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Ford Readying 2010 Mustang Cobra Jet Drag Racer

mdvaldosta — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 22:03:40 +0000

After the success of Ford’s 2008 Mustang Cobra Jet, the company has announced plans to bring back the factory drag racer using the new 2010 platform.

The new model will use a 425hp supercharged 5.4-liter V8 direct from the Ford Racing Performance Parts catalog. Ford also plans to make another engine available, with an aluminum block and 475hp. A six-speed manual transmission (the same found in the ‘08 model) will be standard equipment, however, there will be an option to upgrade to a 5-speed Liberty manual unit or a race-spec auto-box.

In addition, the Cobra Jet will get an NHRA certified roll cage and lightweight racing brakes.

“I’ve said from my first day in this job that I wanted Ford Racing to continue to be a ‘racer-friendly’ organization,” said Ford Racing boss Brian Wolfe. “That’s why we take great pride in being one of only two car companies worldwide that builds ready-to-race cars and sells them as part of our performance parts offerings.”

The 2010 Cobra Jet comes hot on the heels of the 2008 model (pictured above), which was created to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the original.

Only 50 Cobra Jets will be built, the exact number required by the NHRA in order for the vehicles to run in the series.

Pricing is expected to be in the $75,000 range with production in the Fall for delivery early 2010.

More: Ford Readying 2010 Mustang Cobra Jet Drag Racer on AutoGuide.com

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Ford Planning Return of the 5.0

mdvaldosta — Wed, 20 May 2009 17:21:38 +0000

Few engines have received the iconic status of the Ford Mustang’s 5.0. The motor disappeared in 1996 but now appears to be ready to make a comeback.

News of the return comes out of Australia where Ford Australia product development boss Russell Christophers has confirmed a new 5.0-liter V8 is currently undergoing development in the U.S.

In Australia the new engine, code named “Coyote”, will replace a larger 5.4-liter unit in the Falcon, but it could likely be used in an upcoming Mustang.

With new emissions regulations in 2010, we aren’t likely to see the the engine before that. Most likely it would debut in the next Mustang several years from now, but Ford did set a precedent in ‘96 when they replace the 5.0 with the 4.6-liter block mid-cycle.

The engine is rumored to make 402hp and 398 ft-lbs of torque.

More: Ford Planning Return of the 5.0 on AutoGuide.com

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5.4 is Bigger Than 4.6

MustangMatt96GT — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 03:00:40 +0000

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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Jerry Ford’s Retro 2008 Mach 1 Mustang

mdvaldosta — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 21:39:25 +0000

Jeff White of Jerry Ford Sales in Edson, Alberta, Canada recently joined the forums and posted a few pictures in our gallery of their take on what should (or could, or would) have been. A retro spin where ROUSH meets Cervini and becomes a Mach 1… well, sort of.

The self-proclaimed “car-nuts” up there (aren’t all Canadians nuts?) may be stuck in -19 degree snowy weather right now but that’s not stopping them from tricking out Modded Mustangs on a regular basis, all of which retain the full factory warranty. “When the Mustang was redesigned in 2005 we quickly got on board doing subtle changes to the cars that mostly focused on the performance side of things” says Jeff.

Beginning with a bone stock, fresh from of the factory 2008 Ford Mustang – the crew over at Jerry Ford took a 2008 Dark Candy Apple Red Mustang and added Cervini, 3D Carbon and Tru-fiber components to the body and dropped the car with a ROUSH suspension lowering kit for a truley menacing look.

Dynatech long tube headers do their best to help this monster exhale an estimated 475 horsepower through a custom X-pipe and high flow catalytic converters (gotta stay legal). All this power makes it’s way through an upgraded ROUSH Stage 3 drivetrain to Ford Racing 4.10 ring and pinion gears. With all that horsepower on tap, billit lower control arms struggle to plant all that power on tap. Darren Weir at Stang Motorsports of Nisku and Matt at The Mustang Shop in Calgary were instrumental in helping us locate parts and for the final Dyno tuning.

Jerry Ford and crew are currently taking deposits on future builds that get produced monthly and with a deposit we can a Mustang to your specifications. Packages are available for power increases, handling and chassis tuning, exterior cosmetics or combinations of all. The factory warranty is retained and supplemented by the aftermarket companies with their additional warranties. Horsepower at the flywheel is estimated to be right around 475hp with drivability substantially upgraded versus the factory.

