Eight Second Snake: Larry Thomas’ Impressive SCT-Tuned Cobra Mustang
The modification process of a car follows a map that’s drawn by the owner and there’s no right or wrong way to go about it. As a build unfolds, solutions need to be found for different obstacles and depending on the project those could be fairly large. As Larry Thomas was creating his rowdy eight-second 2004 Cobra Mustang, he decided to overcome tuning issues by going with SCT products to work with his stock ECU.
Larry’s Mustang may look fairly stock from the outside, but underneath that bright yellow paint is one heck of a car built by Pro Tree Racecars and Fathouse Fabrications. The Pro Tree roll cage works with a mixture of UPR Products and Baseline suspension products along with Strange Engineering shocks. Power comes from a 4.6 liter Ford Teksid aluminum block that uses a stock crank, stock rods, stock heads, and Diamond pistons. To upgrade the valvetrain Larry added a set of Kurgan Motorsports custom cams and PAC valve springs.
The big feature under the hood is the custom Fathouse Fabrications turbo kit made of stainless steel. Boost is supplied by a pair of Precision 6266 turbos and is chilled by a custom air-to-air intercooler. A set of TiAL wastegates and blowoff valves keep the boost in check when Larry lays into the throttle. A TH400 transmission and PTC torque converter help put the power down and allowed Larry to run a best of 8.42 at 161 MPH while at the track.
