It’s wild to watch the S550 platform absolutely destroy records and set the world on fire, but time and time again, we’re pleasantly surprised by the Mustangs we see dominating tracks everywhere. One such Mustang belongs to David Van Voris of Amarillo, Texas. Produced for the 2017 model year, David’s Mustang began its life as a typical Mustang GT in an Oklahoma dealership. David, who was a Hellcat owner at the time (welcome to the dark side, David), saw what some friends at Lund Racing and Midnight Performance were accomplishing with the Gen 3 Coyote platform, and he decided it was time to make the switch.
“I was racing and modifying my Hellcat at the time and I had seen what Lund Racing and Midnight Performance were doing with the Gen 3 Coyote and was really impressed with what the stock motor and transmission could hold,” he told us. “I decided a Mustang was the next car for me, as the aftermarket was far better for a Mustang, and they are lighter.”
The decision was made and the Mustang came home to Texas with him in January of 2019.
Humble Beginnings
Back in high school, when David was more of a Jeep, and then an import fan, he was bit by the bug.
“I street raced a lot in high school but always liked going to the track for events,” he told us, “I just never had a car that was specifically set up for the track and we also lived pretty far from it. We now have a track 5 minutes from us so naturally I started going to the track every weekend.”
Now, with his Mustang, David has started taking drag racing more seriously and has taken home victories at TX2K and Street Car Takeover.
“I typically will run in a True Street or Outlaw Street class and some local small tire classes,” he told us. “I plan to race more Outlaw Street and small tire this year, as we are making some very drastic changes this year. TX2K20 champion, StreetCarTakeover Tulsa Street Racer Heads Up winner, runner up FXmotorpsorts roll race, runner up Flashlight Shootout Amarillo Dragway.
The Never-Ending Process Begins
But these successes didn’t come with the purchase of his Mustang. Over his two years of ownership, he has dedicated thousands of hours (and counting) to the transformation, which has been documented extensively on his YouTube channel.
The car’s transformation began in a two-car garage with David and his good friend, Joseph Young, being the brains behind the build. Because of this, he says the build has given the pair lasting memories and stories to tell.
“We’ve caught it on fire, cut holes in the hood, built the first single turbo kit for a 2018+ Mustang, set the stock Gen 3 record, put the first TH400 in a 2018+ Mustang,” David told us. “The list goes on.”
So let’s get down to the good stuff — what this Mustang is made of. The engine’s base is a 2018 stock block, sleeved by RPG Racing Engines. David chose pistons and connecting rods from Manley, which are really the only internal components new to the engine. The stock heads were ported by Frankenstein Engine Dynamics before the complete combination was tuned by Lund Racing.
David worked with our friends at Fuel Injector Clinic to make sure his Coyote is fed the appropriate amount of fuel. The team decided on 2150cc injectors, which work in conjunction with triple Walbro 525 Hellcat fuel pumps, and dual Aeromotive regulators. If you remember, these are the very same injectors used by Travis Akins in his own 7-second S197 Mustang. The turbocharger kit chosen for the build is a single Forced Inductions 88mm kit by David’s friend, StreetCarJoe. JGS was utilized for the blow-off valve and wastegate, and the kit is making more than 30 pounds of boost. A Li Tuning and Racing air-to-air intercooler keeps things running cool, and gasses are handled via a 2.5-inch hot side, a 3.5-inch cold side, and a 5-inch downpipe.
Injecting Fuel with Fuel Injector Clinic
The 2150cc injectors chosen for this build are designed to fit 2015-2016 Mustang GT and GT350, 2012-2013 Boss 302, and 1999-2004 Cobra. The injectors are sold as a complete, 8-piece set, and are considered saturated/high-impedance ball and seat injectors. The massive 2150cc injector was designed by FIC to provide great linearity and short pulse width control and repeatability. This particular injector is a good choice when low-end throttle response is important. During the production process, Fuel Injector Clinic utilizes a technology known as Data Match Technology, which is a state-of-the-art dynamic flow matching process.
Thanks to this process, the ECU is able to better control the injectors in sub-2-millisecond pulse width area during idle and part throttle conditions. The Data Match Sheet which results from the process is passed along to the end customer to share complete flow-matching and latency value information. The injectors are also individually serialized and protected by a 12-month warranty against failure caused by defects in the original manufacturing process.
The injectors are flow tested and rated at 43.5 psi (3Bar) at 90-degree Fahrenheit fuel temperature using CF-16B calibration fluid. When you place your order, your injector set will arrive with pigtails, but you can also choose to add plug-and-play adaptors to your order if needed. The injectors will be ready to install upon delivery with all of the needed O-rings for the factory application for the intended vehicle. If your build is unique or features aftermarket parts, you can reach out to Fuel Injector Clinic and they will make sure you’re choosing the correct injectors.
The only suspension modifications thus far have been the installation of Viking Crusader front shocks and struts and rear springs, rear upper and lower control arms from BMR, and rear shocks from BMR.
When asked how the car handles, David laughed. “It handles like a car with no suspension,” he explained. “It’s very stiff because we race on radial prep typically, but I still drive it to Sonic for ice cream of course!”
With that said, in an application that typically sees street duty, brakes are leaps and bounds more important than power, so David turned to Strange Engineering to equip the Mustang with front and rear brakes. They sit behind Weld wheels, wrapped in Mickey Thompson 275/60/15 ET Pro radials in the rear.
Even when it’s sitting still, the S550 is a real attention grabber thanks to its Gloss Fiery Orange wrap from Illustrious Auto Styling out of Amarillo, Texas. The wrap takes it up a notch from the original factory hue of Orange Fury. Inside, safety is key. Two Kirkey seats hold driver and passenger with 5-point harnesses. A custom 8.50-cert rollcage secures the chassis, and a Motion Raceworks parachute kit installed in the rear gives the brakes a break on-track when it’s screaming through the lights at 179 miles per hour in only 7.80 seconds. With a 1.23 60-foot time, we would say there’s even more left in this 1,400+ horsepower monster.
We’ll definitely be keeping an eye on David’s Mustang in the next year or two, and we can’t wait to see what this thing does next!