Painted trim parts are one of the best ways to make your Mustang stand out in a crowd. Buying the parts and taking them down to the local body shop on the other hand, can be a major drain on your time and your wallet. Now AmericanMuscle.com is making these upgrades easier and more affordable than ever, thanks to its new state-of-the-art paint facility.

Using exclusively Ford OEM colors, AmericanMuscle’s master painting technicians have developed a 14-step process that delivers superior shine and durability in every painted part. Best of all, because AmericanMuscle is painting your part ahead of time, ALL PARTS SHIP THE SAME DAY at a price far less than having it done at your local body shop.

Better: And OEM-spec facility and 14-point painting system ensure only the highest quality.

Faster: Pre-painted parts are always in stock and ship the same day you order.

More Affordable: AmericanMuscle buys in bulk and paints in bulk, producing better parts for less $$$.

The Parts

The list of pre-painted Mustang parts that will launch on October 26 reads like a greatest hits playlist. Many of AmericanMuscle’s top sellers will be prepped and painted in all 19 OEM Mustang colors.

• Headlight Splitters
• Mirror Covers
• Hood Scoops
• Chin Spoilers
• Window Louvers
• Side ScoopS

The Booth

The AmericanMuscle paint booth is nothing less than state of the art, designed and built by Global Finishing Solutions, the exclusive supplier to all OEM-endorsed paint shops. The booth at AmericanMuscle is a fully-loaded GFS system that employs numerous innovative technologies to produce a highly efficient, clean room environment and a minimal carbon footprint. The foundation for this eco-friendly program is the next-generation water-base paint that exceeds the quality and durability of traditional toxic solvent-base paints.

Using a semi-downdraft system, the paint booth achieves optimal painting conditions by shooting air down from the ceiling to evenly coat the painting surface. This method, combined with air-powered Sata paint guns, provides an optimal formula for finished product that surpasses even OEM factory standards, not to mention a local paint shop.

To get the full story on the AmericanMuscle paint booth, check out the AmericanMuscle Blog. And for more information on ready-to-ship pre-painted parts, visit AmericanMuscle.com.

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Mustangs have always seemed to have a smaller cubic inch motor than its competition.  Late model Mustangs are no exception.  The 302 from Ford seems to be put up against Chevy 350s all the time. Turns out in 1996 Ford dumped the 5.0 motor in the Mustangs and went a whole new direction.  The modular 4.6 was now placed in between the Mustangs struts.  We went even smaller, and guess what, our competition got even more powerful, they came out with one of the best motors of all time, the LS1.  With just heads, cam, and intake the LS1 will push out over 450 RWHP when built correctly. Try that with a 4.6, we are lucky to get 350 RWHP.  Now just imagine a Ford Factory Production Mustang GT with a 5.4(330).  They have the same heads and cams, all they would have had to do was develop an intake for it.  The closest we ever came was a 5.4 in the 2000 Cobra R, not a common street car.  But now easier than ever, you can put a 5.4 in your modular based Mustang GT and have it look factory and feel factory.

One of the major problems with swapping a 5.4 for our 4.6 initially was an intake that would fit. Being that the 5.4 deck height is 10.079” versus the 8.937” from a 4.6, a normal 4.6 Mustang PI intake would not be wide enough.  The 5.4 was built to be put in trucks anyway, and had an intake design built for low end torque.  The truck intake is also very tall compared to a Mustang PI intake. You had to either run a very tall cowl hood or just cut a hole in your hood and put a scoop to make it work, and you would still have a truck intake not capable of making power above 4000 RPM.  HPS came out with adapter plates, they allowed the use of a PI intake of off a Mustang to be used on a 5.4. Problem with these plates were that they also were thick and required the use of a cowl hood.  The plates also caused turbulence issues with the airflow and limited the revs on the motors.

