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2008 SEMA Show Ford Mustangs - Mustang Cars, Mustang Parts
As Always, The SEMA Show Has More Mustangs And Mustang Parts Than You Can Ever See During The Show's Four-Day Run
March, 2009
By Miles Cook
Photography by Miles Cook, Courtesy of the Manufacturers
If you add up the number of times each of us on this magazine's staff has trekked to Las Vegas to attend the SEMA Show, you'd be looking at more than a half-century of experience. Yeah, we've been to SEMA plenty over the years but the interest is still there. The Mustangs are cool and there's always something new. Ongoing every year since 1963, the SEMA Show has grown into one of the largest trade shows in the world--for any industry, not just the automotive aftermarket. Now that it's nearly impossible to walk the entire show during the 31 hours that it's open, one now has to focus on one particular facet of the show. And for us, that's Mustangs. Now five years into S197 production, the excitement for Mustangs continues on both the late-model and vintage side, especially with Dynacorn's introduction of its reproduction '69 fastback body shells. It's easy to see by all the Mustang cars and Mustang parts that interest in Mustangs won't be diminishing anytime soon. And for that we can all be grateful as our favorite car celebrates 45 years of continuous production.  Exactly 40 years after the...  Exactly 40 years after the first '68 Cobra Jet Mustangs stormed the NHRA drag racing scene, it's dj vu all over again as Ford Racing (www.fordrac ingparts.com) is now offering another Cobra Jet drag racer based on the S197 Mustang. Available as the FR500CJ, it's ready for the strip with a supercharged 5.4L four-valve, a six-speed trans, and a 9-inch rearend. The car will be available as a serialized Ford Racing part number (M-FR500-CJ) but with no VIN so it won't be street legal. |  In the Ford corporate SEMA...  In the Ford corporate SEMA display was a Dynacorn reproduction '69 body shell hovering over an unusual '70 Cobra Jet fastback. Owned by National Parts Depot, this highly-optioned non-Mach 1 is loaded with rare extras including a Q-code 428 CJ, a C6 automatic trans, factory A/C, a deluxe interior, a fold-down seat, tilt steering with a rim-blow wheel, AM/FM stereo and a factory tach gauge cluster. |  Built by The Restomod Shop,...  Built by The Restomod Shop, which is affiliated with our friends at Mustangs Plus, this Dynacorn-bodied '68 fastback is a beautifully built Bullitt tribute car. |  And just like the movie car,...  And just like the movie car, it's also FE-powered with a healthy 390 backed by a Tremec TKO 600 five-speed trans. For more photos of this project, check out www.therestomodshop.com. |  At SEMA, Gear Vendors introduced...  At SEMA, Gear Vendors introduced a bolt-in overdrive system for the FMX transmission, as used in '69-'70 Mustangs with 351W and 351C engines. The 0.71 overdrive setup includes all electronic components. Expect a typical mileage improvement of around 25 percent. You can also split gears, effectively turning the FMX three-speed automatic into a six-speed. The system uses a factory trans mount, and no mods to the tunnel or crossmember are needed. Gear Vendors Overdrive, www.gearvendors.com. |  Hot Rod Air's '05-'09 Mustang...  Hot Rod Air's '05-'09 Mustang polished-aluminum interior HVAC louver is a direct replacement for the stock piece. Hot Rod Air, www.hotrodair.com. |  Comp Cams' line of XFI 4.6-/5.4L...  Comp Cams' line of XFI 4.6-/5.4L modular three-valve camshafts maximize both naturally aspirated and supercharged Three-Valve engine performance. Competition Cams, www.compcams.com. |  Two new items debuted from...  Two new items debuted from Professional Products. The lightweight SFI-spec harmonic balancer is available in models to fit both early and late small-block Ford engines. Its universal design allows two part numbers to fit all small-block Fords from '63 to '96. |  The returnless fuel-system...  The returnless fuel-system kit converts any aftermarket EFI system to a returnless-style system, thus eliminating one of the biggest tasks in retrofitting EFI. This setup would be a great option for those doing EFI conversions on vintage Mustangs. Professional Products, www.professional-products.com. |  American Autowire offers a...  American Autowire offers a new replacement wiring harness for '67-'68 Mustangs. The harness (PN 510055) is complete and has several features, including a new ATO fuse box compatible with most aftermarket accessories and a cluster-harness disconnect system, as well as dimmer, headlight and ignition switches. American Autowire, www.americanautowire.com. |  Most likely the fastest stock-bodied...  Most likely the fastest stock-bodied S197 in the world, this land-speed-record Mustang went 252.78 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah last summer. |  With Mickey Thompson's son...  With Mickey Thompson's son Danny behind the wheel, it was a 40th anniversary of sorts to Mickey's '69 fastback. Running on E-85, the car is also the fastest production-based car using E-85. Power comes from a Paul's High Performance-built, Ford GT-based 5.4L making 883 rwhp. |  Flex-a-lite's newest radiator/fan...  Flex-a-lite's newest radiator/fan combination (PN 50164) is specifically designed for '65-'66 Mustangs. It replaces the factory radiator and beltdriven fan. The high-performance electric fan moves 3,000 cfm for significantly improved cooling capabilities. Flex-a-lite Consolidated, www.flex-a-lite.com. |  Classic Design Concepts and...  Classic Design Concepts and automotive designer Tom Tjaarada ('71-'74 DeTomaso Pantera) teamed up to build this '67 fastback, dubbed the Equus-CDC. |  Designed in Italy, the car...  Designed in Italy, the car features numerous styling cues created by Tom. Power comes from a supercharged GT500 5.4L crate motor and a six-speed trans. |  Eagle Specialty Products has...  