There's no doubt that Saleen Mustangs generate lots of envious stares from many of us in the Mustang hobby. Saleens are cool cars that rightly take their place in the high-end of the Mustang world along with Shelbys, SVT Cobra models, and others. But there's more to this picture that most don't think about. When a Saleen Mustang is built, there are numerous factory parts removed from a current '02 GT to create the three versions of the S281 sold today-the base S281, the supercharged model, and the 425hp version dubbed the S281-E.
To find out about all the takeoff parts available, we stopped in at Saleen's Irvine, California, factory to get the scoop on what actually comes off an '02 GT on the path to creating an S281. You might be surprised at the desirable pieces available through Saleen's takeoff parts program, which gets little fanfare from either Saleen's print catalog, its Web site, or anywhere else.
Those of you with just about any kind of SN-95 Mustang will want to know what's available for your car-whether it's an earlier GT model or a V-6 of any year. And with the advent of the '01 Premium Package GT wheel (or Bullitt wheel, as it's sometimes known) now available for the past year, Saleen's takeoff parts program has gotten even better-especially since all S281s are built from Premium Packaged GTs.
But there's a lot more than just wheels available, as you'll soon see. Those of you with V-6 Mustangs can upgrade many suspension parts using factory GT items such as front struts, rear shocks, and front antisway bars. There are other goodies, too, and to find out what they are, all you have to do is read on.