The Mustang community is exactly that; a community. It’s a group of people that is able to come together for a common goal. We see all kinds of examples of Mustang enthusiasts helping those in need, so when we heard what a group of people have been doing for cancer patient Joshua Lofquist, we weren’t surprised.

Joshua Lofquist’s wish is to race the GT at Cordova International Speedway, and hopefully run in the 11s. It’s obvious he is a true Mustang fan.

Lofquist was recently diagnosed with am extremely rare form of terminal cancer, him being 1 of 16 people in the world with the same form as Lofquist. We all know cancer sucks!!! However, what doesn’t suck is when a group of Lofquist’s friends rallied together to get Lofquist behind the wheel. Lofquist’s last request was to have one last ride; one last race at Cordova International Raceway. His friends and community are making that happen.

To get the project off on the right foot, James Hughes donated the Mustang GT in roller form with an 8.8 rear already boasting 3.73 gears. Mike’s Automotive in Moline, Illinois, and Hughes donated the shop space and tools needed to get the job done. Nick Ziegler, among many others donated time and effort to get the car fully-operational.

Auto-Ron’s in Davenport, Iowa donated all machine work on the forged bottom end, and put it together using GT40 heads, Scorpion roller rockers, a Ford Performance double roller timing set from Winners Circle in East Moline, Illinois, an E303 cam donated by Auto Tech Pros, a Trick Flow Street Burner intake donated by Trick Flow, an Anderson Ford Motorsport-donated Power Pipe, and ARP hardware. A 70mm throttle body, mass air meter, 30 lb/hr injectors, underdrive pulleys, and a Black Magic electric fan were donated by Corral.net members, while a stock replacement radiator was donated by Auto Parts Warehouse in Moline.

The car’s ignition system was purchased with funds from a GoFundMe account started on Lofquist’s behalf. With the goal to run an 11.99, Rob and Amy Thorpe purchased a Nitrous Express Proton Plus 150hp nitrous kit for the car, while an Aeromotive 340 lph fuel pump and Kirban fuel pressure regulator were donated by Corral.net members to finish up the car’s fuel system. To make it look the part, Chris Berhenke donated a pair of Cobra valve covers, along with a lot of odds and ends to keep the project moving. SCT donated a chip to the cause, with Bert Motorsports performing the tune, and donating dyno time.

Auto Meter donated a wide assortment of its full sweep high-end gauges to keep track of mechanical events, and the engine, transmission, and rear end are full of Brad Penn and Royal Purple’s best lubricants.

Behind the little small block is a Maxwell Transmissions-built and donated C4, to which was added a B&M shifter, trans cooler, and adapter kit purchased using donated funds. The car’s upper control arms were donated by a Corral.net member, while the lowers were donated by Maximum Motorsports. BBK Performance subframe connectors and a Lakewood driveshaft loop provide a solid foundation, and also added safety for the car’s 11.99 goal.

While going down the track, we’re sure the combination will make sweet music thanks to donated BBK Performance short-tube, equal-length headers, a Muscle Mustang and Performance-donated H-pipe, and a Matthew Plavidal-donated Mac Flowpath exhaust. Bauer Bilt, even though it doesn’t carry them, donated a pair of Mickey Thompson ET Streets to help realize that 11-second time slip.

Half of the GT was treated to new paint, while the other half was treated to a color-sand and buff to make everything match. “Everyone in the Quad Cities area has helped out so much with donations and discounts on both new and used parts,” Nick Ziegler says. “From Arnold’s Parts Warehouse, O’Reilly’s, CarQuest, AutoZone, Advance Auto Parts…really way too many to thank.”

To bring the exterior up to snuff, Auto Tech Pros donated a cowl hood, while Jeff Ziegler repainted much of the car. The parts not repainted were treated to a color-sand and buff by Ziegler and Josh Wiley to match the painted pieces. To finish up the car, Holly Lofquist (Josh’s wife), and Kristen Ziegler deep-cleaned the car’s interior to make it nice once again. To top it off a UPR Products radiator cover was added so everyone having a part in the build could sign it.

After they drove the car for a period of time, it was running warm so Justin-Gilroy Racing is sending the guys a new aluminum radiator to help solve that issue. The car was purchased, donations collected, a GoFundMe account set up, and running while being worked on in the evenings and on weekends. “Josh (Lofquist) was with us the whole time,” Nick Ziegler tells us.

“This is only the start,” Ziegler adds. “The car will get built more and more as we can, and while Josh (Lofquist) is able to drive the wheels off it.” People helping people; that’s what it’s all about.