The bond forged when a father and son are wrenching in the garage and dreaming of higher horsepower is special. For Scott and Dan Snyder, that connection runs deep — and it’s on full display in a pair of 2020 Shelby GT500s that don’t just represent their shared passion for performance but serve as rolling test beds for the latest in bolt-on muscle from SPE Motorsport.

That journey started long before either of these cars hit the dyno. Dan was the kind of kid who was always chasing speed, whether it was tuning Pinewood Derby cars in Boy Scouts or pushing the limits in go-karts. Every step of the way, Scott was there to support.

Dan Synder and his father, Scott (right), turned their 2020 Shelby GT500 projects into distinct development vehicles for SPE Motorsport. (Photo Credit: Alex Lafferty/SPE Motorsport)

“Early on, when he wanted to make his Pinewood Derby car unlike anyone else. He was probably around six,” Scott recalled of the moment he knew his son Dan was a car guy. They worked on Dan’s alcohol go-kart together, and Scott was always there to support his son’s wildest go-fast dreams.

That steady encouragement laid the groundwork for what would eventually become SPE Motorsport and set the tone for these two distinct, but deeply connected, Shelby builds.

“It would be a combination of things, mostly visceral things: sound, smell, and feel,” Dan said of what made him fall in love with fast machines. “The first time I got to experience that and ride in something fast had me hooked. That was my Uncle’s Shelby Cobra, and my older cousin always had cool cars when I was younger.”

Different Roads

Getting hooked early on led to a lifetime of seeking ways to make vehicles faster and more reliable. However, when it came to developing products for the most recent line of Shelby GT500s, there were many reasons these cars suited the Snyder men.

“My dad had always wanted a GT500 ever since the re-release in 2007, and we also saw a business opportunity to jump on the new ’20-plus model year, so we saw it as a great opportunity all around,” Dan explained. “At that point, I wanted one and he wanted one, so buying a father-son combination made sense.”

These father-and-son Shelby GT500 projects helped develop SPE Motorsports gear that benefits the company’s customers today. (Photo Credit: Alex Lafferty/SPE Motorsport)

Rather than building duplicate machines, Dan followed unique development plans to test products for two different combinations. One is milder and the other is wilder, but that represents the range of SPE’s customers.

“We were able to do two different types of testing: 93 octane and E85, so we were able to incorporate it into our business as well,” Dan explained. “My dad has to have a very street-oriented 93-octane test mule, while I have a race-oriented E-85 test mule.”

While one sips traditional pump gas and the other swills corn, both GT500s are proof that Ford’s Predator-powered machines are not only potent right off the showroom floor but easily adaptable for enhanced performance.

Predator Proven

“They are excellent in factory form, and at the time of release, they were one of the best bang-for-the-buck production cars you could purchase from a performance aspect,” Dan said.

It all began with a need for in-house test platforms. Scott picked up a Rapid Red 2020 GT500, planning to develop parts around a street-focused, 93-octane build. Not long after, Dan brought home a Performance Blue example that would go in a more aggressive direction — all-in on ethanol and bolt-on power.

Dan’s GT500 wears its Performance Blue paint like a warning label. It rides lower and hooks harder thanks to SPE’s Stage 3 Track Bite Kit, which includes cradle and differential lockouts and drag-optimized vertical links. The aggressive stance is finished off with carbon-fiber SPE accents and the unmistakable silhouette of Belak Industries’ lightweight drag wheels. (Photo Credit: Alex Lafferty/SPE Motorsport)

“We can manage quality and know that the products we release work not just now but through the product’s lifecycle,” Dan said of the need for in-house projects like these.

The result is two different recipes that reflect their drivers’ personalities. Scott’s snake is measured, polished, and confident, while Dan’s is a little louder, a little wilder, and eager to push boundaries — just like its owner.

Together, these projects helped SPE push the platform to create a range of proven Predator upgrades. These parts that began on paper but were proven on pavement range from fuel system components to suspension kits.

Scott’s Rapid Red GT500 keeps its OEM lines intact, but custom SPE 20-inch forged monoblock wheels, a lower ride height, and carbon accents sharpen its style. This street-focused look conceals the 800 horsepower lurking underneath. (Photo Credit: Alex Lafferty/SPE Motorsport)

Corn-Fed Flyer

Dan’s car serves as an SPE Shelby E85 test mule, and the results are impressive. Still rocking the stock 2.65-liter Eaton TVS supercharger, it cranks out nearly 950 rear-wheel horsepower with just bolt-ons and tuning.

At the center of the upgrades is SPE’s 2.27-inch blower pulley and titanium hub, which spins the blower harder and squeezes more boost into the 5.2-liter Predator engine. That boost is fed by ID1300X fuel injectors, SPE billet fuel rails, and supported by a full suite of cooling enhancements, including a blower water manifold with oversized hoses, a low-temp thermostat, and a billet coolant degas bottle.

