After destroying his original engine with too much boost, Scott Allen was left with two choices: scrap the project or build it better. Guess which option he chose…

A muscle car man at heart, Scott Allen has owned a bunch of seriously cool cars in his time, although none quite as cool as his current selection.

The name Boss 302 gets any Mustang owner’s heart pounding, and Scott’s lucky enough to have one. He’s also got the 302’s bigger and far less common brother, the 428 Cobra Jet, a very rare and impressive car that most Ford lovers would kill for. But just to prove he’s not solely a Ford fan, they’re kept company by the Chevrolet equivalent, a ’69 Z28 Camaro.

Obviously, someone with an eye for rare and powerful muscle cars is going to have a passion for going fast, too, and that’s where this story really begins. Back in 2005, Scott was looking for a new daily driver that would allow him to get around the country with his work gear in a bit of comfort. The then brand-new BAII ute fitted the requirements perfectly. However, it wasn’t long after the purchase of the six-speed manual ute that Scott began to tire of the car’s limited performance, and the idea of force-feeding it came to mind. (more…)

Ford Racing over in the States now has a new crate engine offering for hot rodders and muscle car makers – the Boss 302 5.0L V8.

It was last year when Ford made the Mustang’s 5.0L V8 available as a crate engine and it went well for the blue oval with many finding homes in some serious machines. Now, Ford Racing is offering the Boss 302 as a standalone purchase through its performance parts catalogue, so anyone can drop the 331kW/444hp motor into their own project car.

Why pick the Boss 302 over the standard Mustang 5.0L V8? Well a 23kW power increase for starters, everyone wants more power. The Boss 302 also features some more serious internals like a new high-flowing intake manifold, CNC-machined cylinder heads, upgraded exhaust valves, forged pistons, connecting rods and crankshaft, and a more aggressive camshaft.

The Boss 302 crate motor isn’t going to come cheap, and Ford Racing is listing the Boss 302 V8 crate engine at $11,999 ($14,820 NZD). The standard 5.0 Mustang motor costs much less at $6,999.00 ($8,640 NZD). (more…)

American-based Ford Racing has just dropped the covers on its latest Mustang race car, the Boss 302S. Set to replace the discontinued FR500S race car that was used for the Mustang Challenge race series, the Boss 302S will be built for the very serious track day enthusiast and also teams to compete in local race series like the SCCA’s World Challenge and NASA’s American Iron.

The 302S will slot into the Ford Racing range between the Boss 302 Laguna Seca and the Boss 302R race car that squeals its wheels in Grand-Am. The Boss 302S will make use of the stock transmission, clutch and flywheel and the 5.0-litre engine that puts out 440 horsepower. Race-spec goodies like a six-point roll cage and Recaro HANS Pro Racer seat will be included in addition to a fully adjustable suspension system, Brembo race brake system, massive front splitter and an adjustable carbon fibre rear wing.

Pricing for the Boss 302S is set at $79,000 USD, with just 50 will be available from the Ford Racing Performance Parts catalogue. (more…)

Much of our recent V8 engine news has been about Ford’s new 5.0-litre ‘Coyote’ engine and questions surrounding forced induction on the performance motor. It seemed that Aussie Ford was going to be the first to supercharge the new motor and unleash its full potential (read news). Now, not wanting to be out done, Ford in America has just released a new supercharger package for the 5.0-litre V8 through its Ford Racing aftermarket parts division.

Ford Racing’s supercharger system is being made available in three packages, each making use of a 2.3-litre Whipple twin-screw supercharger, air-to-liquid intercooler and 47 lb/hr fuel injectors. The base package boosts the engine to 525 horsepower and 470 pound-feet torque, while the mid-spec kit offers 624 hp and 536 lb-ft torque. Finally, for all those DIY enthusiasts there is a custom package called the tuner kit, which comes with only the core components and requires independent calibration to work with the engine’s computer.

Over in the States, Ford Racing is a great resource for getting all sorts of gear for oval badged race cars or modified vehicles or whatever project enthusiasts can think up. Now, there is a new item in the Ford Racing catalogue – the 5.0-liter V-8 heart from the new 2011 Ford Mustang GT.

