2000 Ford Mustang GT- Mustang 50 Magazine

Don't worry. All is not lost. There are some wives and mothers out there who don't need no stinkin' minivan. Anna Maddox is one such woman. Witness her version of the silver bullet. The 2000 Mustang GT before you is this lady's daily driver, and it should be noted right up front she definitely knows how to use all of its 509-rear-wheel horsepower.

Anna's had plenty of practice driving Ford products. The marque runs deep on her side of the family. In fact, if you were to bet her she couldn't produce at least 20 Fords from her immediate family inside of one hour, you'd lose. Anna's husband, Larry (a converted Corvette guy), orchestrated this Mustang's morphing with Tommy Higgins of Higgins Ford Performance in Atlanta, Georgia.

The GT's engine is a 300ci Sean Hyland Motorsport Two-Valve stroker utilizing ported heads. Tommy selected SHM Stage ll cams to control the intake and exhaust action. Air-delivery chores are handled with a Ford Racing Performance Parts intake along with a twin 56mm throttle body. Meanwhile, a Pro-M 87mm mass air meter works in conjunction with Lucas 42-lb/hr injectors, a Bosch fuel pump, and a Hyland fuel rail kit/fuel-pickup combo.

Providing extra air to the stroker Two-Valve is a Vortech S-Trim supercharger with an air-to-air intercooler and a Nitrous Works system combined for a serious dose of extra grins-although the horsepower number mentioned was attained without the nitrous. To ensure perfect combustion, a Diablo chip and factory ignition have been assigned the responsibility for all the electronic activity. Exhaling is accomplished with the help of MAC 151/48-inch primary tube full-length headers, a MAC Pro Chamber 3-inch H-pipe, and two-chamber Flowmasters. Yes, this Pony barks like a dog-a big, mean, hungry dog.

Making the big dog obey is a tweaked 4R70W and a Precision Industries torque converter. They operate as the front men for a 4.10 rearend twisted by an FRPP driveshaft. That rearend is kept in compliance with the laws of physics by means of an FRPP cover/girdle.

Throughout the history of fast-on-the-street, big-inch cars-or supercharged ones-with deep gears and a good automatic have always been the setups to beat. Remember, Max Wedge Mopars proved this premise way back in 1962. Anna's silver bullet proves it yet again.

To be certain this Mustang stops as good as it goes, Cobra brakes were added at both ends. But to retain the GT heritage and confound the competition, the Cobra name was machined off the calipers before they were powdercoated silver. This all-metallic look through the shiny five-spokes creates a jewel-like appearance.

As with all cars Tommy builds, beginning with a stable and efficient base of operation is paramount to his formula. That's one reason the stamped front crossmember was trashed in favor of a Griggs tubular K-member. The front control arms, the bumpsteer kit, and the front coilover kit are also from Griggs. Since the front upper shock mounts were never designed to support what amounts to more than half the car's total weight, this area was reinforced with Maximum Motorsports camber plates.

Out back, the factory control arms were removed and recruited for door-stop duty at Tommy's shop. Global West units were bolted in as replacements and work in conjunction with Koni adjustable shocks and a Saleen sway bar.

It's no surprise Anna likes her Mustang for many reasons. There are those super-glue brakes and tires, the snake-like handling, and let's not forget its fighter-plane good looks. But there's even more to this picture than meets the eye. This particular Mustang has banded together an entire family, creating a hobby and high-performance team at the same time. After all, a stock Mustang GT is a sporty ride for the family, but when modified to this extent, it makes the other minivan moms green with envy.