Network
Raymond Cordoba has been driving Mustangs since the young age of 12 years old. Wait…what? It all started when his uncle Umberto would let Ray drive his ’92 hatch around the streets of Tijuana, Mexico, to get some milk and tortillas for the family. From that moment on, Mustangs would always be a part of Ray’s life.
At the tender age of 15, Ray bought his very own Mustang, a 1988 GT convertible. The droptop came fully loaded. It was jet black, leather interior, power everything, and of course, the potent 5.0-liter engine and five-speed manual transmission.
“Sometimes I just stop and stare at this car,” Ray confessed. “The S550 body-style is the best looking and most well-built Mustang Ford has ever produced”
I need two jobs to support my family and my Mustang problem. — Ray Cordoba
He kept this car until 2016. When the S550 body style was unveiled, Ray knew he had to have one. So in September of 2015, he found his Deep Impact Blue Premium GT at Penske Ford in San Diego, California.
“After tons of research, I felt the S550 body style was the best looking/performing Mustang ever made.” Ray, who is currently a tattoo artist and a professional mover, explained. “I need two jobs to support my family and my Mustang problem.”
Everyone loves the lines and curvatures of the S550 and Ray’s lowered 2015 is oh so sweet. Ray is the Vice President of the Rebel ’Stang car club located in Southern California. He and his club are a giving bunch. You will regularly find them supporting causes for non-profit organizations as well as police, fire, EMS, and military organizations.
Immediately Modded
It didn’t take long for Ray to start customizing the blue GT, it took less then 2,000 miles to be exact. The vision behind the build was to create a show car that had could still handle business on the pavement.
With every Mustang I have ever owned, I could never leave them stock. — Ray Cordoba
“With every Mustang I have ever owned, I could never leave them stock, I always have to make them stand out,” he said.
The Coyote remains virtually stock except for the tune from HP Tuners. Combined with a 3-inch Bassani exhaust and an Airaid intake, the tuned 5.0 now puts out over 400 horsepower at the wheels. Ray is still utilizing the stock clutch/transmission but has added a custom shift knob from VMS Racing and a Stage 3 clutch is next on the mod list. “Eventually, I will either go with set of turbos or supercharger, I want to be competitive at the drag strip.”
Under the hood you will also find a complete carbon-fiber engine dress-up kit from Trufiber as well as a cap kit from Shelby American. To add a little spice under the hood, LED light strips from Diode Dynamics were also installed.
For a daily driven vehicle, Deep Impact sure is clean under the hood thanks to the Diode Dynamics LED lights, the Trufiber carbon fiber dress up kit, and the Shelby American engine cap kit.
Inside Out
The suspension and body are what really makes this car pleasing to the eye. Everyone knows how good a car looks slammed and there was no other choice but air suspension. Airlift Performance Suspensions provided its 3H series, which allows lowering a Mustang roughly 5 inches. Now that the car was grounded, a new set of wheels and tires to complement the air suspension was needed. Ray went with a set of Project 6GR 20×12-inch rear wheels wrapped in 315/35-20 Lexani LX tires. The fronts are slightly smaller, at 20×11-inches, with 275/30-20 tires.
“I love the way the car looks,” Ray enthused. “It’s two-toned, low, wide, and loud.”
Ray’s Trufiber fiberglass fender flares are 1.5 inches wider then the factory flares. These were definitely needed to fit the 20x12/11-inch wheels and completed the low, wide, and mean look.
Cars are meant to be driven. I didn’t build this car to sit in my garage. — Ray Cordoba
With such a large footprint, Ray decided to add Trufiber fender skirts paint matched to the factory deep impact blue. He also added a carbon fiber front splitter with carbon fiber hood vents, and a Shelby Super Snake rear spoiler. Ultimately, he plans to replace every plastic exterior part with carbon fiber!
“I love driving it,” Ray said of his show-worthy ’Stang. “Cars are meant to be driven. I didn’t build this car to sit in my garage.”
Ray drove his Mustang all the way from San Diego County, California, to Las Vegas, Nevada, for the photo shoot. Of course, if you’re in Vegas, you have to cruise the strip. We even took a stroll by the Las Vegas Convention Center, the host for SEMA for a little inspiration!
Deep Impact Mustang Mods
• Airlift Performance Suspensions suspension
• Airaid cold-air intake
• Autobadges emblems
• Bassani 3-inch exhaust
• California Pony Cars hood struts
• Clarity 1 Polish and Wax
• Diode Dynamics lighting
• Fiberglass Mafia body parts
• Need for Speed Motorsports Project 6GR Wheels
• Trufiber carbon fiber splitter
• Shelby Super Snake rear wing
• VMS Racing shift knob
As we mentioned, Mustangs have been plentiful throughout Rays life. Some of the Mustangs he has owned include: a black 1990 LX convertible, a lowered 1988 GT convertible, a 2003 Gray GT, and a 2010 Grabber Blue GT. Currently, along with his 2015, he also owns a 25th Anniversary edition 1990 Red GT/five-speed.
Future goals for the car include a possible supercharger or twin-turbocharger setup for added power. He states he wants to turn a few heads at the shows and at the track. This car is no slouch the way it sits, its run mid-11s at over 125 mph in the quarter mile already and will place at any car show. However, Ray’s ultimate dream is displaying his Mustang at the 2017 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
“Having my car at the SEMA Show is my ultimate prize. Only the best of the best get to be in SEMA,” he said.
