Being a sliver shy of hitting the 10 million mark in sales and a handful of years short of its golden anniversary, the Ford Mustang has become an icon in the world of high performance street machines.  Ford’s debut of the American pony car at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York set a new standard by which all other auto manufacturers have been – for lack of better word – chasing.



In early 2003, Ford launched its neo-Mustang concept at the Detroit Auto Show.  From show goers and photographers to journalists and enthusiasts alike – all were anxious to see the finished product roll out of Motor City.  Fast forward two years to the release of the new wild horse and a two-month crunch period for Rockford Corporation to develop a rolling showcase for the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) trade show in Las Vegas, NV.


Leading the crusade on this show queen was Kevin Kuenzie of Tempe, AZ.  As Media Marketing Manager by day and build-guru by night for Rockford, Kuenzie found a way to stretch seconds into minutes and hours into days when faced with an eight week deadline.  To begin the process, Kuenzie made a few calls to trusted industry partners for both the go-fast and show goods.  On the sketch board were plans for some serious forced induction to up the power, a full dress-up kit adding character to the wild stallion, a ground shaking audio system demanding attention and a three-tone paint job to tie the package together.


At the heart of the pony is Ford’s trusted 4.6 litre, 8-cylinder, tire-smoking power plant.  With factory numbers rated at 300bhp @ 6,000rpm and 315lb/ft @ 4,500rpm matched with a 6250rpm redline, who could ask for anything beefier?  Even with a 0-60mph time of 5.2 seconds and a quarter mile sprint of 13.9 seconds @ 104mph, Kuenzie wanted more.  Not a twitch later was the Vortech line ringing for its H.O. Supercharger System and Charge Cooler Kit.  The easy install kit comes with all the necessary fittings, ends and oil lines along with a DiabloSport Predator programmer.  Force-feeding air into the polished blower is a K&N filter mounted to the Vortech piping while letting out hot exhaust gases is a set of FlowMaster pipes and mufflers.


The surgeon at large for the operation is Tony Szirka at UMS Tuning of Tempe, AZ, who not only preformed the install, but also the engine tuning.  With the setup complete, the Mustang was ready to hit the dyno for some impressive runs.  Over at Exact Dyno of Tempe, AZ, Tim Kelly brought the pony to a wailing 419whp – a gain of over 100hp above factory!


Moving away from the grunt and onto the beauty of this fine stallion is a nine-piece aero kit from 3d CARBON.  Properly titled the “Boy-Racer,” this unique and aggressive kit includes front and rear bumpers, four fender flares, side skirts and spoiler.  For an added touch, a set of Precision Grilles in a custom black billet finish were mounted on the rear of any large openings on the kit.  The crew at LLumar are responsible for the Mustang’s deathly-black tint, provoking anyone with enough courage to take a peek.  Wrapping the exterior package together with paint is thanks to Drew Brothers Customs in Chandler, AZ.  The whole body was given a House of Kolor red treatment that leads to black from the pillars upward and finishes off an outline of the hood and roof sprayed in brilliant silver.  This three-tone pattern compliments the bold and edgy lines of the modern Mustang and distinctly makes it a true Rockford Corp. solider.  Rockford’s Director of Marketing, Zach Luke, designed the colour scheme, both inside and out.


Allowing this wild horse to gallop is a set of 20-inch Zenetti Five wheels in black with a polished lip finish, sized 8.5 inches in the front and 9 inches in the rear.  Laying the monstrous power to the ground is thanks to sticky rubber provided by Falken Tires.  Kuenzie selected a set of its low profile GRB FK-451 tires with the fronts measuring 255/30ZR and 285/30ZR for the rears.  This metal / rubber combo not only performs how it should, but definitely catches the eyes of many by complimenting the edgy styling.


In case the pony gets too aroused with the stomp of the throttle, a set of Baer brakes ensure definite clamping force.  Rising to the call with a big brake upgrade is a set of Baer’s Extreme Plus kit.  The fronts consist of 15-inch two piece cross drilled and slotted rotors in combination with massive 6-piston callipers while the rear treatment consists of 14-inch two piece rotors and 2-piston callipers.  Providing the stopping power from the callipers to the discs is a set of high-grade Baer Brakes pads.  Kuenzie had a set of Goodrich stainless steel lines installed in place of the factory units.


Moving onward to the stiff-stuff of the build are suspension components consisting of Japanese-made TEIN coilovers and various Hotchkis parts.  On all corners, the Rockford Mustang relies on TEIN’s Super-Drift kit – the second set in production thus far – with spring rates of 10kg/mm for the front and 6kg/mm in the rear.  Locking down this wild pony is done thanks to a set of Energy urethane bushings and the use of Hotchkis’ sway bars and front strut bar.

Saddling up on the Mustang is thanks to many race-inspired products from Sparco.  Similar to the reins on a horse, Sparco’s Lap-3 steering wheel was chosen for its eye-pleasing looks and ease of installation.  Sparco also provided a set of its popular Torino 2 race buckets used in conjunction with its four-point / cam-lock racing harness.  Assuring ultimate safety in the cockpit is thanks to a full Auto Power roll cage that has been welded and fitted to the chassis for structural rigidity as well as safety.


The final make-up of a clear and defined representation of Rockford Corporation’s image and product line-up is solely found in the audio install, designed by Zach Luke.  Controlling all 12-volt goods is a Kenwood Excelon DDX7015 head unit tucked neatly in the factory location.  Power is provided by Rockford Fosgate’s own T20001bd amplifier giving juice to the subwoofers while the smaller speakers get current from a T8004 amp.  With booming sound and wowing audiences in mind, this build had to be simply the best in terms of fit and finish.  Ultimate bass is reached through two Power T215D2 15-inch woofers, two Punch P28S4 8-inch woofers for the mid bass, a pair of Type RF X152S 5.25-inch mid-range component speakers and a pair of 1.1-inch Type RF tweeters.  As for the noise makers alone, a total of eight speakers were used – enough to make anyone distinguish this pony from a pack of horses.

Assuring that multitude of speakers get proper connection are Rockford Fosgate main power wires.  Rockford Corp. also used its distribution blocks along with three Optima Red Top batteries and an upgraded 200amp alternator branded as Dave’s DC 200.  The last touch of beauty for the audio wizardry performed is a pair of Q-Logic’s kick panels painted and installed to blend with the rest of the lustrous interior.

Like most massive undertakings, especially ones for such trade shows as SEMA, it is all about the final result.  Kuenzie, along with various industry partners, made this one stock stallion gallop its way into the hearts of many and our pages.  Notable mentions to the brave for providing their expertise and products to make this possible: Zenetti Wheels, Vortech Superchargers, Baer Brakes, TEIN, FlowMaster, 3d CARBON, Falken Tires, Madico, Precision Grilles and Sparco.  Special thanks on behalf of Rockford Corp. to the following for their dedication and flawless work: full audio install by Sound Expressions of Phoenix, performance and suspension upgrades by UMS Tuning, paint and body work by Drew Brothers Customs.

Initially debuted at the Formula D drift finals in Irwindale to judge the reaction of sport compact enthusiasts, this ’05 Mustang has surly made mouths water and hearts skip a beat.  With a stringent deadline of only eight weeks, the team at Rockford Corporation created another great rolling artwork to grace our pages.  Rockford’s pony gallops to its own pace and one that few will ever reach.