MULTITASKING FOR THE MASSES
July 16, 2023
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THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
Lost & Found
There are many reasons why the icon cars have achieved the lofty status they now enjoy, but one of the more obvious reasons is the simple fact that they were finished. Their existence and subsequent high-level exposure have inspired many a young lad to undertake similar projects, and for every famous car built in the early years, probably two others were started in an attempt to either copy or outdo it, but they never saw the light of day.
CHEVELLE MEMORIES
“If these four walls could only talk, what great stories they could tell” is an old adage that is certainly apropos from a historical perspective. In the context that we Americans have an ongoing love affair with the automobile, it could also be said that if a classic car could only talk, it could tell some pretty great stories as well!”
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Flaming River’s 88-98 Chevy/GMC 1500 Series Power Rack & Pinion Cradle Kit
If you’re looking to take your 1988-1998 Chevy/GMC C1500 truck’s steering to the next level, you need to check out the Flaming River Power Rack and Pinion Cradle Kit for 88-98 Chevy/GMC 1500 series pickups. This power rack and pinion cradle kit is a total game-changer, designed for a direct bolt-in installation. Ditch that outdated steering and get ready for the precision and modern handling you’ve been dreaming of.
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TEXAS TRANS-AM
A Race-Inspired Street Mustang From the Lone Star State
Author
Bob McClurg
Story & Photography
Reliving Trans-Am Glory with a Mustang
Thirty-four-year-old Mustang enthusiast Dave McMillan of Dallas, Texas, may not have been old enough to remember those wild and woolly days of SCCA Trans-Am racing, but that doesn’t mean he can’t relive that glorious era each time he climbs inside his Trans-Am-style ’69 Mustang SportsRoof.
A Passion for Ford Performance
McMillan is what you would call a certifiable Ford nut, having owned quite a few noteworthy high-performance Fords over the years. The mix has included or currently includes the likes of a ’70 Mach 1, a ’93 SVT Mustang Cobra, an ’01 SVT Ford F-150 Lightning and a ’66 Sunbeam Tiger. “All my buddies give me a hard time for being a Ford man,” McMillan says. “I just tell them that anybody can drive a Chevrolet.”
The Latest Project: A Trans-Am-Inspired Mustang
However, his latest Blue Oval project (this awesome Trans Am-inspired, silver-hued ’69 Mustang SportsRoof) is probably his best effort to date. Completed just in time to enter the March 2004 Ft. Worth Rod & Custom Car & Truck Show, the silver ’69 was built to replace McMillan’s long-departed ’70 Mustang Mach 1. And he is quick to credit those who helped make the whole thing a reality. “I couldn’t have done it without the help of my girlfriend, Brook Blickenstaff, and friends Tim Roper, Trace Sullivan, Jason Wade and Ray Mitchell,” McMillan says.
Building the Mustang’s Suspension
Starting with the SportsRoof’s unibody platform, McMillan and his buddies installed a 3.50:1-geared ’79 Lincoln Versailles 9-inch disc brake rearend, which is bolted to a set of Total Control Products’ low-profile rear leaf springs. Also along for the ride is a pair of KYB gas-charged shocks. Up front, McMillan’s Trans-Am-inspired streeter utilizes a set of 1-inch relocated factory upper A-arms along with a pair of 620-in-lb Dallas Mustang Parts’ specific-rate front coil springs, a pair of ’69 Mach 1 front disc brakes and KYBs. Rolling stock on the car consists of a set of Newstalgia Magnum 500 18×8-inch front and 18×9.5-inch rear wheels rolling on 275/35×18- and 315/30×18-inch Yokohama ECSTA radial rubber.
A High-Powered Cleveland Engine
Powering this beauty is a Leonard Vasholtz-prepared, ’71-vintage Ford 351 Cleveland, now displacing 372 ci. Internally, McMillan’s 351 features a stroked 351-C crank (3.700 inches), a set of 6.00-inch Eagle connecting rods, 9.5:1 Venolia flattop pistons and a Crane cam. Also along for the ride is a set of Vasholtz-prepared Ford Motorsport B-351 cylinder heads outfitted with Crane valvetrain hardware, protected by a pair of Blue Thunder finned-aluminum valve covers. Bolted in between is a Ford Motorsport/FRT B0351 high-rise intake sporting a 750cfm Holley and an NOS shaker hood scoop. Ignition duties are handled by an MSD Pro Billet distributor, while the exhaust system consists of a set of FPA custom four-tube headers propelling the spent gases back through a Muffler King/Walker MagnaFlow 3-inch exhaust tubing. Cooling is handled by a Griffin four-core aluminum radiator.
Performance and Drivetrain Highlights
The Mustang was dyno-tested at 496 hp (6,500 rpm) and registered 485 lb-ft of torque at 5,800 rpm, and McMillan gets the power back to that 9-inch Versailles via a Ford Motorsport/BorgWarner Z-Model T-5 using a Lakewood-contained Hays clutch. The final link in the Mustang’s drivetrain is a Driveshaft King of Dallas custom-fabricated driveshaft.
A Silver Finish and Custom Interior
Credit for the outstanding DuPont ChromaBase silver paint (with semi-gloss Mach 1 blackout treatments) and bodywork goes to Ray Mitchell of Forney, Texas. On the inside, McMillan’s SportsRoof features a complete Mach 1 interior (with fold-down rear seat), a black leather-wrapped LeCarra steering wheel, JVC AM/FM radio, Auto Meter instrumentation and a Hurst shifter. You’ll also find a J&L Performance Racing-installed, 1-5/8-inch Chris Alston eight-point rollcage (with removable sidebar feature) and a pair of Flofit seats with Mach 1 seat inserts. In the trunk area is where you’ll find an Optima gel-cell battery, along with a 10-disc Alpine CD player and changer.
A Bright Future for the Mustang
Listed on our tech sheet as being “unfinished,” McMillan’s Trans-Am Slam ’69 Mustang SportsRoof is also slated for a Pro Charger street supercharger installation soon. So, although this is already one fine-looking ride with nearly 500 ponies presently on tap, we can only imagine what the impressive package will become once the ’charger is bolted on this bad boy. The Texas Slam will never be the same.
