero Rosso 335/25R-22