Boss Boost
Jamie Linkenholker turned to JPC Racing for a turbocharged RoadRunner
By Steve Turner
Photos courtesy of JPC Racing
Lately we’ve seen lot’s of feedback from people that believe it’s a little nutty to modify a road course-oriented Mustang like the new Shelby GT350. However, one of the greatest attributes of any Mustang is its ability to provide a foundation for just about any kind of project you can imagine.
Case it point is the Boss 302. It was once Ford’s greatest Mustang achievement and geared toward carving up those corners. However, one of the most coveted aspects of the 2012-2013 Boss 302 is its robust, high-revving RoadRunner engine. It 5.0-liter engine features stronger internals and is topped by a high-flow intake and CNC-ported heads. While these parts help it rev on the road course, they also hold up to boost pretty darn well.
“Due to the upgraded internals that the Boss's come with we typically can make more power with them right out of the gate,” Aaron LeBlanc, Sales & Marketing Associate at JPC Racing, said. “From there they’re pretty much identical to the GT. Except for the face that cutting up a limited-edition Mustangs is always more fun.”
As it turns out, even a 444-horsepower Boss couldn’t hold Jamie Linkenholker’s attention for too long. He wanted more power and turbo boost was the way he wanted to add it.
“I wanted something that would stand out in the crowd, not only in looks but performance too. The Boss already had the looks, but I got bored with the performance of the car pretty quickly,” Jamie said. “I knew from everyone's feedback on SVTP that JPC Racing was the place to go. It took several months to complete the work but it was well worth the wait!”
To see the fruits of that labor, you can watch the turbo Boss run on the dyno right here…
[video=youtube;-WuWbZe5Vak]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WuWbZe5Vak[/video]
If purists are riled by the idea of turbocharging a Boss, they might not want to keep reading, because Jamie also wanted a transmission that was better suited for the car’s newfound power.
“The mission for the project was simply to build a fun street car. The build had originally been done with a Magnum XL transmission to retain the factory driveability and fun factor for the car,” Aaron explained. “Jamie had plans to go to the local eighth-mile drag strip from time to time and hit a few local, half-mile races with the car. Jamie got the car back and drove it for a while and ended up calling me and asking me to make the switch to the Powerglide. So we took the car back and made the swap over to the Powerglide transmission. He ended up going with our Stage 2 Powerglide package for his combo.”
That package includes a Trans Specialties Proline 3000 Powerglide trans supported by a PTC 9.5-inch torque converter, a D.S.S. custom driveshaft, a TCI shifter and a JPC Powerglide crossmember.
“This thing is an animal,” Jamie enthused. “It drives with good manners until you want to use the power and then you go for a roller-coaster ride. I love the Powerglide. Power is more manageable than the six-speed and, to be honest, I like the way it feels driving it on the street.”
That kind of performance is all the more impressive because Jamie’s Boss is still sporting a relatively stock engine boosted by that JPC Single-Turbo Kit. While the engine is upgraded for durability with an ATF Crank Gear, Trick Flow valve springs and Triangle Speed Shop oil pump gears, its internals, heads, intake and throttle body are stock.
“Honestly to me it’s astounding what you can do with these cars right out of the box,” Aaron added. “With this car we planning on going mid-nines next year on the factory short-block. So, once spring comes around, we’ll see how she does!”
This Boss is definitely impressive and Jamie plans to enjoy it on the street and at the track—the one with that one sharp turn at the end that leads to the return road!
“I’m looking forward to car shows and drag racing events all summer long,” Jaime added.
Jamie Linkenholker wanted more power out of his Boss 302 and he turned to JPC Racing for a single-turbo kit, a Powerglide conversion, and the necessary supporting hardware.
Not only did JPC install its single turbo kit and Stage 2 Powerglide transmission, but its techs gave Jamie’s Boss better weight transfer thanks to a BMR K-member and more traction courtesy of a full BMR rear suspension.
Underhood the JPC Racing turbo boosts a relatively stock Boss 302 engine supported by one of JPC’s 1,400-horsepower fuel systems that supply sufficient volume for eight Fuel Injector Clinic 1000cc injectors. In all, the combo has put down as much as 813 horsepower to the rear wheels.
