THE AUTO BUILDER
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ON BORROWED TIME
When you go looking to make huge power from your 5.0-liter Ford, the limiting factor will always be the weakest link in the chain. In the case of our supercharged 331 stroker buildup, the weakest link turned out to be the production block. Like most enthusiasts, we had no budget for a DART racing block or even a Ford Racing Sportsman block, but we decided to tempt fate nonetheless and go for a big power number on the dyno. Considering that the stock fuel-injected 5.0-liter was rated at a measly 225 hp, even a 300hp buildup would offer a welcome change in performance.
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Spotlighter
POPP TOP
There’s No Sweeter Music Than the Sound of a High-Winding “Blown” 5.0L
“There’s no better sound than the high-winding pitch you get from a Kenne Bell supercharged 5.0L engine,” said Kevin Popp, a computer programmer and systems support specialist from Aurora, Colorado. And he should know; he owns one. We couldn’t agree more. The package makes very good sense, and we’re sure that once Popp gets to see his purple-flamed ’95 Mustang GT ragtop featured here, he’ll forgive the corny play on words for the sake of our article.
Author
Bob McClurg
Story & Photography
A Mustang Passion from the Start
“When I was 16 years old, I bought a ’67 Mustang from a coworker for $700,” Popp said. “The car was so beat up that I had to purchase a six-cylinder Mustang donor car just so that I could salvage the whole deal. The more I worked on the car, the more I learned about Mustangs, through swapping out the engine and transmission, the differential, the brakes and everything else that was required to bring this tired old pony back to life.”
Learning the Ropes
To make his dream car a reality project, Popp took mechanics classes at Denver’s Vo-Tech University, and he’s been involved with Mustangs ever since. One of the things Popp learned to appreciate during his tenure at Vo-Tech was the fine art behind the intricate workings of the electronically assisted 5.0-liter Ford small-block engine.
“These are great engines, and I vowed that my next Mustang was going to be one of those cars!”
Finding the Perfect Mustang
Not exactly being flush with cash, Popp bided his time until the day when he learned that the local Toyota dealer had taken a ’95 sapphire-blue (that’s purple) Mustang GT convertible in on trade.
“I told them that purple was not my favorite color and that I was looking for a yellow GT instead. But I promised the salesman that I would at least come down and look at the car. That was enough. When I saw her, I instantly fell in love.” The rest we can identify with, and as they say, it’s a history lesson.
Research and First Modifications
Popp immediately began researching all the factory data about his new toy. He wanted to learn all he could about the car.
“I’ve been told that there are only 172 of these models produced with the white leather interior and white top,” Popp said. As he began to appreciate what he had, and became more connected to it, the fun began.
Wheels would be the first modification on Popp’s long list of future mods.
“I settled on a set of Cragar SS 980, 18-inch five-spoke wheels, which really woke up the car.”
Entering the Mustang Scene
Popp wanted to get more involved in the scene, so he debuted his new Mustang project at the ’98 Rocky Mountain Mustang Roundup held in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. That was a huge awakening for him. After checking out all the competition on hand that day, he came home with a ton of ideas and an even longer list of necessary parts.
“I had originally intended to turn this car into a long-term project for me and my wife to do on weekends, but then, on April 24, along came my son Conner, just seven weeks before the ’04 Rocky Mountain Roundup. I decided that it might not be so easy to complete all of the planned modifications with a new baby in the house, unless I got to it and completed it right away.”
Bringing the Vision to Life
Parts began arriving at Popp’s home on a regular basis and the work began in earnest.
“Being new parents, I got little sleep in between working on the car and adjusting to fatherhood. Thanks to an understanding wife (and new mother), I was able to complete the project, including the installation of a complete new Kenne Bell TS-1500 supercharger. The test drive back from the body shop was about all the ‘fun’ Joyce got to have. I, however, wanted to add some ghost flames to the car so that people would do a double-take whenever I drove by,” he said.
“The painter at UNI/TEC Auto Collision & Paint Center and I discussed a few ideas, and we finally came up with these three-dimensional chameleon ghost flames with orange highlights. Along the way, we also added a combination Saleen and ABC Exclusives body kit and tonneau cover. In the bright sun, the car looks amazing.”
The Final Touches
While they were at it, the Popps also upgraded the GT’s factory white leather interior with a combination of Saleen and Auto Meter white-face gauges, a Kenwood D-Mask six-disc CD changer and a Steeda fireball shift knob. And now the overall combination is quite striking.
“Obviously, the look of this car is somewhat different in looks from most Mustangs, Cobra Rs and Bullits, and that is exactly the way I wanted it. After all, why be just another face in the crowd?”
