Mustangs Daily

New Product: Ford Racing 347/363/427 Pushrod Short Blocks

2013-05-21T16:54:44Z

Giving project car owners even more powerplant options, Ford Racing Performance Parts have announced a new selection of short blocks in three different variations. Available in 347, 363 and 427 cubic inch displacements, the short blocks all feature a SCAT forged steel crankshaft, forged I-beam connecting rods and forged Mahle pistons. The 347 and 363 short blocks fit many vehicles originally built with 289 or 302 blocks with 8.2-inch deck height, while the 427 short block’s deck height of 9.5 inches will fit in just about any Ford vehicle.

These same shortblocks also serve as the foundation for a number of Ford Racing Crate Engines. The 347 is used in the 415 HP D347SR Sealed Racing Engine. The 363 pumps out 500 HP as the Z363 Crate Engine – and the 427 produces 535 HP on Z427 Crate Engine form. From there, customers can build them up the way they want them. Just add your choice of heads, cam, intake, and oil pan.

New Ford Racing pushrod short blocks:

Ford Racing 347 Shortblock – M-6009-347 MSRP $ 4,899
Ford Racing 363 Shortblock – M-6009-363 MSRP $ 4,999
Ford Racing 427 Shortblock – M-6009-427F MSRP $ 5,299

[Source: Ford Racing]

Gone in 60 Seconds Eleanor Hero Car sells for cool $1 million

2013-05-20T20:33:46Z

Perhaps no other Mustang has been replicated as much as the “Eleanor” from the “Gone in 60 Seconds,” the 1967 Shelby GT500 becoming an instant classic thanks to the movie’s famous car chase scene. Officially licensed versions sell well into the six figures, so we were wondering what this real version – one of eleven built and just three surviving – would go for at Mecum’s Original Spring Classic auction in Indianapolis, IN. While we expected a hefty sum, weren’t prepared for the final hammer price – an even $1 million.

For comparison, another genuine Eleanor Mustang was sold at Barrett-Jackson in 2009 for a “mere” $216,700. Granted, this example is the “Hero Car” used in the movie poster and promotional materials and is undoubtedly in the best condition, but we didn’t expect it to break the seven figure mark. Amazingly, it wasn’t even the highest priced Mustang at the auction with the one-off 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake selling for $1.3 million.

You can read the full vehicle description and see a photo gallery of the car below.

Fans of the Touchstone Pictures 2000 remake of the 1974 cult movie “Gone in 60 Seconds” will recognize this as the original Eleanor, the modified 1967 Ford Mustang piloted by retired master car thief Memphis Raines, played by Nicholas Cage. Several cars were built to handle various duties during the filming of Gone, but this is serial number 7R02C179710, the “Hero” car driven by Cage during filming and used in movie close-ups, posters and promotional materials, in the process launching a whole new trend in Resto Modding. Built by Cinema Vehicle Services (CVS), the design of the car is a work of art, literally. Well-known hot rod designer Steve Stanford sketched out the original concept drawing for the car before the vehicle was brought to life by CVS. The builders were able to mock up Eleanor’s body pieces on a Mustang using clay and wood. Molds were then made to produce a new fiberglass front end filled with high-powered PIAA driving lights, new fender flares, side skirts and scoops, hood and trunk lid. The front suspension was replaced with a lowered and reinforced coilover spring arrangement with power rack and pinion steering; 4-wheel disc brakes were installed and Goodyear Eagle F1 tires mounted on Schmidt 8×17-inch Cobra-style wheels. To give the car big-screen performance, it was treated to a 351/400 HP Ford crate engine, which shares room under the modified hood with a front subframe body brace by Total Control Products, LLC. This progenitor of the Eleanor revolution is relatively untouched inside with the exception of an Autometer Sport Comp Monster tach, fire extinguisher, Go-Baby-Go shift knob button for Line Lock and a switch for activating a nitrous injection system. Being offered directly from the original builder Cinema Vehicle Services, this is the car that jumpstarted the Eleanor resto modding craze.

