You don’t usually see the newer & current chassis built-out to this extent… at a privateer level. But Shane Whalley had a unique opportunity with this car, and he grabbed it straight by the balls.
This Mustang was originally a Coyote GT, and it was being used as a performance shop’s R&D car when the S550 chassis first came out in 2015. After about a year, the shop owner decided he wanted to use the Coyote engine & trans in his Fox. So he made a deal with Shane:
If Shane stripped the engine & transmission… Shane could have the rolling chassis. Shane was in need of a new drift car since he RIP’d his GTO, and he’s got a few fab skills… so it was game-on.
Shane always had a lot of success with LS engines in his past drift cars, and he knows the ins-&-outs of the LS really well. So even though Ford guys turn all Hulk-ish when they see an LS in a Mustang… Shane wasn’t a Mustang guy lol. So it didn’t ruffle his feathers a bit. For Shane, a good drift car is a good drift car… any way you get there.
It took Shane Whalley about 2 years to build the car. Almost everything is custom. See, when you swap an LS into a popular import chassis (something like a 240, RX-7, or 350z), there are off-the-shelf options. Heck you can get almost everything you need from Enjuku alone. But with the S550 chassis, there is no engine-swap support. So it was up to Shane and his abilities to get the job done. He wanted to stay patient & do it right… so he didn’t end up spending all his track time chasing down dumb issues.
The front Fortune coilovers… are about the only ‘off-the-shelf’ part on this car…
Tube chassis front & rear, with an FD-legal cage…
Wilwood pedal assembly with Brembo 6-piston front brakes, a custom dual-caliper rear, and custom angle kit…
5.7 LS-swap with Garrett GTX4508R turbo & Canton oiling system. Tuned by Tuner Tools. Diamond pistons, K1 rods, BTR cam & valve springs, Trend pushrods…
Sankuer splitter, skirts, and C6 wing…
Text by Wooley Photos by Chris Sullivan
