"LS What?"

     Erik McDonald's '91 LX

    The enjoyment car guys get from junk yards is unlikely to be understood by anyone who isn't an enthusiast. Typically called junk yards, we gear heads see them as gold mines of parts and ideas for our builds. Walking the isles of forgotten souls, most of them already picked over for their wares, the creative juices flow heavily. 

    Erik McDonald owns one such establishment, not a junk yard mind you, but a salvage yard. Midway Mustang in Dewitt IA buys late model Mustangs and Camaro's that have been totaled out, and sells they're highly desirable parts.  Rows of coyotes, GT500 engines, Terminator engines, six speed transmissions, and tons more. So what is a car guy to do when he's surrounded by all of these epic parts? Build a fox body Mustang of course! 

    Erik owned the perfect candidate to build the car already, a clean survivor notch with mint black interior. Before a single wrench was turned, Erik promised himself if he was going to do this, he was going to do it right. There would be no hack job happenings here, Erik wanted a quality fox, with no detail overlooked. 

    Kicking things off, the '91 was wheeled into the shop and the tear down began. The entire drivetrain was removed, along with all of the factory engine harness, and fuel lines. Once all of the old parts were removed, the tedious task began of smoothing the engine bay. Many hours of welding and sanding were done to bring the under hood to the status you see here. Once all of the body work was complete, the notch was shipped off for a fresh coat of paint. Once she returned home, the assembly could begin. 

    Knowing how thirsty the blown coyote would be, Erik began with a complete Aeromotive fuel system from front to rear, including an A1000 pump. Next on the list was wiring the coyote, and for this Erick went with the Ford Racing control pack for its ease of use.  Now plumbed and wired, Erik shifted focus to the suspension. A Team Z k member, Maximum Motorsports coil overs, Eibach sway bars, and Maximum Motorsports steering shaft round out the mods. Out back, an IRS from a 2003 Cobra was hoisted in to place, taking the notch to an even higher level.  Finishing things off with Terminator brakes from the same Cobra, things were beginning to take shape. Only one thing was missing to get the notch rolling; wheels. Sticking with only the best, Erik called up True Forged wheels, and ordered a set of their Mach V hoops, measuring 18x7 in the front and 18x10 in the rear. Perfection!

    With the big power coming from the blown coyote, Erik knew the trans choice was an important one. The final nod was given to a Tremec T56 unit, with a Mcleod clutch. At this point, it was time for the final piece of the puzzle. The 2014 coyote was lowered into its final resting place, and all of the connections were made. Once Erik had the car running, a polished D1 Procharger was bolted up, and pullied for 9psi. 

   On the interior, Erik wanted to keep things simple, especially since the black guts were in near perfect condition. A Florida 5.0 gauge cluster was installed using Auto Meter Cobalt gauges, and the rest remains vintage '91.

    After nearly two years of building the car, it was finally time to enjoy the fruits of his labor, and Erik wasted no time getting the notch out on the street. If you have ever driven a car this light, with this much power, you already know the rush. On anything less than a slick, there's no traction to be had. With the car easily getting sideways at over seventy miles an hour, this fox body Mustang is a true thrill ride. The little coyote makes ridiculous power throughout the entire power band, and seems to never run out of steam. This is probably why Erik chose his personal plate: "LS4WHAT". CR