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A twenty two year project, Jim Vecchiano’s 1993 Mustang GT is a true do it yourself build on a budget. This car is nothing less than impressive. A project coined the SVT X-01 inspired by the likes of variants such as Saleen and Roush, Vecchiano’s car is one man’s vision of what Ford may have created had they unleashed an extreme SVT badged Fox body Mustang.
Acquired new in 1993 upon learning that the third generation Mustang was coming to an end, Vecchiano found the car after a lengthy and tireless statewide search, on a record setting day of 27 degrees with 30 mph winds (in Florida!) Finally located at the Walker Ford Dealership located in Clearwater, Florida, the search was over. Knowing the ’93 was the last of the Fox body style Vecchiano knew he had to have the final production model of one of the most popular generations to date.
The salesman on duty having pretty well determined Vecchiano was either crazy or a man on a mission or maybe a little
of both, threw him the keys and said, “It is way too cold to be looking for a car. I am going to lunch. Take it out for a spin and don’t come back for two hours.” Without hesitation, off the salesman went leaving Vecchiano with keys in hand. Like a kid in a candy store, Vecchiano hopped in returning with but a minute to spare two hours later to greet the awaiting salesman who confidently invited Vecchiano in to sign papers.
Seeing the salesman was assured he had just nailed a sale Vecchiano kindly asked, “How do you know I want the car?” – Vecchiano
Vecchiano was in love with the power and the way it handled, so needless to say that after a few chuckles and realizing he had been offered the deal of a lifetime, the papers were signed. Within a few short hours he was on his way home in his brand new, fully loaded ride for an out of pocket cost of only $15,000.
While the original idea was to maintain the car in a new state for a the long haul as well as for it to serve as his daily driver –twenty years later the car has turned into something much more interesting. Tired of working on used cars that people had beaten to death, Vecchiano wanted a fast and sporty car that didn’t break the bank, he was excited to have a clean slate to work from with the purchase of his new 1993 Mustang GT.
Computers and fuel injection were relatively new at the time, so Vecchiano took the time to become familiar with the new technologies of the day prior to laying down his plans for modifications. Spending a good amount of time at his buddy’s house working from the car port, time was spent in the beginning just figuring out how to make these cars go faster on a budget.
With bolt-ons not readily available in the aftermarket at that time, many fabricated their own parts for gains in horsepower and performance. Vecchiano was no different, with a background in both customization and fabrication, he was bored out the throttle-body and performed other custom bolt-ons long before they could be found online or on the shelf.
Adopting the SVT logo (Special Vehicle Team), with the addition of the letter X for extreme, Vechianno created his own
variant concept design. Some folks are confused by the fact the car is not a Cobra, but Vecchiano reminds them that the Cobra was not the only SVT badged vehicle’s produced. The Special Vehicle Team line-up also included the production of an SVT badged Contour, Lightning Truck, and Focus models from the Ford portfolio. Vecchaino’s concept essentially answers the question, “What if SVT had unleashed a variant of an extreme Mustang GT?”
This GT is currently powered by aFord Racing 306 cubic-inch crate motor completed with X-303 aluminum heads, and Mahle pistions. Additional accessories include: a GT40 Explorer intake ported to 75mm, a 75mm Stack Racing throttle-body, 76mm BBK mass airflow meter, March polished aluminum pulleys, 9mm Ford Racing red plug wires, and a Mallory adjustable fuel pressure-regulator. Recent dyno pulls showed 285 hpat the rear wheels, and a T5-Z gearbox is handling the power.
To improve stopping power, Vechianno added Baer cross-drilled brake rotors along with Hawk HPS brake pads. For improved starting line performance, 4.10:1 differential gears were added to the build, while Monroe shocks and struts, SMR upper and lower rear control arms and urethane bushings improve the handling characteristics. The increased airflow is pushed through a 2.5-inch H-Pipe, Magnaflow Mufflers, and 2.5-inch tail pipes–really improving on the sound quality of the SVT X-01.
Interior treatments include white-faced gauges, as well as Corbeau sport seats and matching skins for the back. For a shorter throw and quicker movement through the gears a Steeda Tri-Ax short-throw shifter was also put into place, accented by the large, white shift knob.
The car is rolling on 17×8-inch Cobra R style wheels on the front with 17×9-inch on the rear, all wrapped in Sumitomo tires. Vecchiano’s concept and vision for the SVT X-01 has led to the addition of a Mach 1 fiberglass Ultra lite hood, a Cobra bumper as well as a Saleen wing. The car is dressed in a Performance White finish accented in custom graphics and traditional Saleen striping.
Vecchiano shared, “The SVT X-01 which is named ‘PEGASUS’ (after the flying white horse) is not just a car or a machine, it’s a personal friend–it keeps me young, we have been through good times and bad times, but mostly GREAT times. It’s a sense of pride, it’s like a painting that you create, and something to be proud of.”
It’s like a painting that you create, and something to be proud of.” -Vecchiano
So tell us what you think of Stang TV’s latest car feature, and what else would you add to this unique concept design?
