THE GARAGE

READER RIDE: FREEDOM 55 HORSEPOWER

STEVE SILVA

To those in the car world, SVT stands for power, performance and intense design. To the rest of humanity it stands for Special Vehicle Team, a branch born from the imaginative and passionate souls over at the Ford Motor Company. This team designed some of the most amazingly cheap, fun, and quick vehicles that have ever been produced. SVT’s success was short-lived, however, when the dreams of all the diehard car-guy designers and engineers fell under the cost-cutting guillotine wielded by Ford’s bean counters.

While alive, the SVT team worked their magic on a few first-rate vehicles. One of them you might even recognise: the Mustang. Yes, before SVT fell to the mercy of Ford’s corporate cutbacks, they managed to produce an incredible Mustang — the 2003 Mustang SVT Cobra. Very few of these Mustangs were ever produced, so it’s rare to see a true original prowling the streets. Scott Thompson is one of those lucky souls to have such a unique car in his possession.

As rare as this original Mustang is, it wasn’t enough for Scott. No, Scott took his already stunning vehicle to a whole new level.

Every engine in the SVT program is hand-built. The builder signs and dates the engine, so if it ever blows up while you’re doing a burnout you know who to blame. The engine itself is a 4.61-litre, 32 valve V-8. But this wasn’t enough for Scott. Oh no, he had the cocky middle-aged Viper and ’Vette owners in mind. So, according to Scott, his Mustang has a changed supercharger pulley to up the stock boost from 8 lbs to 12 lbs. It also has a predater programmer to up the fuel delivery to match the extra air being pumped into the motor. The exhaust has also been changed to allow the extra air to escape easier, as well as to “give it a better sound,” Scott said. The fruits of Scott’s labour materialize in a tire-melting 500+ hp.

But this Mustang isn’t a pure horsepower monster — it’s also a very street-ready car with a nice suspension set-up. The SVT Mustang comes with an independent rear suspension, stiffer springs, and a lower ride height. These are all of the ingredients that give the Mustang a fierce stance plus lots of track functionality. “You’d think with the kind of suspension she has on there it would be rough,” said Scott. “But she’s a beauty to drive in traffic.”

His Mustang is a true track car, but it also doesn’t disappoint at the strip. It runs “a high 11-second/low 12-second quarter-mile pass, which can only be surpassed by a handful of $100,000+ priced factory cars,” reveals Scott. He’s also quick to point out that though a wild monster, the ’Stang is still a wellbehaved car. It’s a very user-friendly Mustang, and Scott maintains that in traffic it “idles like a Honda and is easily a daily driver, with no downfalls of the typical high-[horse power] street cars.” Idles like a Civic? I think Scott is being a little modest. The Mustang has a sexy idle that is conservative yet dangerous.

Scott’s Mustang isn’t all business — a lot of care and attention went into the exterior as well. The Mustang possesses a Cervini front-end Cobra R conversion. The body kit definitely works on this car, yet it still manages to keep a low profile look so “people just think it’s a GT Mustang,” laughs Scott. The car is quiet and reserved when you first meet it, much like Scott. But like the fairy tale warns, be careful of the wolf in sheep’s clothing.

There’s no doubt in my mind that this particular Mustang is one sweet ride. It must be an incredible feeling to know that you are faster and better than 90 per cent of the cars out there on the streets of Winnipeg.

If any of you out there have any print worthy rides, contact Steve at tobanculture@umanitoba.ca