[Source: Mecum Auctions]

One-off 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake sells for record $1.3 million at Mecum

2013-05-20T19:37:37Z

Back in March we told you about a one-of-one 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake that would be crossing the block at Mecum’s Spring Classic Auction in Indianapolis, and now the results are in. The very special Shelby commanded a high bid of $1.3 million (plus a seven percent seller’s commision), making it easily the highest grossing car at the auction and the most expensive Ford Mustang ever sold. Our records indicate that the previous number stood at just under $1 million with the sale of a 1965 Shelby GT350R back in August.

So what makes the 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake so valuable? As we mentioned before, it’s the only one in the world, but it’s more than just that. It’s also the most powerful and fastest Mustang produced by Shelby in the 1960s, packing a 427 cubic inch V8 from a Ford GT40 race car under the hood. A production run of fifty cars was planned, but the $8,000 price tag, an astounding amount at the time, led to little interest from customers.

You can see the one-off 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake in more detail in the gallery below.

[Source: Mecum Auctions]

2015 Ford Mustang rendered by Car and Driver

2013-05-17T22:26:46Z

Car and Driver is the latest to guess what the upcoming 2015 Ford Mustang will look like with a fresh rendering courtesy of artist Jon Sibal. The design sets itself apart from previous ones we’ve seen, not using too much styling from either the Evos Concept or the current S197 Mustang. The front end features perhaps the most traditional Mustang styling, with an aggressive front fascia and dual horizontal grille surrounded by chrome, but the rear has a more generic look void of both the rear quarter window and side scallop. It’s surely an attractive vehicle, although likely not a very accurate interpretation.

The rendering was published by Car and Driver as part of an article called “25 Cars Worth Waiting For” and offers a few details about what to expect for the 2015 Mustang. Unfortunately none of them are new, like the introduction of an independent rear suspension or an available turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Regardless, it’s worth a read, so head on over to their web site by clicking here.

[Source: Car and Driver]

Video: 2014 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet goes wheels up, chute out

2013-05-16T20:57:59Z

Last week we showed you the first photos of the 2014 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet taking passes down the drag strip at its initial test ‘n tune at South Georgia Motorsports Park, Now, thanks to Ford Racing and a slew of GoPro cameras attached to the car, we can show you some video from the session as well.

At first the footage might not be too different from previous Cobra Jet videos – a nice burnout followed by a wheels-up launch – but the end shows the deployment of a parachute as the car flies through the finish line. The parachute is one of a few new features for the Cobra Jet for 2014 and an NHRA requirement for cars that have trap speeds higher than 150 mph. As we’ve seen previously, the Cobra Jet is more than capable of producing those kinds of numbers.

Have a look at the video for yourself by clicking the play button below.

The sights and sounds of a NASCAR-powered Mustang race car

2013-05-15T21:17:18Z

The beauty of the NASA American Iron Extreme class is that any OEM engine can be used and there are no horsepower or torque limits. As you might imagine, this leads to some interesting powertrain combinations. A perfect example is this 2008 Ford Mustang recently completed by The Mustang Shop in Auburn, WA. Under the hood is a 358 cubic inch V8 sourced from one of Mark Martin’s Winston Cup race car. The engine and several other components from the car including the shifter and driveshaft were purchased from Roush/Yates and squeezed into the Mustang’s engine bay.

According to the company, the stock hood had to be trimmed to accommodate the carbon fiber air cleaner cover, and the intake, cam and carburetor were all swapped out for components more suited to road racing. The Mustang’s stock suspension has been beefed up with a full Whiteline setup including a watts-link system and anti-dive kit.

Want to see and hear more of this very unique NASCAR-powered Mustang race car. Check out the videos and photo gallery below.