Now new to the game is HPS’s new 5.4 intake build and designed specifically for the 5.4 Mustang Swaps.  This intake has been in the making for quite a while now but is now shipping.  The intake itself is made of aluminum meaning it will hold a small nitrous backfire without cracking and can be ported and polished.  The intake does not limit the revs of the motor like the adapter plates did.  In fact the intake manifold flows very similarly to the Stock PI plastic Intake.  The HPS 5.4 intake was designed with the help of a few guys that have done the 5.4 swap, so the fit and finish of the intake is great.  While in development one of the requirements was for the intake to fit underneath a stock hood.  The intake is a very nice piece of work.

Another issue for a 5.4 swap was the header clearance issue.  The stock manifolds would work just fine.  No clearance issues what so ever although the H pipe connecting to it would need to be modified to reach up to the manifold flanges.  So since the 5.4 2V heads are the same as the 4.6 2V heads, why don’t you just mount up your nice 4.6 long tubes?  Well being the heads are up higher in the engine bay, the header then tucks too high to the firewall and floorboards.  The actual header tubes are not long enough.  This cause you to either run a shorty manifold, or chop up and weld up a set of long tubes to hope they would work.  Now a set of Longtube Headers have been developed with the help of r3dn3ck (Colin Burns).  This allows the extra air in the bigger cubic inch motor to exhale easier.

Now with an easy inhaling and exhaling motor, the car can be setup to make really decent power. Not only that, but the motor will look completely factory stock, but will have around 100 more foot pounds of torque and nearly 50 extra horsepower in stock form.  So when you line up against that bolt on 4.6 GT you can just say you have the driver mod… Or bring the envious to the dark side, and tell him the secret of the 5.4.

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That’s right there’s a new hood for you S197 guys. Hillbank Motorsports is bringing a hood with a glass window to the mustang world. Much like the the new Corvette ZR-1’s window hood, this hood will feature a window to show off all of your engine goodies.

The hood which is probably going to be a big hit in show cars, may be something you sleeper guys would wanna shy away from. As any supercharger or poorly hidden nitrous lines would be easily visible. But if you want to show off your polished oil and brake fluid caps or your Whippled 4.6 then this is the hood for you!

Be wary though, as this new mod has the potential to be the next big ricer mod. As a glass hood is more than likely in the works for all the dressed up Tuners as well. Oh and remember to keep the Windex handy.

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Debbie Mielewski, Ford’s technical leader of plastics research, likened the smell of the new soy foam to burnt popcorn. When hot, the foam also emitted oil fog that would have left a thin, clear residue on the windows – that is until now. Much preparation and thought has gone into the design of the new foam – which is  about 40 percent soy and 60 percent oil-based and might even be more comfortable (and scent free).

Ultimately, Ford is trying to make it’s own Way Foward, being good to the environment without increasing costs. The annual worldwide market for automotive foam is 9 billion pounds, so a switch to a renewable material could have a significant environmental impact, Mielewski said. The new manufacturing process emits less CO2 into the atmosphere, requires lower energy use to produce the foam, and reduced dependence on foreign oil – all of which are good things in our book – just keep the smell out!

You know, this isn’t the first time an automaker used soy products in their car parts… in fact Ford used about 60 pounds of soy beans on each Model-T for paint and molded parts. Oh, and to answer some of the emails we’re likely to get – NO! You can’t eat the seats… there’s still some petroleum in them. Eh.

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“Genuine Shelby parts will pump up the capabilities of any contemporary Ford or Shelby Mustang,” said Shelby Performance Parts Co-Founder Amy Boylan.  “The aggressive suspension and engine packages are taken from lessons learned during development of Ford Shelby cars.  Working with Scott Drake Enterprises, we developed components and packages that will power these cars to the front of the pack.”

A quick glance at their new website shows a vast array of Mustang parts  including wheel packages, floormats, and other interior and exterior dress-up parts. It doesn’t stop there, of course. Performance parts is where it’s at and Shelby is offering his best line of superchargers, suspension and brake upgrades, and tuning options all the way up to 750 horsepower (wow). Oh, and let’s not forget about the Shelby CS6 and GT500 40th Anniversary Mustangs… both of which will now be offered by Shelby Performance Parts.

