As you know, FordNXT’s Project Boosted Coyote has been in the works for over a year now.
As a recap for those of you who are just arriving, Ivan’s 2015 Mustang ran 9.80’s in the quarter-mile with its original 5.0L Coyote engine topped with a Roush TVS supercharger, suspension upgrades, and a full interior.
Unfortunately, a mechanical mishap forced Ivan’s hand and he teamed up with Livernois who built a new engine for the Mustang topped with a Whipple 2.9L supercharger.
The end goal is a 1,000-horsepower Mustang, and Ivan is well on his way.
But in the glory of the crazy, high-horsepower components, sometimes the details get lost. Recently, we told you about the installation of Watson Racing’s battery relocation kit, and today, we’ve got a new installation for Boosted Coyote.
Why the Change?
While the car was apart and bumpers were off in anticipation of its new powerplant, Ivan decided that it would be a good time to switch his stock bumper supports over to tubular versions.
“They’re crazy light and will get more airflow across the heat exchanger and radiator,” Ivan told us. So, he reached out to our friends at BMR Suspension to see if he could get his hands on BMR’s new front and rear tubular bumper supports, and they agreed.
Each of the supports is available from BMR in a black hammertone or red finish. Ivan opted for red.
Before the installation, Ivan went ahead and weighed the stock bumper supports as well as the new bumper supports to get a better idea of the weight savings.
The stock front support weighed 11.6 pounds, while its replacement weighed only 2.4 pounds, for a weight savings of 9.2 pounds!
Meanwhile, the stock rear support weighed in at 16.2 pounds, while BMR’s replacement tipped the scales at 3.6 pounds. That meant a savings in the rear of 12.6 pounds. Combined, BMR’s supports will save Ivan a whopping 21.8 pounds. For just over $200, that’s not a bad deal.
The Installation
Once the bumpers were removed, installation was a breeze.
“Removing the bumpers was the longest part of the process,” Ivan told us. “There were lots of clips and screws.”
The stock bumper support is attached with eight 13mm bolts. After removing those, the new bumper support was put in the stock location and installed utilizing four of the stock bolts. The wire harness was secured to the bumper support with a zip-tie before the bumper was reinstalled onto the Mustang. Before the belly pan was installed, Ivan found a spot behind the bumper to secure the ambient temperature sensor, which BMR reminds us should be close to the fresh air intake and as far away from the radiator as possible. Then, the belly pan, inner fender liners, and radiator shroud were put back in place, and the front installation was complete.
The rear installation was very much the same process. With the bumper removed, all eight stock 13mm bolts were removed from the bumper support, the new bumper support was put in its place, and secured with four of the eight stock bolts. The bolts were torqued to 30 lb-ft before the bumper was reinstalled.
Stay tuned for more from Boosted Coyote as Ivan gets closer to his 1,000 horsepower goal!