Ford Mustang GT 5.0 V8

Ford Mustang GT 5.0 V8. David Rogerson has sneakily evolved his 5.0 V8 Mustang into a supercharged 745bhp, 610lb.ft monster. It’s a bit of an animal..! Words DAN GOODYER / Photos AS DESIGN.

When Ford began designing the new 5.0-litre V8 engine that would eventually make its way under the bonnet of this dark and menacing Mustang, they had to come up with a codeword for it; a nickname that they could use to talk about it openly without giving the game away. The old Ford 5.0-litre V8 engine, or ‘302’ in cubic-inch speak, became something of a legend. It was arguably the inspiration for the popular GM LS-series of V8s, and powered lots of Fox Body Mustangs in particular, to victory on the drag strip. That engine was old-tech though. Of course it produced great power, but in terms of weight, fuel economy and emissions it was outdated. The game had moved on. So Ford came up with this all-new, allaluminium replacement called the ‘Coyote’. It features all sorts of modern technology, such as Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) and an inlet manifold made from composite material. Bare with us, this is leading back to the motor in David’s err… motor, eventually.

David explains how he ended up building this brute: “I always wanted a Mustang, but I didn’t want a left-hand-drive car, so when Ford announced they were selling right-hand-drive Mustangs in the UK, it was a real no-brainer to get my money down. I bought the car from Vospers in Exeter. In fact, they fitted the supercharger onto the car for me. They’re a terrific bunch of people and they seem to enjoy my enthusiasm for tuning such a new car. It turned out this was one of the first superchargers fitted by a UK Ford dealer.” After buying the 5.0-litre Mustang, David fitted a couple of quick upgrades; a Borla S-Type Stinger cat-back exhaust, to let the engine breathe better and unleash some more of that V8 roar. Plus a set of Steeda lowering springs that feature a progressive-rate coil, designed to give a more comfortable ride on the street than regular fixed (linear) springs. These mods put a big smile on David’s face, as he enjoyed the novelty of finally being behind the wheel of his very own V8-engined Ford Mustang.

Then he spotted an advert for Velgen wheels and it sparked a vision. He remembers: “It featured 20in Velgen VMB9 staggered wheels in satin black. I kept thinking about combining these wheels with the colour scheme of Eleanor, the classic GT500 from the film Gone In Sixty Seconds. From then on, I knew virtually everything I wanted to do to it. I’ve added various parts from famous brands associated with the Mustang but I’m not trying to make it something it’s not. It’s not a Shelby, it’s not a Roush, it’s mine.” He adds: “I remember telling my plans to the salesmen who took my order at Vospers and it sounds unbelievable but is one hundred percent true, his name just happens to be “Shelby”. I don’t think they ever believed I would actually do what I said I was going to, but I soon returned with the supercharger for them to fit. In fact, I know that having my car on their premises has helped them sell more Mustangs, with the new owners having a go at similar mods.” They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so David can consider that a compliment. He had to be a bit sly collecting parts for this project though. He flew Business Class to visit family in Seattle and ended up having a ton of parts delivered on a pallet. When he returned, he did his best impression of a Moonshiner crossing the border with everything crammed into eight suitcases! Anything to declare, sir? Yes, these bags are rather heavy…

It was a similar story when his daughter Laura went out there. She agreed to bring a part back for the car, but when a large intercooler turned up she called her Dad, asking: “How am I supposed to get this home?” “You’ll find a way,” came the reply. And she did. David adds: “My family have been really supportive during the build. I’m surprised my wife Lorraine hasn’t lost patience with it all and my son Jake is always chipping in with tips or opinions.” Back in the UK, that twin-screw supercharger was attached to the engine and initially made 670bhp. After four of five months, David got used to the power increase and went for the ‘Stage 2’ upgrade, which complemented the ‘charger with a smaller 80mm pulley for more boost, colder spark plugs, Roush high-flow fuel injectors and Roush Phase 2 ECU software to control the fueling and ignition timing. An uprated radiator and large intercooler keep temperatures under control and there are two catch tanks fitted too.

Power rose to 727bhp with the ‘Stage 2’ kit and then to the current 745bhp, after some further tweaks. It all looks surprisingly understated too, like it could have been there from the factory. Which is impressive when you consider there’s a big slab of metal supercharger plonked on top. As you can imagine for an engine making 610lb.ft torque, there is grunt everywhere - in every gear and at every rpm. David is never left waiting for boost to arrive or cams to hit their sweet-spot. That makes it a very flexible drive, and genuinely fast on any road. “When you get into a standard car after being in mine, the difference is huge,” explains David. “They’re like chalk and cheese. The most impressive thing, in my opinion, isn’t even the power, it’s the handling. I’ve put a lot of work into getting the chassis right. I think that by adding the big tyres and all the bracing has really helped transform the car. It’s a real muscle in terms of speed and the sheer brute-force attached to the accelerator, but I don’t have any fear in pushing the car hard in the dry or wet. You have to grab hold of it and boss it about, but it doesn’t bite back. It wants you to push on.”

For all the performance upgrades, it’s the way this car looks that usually attracts people to the car. Dark, mean and stealthy, you can see the Eleanor influence but it’s been brought right up to date. Those 20in Velgen VMB9 rims really suit the broadshouldered Mustang, especially in this satin black finish. They’re wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres in huge sizes; 265s on the front and 305s on the back! From behind the thin spokes, a set of Brembo 6-pot calipers provide a vibrant pop of colour. Just enough to break up the grey and black shadows. The satin black stripes are a recent addition, and definitely cement the GT500 Eleanor comparisons. Most of the external upgrades are relatively subtle; Roush rear spoiler and side-scoops, Shelby rear panel and fuel filler cap, etc. However, the Cervini Stalker bonnet scoop does stand out, especially with the enticing “supercharger” graphics running along its vented flanks. The best thing about this car is the best thing about Performance Tuning in general. David is rightly proud of the fact it’s not a Roush or Shelby special edition, it’s his. A car that popped into his head while looking at an advert for a set of alloy wheels. Now his car appears on the Velgen wheels website, and indeed on the pages of his favourite Ford mag. It’s how this industry should work. He was inspired by the fantastic wheels someone designed, in turn his eyecatching creation has turned heads at his local Vospers dealership and inspired others to buy (and modify) their very own Mustang. He’ll never look across at a set of traffic lights and see an identical-looking car. Even if he does find one similar, there are very few Mustangs in the whole of the UK that are capable of keeping up with his. It’s a torquemonster with sharpened claws, giving it the traction to make the most of that power. What David has effectively built, is a wily Coyote capable of finally catching that pesky Roadrunner, overtaking it and leaving it behind in a cloud of dust.

Sources: Fast Ford Summer 2018