S197 Mustang Supercharger - Shocked And Awed

Horse Sense: Cosmetics have long been a calling card of Saleen Mustangs, and true to form, SpeedLab can work some visual magic during a supercharger install if you like. Color-coordinating the supercharger intake plenum to match the exterior topcoat is a popular option at $400, and the cam covers can be privy to the same treatment for a similar price.

By nature, what we call "technical" stories in automotive magazines are usually devoid of a human-interest angle. You know the M.O.-tech stories are all about numbers, increasing performance, installation issues, and so on. In this overview of Saleen SpeedLab's 550 supercharger kit, we have an exception to the rule. What we describe here developed from a perfect storm of ideas, timing, product introduction, and an interest in making the homecoming of a U.S. Air Force pilot extra memorable. In the end, we found that tech can be more than just the nuts and bolts.

You'd be glassy-eyed too if you found a Saleen blower and wheels suddenly in residence on your new, formerly stock Mustang. Owner Bryan Weeks had no inkling about what was happening in his absence.

When U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Bryan Weeks bought a new '07 Mustang GT in August 2007, it was after the same kind of soul-searching many performance-minded buyers contemplate. Since the S197's '05 debut, Bryan knew he'd someday call one his own, but he didn't know which one. There were so many choices-GT500, Saleen, Steeda, Roush, Bullitt, and many others, including those still unforeseen. In the end, since his car was destined to be a driver rather than a garage queen, Bryan decided on a GT, which he could modify sometime down the road. End of the model year prices were no doubt a big factor as well.

Within a month of his purchase, Bryan was deployed to Qatar in support of the Iraq war, and a strange twist developed in his absence. We've known Bryan for years, and the idea of spiriting his car away in the night for a dramatic makeover didn't take long to manifest. Well, it wasn't quite that simple, but with his wife, Kristi, happily handing over the keys and Carlos Duran and his cohorts at Saleen's SpeedLab ready with the goods, the stage was set. Saleen had just introduced its latest supercharger kit for the S197, and what better way to get to know its virtues than bolting it to Bryan's car?

Dubbed "the 550" in reference to its power potential at the flywheel, the new kit spawns from the same physical supercharger as the company's current 435- and 475-horse offerings. Pulley size and supporting equipment are the variables here, with the 550 sporting important fuel-system upgrades and tuning that the lesser kits don't.

One of the first procedures the SpeedLab crew tackled was removing the passenger-side inner fender liner and front fascia. If you've never wrenched on an S197, frontend removal is unbelievably simple. Little more than a dozen easily accessible fasteners and six lighting plugs are all that hold the assembly on, and the whole affair can be removed in about 10 minutes.

It's important to note that Saleen's top dog brings horsepower to the point where durability of the stock 4.6 rotating assembly becomes a concern. In fact, Carlos made it clear that SpeedLab expects participants at this level to have a bolstered short-block. Of course, Bryan's new car doesn't, but we were happy to go through the motions anyway, wanting to see what was involved in installing the company's biggest power adder.

No doubt this won't be the only stocker to get the setup, as another way of looking at it is to figure the 550 allows for growing room, represents good value for what's included beyond the lesser kits, and could easily be detuned to a more conservative level until the owner makes the move for a bottom-end build. On the other hand, if you don't intend to pull your engine, we concur with SpeedLab's assessment that one of its lesser kits would be a better fit.

As a point of review for the entire Saleen S197 supercharger family, we remind readers that the well-engineered twin-screw, intercooled blower first hit the market on Saleen production cars in 2005, and it's now finding plenty of takers in the aftermarket as well. Unlike anything else on the market, the calling card of Saleen's S197 blower is the way it hangs below the associated intake manifold, smack dab in the cavernous valley between the cylinder heads. It's a packaging tour de force with end-result aesthetics that are decidedly OEM in appearance.

Follow along as we highlight the installation and give a general feel for what's involved. This isn't rocket science, but the thorough 73-page installation manual is indicative of the number of steps involved with the Saleen kits. Those who are mechanically sharp may wish to do their own install; otherwise, you should employ a knowledgeable professional.