Stock Block Shock
Anthony Santora built a shockingly powerful S550 with ProCharger boost
By Steve Turner
Photos by Jake Peters Photography and courtesy of Anthony Santora
We know that Ford engineers are focused on creating cars that hit a performance target, handle well, remain quiet and stay within budget. Building a factory performance car like the Mustang is a huge challenge. And, working under that pressure must develop a cautious nature.
While working on a voluminous story about the then-forthcoming Coyote engine, we can still vividly remember engineers saying this engine was already tuned for maximum performance and it wouldn’t withstand boost. As we now know, it thrived on boost (to a point). Then those same engineers were pushed to push the engine platform even further with the Boss 302, 2015 Mustang and Shelby GT350.
Certainly the Coyote 5.0-liter in the 2015+ Mustang is more robust than its predecessor found between S197 shock towers. However, we never expected owners to push that platform to over 900 horsepower. Of course, that’s just what Anthony Santora, of Santoras Tire & Exhaust, did with his Oxford White 2015 Mustang GT. Watch it in action right here…
[video=youtube;UGmMW6eIVGs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGmMW6eIVGs[/video]
To produce that kind of power, Anthony was one of the first to adapt ProCharger’s larger F-series supercharger for the S550 platform. That required some customization of the bracketry and tubing to make things work. With help from ProCharger’s Erik Radzins, he was able to science-out a solution that worked.
“I chose ProCharger because there is nothing original anymore or I should say, no originality,” Anthony said. “Every Mustang goes turbo. I wanted to go a different route. After tremendous research there was no way to go other then ProCharger. It is the best of the best.”
In the end, the F-1 and Coyote were a match made in horsepower heaven. Anthony’s car belted out well over 900 horsepower at the tire.
“… I was hoping for around 800 to 900 horsepower,” Anthony explained. “After having some issues here and there. It turned out awesome. We actually just switched fueling again to Ignite E85 and are sitting around 930 rear-wheel horsepower.”
That’s a crazy amount of power from a blown stocker, and it’s apparently quite docile on the street—until you turn off the nannies and let her rip.
“Times are different; Especially with the help of Lund Racing and their incredible smarts and expertise. This car I can drive anywhere I want. It has cruise control, navigation, and every option. No worries,” he said. “Yet. I can put it in race mode, turn off the AdvanceTrac and just let it rip. Being able to drive to any track, run or grudge race anywhere, and then cruise home is an amazing feeling.”
While Anthony is obviously stoked about the progress of the project so far, he hopes to prove it out further on the drag strip. He plans to put the first drag laps on the car this weekend at Maple Grove Raceway during the NMRA Motorsport Nationals in Reading, Pennsylvania.
“I plan on doing a built, sleeved motor this winter, switching to an F-1X and aiming for 1,300 rear-wheel horsepower,” Anthony added.
Nines with a blower and a six-speed would be quite an accomplishment. It’s definitely a performance pinnacle that’s well beyond what the factory engineers saw from their Coyote engineering, but it sure is fun to watch people push the stock parts to unforeseen levels.
Anthony’s 2015 Mustang looks clean rolling on five-spoke Welds, but the massive ProCharger Stage 2 intercooler gleaming through the grille is a clue that this S550 puts down some power.
Under that MMR Roadrunner intake manifold is a stock Coyote 5.0-liter engine boosted by a ProCharger F-1 supported by a Stage 2 HO air-to-air intercooler, a Fore Innovations fuel system, and a Lund Racing calibration. “Was also one of the first cars to run the F1 setup when they released the S550,” Anthony said. “I had to make all custom piping and change the bracketry to fit. We worked with Erik Radzins of ProCharger back and forth to get the setup right!”
If you are going to rock a vanity plate like this one, you better have the goods to back it up. Anthony’s 2015 Mustang definitely has the performance to take on those Brand X challengers. You can’t see it in this shot, but when necessary the car is equipped with a Custom Chute Mount by Santoras Tire & Exhaust/Performance and a Simpson parachute.
Anthony’s ride definitely has street cred with a leather interior and navigation. He did add a few extra Auto Meter gauges across the top of the dash so he could keep tabs on the fuel pressure and air/fuel ratio that are so critical to keeping a stock Coyote alive at this power level. He also upgraded the driving experience with a GT350 steering wheel and dropped some weight with a rear-seat delete.
There’s just something classic about a white Mustang rolling on black five-spokes. To run these drag wheels on his ride, Anthony was one of the first to convert to smaller rear brakes to allow for a 15-inch wheel. He worked with Rey Rivera at Juggernaut Racing and the people at Weld Racing to work out the one of the first such conversions for a 2015+ Mustang.
How’s that for a stock-motor power curve? With a ProCharger and the necessary supporting hardware and tuning, Anthony’s 2015 Mustang rocked the rollers to the tune of 906.98 horsepower and 669.55 lb-ft of torque. Recently, he tuned it up on E85 to over 930 horsepower at the wheels.
The Mod List
Powertrain
Block: Stock
Crankshaft: Stock
Rods: Stock
Pistons: Stock
Camshafts: Stock
Cylinder Heads: Stock
Intake: MMR Roadrunner intake manifold w/ billet flanges
Power Adder: ProCharger F-1 w/ Stage 2 HO air-to-air intercooler, custom 4-inch hard piping and custom ProCharger belt cage by Santoras Tire & Exhaust/Performance
Fuel System: Fore Innovations Level 3 fuel system w/ three Fore 475-lph pumps, MMR billet high-flow fuel rails and Injector Dynamics 1,300cc fuel injectors
Exhaust: JBA stainless long-tube headers w/ full custom Stainless exhaust by Santoras Tire & Exhaust/Performance and modified Flowmaster Super 40 mufflers
Transmission: Stock MT-82 six-speed manual transmission w/ McLeod RXT twin-disc clutch w/ steel flywheel, Ford Performance short-throw shifter, Ford Performance support bracket and D.S.S. aluminum driveshaft
Rearend: Stock Super 8.8 w/ 3.73 gears, D.S.S. halfshafts and Steeda Stop the Hop kit
Electronics
Engine Management: Stock with Lund Racing custom calibration
Ignition: Stock
Front Suspension
K-member: Stock
A-arms: Stock
Struts: Viking adjustable
Springs: Eibach Pro
Brakes: Stock
Wheels: Weld Racing RT-S, 18x5.5-inch
Tires: Mickey Thompson
Rear Suspension
Shocks: Viking adjustable race shocks
Springs: Eibach Pro
Brakes: Juggernaut Racing/Baer Racing rear drag brake conversion
Wheels: Weld Racing S71 beadlocks, 15x10-inch
Tires: Mickey Thompson