[Source: The Mustang Shop]

Vaughn Gittin Jr. gets second podium of the year with 3rd place finish in Atlanta

2013-05-14T23:52:07Z

Vaughn Gittin Jr. and the RTR Drift team traveled to Georgia for an action-packed weekend of Formula Drift fun on Saturday and a signature Smoke Show at Fort Gordon on Sunday. The monumental success of the event at Fort Gordon was only icing on the cake after Vaughn and the Monster Energy Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR supported by ASD Motorsports placed 3rd at Round 2 and moved into 1st place overall in the Formula Drift Championship.

Formula Drift returned for the 10th consecutive season to Road Atlanta track. Known for it’s die-hard fans and spectacular drifting under the lights, Round 2 did not disappoint despite the intermittent rain, the fans in Atlanta came out in force and stayed through to the end of the event. The Road Atlanta stop has the largest attendance for the Series outside of California.

The RTR Drift Team came to this round ready to turn up the heat, on and off the track. The RTR Drift Team compound was the “hot spot” for the fans all day; they came by to use the Ready to Rock Free WiFi, charge their mobile devices from the charging station, pick up the latest Vaughn Gittin Jr., Drift Alliance, Speedhunters, Electric Visual, and Mustang RTR gear, check out the jaw-dropping ’69 Mustang RTR-X that was on display, take a picture with the beautiful Monster Models, get an autograph from Vaughn, or to listen to the musical styling’s of DJ Ahuf that were jamming on the speakers.

Back on track, Vaughn placed 9th out of over 50 drivers in the first round of qualifying and therefore was obligated to omit taking a second run by placing in the top sixteen in accordance with Formula Drift rules. He battled his way through Dave Briggs in the top 32, Matt Fields in the top 16, and found himself faced with fellow Speedhunters driver Fredric Aasbo in the Great Eight.

“This event has always been an event that is just hard to predict as the weather always seems to test us. There were a lot of hard fought battles and a lot of that was due to the inconsistent weather,” says Vaughn. “With the rain, the track changed every run and every turn. We saw the first moment of insanity during my battle with Fredric Aasbo. I literally jumped over the front corner of his car, landed in drift and completed the course. The judges ruled that we would run again and I was able to hold it down to win the battle.”

Vaughn continued: “We had more insanity in my battle with Daigo [Saito] in the semi-finals. As soon as we entered the track, the tape that was holding the seam of his roof flew at me, and the six-foot streamer hanging off completely disoriented my timing. I went off through the infield and made some contact. On the lead run, I gapped him at every single turn and I was just driving as absolutely hard as I possibly could. Despite having our disadvantage from our chase run, we clearly dominated Daigo on our lead run and I look forward to battling him throughout the season.”

Vaughn then faced Michael Essa in the consolation round and earned the third place spot on the podium after throwing down two solid runs.

“I am just so pumped on the support from ASD motorsports and the entire RTR drift team; we all gave it one-hundred percent,” says Vaughn. “Finishing on the podium for the second event in a row and taking the points lead is an awesome result to all the hard work. We are looking forward to continuing the momentum through out the rest of the season!”

The day after Formula Drift, the RTR Drift team traveled to Augusta’s Fort Gordon for one of their signature “Smokeshows”. Vaughn Gittin Jr. gave rides in the Monster Energy Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR and fellow Formula Drift driver and Drift Alliance teammate Ryan Tuerck gave rides in the Gotta Have it Green Mustang RTR Spec 2. A huge crowd was onsite to witness the drifting skills of Vaughn and Ryan, as well as take in the whole experience which also consisted of getting the chance to drive many HPI Racing remote control cars, sample a Monster Energy drink, take a picture with the beautiful Monster Energy models, buy some Vaughn Gittin Jr. / Drift Alliance gear, check out the brand new Ford GT500 and the ’69 Mustang RTR-X that were both on display and on the track piloted Vaughn, and get autographs and high-fives from both the drivers. The event turned out to be a monumental success for everyone in attendance.