A Stage 2 Carbon Air Intake and race mid-pipes keep incoming and outgoing airflow unrestricted, while a DCT Cooler Line Kit ensures the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission is steadfast and reliable. To put the power down, the car relies on SPE’s Stage 3 Track Bite Kit, featuring cradle and diff lockouts and drag-specific vertical links. Billet motor mounts and sway bar bushing caps round out the chassis mods.

This combination of mods gives this SPE Shelby more bite, while not tossing its manners completely out the window.

“At light pedal, we can make it drive like a factory, but at WOT it drives like something worth three times the money,” Dan enthused. “With the E85 car, low nines to high eights aren’t out of its realm with low 5- to high 4-second 60-130s.”

The Belak drag pack is wrapped in 175/55-20 Bridgestone Ecopia EP500s in front and 305/45-18 Mickey Thompson ET Street Rs out back for max hook. The front retains six-piston Brembos, while the rear uses a lightweight drag configuration to trim mass where it counts and allow for the smaller-diameter wheels. (Photo Credit: Alex Lafferty/SPE Motorsport)

Street-Ready Snake

A 2.7-inch pulley and titanium hub offer a modest increase in boost, while SPE’s billet rails, blower manifold, thermostat, and carbon intake work together to keep power predictable and heat in check. It’s clean, simple, and tuned for consistency. All told, this 93-octane-burning Predator pumps out 804.9-horsepower and 655.6 lb-ft of torque. (Photo Credit: Alex Lafferty/SPE Motorsport)

Where Dan went big on E85 to push the bolt-on envelope, his Dad wanted more measured mods. Scott’s Shelby serves as SPE’s pump-gas platform. It delivers dependable street performance without sacrificing power.

“I wanted something I could fill up anywhere, whereas Dan didn’t care about that,” Scott added.

Using SPE’s 2.7-inch pulley and titanium hub, the stock blower generates additional boost for a conservative but stout 800 rear-wheel horsepower. Supporting mods include the same billet fuel rails, race mid-pipes, blower manifold, low-temp thermostat, and billet degas bottle found in Dan’s build. However, it eschews the ethanol or injector upgrades and the more aggressive tuning they allow.

Airflow is enhanced by an SPE Stage 1 Carbon Intake, while cooling is bolstered by the SPE DCT Trans Cooler Line Kit, ensuring consistency even when Scott drops the hammer repeatedly. To hook up the extra power, his car sports the Stage 2 Track Bite Kit, which provides better IRS control, without straying too far from streetability.

The SPE forged monoblock wheels pair with Michelin tires — 305/30-20 in front and 315/30-20 out back — provide confident grip for Scott on the street. Factory Brembos front and rear ensure it stops just as well as it goes — all with zero compromise to daily use. (Photo Credit: Alex Lafferty/SPE Motorsport)

Visually, the Scott’s SPE Shelby maintains a more understated look, thanks to 20-inch forged monoblock wheels designed in-house at SPE. They are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires that balance grip and comfort. In all, this Predator-powered machine is quick, controlled, and always ready to rumble.

Test Bred

Once these two projects were completed, the father and son both had the cars they wanted, and SPE had a proven repertoire of upgrades for its customers, so everybody won.

Of course, as any enthusiast knows, a build is never truly finished — and in this case, that’s a good thing, so they can still be at the ready if SPE needs to create more upgrades. In the meantime, the duo is just enjoying these dream machines and continuing to develop parts with them.

“We hit a lot of car shows and cars and coffees together with them,” Dan added. “A lot of people can’t believe the power they make with just bolt-ons.”

Dan Snyder Performance Blue 2020 Shelby GT500 Mods

• SPE 2.27 Blower Pulley and Titanium Hub

• SPE Adjustable Aux Idler Pulley

• SPE Billet Fuel Rail Kit

• SPE Blower Water Manifold (With Larger Coolant Hoses)

• SPE Blower Water Coolant Block (For Temp Sensor)

• SPE Low-Temp High-Flow Thermostat

• SPE Billet Coolant Degas Bottle

• SPE Race Mid-Pipe

• SPE Stage 2 Carbon Air Intake

• SPE Catch Can

• SPE Carbon Radiator Cover

• SPE DCT Trans Cooler Line Kit

• SPE Stage 3 Track Bite Kit: Cradle Lock-Outs, Differential Lock-Outs, and Drag Vertical Links

• SPE Billet Motor Mounts

• SPE Sway Bar Billet Caps and Bushing Kit

• Injector Dynamics ID1300x Fuel Injectors

• Belak Drag Pack Wheels

Scott Snyder Rapid Red 2020 Shelby GT500 Mods

• SPE 2.7 Blower Pulley and Titanium Hub

• SPE Billet Fuel Rail Kit

• SPE Blower Water Manifold

• SPE Low-Temp High-Flow Thermostat

• SPE Billet Coolant Degas Bottle

• SPE Race Mid-Pipes

• SPE Stage 1 Carbon Air Intake

• SPE Catch Can

• SPE Carbon Rad Cover

• SPE DCT Trans Cooler Line Kit

• SPE Stage 2 Track Bite Kit: Cradle Lock-Outs, Differential Lock-Outs, and Drag Vertical Links

• Custom 20-inch SPE Forged Monoblock Wheels