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Turbonetics

From their press release, Turbonetics claims to have “conquered the complex Ford ECU on the Mustang to deliver forced induction unlike any other system offered on the market today. Our engineers overcame the tricky fly-by-wire throttle control to allow our turbocharger system to bring power in exceptionally early in the rpm range yet drive like stock. With no hesitations, herky-jerky low rpm starts, or partial throttle cruising hiccups that you will find on other supercharger and turbo kits, this system gives you complete control over your high spirited ride. Plus with no supercharger belt to drive you will have an extra 30-40 HP to put to the wheels since the turbocharger harnesses the engines exhaust gases to make power. Not to mention that fuel economy is better with turbochargers than other forced induction types because you control the boost with your right foot. The power is there right when you want it, and is not always sapping power and fuel efficiency like an rpm dependent/belt driven supercharger.”

Turbonetics Mustang Turbo Systems Feature:

ECU uploaded with custom tune
No wires to cut, splice or connect
Retains all factory accessories and sensors
No additional tuning required
T4 Custom Ceramic Ball Bearing Turbo
Spearco front mount intercooler
Raptor blow-off valve
Evolution wastegate
Re-flash engine management
Stainless oil feed line
Taps for oil return and oil feed fittings
Polished stainless exhaust tubes with v-band connections
Black chrome aluminum intercooler pipes
Silicone hoses
High flow air filter
8 drop-in high-flow injectors
T-bolt & V-band clamps
All nuts, bolts and fittings needed for installation

Installation-

Installs in only one day
No modifications to chassis required
No cutting, splicing of electrical components

The Bottom Line:

The end result is an astouding increase in horsepower from 300 at the crank to 550 at just 8.5 psi of boost. This should be safe on the engine and tuned for 94 octane fuel. Turbonetics has been in business for nearly 30 years manufacturing turbo and intercooler products for gasoline as well as diesel passenger and industrial applications. They pride themeselves in unsurpassed customer satisfaction and leading edge technology, based on a proven history of engineering and racing experience. All Turbonetics products are backed by a one year, no-fault / no-hassle warranty. For more information and the name of the nearest distributor, you can contact Turbonetics at (805) 581-0333 or visit their website. Part #15168.

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The benefits of keeping the manufacturing process in house are considerable. In addition to ensuring quality control, keeping up with ever changing market demands and production becomes more precise. Due to the heavy demand from both ROUSH Performance and the car companies, ROUSH Manufacturing is running double and triple shifts to keep up with the workload in the 102,000 square-foot building, known simply as “Building 28.”

“I don’t think a lot of people outside of the auto industry realize the extent of the capabilities that we offer here at ROUSH,” said Jack Roush, chairman of the board. “From design and engineering through the manufacture and shipping ROUSH is able to complete a project from ‘A’ to ‘Z.’ Because of this full service capability, we are contracted to design and manufacture components for a number of automobile manufacturers here and overseas.”

Production of a ROUSH Mustang Front Facia

It takes approximately nine steps and 21 people from start to finish to manufacture the front facia for a Ford Mustang. During each step of the process, someone manually inspects the part and has the authorization to declare the quality unacceptable.

The first step in the manufacturing process is the creation of the Front Fascia. This is done on a 3300-ton injection molding machine which is larger than a typical semi truck running down the highway. In fact, just the mold for the Front Fascia by itself weighs 40,000 pounds and is nearly the size of a small car. Despite the enormous sizes and pressures involved, it takes just a couple of minutes to mold a Front Fascia once the machine is running at full capacity.

Other parts included with the ROUSH body kits, such as the Quarter Window Louvers and Hood Scoop, are produced on a smaller, but still substantial, 1760-ton injection molding machine. The Rear Spoiler, for example, is created through a unique blow mold process which allows the manufacture of hollow parts. This is critical on such a large part because it allows for greater weight reductions than a solid injection molded piece.