Available from August 15, the new engine has been given the part # M-6007-M50 and comes rated at the same 412 horsepower and 390 pounds-feet of torque as the stock production unit found in the Mustang. Key features to this powerplant include Ford’s Ti-VCT cam-torque-actuated variable camshaft timing system and an all-aluminum four-valve-per-cylinder engine design, plus made-to-measure tubular exhaust headers.

The engine package also includes a manual transmission harness and flywheel, piston-cooling jets and an 80 mm single bore “drive by wire” throttlebody. What isn’t included is an alternator. The total weight for the engine package is 201 kg.

Pricing for the Ford Racing 5.0-litre V-8 crate engine will start from $6,999 ($9,520 NZ).

Vaughn Gitten Jr. is a famous name in the American Formula D drifting series. His distinctive Monster Energy/Falken Tyre Mustang GT is a crowd favourite with Americans keen to support a local lad with a locally made machine. The potential marketing possibilities got the better of the Ford Motor Company and it has jointly-developed with Gitten a special 2011 Mustang tuning package dubbed the RTR.

Included in the dealer-installed RTR package is a new front splitter, side sill extensions, a rear diffuser and an aluminum spoiler. Other ‘for show’ goodies include distinctive stripes, unique interior trim (exclusive floor mats, a special shifter and plenty of RTR emblems) and 19-inch wheels with Falken FK-452 tyres.

Official performance specifications haven’t been released, but the RTR also boasts a revised ECU, a high-flow air filter, and Ford Racing mufflers.

According to Ford, “Vaughn’s goal was to introduce an exciting new package to the Mustang world that resonates with both the younger audience and with traditional muscle car enthusiasts as well. By partnering with Ford Racing to develop the Mustang RTR, he has achieved that goal with ease and illustrates how universal Mustang’s appeal is.”

Is this the mean machine that can bring drift car enthusiasts and muscle car enthusiasts together in total agreement? Probably not, but it is a super sweet ride. Check out images and a video of the RTR Mustang in action, below.

Not everyone likes their power delivered in the same way and this is especially true for muscle cars. Even with a vehicle as specific as the new 2011 Shelby GT350, customers want to have options.

When this modern piece of muscle was first unveiled earlier this year it only came equipped with a six-speed manual transmission and a Ford Racing supercharger good for 500 horsepower, but according to Shelby it’s now offering both a naturally aspirated and an automatic version to customers. The famous tuning company says qualifying the GT350 for American SCCA racing is the main reason for offering a non-supercharged model, but the customer-tempting price point may have been a factor also. By leaving the supercharger off the options list GT350 buyers will save $7,000 USD, and they will still have a healthy 412 horsepower to play with from the 5.0-litre V8 engine.

Supercharged or natural breathing, automatic or manual, there’s no doubt each GT350 will be a serious performer. The car comes standard equipped with a Shelby-tuned Ford Racing suspension system, Baer front and rear brakes, Borla exhaust and special Goodyear tyres. Each GT350 is only available in the legendary White with Guardsman Blue stripes colour-scheme, and all will be built as a special program at Shelby’s Las Vegas facility.

The full upfit package (base car not included) is $26,995 USD for the naturally aspirated model and $33,995 USD for the supercharged variant.

Racers and project car builders have two fresh engine options to choose from in the American Ford Racing parts catalogue. Fans of the classic 302 cubic inch V8 and on a tighter budget can go for the 340 horsepower X302 crate engine. At $3,495 USD, the X302 is a classic cast iron block option with aluminum cylinder heads mated with forged aluminum pistons and die cast aluminum valve covers.

If you crave more horsepower the new 427 FE could be for you. It’s sased on the Boss 351 block with four-bolt main bearings carrying the forged steel crankshaft and rods. The block is topped with Ford Racing aluminum cylinder heads with 10.5:1 compression ratio, producing 535 hp and 545 lb-ft of torque and costing $8,800 USD.