August 2005 Featured Ride:

Congratulations: James Lasurdo

First off I would like to express my gratitude for being selected as this months featured ride. It makes me feel really good and I am proud to be a part of this forum, group, club or whatever you may call us. I have made some great new friends here, thank you.

Some old history:
My love affair for Mustangs began 40 years ago in 1965. I bought a brand new 289 coupe with 225 HP and a “four on the floor” model. Within the first month I changed the exhaust, modified the 4 barrel carburetor and changed the rear. In those days the car seemed like a fast pony, but by today’s standards it would be a hobbled pony! I had the car for less than a year when I was drafted into the service. I owed my Dad the money for the car and he said “Son, sign over the registration I am selling the car”. Here I was being plucked away from home and losing my beloved Mustang. Boy, that wasn’t a very good year. I have had a lot of better ones since then.

Some current history:
I have been married for 36 years, been driving "family style cars", own my home, my daughter is married, and all "those bills" are paid. So September of 2003, I went into a Ford dealer looking for a new SUV. Well the nice young salesman was going to let me test drive one and we went into the rear parking lot that was chock full of new cars. He brought out the wrong keys. While he went back inside for the right keys my eyes scanned the lot and low and behold there it was…. A beautiful, shining, black Mach 1 with a shaker scoop parked behind some other cars. There was an irresistible magnate pulling toward this car. I walked on over and it was love at first site. When the salesman came out and found me I told him to forget about the SUV and please get the keys for the Mach 1. A test drive in the Mach 1 was all I needed. I bought the car on the spot!

I decided in order to make my car faster then other Mach 1’s (right) I would install a 4.10 rear. The Ford dealer didn’t want to do it and I was told to check out Mustang Magic and who do I run into there? Jimmy Vaccaro. He proceeded to tell me about his 03 Cobra and his new Mach 1 and about the SVT forum which I immediately joined. This was the beginning of a good friendship with Pete, Jimmy, Joe of Mustang Magic, and you SVT wild men! Then a week later out at West Hampton Speedway I meet Pete and Jimmy with their Mach 1’s. I figured with my 4.10 gears I could beat these guys. Boy was I wrong! They both beat me that day and have been doing it ever since. As I watched Jimmy and Pete mod their cars and get faster I followed in their footsteps. From the gears, to the exhaust, to the intake, to the suspension, the pulleys and on and on, it never seems to end and they are always a step or two ahead of me.

The car currently has 4.56 gears, Auburn 31 spline and axels, rear end girdle, MT drag radials, LT headers, pro chamber, cat back exhaust, sub frame assembly, Steeda control arms, Steeda short shifter, K& N air filter, pro-M 95 mm air meter, pulley’s and a tune that gives me 316 rear wheel HP with 329 pounds torque and hopefully a car I can drive into he low 12’s.

The Mach 1 isn’t my daily driver and spends a lot of time under a car cover in my garage and after two years has only 4,900 miles on it. But every time I take off the cover, get behind the wheel, fire it up, pull it out of my garage and see that big shaker scoop sitting there in front of me I get a thrill. And I don’t ever expect that feeling or my love for Mustangs to go away.

I sincerely hope you all enjoy your cars as much as I do mine!