We asked Greg how the finished car runs, and he said he can't really say. Oh sure, he knows it delivers 16 mpg on the highway and handles the San Diego traffic without trouble, but it seems the FRPP King Cobra clutch assembly gives up the ghost and begins to slip when he hits Third gear under full throttle where the engine makes a dyno proven 575 hp and 625 lb-ft of torque.
The closest he's come to the car's full potential was a brief 135-mph jaunt that saw it keeping up with JBA president J Bittle's 427 side-oiler '67 Shelby GT500 as the two motored their way to the big Knott's Berry Farm Ford show. The beauty part is how Greg's motor only turned 4,000 rpm during the license-melting triple-digit charge thanks to the T56 double-overdrive transmission's 0.62:1 top gear and mellow 3.27 gears. Needless to say, Greg is planning on an upgrade to a ceramic racing clutch real soon.
Greg's next move will be the installation of a Griggs Racing coilover rear suspension to replace the stock rear leaf springs, then dual A-arms with coilovers up front. The plan is to make the car a contender at the Rocky Mountain Mustang Roundup in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. It seems there's a twisty 1-mile road course Greg wants to conquer once and for all.
Quick Inspection
'67 Ford Mustang Fastback
Greg Smith
San Diego, CA
Engine
Type: Ford 351 Windsor stroked to 408 ci
Block: Cast-iron Ford Racing with four-bolt, billet caps, 0.030 overbored
Oiling: Melling high-volume, 7-quart Canton fabricated aluminum oil pan
Crankshaft: Eagle forged steel, 4.00-inch stroke, stock journal diameters
Connecting Rods: Stock-length Eagle H-beam
Pistons: JE forged 9.0:1, 4.030 diameter
Cylinder Heads: Edelbrock Victor Jr. with porting by Hawaii Racing (Los Angeles, CA) Fel Pro head gaskets, ARP head studs
Valves: 2.05/1.68 stainless
Camshaft: Comp Cams solid roller, 0.586/0.586 lift, 288/288 advertised duration
Timing Set: FRPP double roller
Valvetrain: FRPP 1.7:1 roller rockers; Comp dual valvesprings, moly retainers and hardened pushrods
Induction: Edelbrock Performer RPM individual runner manifold converted to EFI by Coast High Performance, Garrett T62-1 turbocharger, Tial 40mm wastegate, dual Turbo XS blowoff valves, FRPP 42-lb/hr injectors, Accufab 90mm throttle-body, Walbro 390-lb/hr fuel pump, K&N air filter
Ignition: MSD Pro Billet distributor, Blaster coil, MSD BTM ignition controller, JBA 9mm Power Cables, Motorcraft AGSP32-C spark plugs
Electronic Engine Controls: Ford EEC-IV, custom programmed Ford chip by Blue Chip (www.bluechip.com)
Exhaust: JBA ceramic-coated 151/48 shorty headers modified with turbo-plumbing, JBA custom 3-inch dual exhaust, Dynomax mufflers, Motorcraft O2 sensor
Cooling: FRPP high-volume pump, Lincoln Mk-8 16-inch electric cooling fan, Griffin 21-inch aluminum radiator
Output: 575 hp at 6,000 rpm, 625 lb-ft at 3,500 rpm
Fuel Type: 91-octane unleaded
Built By: Owner
Gratitude: Shawn Fowler, Olympic Coatings
Drivetrain
Transmission: Borg-Warner T56 six-speed manual, FRPP 10.5-inch clutch, pressure plate, and SFI-certified billet steel flywheel
Rear Axle: Ford 8.8, FRPP 3.27 gears, Detroit Locker
Driveshaft: Custom 311/42-inch diameter, 1350 U-joints
Chassis
Front Suspension: Stock with Total Control coil springs, KYB gas shocks, '70 Mustang disc-brake-conversion spindles, 1-inch Total Control sway bar
Rear Suspension: Stock leaf springs with KYB gas shocks and Shelby-style under-rider traction bars
Steering: Non-assisted fast ratio 16:1 power steering box with manual steering centerlink
Brakes: JMC 13-inch slotted front discs with four-piston CNC calipers, '94 Mustang Cobra rear discs
Wheels & Tires
Wheels: American Racing Torq-Thrust II, 18x8 and 18x10
Tires: Toyo Proxes T1-S, 265/35-18 and 285/35-18
Body & Paint
Body: Shaved chrome trim, Harwood 3-inch cowl hood, bodywork by Patric Fowler, San Diego, CA
Paint: PPG Sonic Blue by Hector Nunez, San Diego, CA
Interior
Restored stock interior by Matt Moore with Auto Meter Sport Comp tachometer, reproduction three-spoke Shelby steering wheel, Shogun bucket seats, and Autopower 3-inch lap belts