After a having a ball pushing our GT500 project at the drag strip, I fell in love with the S550 Mustang all over again. And I knew I had to have one…more over, as someone without the means to buy a GT500, I wanted to see if I could go just as fast for less money. And so we embarked upon Project Magneto, our 90k-mile 2018 Mustang GT named for its Magnetic Gray paint and its similarity to the X-men character that also believed genetically modified was superior. 

After starting with baseline testing on RC Components Street King wheels and Mickey Thompson Street S/S tires, we spent the winter getting the suspension overhauled with Steeda components including springs and shocks (front and rear), the driveline was next on the checklist – getting a carbon fiber driveshaft from QA1 and axles from TDSS, and with boost on the horizon – we knew that billet oil pump gears were a must – Melling came through.

Steeda was a key partner on this build, helping us navigate the S550 platform to build a winning combination

The centerpiece of the build was a VMP Loki supercharger kit, which is based on the same TVS2650 blower as the GT500’s Predator. Unfortunately after the install we encountered several issues, including a blown-out cat and a slipping transmission. Kooks and Suncoast got Project Magneto running better than ever, as a tank full of 93-octane mixed with BOOSTane fueled a 666hp dyno pull. And at Darlington Dragway, Project Magneto went a new personal best – 10.72 at 129.98mph with a 1.74 short-time. We managed to go even faster at the NMCA & NMRA All-Star Nationals at Rockingham, running True Street we scored a 10.68 at 130mph (1.70 sixty-foot). After one more trip to The Rock, we were finally able to say – you can, indeed, go faster in a Mustang GT than a GT500 for less money. Going 10.61 at 129mph on our first test with a set of ET Street Rs, we can finally put this question to rest.

Project Magneto makes a mid-10-second pass at Darlington Dragway

Testing continued with the larger and stickier Mickey Thompson drag radials with beadlock RC wheels, and we improved on the 1.55 short-time from the initial test when we made a visit to the appropriately-named House of Hook. The only change was a fresh set of brake pads to hold at the line a little better using the foot brake, and Magneto cut a 1.34 sixty-foot. Unfortunately the Summer heat claimed some MPH and e.t., so we did not set a new PR. But it’s coming! 

Up next, it’s time to get out the party pulley and push the Loki kit to its max. We have the option to upgrade to the Odin kit, but we plan to squeeze the Loki kit for all it’s worth. On a personal note: it’s time to stop living life so dangerously and just put an iron diff housing in there. I scored one of those local with a Torsen inside, so I plan to drop that in at some point along with some urethane bushings instead of the noisy aluminum ones. Look for that budget upgrade coming soon, too. As this build progresses, you can expect plenty of video on Facebook and Instagram as well as updates.