Most of the ROUSH body kit components are constructed from high-pressure, injection-molded TPO or ABS plastic which means that the pieces will retain their correct shape and not sag or warp over the life of the vehicle. All the compound materials used are OEM-grade ensuring the best quality and performance.

Prior to painting, each Front Fascia is manually inspected and hand sanded to remove any minor texture or flash (minute amounts of extra material) remaining from the injection molding process. Then, depending on the size of the body kit part, it will either be hand painted or in ROUSH’s 20,345 square-foot robotic paint booth.

Because the size of the Front Fascia is too large to allow uniform paint coverage by hand, it is sent through the robotic area. Each part is loaded onto a special rack which runs along a track through the five-step paint process.

Once inside the paint booth, the Front Fascia undergoes a thorough power wash to remove any remnant sanding dust or other contaminants. This is a five step process which uses treated waters and chemicals to thoroughly clean the parts inside and out. From there, the next steps are a tack-off drying procedure and the addition of an adhesion promoter, more commonly known as primer.

The base coat of paint, perfectly color matched to Ford specifications, is applied by a robotic arm which spins up, down, and around the Front Fascia as it evenly applies the paint. Rather than a set number of coats, parts are painted to a thickness measured in Mils which varies depending on the part and the place on the car that it is ultimately installed. Paint will be thicker on components such as a Chin Spoiler or Front Fascia as they will need to withstand more road damage, such as chips from small stones, than a Quarter Window Louver is expected to.

The entire paint booth is both temperature and humidity controlled, so no matter how cold the Michigan winter gets, or how humid the summer rises to, the paint is always applied in optimum conditions.

After the base color is complete a clear coat is applied and the part undergoes a bake cycle to cure the paint quickly and properly. This baking typically lasts 20 or 30 minutes, depending on the size of the part and the amount of paint coverage. From start to finish, it takes around three and a half hours for the total paint process to be completed.

Once out of the paint booth, the parts all pass through a viewing area with 13 high-intensity lights in an arch spanning several feet wide. Here they are hand inspected for any paint flaws, and if passed, go to another area where they are buffed and polished by hand.

“Every single part is inspected for any cosmetic issues prior to the buffing process,” said Bob Nicosia, operations director of ROUSH Manufacturing. “After that they are hand polished to perfection.”

The ROUSH pre-painted body kits take much of the work out of buying body kit components, sanding them to fit properly, finding a paint shop to have them sprayed, and then worrying about the color matching your car correctly. All of this is done by ROUSH employees with access to the best equipment in the industry - which certainly explains why the individual components have become such a popular item with Mustang owners.

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“The original BOSS 302 was a race winning engine. Sharing the DNA from the original BOSS 302, the new BOSS 302 begins with a block designed with racing in mind from the beginning,” said Jamie Allison, manager, Ford Racing Performance Group. “Whether racing in a sealed engine class, building an all-out drag racing engine or looking for a street performer, the BOSS 302 block and engine family meets the needs of all Ford 302 enthusiasts at a price that is comparable to a performance-prepped stock 302.

”The new Ford Racing Performance Parts BOSS 302 line was conceived because there was an unmet need for engines built from a block stronger than original regular production 302 blocks but more affordable than full race-prepped blocks. The new BOSS 302 engine block features greater strength than most race blocks and offers a street-capable cooling system design, something that race specific blocks tend to sacrifice.

Despite its strength and capability, the new BOSS 302 line is surprisingly affordable because of its high volume production. And since it was designed within Ford Motor Company, the engine also benefits from the improved quality and durability that comes with a production type engine. Ford Racing Performance Parts currently shows a list price of $1,759 for the bare block.

“The original BOSS 302 delivered less than 300 hp. Today, enthusiasts are making 500 hp street cars and they need a robust block. Race-specific blocks offer the strength required but cool poorly for street use and are very expensive for the average enthusiast,” says Allison.

