By 1989, Ford Motorsport SVO debuted the GT-40 intake for the EFI 5.0 Mustangs. Before that, as early as 1986, welded-up stock EFI intakes and modified Ford F-150 truck manifolds were on the scene in an attempt to get more air into the hungry, little 302 Fords that were quickly overtaking the drag strips and street crowds of America. The aftermarket has since introduced literally dozens of different intakes specifically for the 5.0 Mustang that range from street to all-out race car stuff. But, for some reason, the same fervent press to market has not enveloped the Two-Valve Modular Mustang enthusiasts.
In the Mustang, since 1996, the 4.6's only performance intake manifold option is the Bullitt intake from the '01 specialty car of the same name. There have been some one-off sheetmetal Two-Valve manifolds built, but they are custom pieces that have little value on a street car and are far from emissions legal. What the modular world needs is a nice, street-specific intake manifold that opens the airflow, while not sacrificing any torque.
Enter Fox Lake Power Products and its innovative owner, Ron Robart. He envisioned a manifold for the Two-Valve 4.6 crowd that would have the same impact on them that the GT-40 had on the 5.0 Mustang. He wanted an intake that could be bolted on without major modifications to the hood or other components of the car-something that would deliver a significant power increase without making the car act like a 7,000-rpm buzz saw-and he wanted to do it all at a reasonable amount of cash outlay. While we've tested prototype versions of Ron's latest creation, the P-51, this was our first chance to look at the production piece and let an independent shop-MD Motorsports out of Cincinnati, Ohio, shake one down. In addition, Ken Bjonnes, at MD, knows as much about Two-Valve modular performance as anyone in the country. His resume begins and ends like this: Ken competes in NMRA Pure Street with the fastest naturally aspirated Two-Valve Mustang in the country, which he built himself. With that as a backdrop, let's check out the players.
BullittThis is the "safe" intake manifold for the Two-Valve 4.6 engine. Designed by Ford for use on the limited-edition '01 Bullitt Mustang, this intake is cast from aluminum and is the standard by which modular intakes are measured. The strengths of the Bullitt are that it will fit under the stock hood, it will fit like a factory piece, and it looks sharp. We've seen this added to street cars that touch 300 hp, and we've seen them on supercharged racecars that run well into the 9-second zone. The Bullitt works mostly because modular Mustang fans had nothing else to work with.
You can port the Bullitt to match a set of nice heads with good results. On a stock car, you'll see up to 10 rwhp with a Bullitt. On a car with a cold-air kit, a full exhaust system, and a set of cams that promote free breathing in a Two-Valve car, you'll be rewarded with about 15 rwhp with a Bullitt. The Bullitt upper and lower intakes alone cost about $850, but there are a list of Bullitt-specific parts that you'll need before everything works correctly. Chief amongst these are an alternator, a throttle body, throttle cable, and various other small parts. All said and done, you're looking at $1,400-$1,600 before the Bullitt is on your Mustang and ready to roll.
P-51The modular world has been buzzing for well over a year with the prospects of another high-performance intake manifold for their beloved Mustang. Ron Robart had leaked information shortly after starting the project, and he had this to say regarding the grueling road he has traveled to bring this exciting new product to the awaiting market: