COOL COYOTE - Tim Flanders '86 Ford Mustang

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A fairly unassuming almo exactly what Tim Flande his boosted Coyot

T

he first line of this story will shock many readers, but here it is, brace yourselves; “The car had a 454ci LS engine that I ran naturally aspirated before my 2019 rebuild, when I put in a boosted Ford Coyote engine,” said Tim Flanders. Whoa whoa whoa, what did this guy just say? He swapped OUT his LS for a Ford motor?

“Purists rejoice, raise your arms to the sky and give thanks for making guys like Tim Flanders come

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ost stock 1986 GT Mustang is ers wants you to think about te powered Fox Body.

There’s just something about the look of four-eye Mustang. 1986 was the last year for them.

Oh oh, a parachute, that could mean one of two things, it’s for show or go. We choose the latter.

Chris and Trish Biro

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to their senses,” said the anonymous hardcore Ford guy who lives in his mom’s basement.

“He must be on some type of thought altering spell, or drugs, or something!” exclaimed the unnamed world domination Chevy guy.

All kidding aside, how often to do you see someone swap to an LS, and then return to a Ford mill, especially in a Fox Body Stang?

Not very! Well Tim Flanders is that guy and his slick, ultra-clean badass turbo Coyote Mustang will have a bunch of those LS swap

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The GT looks new inside, even the factory steering wheel remains intact. Race buckets have been covered with a gray tweed to match the factory vibe.

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Such a clean install of the boosted Coyote engine combo looks like it belongs there from the factory.

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A ported Boss 302 intake was used along with factory unported cylinder heads.

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MAF Racing handled the custom 12-point cage work along with pretty much everything else except the paint.

Stangs peeing themselves when he rips off 8.80 ETs, and then drives home, with his trailer in tow, of course!

Flanders, from Battle Creek Michigan, tell us that he has owned the car for 20 years and had a ton of fun with it from stock to where it is now. “Over the past 20 years the Mustang has had 6 different engine combos,” he said, “But this one is the most fun yet!”

A first look at the car and the one thing that will alert you to the power within is…nope, nothing, it’s an ’86 GT with little cowl hood, some wider tires out back and skinnies up front, and maybe 36

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a little bigger tailpipes, with mud flaps. Three out of four of these (save the mud flaps) would be the first things that any one of us would do to a ’79-93 Mustang the first year we owned it. Hmmm, what’s this package out back? A parachute! What about those bars inside the hatch? Wait a minute, something’s going on here.

Flanders not only enjoys the shock and awe of selling a good ole “sleeper” tale on the streets with the unassuming look of his Mustang, but he’s also taken a liking to tour style events where the car is driven long distances and then raced at various tracks along

the route while he sits in air conditioned comfort, of course.

The car is an original bodied 1986 GT that, as we mentioned, has been in Flanders’ possession for over 20 years. The very mild 2” Fibertrends fiberglass hood gives the GT a bit more breathing room under the hood, not to mention a very slight indication that it is not entirely stock. The unique and eye catching Avalanche Grey RM BASF skin, that had the RPM office staff asking if it was offwhite or light blue, was applied by Southern Michigan Auto Body.

Structurally speaking, the car can handle some power, but at

All turbo piping was handled by MAF Racing. The satin black gives the piping a less prominent look under the hood but there’s no mistaking the large aluminum turbo housing (right)

A MAF 3” aluminum exhaust with a pair of their 3” mufflers gives the Coyote a distinct tone. www.rpmmag.com

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the same time Flanders was sure to keep it a real stock chassis GT. MAF Racing expertly handled the custom 12-point cage along with parachute mount and trailer hitch, among other things, but more on that later.

Up front the Mustang rides on a Team Z K-member, narrowed control arms and Strange double adjustable struts, while a Team Z housing 9” with Strange 40 spline gun drilled axles and Pro 3.50 gears is hung by factory-location Team Z springs with double adjustable shocks out back.

The Coyote under the Fox’s hood started with a Gen 1 Ford Racing Sportsman block. A factory crank spins Manley H beam rods pinned to Diamond 11.5:1 pistons. Cylinder heads are factory unported heads with Ferrea Valves and PAC springs. Stock Mustang cams were also used and a factory Boss 302 intake was ported and mated to a 90mm Accufab throttle body.

MAF Racing stepped in once again to create the custom turbo kit for the Forced Inductions billet S480 turbo and there is no intercooler, but Flanders added a water/meth injection system.

A Capizzi TH400 transmission with JW bellhousing, Ultimate Converter Concepts 9.5inch converter, Meziere billet heat exchanger pan and GV overdrive unit transfers the boosted Coyote power rearward through a CCI Driveline 4-inch aluminum driveshaft.

Electronics consist of a Holley EFI Dominator system, Smart Coils, FIC 1650 injectors, Firecore50 wires and a 7-inch Holley dash. And

Factory hood graphics and body side molding, not to mention mud flaps reinforce the very tame appearance for the Mustang. www.rpmmag.com

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Tim Flanders 1986 Ford Mustang GT – Street/Strip Chassis Type & Mods:

Exhaust:

Wheels/Tires:

Electronics:

Factory 1986 body. MAF Racing custom 12-point cage. MAF Racing parachute mount and trailer hitch.

Bogart Welded RT wheels 15-4 15-8 MAF Racing custom carbon inlay, also have CCW 18” street wheels for driving to track. Mickey Thompson front, 26-6 275 Pro rear.

Suspension:

Front - Team Z K member, narrowed arms, coilovers 12-175, Strange DA struts, MAF Racing K member spacers. Rear Team Z rear housing with control arms factory location Team Z springs, Strange DA shocks.

Low-dollar shock sensors.

Body & Paint:

H.O. Fibertrends 2” hood, Paint by Southern MI Auto Body Climax MI Thanks to Greg, Terry, Marvin, Nick.

Avalanche Grey RM BASF

Engine:

Coyote Gen 1 Ford Racing Sportsman block, factory Crank, Manley H beam rods, Diamond 11.5 pistons.

Stock Mustang cams and un-ported factory heads with Ferrea valves and PAC springs. Cobra Jet oil pump, ARP fasteners, Moroso oil accumulator and oil pan (Driven FR50 oil), ATI balancer and Mechman alternator. MAF Racing custom radiator and cooling system.

Induction:

Ported Boss 302 intake, 90mm Accufab TB, MAF Racing custom intake tube.

Power Adder:

Forced Inductions billet S480 1.32, Water Meth, no intercooler. MAF Racing Custom Turbo Kit. 1 3/4 stainless headers 2.5 stainless crossover, Street Car Fabrication turbo flange. 4” MAF Racing stainless down pipe with custom oval fender exit, Tial dual 38mm wastegates, Tial BOV.

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3” MAF Racing dual aluminum exhaust and tailpipes, 3” MAF Racing aluminum mufflers.

Holley EFI Dominator, Smart Coils, FIC 1650 injectors, Firecore50 wires, 7” Holley Dash,

Transmission & Converter:

Capizzi Th400 2.48 with JW bellhousing, Ultimate Converter Concepts 9.5” converter, Meziere Billet heat exchanger pan and Gear Vendors overdrive. CCI Driveline 4” aluminum driveshaft with Metco motorsports driveshaft loop.

Rear Differential:

Team Z housing, Strange 9” 40 spline gun drilled. Pro HD 3.50 gear.

Miscellaneous:

Vintage Air HVAC with custom MAF Racing ducts and lines. Kirkey seats. Delta PAG dual 12” fans and controller, Fore Triple 03-04 Cobra fuel pumps, Fragola PTFE fuel lines, Wilwood vented front, solid rear brakes. Trucklite LED headlamps.

Other Important Information about the Vehicle: Everything done in house at MAF Racing other than paint. Driven to and from track with trailer in tow.

Thanks to my tolerant wife Kristin for the time this car consumes.

Best ET & MPH:

8.829 153.38 1.262 60’ 5.64 124.07 1/8th

How Many Years Racing: 19 years

Ace RPM photog Matt Trombley captured the Mustang in a perfect setting. Check out the partial reflection of the car in the still puddle.

those “almost” stock looking dual exhaust tailpipes we mentioned, they are 3” fabricated aluminum and are also a creation of MAF Racing along with their aluminum mufflers.

When all is said and done Tim Flanders has car that he can drive on the street and drag on the strip reliably to the tune of 8.829 at 153.38 MPH in the quarter-mile with a 1.262 second 60-foot time, and 5.64 at 124.07 in the 1/8th.

And that my friends definitely makes this one Cool Coyote!

RPM

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