From Daily Driver To Race Car, Dylan Neuenschwander’s Indy Pace Car
Setting The Pace
In recent years, the Mustang world has been ruled by engine swaps. From your basic Coyote swap, to GT500 swaps, or dare we say, LS swaps, it has become commonplace for factory powertrains to be replaced with newer, more efficient engines and drivetrain components. Another fantastic benefit is significantly higher output. But not all swaps are the same.
Meet Dylan Neuenschwander and his 1979 Indy Pace Car edition Mustang. Dylan is a recent high school graduate, who is quickly making a name for himself in the drag racing world. The 18-year old, who hales from Fort Wayne, Indiana, has infiltrated the NMRA Ford Muscle and Open Comp ranks with his pristine Indy Pace Car. While this rare edition of the Fox Mustang is cool all on its own, the engine swap makes it a lot cooler. While a Coyote, or maybe even an EcoBoost swap would be cool, this Fox is a bit more unconventional. When you open the hood, you're greeted by 281ci of supercharged Two-Valve (yes, we said Two-Valve) modular muscle. Although the swap may be a bit out of the norm, the story of how this car came to be is goes back over 25 years. To get the full story, we need to go back to the mid '90s.
The Mustang was purchased from the original owner by Melvin Milner, who owns Melvin's Classic Fords in Conyers Georgia. The car had been a daily driver for years and was in rough shape. Scott, Melvin's son, noted that piles of [cigarette] ashes that were overflowing from the ash tray as he recalled the story. The father and son had found and acquired an entirely new interior, including the dash, and each piece was N.O.S. With the interior restored, it was time to give the exterior some love. The car was repainted and all of the graphics were replaced, making the Mustang truly like new again. Once it was completed, the car was driven for a few years, but was eventually sold again.
As fate would have it, the car drove back into Scott's life about 10 years later. At this point he owned Coupe Performance in Covington, Georgia. He was thrilled about being reunited with the car and quickly bought it back with big plans to improve this special-edition Fox. The engine and transmission was pulled, and Scott planned on installing a 408ci Windsor. Fortunately, or unfortunately, Scott's business was doing extremely well and the car was not a priority. After more than eight long years of sitting in the corner, the decision was made to sell the roller.
The car was purchased by Robbie Blankenship, who you may know if you've followed the NMRA for any period of time. With the help of friend Keith Johnson, the swap began. A supercharged 2001 Mustang GT served as the donor for the project, but more than just the engine and transmission was used.
The basically stock Two-Valve 4.6-liter was dropped into the Pace Car's engine bay with its original T45 five-speed transmission still attached. The engine is held in place with the K-member from the 2001 Mustang. Extra power came from a Vortech supercharger that pumped 11 pounds of boost into the factory 281. During the swap, the clutch was replaced, and aftermarket exhaust was installed to complete the swap.
