Sure, there are plenty of...
Sure, there are plenty of exotic parts available for 5.0 Mustangs, but our goal with this series is to use proven packages of relatively affordable parts that get the job done. Stage 2 of our buildup includes a Professional Products intake manifold, Trick Flow Twisted Wedge heads with AFM High-Rev springs, an AFM N-51HR camshaft, a Professional Products SFI crank damper, Trick Flow pushrods, Performance Racing Warehouse roller rocker arms, AFM valve covers, ARP head bolts, Ford Racing Performance Parts gaskets, a Mallory HyFire VI ignition box and coil, and a PMS engine management system (not pictured).
Horse Sense: Not only was 1993 the last year of our beloved Fox Mustang, but it also marked the debut of the SVT Mustang Cobra. That's right, 5.0 Mustang mania was well underway before the SVT era ever started, but the massively underrated, 235hp Mustang Cobra was a nice way to celebrate the end of the Fox era.
In case you missed Part 1 in our January '07 issue, we have decided to take a new-school approach to an old-school theme-Fox bolt-ons. We set out to start all over again with a stock-as-we-could-make-it 5.0 Mustang, and take it through the usual progression of bolt-ons, but use any new twists we could come up with along the way. As luck would have it, Anderson Ford employee Chad Kolakowski was up for our experiment with his '93 LX. He agreed to put the car back to its original form, going as far as digging up a low-mileage stock engine, as well as the exhaust parts, to replace the few bolt-ons already present on the car.
To review last month's story ("Fox Flashback," p. 50), the Anderson Ford crew-led by main man Rick Anderson-began as we all did, trying to squeeze the most power from a little tuning and an air filter. From there, we moved to add the new Anderson Ford Quick Kit 1 for Foxes, which includes Bassani BX headers, a Bassani off-road X-shape crossover, Bassani mufflers with turndowns, Ford Racing Performance Parts' underdrive pulleys, Professional Products' 75mm throttle body, Professional Products' 75mm EGR, a 90mm mass air with Power Bell and filter, an AFM Load IO, and an Anderson Power Pipe. All told, Chad's LX gained more than 43 hp and 45 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheels.
This month, we're here to bring you the results from Stage 2 of our buildup. We say our because-not to pat ourselves on the back-Rick put these packages together as a result of us urging him to test some 5.0 parts for these stories. That becomes no clearer than the cam that's part of this head, cam, and intake package. Our idea was to install affordable parts on a stock short-block, so readers could do it themselves without expensive machine work. But, we really wanted to employ Rick's High-Rev cam technology in the combination. The problem was, Rick didn't have a High-Rev unit for stock pistons. Fortunately, his cams are built with high-tech CNC equipment; with a few adjustments in the computer, the AFM N-51HR we requested was born. We sure hope someone wants to buy it.
The new cam anchors an effective and affordable combination of gear that can be installed in your driveway-at least that's the way Chad and Rick did it-and is good for huge gains all the way up to 6,500 rpm. Be sure to hit the newsstand or buy a subscription, because next month we'll be topping off this combo with nitrous.
We're not going to take you through the bolt-by-bolt disassembly and assembly here. If you've never done it before, there's no better way to learn than by jumping in. That said, it's best to at least have a mechanically inclined friend on call if you are like your author. Disassembly is no big deal; it's putting things back together that gets tricky. You can eliminate some problems by taking digital pictures along the way to remind you where things go. It also helps to group fasteners and small parts in bins. Always be sure to disconnect the battery and drain the coolant before you tear into it.
Don't worry-my friend Rick has a killer set of tools. Believe it or not, Rick Anderson likes to do a lot of his project work in his own garage and driveway. Having the family and comforts of home a few steps away can make any project more fun. So, he invited Chad to bring his car over for Stage 2 of our buildup. We're not sure how the neighbors feel about it, but the project came together with great results.