Shelby GT 500 Blower Upgrade - Factory-Backed Boost

This 2.3-liter supercharger highlights Ford Racing's all-new, SVT Supercharger Upgrade Kit (PN M-6066-SGT; $5,900) for '07-'08 Shelby GT 500s. Our buddy, Saul "The Surgeon" Gutierrez, at Extreme Automotive in Canoga Park, California, handled the blower swap and dyno test for our evaluation, but mechanically skilled enthusiasts can do this easy upgrade in the friendly confines of their home garage, in less than three hours.

Horse Sense: In this day of our government, environmentalists and others trying to limit the performance of our "performance vehicles," Ford offering a 50-states-approved, bolt-on that can take a Shelby's horses above the 600 mark, and a factory limited warranty that protects a GT 500 against damage it sustains as a result of the part failing, is huge. But, don't for a moment think warranty coverage is limited to just the 'Stang hierarchy. Ford Racing Performance Parts also offers twin-screw supercharger systems for '05-'08 S197s (PN M-6066-M463V and M-6066-M463V7) that bump their Three-Valve flywheel power level to four hundie, and also fall under a protection program that assures enthusiasts it's really OK to put the hammer down!

Here's a challenge to the older members of the 'Stang Nation-those who have been around since the days when making (at a minimum) 275 horsepower put your 5.0-powered GT or LX in the upper echelon of Mustangs that hit the local cruise spot. Tell us the last time Ford Racing Performance Parts (it was called Ford Motorsport back then) offered any engine-specific, horsepower-improving part that could be bolted on a 5.0 or 4.6, that would cover the part or a Mustang with a limited warranty if the part is installed by a Ford, Lincoln or Mercury dealer?

We've been pleased to see that most Shelby owners are driving their 'Stangs daily and setting their rides up with many of the "basic" bolt-on parts that help lift rear-wheel horsepower beyond the 500 mark. Our test ride carried the full suite of performance equipment (smaller blower pulley, K&N cold-air-intake system, Bassani long-tube headers, Bassani 3-inch X-shape crossover, and a DiabloSport custom tune), and laid down 549 horsepower and 544 lb-ft of torque in our baseline dyno run.

If you're having a difficult time with your answer, you shouldn't. The simple fact of the matter is, while Ford Motorsport/Ford Racing Performance Parts has offered a host of hi-perf goodies for 'Stangs and other Blue Oval vehicles over the years, there has never been any real "coverage" associated with any of its bolt-ons that unleash the beast in stock engines. Enthusiasts who wished to make serious performance upgrades using Ford parts were basically "on their own," at the mercy of sympathetic dealers (or those they might have a hookup with), or willing to go through a logjam of red tape and bureaucracy if they wanted any kind of retribution if those bolt-on parts failed in any way. Well, times finally have changed when it comes to Ford "showing love," in the form of a factory warranty, to those who upgrade their S197 'Stangs with a few specific parts and performance packages in the FRPP catalog.

We've already shined the spotlight on Ford's performance division's Power (FR1: CAI, mufflers and PCM calibration), Drag (FR2: CAI, short-tube headers, 3.73 gears, short-throw shifter and PCM calibration) and Handling (FR3: lowering springs, shocks and struts, anti-roll bar and strut-tower brace) "Packs" in previous reports. Components in each of these upgrade kits are covered by a three-year, 36,000-mile warranty when installed by the dealer on new GT or Shelby GT 500 'Stangs at the time they're sold, or 12 months/12,000 miles if installed after the date of sale, but before the vehicle's Basic warranty period (3/36) ends (for more info on the Ford Racing Limited Warranty Program, go to www.fordracingparts.com).

The latest FRPP package to be blessed with a warranty is the new, Supercharger Upgrade Kit for '07-'08 Shelby GT 500s (PN M-6066-SGT; $5,600), which also is referred to as the Super Pack. While protection period in this kit's (and blowers for Mustang GTs) warranty is limited to only 12 months or 12,000 miles (whichever comes first), it's monumental nonetheless, and we knew we had to check it out and tell you about it, as it's probably the most-powerful, single bolt-on accessory that Ford has ever offered for any Mustang.

Leading the way in our upgrade is a 2.3-liter, Roots-type, Eaton TVS supercharger, followed by a cold-air-intake system with a 113mm mass-air, and FRPP's Pro-Cal flash tool, which owners must request via online or mail-in registration of their super 'Stang's VIN.

Collectively, these parts are known as the Super Pack for Shelby GT 500s. The Roots-type supercharger untilzes two counter-rotating, meshed-lobed rotors. The two rotors trap air in the gaps between rotors and push it against the compressor housing as they rotate towards the outlet/discharge port. During each rotation, a specific, fixed amount of air is trapped and moved to the outlet port where it is compressed.

So, basically, the FRPP Super Pack's TVS blower displaces .3 more liters of air into a Shelby's engine than the OEM Eaton M122 supercharger was capable of generating.