Some of the highlights of the BOSS 302

* 4-bolt mains for lower-end stability at high power outputs
* High-tin 41,000 PSI tensile strength iron alloy for ultimate strength
* Nodular iron main caps for additional strength
* Screw-in freeze plugs for additional more strength and stability
* Front cross-over lifter oiling for high RPM valvetrain capability
* Siamese bores with specifically engineered drillings between cylinders for maximum wall stability and gasket sealing with street capable cooling performance

Ford will also be offering the BOSS 302’s in crate form, with displacements ranging from 302 to 363 cubic inches. Entry level engines feature the Ford Racing GT-40X Xtra Performance Turbo Swirl aluminum heads to retain stock exhaust locations and are rated at 340 and 345 hp. Higher performance versions include Ford Racing’s “Z”-head equipped 302 and 347 cubic inch engines rated between 360 and 450 hp, depending on configuration.

The BOSS engine series is capped by a 500 hp 331 cubic inch engine that showcases the capability of the new block by breathing through all new ported Z-heads. The BOSS crate motors will range in price from $4,650 on up to $10,000 for the 500 hp BOSS 331 cubic inch engines. All engines come with a 12 month/12,000 mile limited warranty, which is pretty good for performance parts.

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The “GT500 ROUSHcharger“ kits will be offered in three packages. The first is a cold air intake and ECU recalibration, providing an additional 45 ponies. The CAI considerably reduces pressure drop across the stock air box and filter element. It comes with a high-flow, large 6-inch conical filter and the rotomolded airbox seals to the hood to reduce leakage. Again, the bottom line is less loss equals more airflow which results in more power. This is the simplest upgrade and can probably be done with common hand tools in your driveway.

The next option is to replace the factory supercharger with a Roush unit. This is a massive 2.3L roots blower which will push your GT500 to well over 600 horsepower. Claiming an additional 120 horsepower and 88 lb.-ft. torque, this upgrade will not void your factory 3-year / 36,000 mile warranty. Parts list includes the ROUSHcharger, a 78mm non-removable pulley and of course a new ECU calibration.

The GT500 ROUSHcharger is a new derivative design from the current roots-style applications currently on the market and features a considerable improvement in both airflow and efficiency. The bottom line is the more airflow, the more power. Noteworthy is that this is the first application that will be incorporating this new technology, both on the OE and aftermarket side.

Finally, those living on the wild side cam get a non-warranty version of the ROUSHcharger (off-road use only *grins*) - anticipated to push the GT500 engine to a mind-boggling 700 horsepower, 200 more than the stock engine. Customers will have to purchase a 72mm or 76mm pulley separately, and this version does not include an upgraded calibration. We’d imagine Roush will be advising a custom dyno tune on this one – as you’ll be taxing the 5.4L modular engine pretty hard.

“Our engineers have really pushed the envelope with this ROUSHcharger and I think it is a credit to them to get as much as 200 horsepower out of the GT500 engine,” said Jack Roush. “We are expecting that there will be a certain number of Shelby owners who intend to keep their car in stock condition, but there are also going to be those who want to push that envelope and have bragging rights over their friends. From mild to wild, we can help them get where they want to go with horsepower. It all depends on if they want the peace-of-mind of having a warranty, or go right to the edge and let it all hang out.”

Available in black or chrome polished, the GT500 ROUSHcharger kits should be available by the end of the year. Pricing is still to be determined. For more information, visit the Roush Performance website or call 800-59-ROUSH. A signup form is available to be automatically notified when these kits become available.

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The Gentex mirrors are also fitted with a digital compass, and maybe other features that have yet to be released. As of now, we can only confirm that Gentex has been shipping these mirrors to Ford. These mirrors will be available as part of a Comfort Package on the Deluxe and Premium edition 2007 Mustangs.

“The Mustang has been a part of America’s heritage for over 40 years, yet this is a new program for Gentex, so we’re excited to be included on the 2007 version as the legend continues,” said Gentex Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Enoch Jen. Gentex provides approximately 95% of the world’s automakers with electronic mirrors.

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