NASCAR is by far the most popular motorsport in the world, commanding millions of viewers for every race and billions of dollars in advertising dollars. So despite the fact that the carbureted, 5.8 liter engines are the technological equivalent of beepers in this day and age, these powerful cars still demand our attention and command our respect. There’s nothing like the roar of a NASCAR V8.
The Mustang Shop put together this NASCAR-powered 2008 Ford Mustang for a customer, putting this motorsports engine to work on the road. Because really, who among us wouldn’t want to drive a race car-powered Mustang? So lets take a ride with this in-car video of the NASCAR-powered pony.
Even though the engine in the TMS NASCAR Mustang hasn’t “raced” since 2002, this motor still packs all the NASCAR-rated goodies that make it awesome. One of the niftiest features are the integrated oil lines, plumbed into the valve covers and oil pan rail, to ensure the engine remains will oiled and cooled while spinning at 8,500 RPM for hours at a time.
Boasting an 11.96:1 compression ratio and a SVO NASCAR block, this engine utilizes high-flow Yates C3 racing cylinder heads with a matched to the 351X intake manifold. A mechanical flat tappet camshaft provides a monster .800 lift along with Jesel 1.9 roller rockers, sending power through a Tex Racing clutchless four-speed, with shifting done through the same shifter used in David Ragan’s car. Custom headers from TMS is just one of the many custom touches that went into this wicked ride.
This nearly-12 minute video isn’t even a warmup for what the 358 cubic-inch engine is capable of. A mesh of production car components and NASCAR utility, this Mustang sounds proper. Know what we mean? We think you, our readers, are the kind of people who can appreciate a dozen minutes of a finely-tuned race engine in a Mustang at a racetrack. We’d pay good money to sit in that driver’s seat, and somebody certainly did. Worth every penny if you ask us.