When we think of drag racing Mustangs, we naturally tend to think of big V8-powered monsters with blowers sticking through the hood (our turbos hanging off the sides) and open headers cracking and popping with horsepower. And that is usually the case.
Yet there is a small-but-devoted group of Mustang enthusiasts that opt to forgo the easy path in favor of something a little more…interesting. An Australian man by the name of John, who owns a 1965 Ford Mustang, decided V8s were boring. Instead he dropped one of Ford Australia’s famous inline-six cylinder turbo engines into his classic Mustang, and the result is a 9-second track beast that is as unique as it is incredible.
You may remember John’s Mustang from back when it was running on liquefied petroleum gas, or as us Americans know it, propane. It seems as though John as a thing for alternative fuels, as he has converted the turbo-six engine to run E85 ethanol, which has a higher octane rating and responds very well to boost. In fact, the ethanol fuel allows this Mustang to run up to 34 psi of boost!
John enlisted Tunnel Vision to build his Mustang, and what a job they did. With the bigger turbo and ethanol setup, this ‘65 Mustang from the Land Down Under managed to run a 9.19 @ 154 mph. That isn’t just impressive, it is downright intimidating…and all without a V8 engine. Who says you need a big V8 to go really fast? Certainly not the Aussies.