Pricing starts around $5,000 up to $28,995 plus the cost of the car. That puts you right around the Stage 3 ROUSH and Saleen level, though you’ll end up with something not seen at your everyday car show. You can contact Jeff (General Sales Manager) at (780) 723-4441 or jeffpwhite68@yahoo.com via email.

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New Mustangs To Get Factory Installed Glass Roof

mdvaldosta — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 03:42:37 +0000

Maybe it was the Giugiaro Concept,or maybe they feel the need to spice things up since Ford’s “shock and awe” barrage of last year’s special edition Mustangs is wearing off. Maybe it was the promise of a refreshed Mustang each year, or maybe it’s the 200% increase in large sunroof productions in the last five years. Or maybe it was because the Corvette did it?

We don’t care why, but it’s cool – well other than the 130 degree interior temps in the summer, but who’s splitting hairs? If the coupe or convertible roof options don’t do anything for your libido, maybe a factory installed glass roof will. For an addcompromising the coupe’s versatility, headroom or climate-controlled environment

“Mustang is an icon in our product lineup, and we are committed to keeping Mustang news fresh every year,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president, Global Product Development. “As the automotive landscape becomes increasingly competitive, features such as a panoramic glass roof will help differentiate our products from the competition.”

The Nitty Gritty

Tinted privacy glass is wrapped over a coupe like body, maintaining the structural integrity of the Mustang. To keep things nice and cool in those aforementioned hot days, the tint cuts down on the sun’s nasty infrared rays and cuts vehicle cool down in half. A manual roller blind is built in, allowing owners to further control exposure on sunny days.

The specially formulated glass also protects interior fabric material from solar radiation deterioration and discoloration by reducing solar light transmittance. To help improve acoustics and Mustang’s interior quietness, the glass also features a layer of vinyl that reduces noise, vibration and harshness.

The glass itself is safety glass, meaning that it shatters without sharp or jagged edges. Assembly takes place at the Automotive Alliance International plant in Flat Rock, Michigan and installation happens at Ford’s adjacent vehicle personalization facility.

How Bad Do You Want It?

For the low low price of $1,995, “the new glass roof allows Mustang customers to let the sun shine in for half the price of moving up from a coupe to a convertible.” It available as an option on both the V-6 Mustang and Mustang GT beginning next summer.

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Action! Ford Shelby GT500 Gets Some Screen Time

mdvaldosta — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 21:25:37 +0000

In a theater near you on December 14th, look for a Ford Shelby GT500 tearing up the streets of New York City in I Am Legend, starring Will Smith. It’s yet another notch in Ford’s belt for building it’s brand in Movies, the new “commercial” of sorts. In addition to the Mustang, Ford also landed cameo roles for the Escape Hybrid and the Expedition – though it’s the GT500 owning the roads.

“There is no doubt that the Shelby Mustang GT500 is the costar of the first part of this story,” said Brian Daly of Ford Global Brand Entertainment (FGBE), which places Ford vehicles in movies, TV and other media. “Smith plays the sole survivor of an apocalypse who races around the deserted, gray, empty streets in this fantastic bright red Mustang. The sequences are incredible.”

“The producers knew they wanted an American-made vehicle and the Shelby Mustang was perfect casting,” he said. “But I also knew Chrysler and GM were making pitches. I kept imagining the folks at Camaro piecing together all kinds of prototypes to get those scenes.”

“Getting Ford brand vehicles in movies like I Am Legend works in two ways,” said Bob Witter, manager, FGBE. “First, producers know that as the audience recognizes a vehicle they see in real life or have been thinking about, the story becomes more relatable. And second, when our products are on-screen they can engage the viewer in a totally different fashion and help enhance our commercial and marketing investments.”

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GT500’s at SEMA – Street, Strip, and Track

mdvaldosta — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 02:37:32 +0000

At this year’s SEMA event Ford showcased three flavors of the 2007 GT500, each courtesy of different tuners. From a grocery getter to an all out drag car, these GT500’s fit the need of pretty much anyone looking for a high performance ride.

There is a patriotic theme here as well - one painted red, one white and one, you guessed it, blue. The red car is a GT500 dragster, an all-out drag racer ready to win any mod-motor class. The white Mustang is a GT500 Road and Track, a car that can be driven to work Monday through Friday and raced at the track on the weekend. The blue Shelby is an all-out competition GT500 race car.

Follow along as we take a closer look at these Road and Track’s, Paul’s High Performance, and Professional Road Racer versions. Note that the descriptions used for these cars were pulled from the spec sheets at SEMA.

