Mustang Week is a gathering of enthusiasts who often celebrate friendship and a shared passion for Ford’s original pony car. It often serves as a showcase for new builds or refreshed rides. Such was the case for the original version of Brian’s Kona, a nicely modified 1991 Mustang coupe.
With this one, I was able to finally do all the things that I couldn’t do on the previous build… — Brian Schenk
In an instant, the squealing of tires became the crunching of metal, the shattering of plastic, and the destruction of dreams. Brian had just completed his car and was out to celebrate his birthday with friends, one of whom was the designated driver of his car at that fateful moment.
Brian Schenk endured the loss of his beloved Kona after an irresponsible Brand X driver crashed into his car during the lead-up to Mustang Week 2021. He vowed to bring his Mustang LX coupe back better than ever. Still painted in Kona Blue Pearl paint, it now wears a GT500-style V2 carbon fiber hood, a Makers Garage carbon fiber spoiler, a Makers Garage carbon fiber front splitter, and Makers Garage carbon fiber pinch weld covers. It sits just right thanks to a Ridetech air suspension, which also handles exceptionally thanks to some added technology. “I opted to add the ride-height sensors, so, during hard cornering, the system auto-adds air to the bags,” Brian said. (Photos courtesy of Brian Schenk and by the author)
The irresponsible driver of a GMC truck was illicitly doing a burnout on the street when spinning tires suddenly caught traction and catapulted the pickup into Brian’s pride and joy, smashing into it and sandwiching the coupe between the truck and the modern Mustang in front of it.
His long-term vision for the car turned into a range of emotions, including hate, sadness, and disgust after the crash. Naturally, Brian was immediately concerned for his friend behind the wheel and in the car in front, but as time went on, support from the Mustang community inspired him to bring his Mustang back better, stronger, and faster based on a 1989 donor vehicle sourced from Ernest Miller.
“With all of this, I felt that it was my responsibility and that I owed it to everyone to ensure I had a car built for 2022, and not only to build it for the next Mustang Week but also to build it with only my two hands to prove to all the car guys and girls that you can accomplish anything if you put your heart and mind into it,” Brian said. “I’m not a certified tech or car builder by trade, so I wanted to be an inspiration to those first-timers or anyone wanting to try something new on their own.”
Having moved up from one turbo to two, Brian couldn’t be happier. “I haven’t seen many on Fox Mustangs, and I really wanted something a little extra,” he said. Those twin 70mm triple-ball-bearing Comp turbochargers feed boost to an Ashcraft Speed 347 stroker filled with Callies rods, Diamond pistons, and Total Seal piston rings. Topped by AFR 185 cylinder heads, it rumbles to the tune of a custom-ground Bullet Racing camshaft and breathes through a Holley SysteMAX 2 intake manifold and a 75mm Accufab throttle body. A Holley Terminator X EFI system makes the whole package work in harmony. “It was definitely the final piece to the puzzle,” Brian added. “I had a lot of remote support in dialing things in as well as a local certified Holley tuner.”
When Mustang Week’s future was in flux before POWER took the reins and continued its successful momentum, there was extra impetus to bring the car back better than ever. It didn’t hurt that the Mustang aftermarket and community chipped in to relaunch his Kona coupe as Version 2.0.
“When hearing that 2022 was supposed to be the last one after the accident, I felt like I had a point to prove,” Brian recalled. “Not only did several vendors reach out and offer sponsored parts, but there was a huge outpouring of support from the Mustang community, whether it was wanting to lend a hand or offering funds to support the build.”
While he could have used the opportunity to move to make wild changes, Brian opted to maintain its namesake color. Not only is blue his preferred hue, but an experience in a newer Mustang cemented Kona Blue as the choice for this coupe.
A McLeod twin-disc clutch harnesses the twin-turbo 347 thrust, which is funneled through a TREMEC TKO 600 five-speed manual transmission and a Ford Performance aluminum driveshaft to Ford 8.8-inch rearend fitted with 3.73 gears. Beautifully masked by a Makers Garage carbon fiber fuel tank cover is an ’03-’04 Cobra fuel tank upgraded with an Aeromotive A1000 fuel pump. That put feeds the stroker through in-6 AB/-8 AN braided fuel lines, an Aeromotive Fuel Pressure Regulator, BBK Fuel Rails, and DeatschWerks 60 lb/hr fuel injectors.
