1991 LX Michael Hanks

While pure acceleration might be fine for the dragstrip, power coupled with agility are essential for performance driving on the street. Yet, even with 168,000 miles on the clock, few Mustangs combine those characteristics as well as this '91 LX owned by Michael Hanks of Pasadena, Maryland. With a pumped-up powerplant and a sport suspension to match, this 'Stang has no trouble covering all the bases.

"Anybody can get extreme with a Mustang," Michael says, "but I like something that's different. This car is literally driven every day. Most of my modifications don't meet the eye and that's by design. Other than the wheels, it doesn't look like anything special--until I get on it and then you understand that it really is."

To get his car where it is today, Michael first took it to Steeda Autosports in Pompano Beach, Florida. Steeda's technicians applied some of the company's special touches, including a G-Trac Stage III suspension system. It consists of special aluminum lower control arms, a lightweight tubular sway bar, chrome-moly subframe connectors, and offset front A-arm bushings for improved steering. Together with the braces, caster/camber plates, upper control arms, rear sway bar, and adjustable Tokico struts/shocks found in the Stage I and II systems, these add-ons turned this hatchback into a nimble sports car that can hold its own with most anything on the road or track.

But a handling package doesn't mean much unless you have a good set of brakes to match. Steeda's disc-brake conversion kit fits the bill here with large 13-inch front and 11.65-inch rear rotors, as well as a complement of new hardware. Seventeen-inch Cobra R wheels shod with high-performance Firestone rubber provide a sure grip on the road.

Power for this 'Stang comes from a Ford Racing Performance Parts '96 Lightning 5.8-liter short-block that was topped with a set of Edelbrock aluminum heads. Orchestrating the 1.90/1.60 stainless steel valves is a Steeda No. 18 EFI Street/Strip cam with 1.7 ratio rockers. Air enters the combustion chamber through an FRPP 65mm throttle body, a Pro-M 77mm mass air, and a GT-40 upper/lower manifold. Fuel is provided by an FRPP 190-lph fuel pump, which sprays through a set of 24 lb/hr injectors. Scavenging the exhaust ports is a set of FRPP short-tube headers, a high-flow H-pipe, and dual Mac mufflers. Backing up the engine combination is a Tremec 3550 with a Hurst shifter and a Centerforce clutch.

"The first time I was able to run the car flat out to see what it would do was during the Mustang's 35th Anniversary celebration in Charlotte," Michael said when asked about his greatest moment with the vehicle. "It was really cool." With help from ProTech Automotive and Heffner's Performance Center, Michael's 140-plus-mph Mustang is potent enough as it is. He still has plans for either a Vortech supercharger or a 514ci crate motor. Should that happen, it looks like this car will soon be crossing home plate in record time.

Horse Sense: As shipped in the '93-'96 Lightning pickups, the 351W engine in Michael Hanks' LX was good for 200 hp at 3,800 rpm and 300 lb-ft at 2,800 rpm. In stock form, the Lightning engine sported 8.8:1 compression, GT-40 iron cylinder heads, a GT-40 intake, and a marine-spec camshaft.