Road and Track

From Monday morning to the closing bell of Friday afternoon, it’s a daily driver, as accustomed running to the grocery store as it is back and forth to and from the office. But on the weekends, it’s demeanor does a 180, as it claims the title of weekend warrior and leaves the 9 to 5 behind.

Read the rest.

Paul’s High Performance: Dragin’ Snake

The team at Paul’s High Performance (PHP) pays homage to Carrol Shelby and his team at Shelby American with the PHP Dragin’ Snake. It is made for pure performance, and built to break performance records at that very same stretch of quarter mile.

Read the rest.

Professional Road Racer

When they named this shelby a Professional Road Racer, they did it for a reason, as it is no casual observer. This is a vehicle that lives to race. In fact, it was purpose-built for that very reason.

Read the rest.

“For Ford, this really is one of our Kodak moments,” says Bob Adams, a manager in Ford Motor Company’s Global Auto Show Strategy Department. “We’ve got the three flavors of Shelby all in one place. This is a dramatic showcase of some fantastic cars.”

“If you look back at what the historic Shelby cars were used for, they were drag raced, they were driven on the track, they were driven Monday through Friday and raced on the weekends,” says Adams. “These historic Shelby vehicles show that we’ve been in the performance business for a long time — not only back when the muscle car wars started, but we’ve been producing Mustangs throughout. And unlike our competition, who can only promote their past, we’re delivering the metal today.”

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GT500 At SEMA – Professional Road Racer

mdvaldosta — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 02:29:55 +0000

Ford Racing’s 5.0 liter “Cammer” engine powers this race version of the Shelby GT500. It is just one of many numbers that this Shelby GT500 uses to tell the difference between the avid racer and the coinsure.

When they named this shelby a Professional Road Racer, they did it for a reason, as it is no casual observer. This is a vehicle that lives to race. In fact, it was purpose-built for that very reason. A study in performance, it honors the innovation of Carroll Shelby in the best way it knows how: By stepping onto the track and win.

Features Include:

5.0-liter “Cammer” engine, producing more than 500 horsepower
6-speed sequential shift, race transmission
6-piston front calipers with 2-piece rotors
4-piston rear calipers with 2-piece rotors
8.8–inch full-floating rear axle
3-way adjustable dampers, front and rear
GT-spec rear wing
Carbon fiber nose splitter
22-gallon fule cell
3-piece BBS racing wheels
Curb weight: 3,100 pounds

Back to the original GT500’s at SEMA article, and to read more about the other two GT500 Mustangs at this year’s event. The information used in this article was taken from the display sheet at SEMA.

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GT500 At SEMA – PHP’s Dragin’ Snake

mdvaldosta — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 02:25:23 +0000

Built to bolt down 1,320 feet of molten asphault, the PHP Dragon snake is a killer at the quarter mile. A modifications of the 2007 Shelby GT500, it’s design intent harkens back some 40 years ago, to a time when Carrol Shelby and the team at Shelby Automotive built eight drag cars to compete on the old, straight-line quarter mile battlefield. Those cars were modified in consideration of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) rulebook, with sharp attention paid to better straight-line performance and to do what Carroll Shelby does best: Winning.

Today, the team at Paul’s High Performance (PHP) pays homage to Carrol Shelby and his team at Shelby American with the PHP Dragin’ Snake. It is made for pure performance, and built to break performance records at that very same stretch of quarter mile.

Features Include:

Ford Racing 3.3 Supercharger Unit
Ford Racing Long Tube Headers
Ford Racing Custom 3-inch exhaust
PHP Tubular “K” member
PHP front and rear drag suspension
Ford Racing throttle body and mass air unit
PHP fule delivery system
Wilwood drag brakes
PHP 10-point roll cage

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GT500 At SEMA – Road And Track

mdvaldosta — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 02:21:31 +0000

No matter how hard we may try, some of us will never grow accustomed to a 9-5 workweek. Perhaps it’s because, deep inside, we yearn to break free and leave the cubical behind. Sound familiar? Then take a long, hard look at this Road and Track version of the 2007 Shelby GT500.

Forget the corporate ladder. You really want to get ahead? It’s a whole lot easier to do behind the wheel of a Road and Track Shelby GT500.

Features Include:

Ford Racing roll cage
Sparco race-inspired seat/safety belts
Ford Racing power pack, delivering approximately 600 horsepower
Ford Racing Handling Pack
Ford Racing Cooling Pack
Ford Racing valve covers
Ford Racing strut tower brace
3-piece Fiske racing wheels
Performance Friction racing brakes
Ford Racing short-throw shifter
Ford Racing performance gauges

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