Next up for Vaughn Gittin Jr., he begins his international competition efforts by heading to China for the first round of WDS. For more information, please visit VaughnGittin.com or Facebook.com/OfficialVaughnGittinJr.

[Source: Vaughn Gittin Jr. Motorsports]

Video: Evolution Peformance first to run 8s with 2013 Shelby GT500

2013-05-09T22:14:07Z

Last year Evolution Performance became the first to run a 2013 Shelby GT500 in the 9s, setting the benchmark with a 9.95 second pass at 142 mph at Atco Raceway in New Jersey. Now the shop in Aston, PA has once again reset the mark with an astounding 8.94 second run, becoming the first to drop below the nine second mark in 2013 Shelby GT500. Making the feat even more impressive is that the Grabber Blue Shelby’s stock 6-speed manual transmission is still in place.

So what does it take to build an eight second Shelby GT500? A fully built 5.8L V8 from L&M Race Engines and tuned by Lund Racing is now under the hood, with the stock 2.3L supercharger swapped out for a Kenne Bell 3.6L liquid-cooled unit running just under 23 pounds of boost. In total, Evolution Performance’s Shelby produces 1,156 horsepower and 1,078 lb-ft torque at the rear wheels. All of that power runs through a Spec twin-disc clutch and aluminum flywheel as well as a FAB 9-inch rear end, and a set of Mickey Thompson ET drag slicks wrapped over Weld RT-S wheels help put it to the ground.

Want to see the Shelby’s eight second pass for yourself? Just click the play button below and enjoy the video in up to 1080 HD.

2014 Holman & Moody TdF Mustang production underway, package price starts at $9,896.00

2013-05-08T14:51:19Z

It’s been a full six months since Holman & Moody first unveiled the 2014 TdF Mustang at SEMA back in November, so it would be understandable if you had forgotten about the car or perhaps thought the project was no longer a go. Thankfully that’s not the case, as evidenced by these latest photos posted by the company that show the first cars being constructed at their production facility in Charlotte, NC. The images reveal several TdF Mustangs in various stages of production, receiving graphics, badges, wheels and more.

Inspired by a trio of Holman & Moody-prepped Mustangs that competed in the Tour de France Automobile Rally in 1964, the 2014 TdF Mustang features the same red and gold color scheme as the race cars as well as a variety of performance upgrades from Ford Racing including both a power and suspension package. Unique to the TdF Mustang are fully adjustable front and rear sway bars specially designed by Holman & Moody.

Pricing has also been announced for the 2014 TdF Mustang, with the base package starting at $9,896.00. Additional options include upgraded sway bars as well as custom Holman & Moody embroidered Recaro seats. Customers can choose a variety of ways to order a TdF Mustang, including having the package installed post-title at any Ford dealership, upfitting an existing 2014 Mustang at Holman & Moody’s facility, or purchasing a completed vehicle directly from the company. Production will be limited to 500 units.

You can see various 2014 Holman & Moody TdF Mustangs in production in the photo gallery below.

[Source: Holman & Moody]

New Product: Jim Inglese Independent Runner Induction Systems for the Coyote 5.0L V8

2013-05-07T21:58:11Z

Jim Inglese, a name who is legendary for building Weber carburetion systems, has announced that his company will be offering Independent Runner Weber and EFI induction units for the Coyote 5.0-liter engine. Each eight-stack system is custom-built and calibrated for each engine, with a wide variety of plating and other finishes available.

Currently the FAST software used with the intake runners doesn’t allow for variable valve timing, but Inglese tells us that power output remains relatively the same as stock with more to be had. “There is still a lot of work to be done with the adjustable cam timing. More power is out there,” he told us. “Right now, the cams have to be locked and power is still excellent.”

Retail pricing for a complete Weber system is listed at $4,600. EFI units begin at the same price, minus the ECU. For more details visit www.jiminglese.com.

[Source: Jim Inglese Weber Carburetion]