Eagle Specialty Products has a cast-steel Ford FE (390-428) crankshaft. It's available in 3.980-, 4.150- and 4.250-inch strokes. Eagle Specialty Products, www.eaglerod.com. |  Silver Horse Racing has all...  Silver Horse Racing has all sorts of parts and accessories for S197s. Shown here is the company's new flush-mount louvers that are also standard equipment on the FR500CJ. Pressure-injected from polycarbonate (Lexan) resin, the louvers can be painted to match or contrast any color. |  What we like about them is...  What we like about them is that they don't obstruct rearward visibility from inside the car and they don't protrude, thus increasing aerodynamic drag. Along with the louvers, Silver Horse also has a fiberglass front splitter, Agent 47 retro sideview mirrors, a sequential taillight harness, billet fuel doors, honeycomb taillight panels, and numerous interior components. Visit www.silverhorseracing.com for more details. |  Though LED sequential taillights...  Though LED sequential taillights have been around for a while, Mustang Project has updated its offerings with deluxe separate UB (for "ultra bright") setups for '65-'66, '67-'68, and '69 and '70 Mustangs. The UB kits are brighter and more reliable, plus they provide more even light. The added brightness is provided by 230 (115 per side) commercial-grade LEDs; the "batwing" design is still used to allow more light to project from each of the three lenses. Standard brightness systems are also available for '71-'73 Mustangs. Mustang Project, www .mustangproject.com. |  Performance Friction Brakes'...  Performance Friction Brakes' caliper and rotor upgrade kits for S197 Mustangs deliver braking and durability usually only available in racing applications. Further, there's no compromising the stock ABS and emergency brake systems. Performance Friction Brakes, www.performance friction.com. |  Crane offers performance camshaft...  Crane offers performance camshaft sets for 4.6- and 5.4L modular engines. Dedicated performance steel cores are used to produce a variety of street- and racing-cam grinds. Crane Cams, www.cranecams.com. |  We ran across this tricked-out...  We ran across this tricked-out S197 while strolling through the show cars outside the show hall. The Black Widow package includes ground effects, a ram-air hood, 20-inch black chrome wheels, a rear deck spoiler, upper and lower sidescoops, and several items in black chrome, including "widow" hood letters, hex-mesh hoodscoop grilles, a fuel door, a rear spoiler, quad exhaust tips, and optional seat covers. Go to www.scomfort.com for more information. |  CDC's latest Flashback (www.cdcflash...  CDC's latest Flashback (www.cdcflash back.com) is this Bullitt-tribute Highland Green version. Powered by a Ford Racing 347 Boss crate motor topped by a Dynatek Racing EFI system using Weber carburetor housings, the car has a full RRS suspension, Baer brakes, and 18-inch Torque-Thrust II wheels. CDC-designed exterior bits include a one-piece front fascia with brake-duct inlets and a dark-mesh grille. There's also a dual reversed cowl hood with turn signals, a one-piece rear fascia with an integral bumper, and stamped-steel sail panels. |  Owned by our Vice President...  Owned by our Vice President and Group Publisher Doug Evans, this '69 fastback actually started out as a coupe. Classic Automotive Restoration Specialists (CARS) offers a "coupe-2-fastback" conversion kit that allows '69-'70 coupes to be turned into fastbacks. Exterior parts included are the roof skin, quarter-panels, quarter extensions, windshield, A-pillars, windshield moldings, door glass, quarter glass, a back-glass filler panel, drip-rail moldings, drip-rail weatherstrip, rear glass, and rear-glass moldings. Interior parts include inner rear quarter-panel structures, a torsion housing, a roof support, fold-down rear seat brackets, inner wheelhouse, and the pieces that make up the divider between the trunk and fold-down seat. Go to www.classicautomotiverestoration.com for more information. |  TCI's Street Fighter 4R70W...  TCI's Street Fighter 4R70W trans, a direct replacement for '98-'04 4.6 Mustangs, can handle up to 600 hp. TCI, www.tciauto.com. |  Another car worth checking...  Another car worth checking out on the SEMA Show floor was this '69 built by Time Machines. Although it has a '70 front end, the car is in fact a '69, as evidenced by the sidescoops. The 5.4L crate engine has a Kenne-Bell supercharger, FAST electronics, Afco headers, coilover shocks, and an S197 Mustang interior that includes the dash, seats, and console. Check out www.timemachinesinc.com for more on this and other cars built by the company. |  Edelbrock has jumped into...  Edelbrock has jumped into the supercharger market and its first offering is for S197 Mustangs. The E-Force system uses the Eaton Gen IV, 2.3L TVS blower for the foundation. With only 5 psi. of boost, Edelbrock claims a 166hp jump in power for a total of 466. The Eaton blower has a four-lobe design with 160 degrees of twist for optimum flow and minimum temperature rise. The supercharger is integrated into the intake manifold for a seamless design with fewer components and elimination of vacuum leaks between gasket surfaces. The inverted assembly is placed low in the valley and allows for a significant 15 inches of intake runner length, which improves low-rpm torque. Other features include an 85mm electronic throttle body matched with a unique and efficient inlet configuration. Also included is a 110-square-inch air-to-water intercooler and a dual-core heat exchanger. Edelbrock, www.edelbrock.com. |
Ford Mustang Research
Find new Ford Mustang information as well as review photos, specs and more. Compare the Mustang with other submodels and find all you need for your car buying needs. It has drivers side crash test ratings of 5 stars and passengers side crash test ratings of 5 stars. Also check out the Ford Fusion and the Ford Shelby GT 500.
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