“For as long as I could remember, blue has been my favorite color,” Brian recalled. “I had the opportunity to ride in a buddy’s Kona Blue GT500 many years ago and fell in love instantly.”
He also stuck with the tried-and-true pushrod powerplant. Constructed by Ashcraft Speed, this 347-cube stroker percolates with a 9.5:1 compression ratio delivered by forged Diamond pistons fitted with Total Seal rings and swinging on Callies rods.
“…I still get a lot of questions on why I stayed with the current powerplant, but people are switching to Coyote so much that putting a pushrod in and staying with the roots of the era almost seems like I dare to be different,” Brian added. “Nothing beats the sound of a pushrod motor. I already had a turbo kit before I had the engine built. If I had gone Coyote, I would have had to purchase a new power adder…”
Framed by ACC carpet, the driver and passenger ride in Corbeau seats, while TMI Products are open for passengers in the back. TMI door panels hide some of the many Infinity Kappa speakers, which are also found in the dash and rear deck. An Alpine deck and two Infinity Kappa amplifiers deliver the wattage.
The engine in question is topped by AFR 185 cylinder heads wearing AFR hardened valve springs and COMP Cams stainless steel rocker arms actuated by a custom-ground Bullet Racing camshaft. It breathes deep through a classic Holley SysteMAX 2 intake manifold fronted by a 75mm Accufab throttle body, which acts as the gateway for turbocharged boost.
“With this one, I was able to finally do all the things that I couldn’t do on the previous build. I poured everything I had into it, and I learned how to do so much more on the journey,” Brian said. “…With the wreck, it opened up opportunities to integrate the Ridetech air ride suspension, a second turbo, the Baer brake kit, and the custom wheels. These items always seemed out of reach previous to the accident.”
That second snail is one of two 70mm triple-ball-bearing Comp turbochargers delivering the boost. After spooling these turbos, the exhaust escapes through Pony Down Performance stainless headers, a Pony Down Performance stainless mid-pipe, and QTP Screamer Twintronic mufflers.
“A lot of people don’t walk to the back of the car to see the FOX2 license plate and the deck lid liner that says ‘Kona V2,’” Brian said. “They give me a close reminder of where this build came from.” In addition to the Ridetech gear, the trunk houses a JL Audio 13TW5V2 subwoofer in a custom spare tire box to deliver low-end sounds. Meanwhile, a Florida 5.0 gauge cluster with Auto Meter Cobalt gauges keeps Brian up to speed on his coupe’s vitals.
“I can drive with the QTP cutouts closed for a nice quiet ride around town. The air ride really adds a layer of comfort,” Brian explained. “If I open the cutouts, it is something close to mind-numbing, always getting a thumbs up while on a cruise down the street from interested onlookers.”
Brought back from the brink in an impressive eight months, Kona 2.0 is a head-turning Fox coupe. If there is a silver lining to the crash that totaled the original version, it is that Brian was able to make some improvements and prove to himself that he could resuscitate his ride without much outside help.
“I absolutely loved the first car and achieved all of my goals in that build,” Brian said. “Version 2 far surpassed even my expectations for the timeframe that it was built, from the Ridetech air ride to the second turbo added. To me, it’s just perfect.”
“The car drives unusually smooth and straight,” Brian said. “I spent a lot of time ensuring that there was zero chassis flex and drivetrain misalignment, so there is virtually no driveline vibration. With the QTP mufflers, you get a really smooth exhaust note, but for the extra feel and sound, I have QTP cutouts under each seat.”
Surpassing those expectations stopped us in our tracks during the Mustang Week Car Show, where the Kona Fox earned a spot in the coveted Ford Muscle Great 8, a single-eliminator contest voted for on the Ford Muscle Facebook page. So watch for stories on the other Great 8 contestants, and be sure to vote for your favorites.
The winning car owner will score a trip to Mustang Week Texas in April 2025, including a hotel room for four days, a VIP Package including a Golden Ticket (access to every event), a $500 gas card, and $500 for food and drinks. The winner will accept a Ford Muscle Great 8 winner trophy on stage at Mustang Week Texas. The winning vehicle will also be immortalized on a Mustang Week 2025 T-shirt.
