Jarrod King's sharp '67 Shelby...
Jarrod King's sharp '67 Shelby GT350 took a second-place in the Best Shelby/Boss class, behind overall Best of Show winner Steve Trombley's '70 Boss 429. The Cobra 289 in Jarrod's GT350 is boosted by a Paxton supercharger.
Stop number three on the NMRA's 2009 event schedule took place in June at Milan Dragway, just a few miles west of Ford's headquarters and assembly plant in Dearborn, Michigan. As a result, the show field for the sixth annual Aeromotive NMRA Ford Nationals was loaded with everything from old and new Mustangs to big Galaxies and haulin' Rancheros. Over 200 Mustangs and Fords participated in the show portion of the NMRA event, which also included a drag race program, swap meet, and manufacturer's midway.
Steve Trombley trumped everyone...
Steve Trombley trumped everyone by showing up with a red, white, and blue display of Boss 429s. His recently restored Grabber Blue '70 nabbed the big awards, including Best of Show.
Perhaps it was fitting that Steve Trombley stole the show with his trio of Boss 429s, which were originally built at the Dearborn assembly plant and converted into Boss 429s at the Kar Kraft facility in Brighton, just up Highway 23 from Milan. Steve's red, white, and blue display of big-block Bosses, based out of his restoration shop in nearby Temperance, was impressive by itself, but to top it off Steve's Grabber Blue '70 Boss 429 took some of the top honors, including Best Shelby/Boss, Best of Show, and Mustang Monthly's Editor's Choice award.
Editor's Choice
It must be good to be Steve Trombley. Not only did he bring a trio of Boss 429 Mustangs to the NMRA's Milan auto show, his Grabber Blue '70 rolled away with the weekend's big iron - Best Shelby/Boss, Best of Show, and Mustang Monthly's Editor's Choice award.
After several years of collecting Shelbys, Steve got into Boss 429s when he purchased the red '69 nine years ago. Other than the paint, it's an all-original car. Next up was the white '69, which Steve restored himself. When a friend offered the Grabber Blue '70, Steve couldn't resist the thought of displaying a trio of Boss 429s in red, white, and blue.
Steve also restored his '70 Boss 429, a car that he acquired with its matching-numbers engine. "It took me two years," he says. "I did all the work myself, including paint, body, and mechanical. I took it back to original, although I don't get into all that smog stuff."
It helps that Steve owns his own shop, Steve's Auto Service, in Temperance, Michigan, just 20 miles from Milan. He restores all types of cars but prefers working on Mustangs. Getting to work on his own Mustangs - he owns 22, including one Shelby of every year except '67 - is a treat. Steve also enjoys that fact that his grandson, Jonathan, is a big Mustang fan and accompanies him to many of the shows.
 The new '05-'09 Mustangs were...  The new '05-'09 Mustangs were well-represented at Milan. Carlos Cruz owns this silver coupe with center-mounted fog lights, spoilers, and big wheels. |  The Best SVT Mustang and Cobra...  The Best SVT Mustang and Cobra award went to John Splan's '04 Cobra, a Competition Orange coupe equipped with enough aftermarket goodies to push the rear-wheel horsepower to 464.5. According to John, only 281 Cobra coupes were built in the bright orange hue. |  The two-tone paint scheme...  The two-tone paint scheme provides a custom look for Aaron Yates' '85 GT hatchback. The silver and blue Fox-body is powered by a 302 with Edelbrock RPM heads, Edelbrock intake, and Holley 650 double-pumper carb. Wheels are Daytonas with Nitto Drag Radials on the rear. |