#Steve Gas Saleen

[opelman]

2023 Saleen 1 by David G. Schultz Via Flickr: Steve "Gas" Saleen

[itsworn]

The Saleen Name is Back, and We Drove Mustang P-01!

After you explain, (to yourself and others) that the car you are driving is fashioned after Steve Saleen’s original racecar from 1987, there’s a nod, then suddenly everyone becomes OK with the blazing yellow paint, eye-popping graphics, and white wheels. Racecars, you know, are bright and flappy, loud and fun. And the original happened to win the SCCA Escort Endurance Series championship that year.

We discovered this while attending Roadkill’s Zip Tie Drags in South Tucson right before a midnight run through the Arizona desert on the way back to L.A. Behind, the noise from the exhaust reminds you of a Fox Mustang wearing a mild pair of chambers. In front, the slide-whistle pitch from the 3.2L Kenne Bell supercharger lets people know you’re coming.

By the time we’d made it back to La La Land, we’d decided that we very much liked the 2017 Saleen for the freeway machine it is, and so did everyone else who got a look. We were deaf from standing too close to the burnout box at the digs, tired and covered in rubber freckles, but we had covered 500 miles in 6 hours, and we’d only lifted for gas.

Saleen (say: Suh Lean) is automobile manufacturer, not a tuner. Steve Saleen has a small factory in Corona, California where this car and four more models like it, plus a couple of supercars, are built for the lucky few. If you remember his name, you might be reminded of his Fox Mustangs from the 1980s. You also might know that an investment company called Saleen Automotive bought the rights to Saleen’s name, then built 3,700 Ford GTs in Detroit for Ford before going bankrupt in 2007. In 2012, Saleen bought back his name and with it, the rights to build and modify Fords as a dealer option.

Today, Saleen Automotive is once again run by Steve Saleen. The company offers a White, Yellow, and Black label version of the Mustang, a Sportruck, the Saleen S1 a limited run of the S7, and two versions of the 30th Anniversary Saleen Mustang- a track version, and the street version seen here.

In addition to copious power, all of the cars have the Saleen look. The street car starts out as a 2017 Mustang GT. The body package drops the hood lower over the grille than a standard GT with a different scoop. Blocky graphics announce the name and the engine size. The splitter is designed for regular curbstone heights with a serial number for quick identification, the rear spoiler is a toned down version from the racecar, and the rear valence alters the look of the taillights.

Under the car there are specialized chambered mufflers that eliminate drone from the 3-inch exhaust to maximize power without altering the emissions or restricting flow. Saleen also adds a Race Craft suspension, 15-inch six-piston Baer brakes, and the huge, white 20×10.5 and 20×9.5 inch Saleen wheels, with 275/45ZR20 General G-MAX tires.

Inside, there is a custom steering wheel, seat inserts, shifter, gauge package with new gauge faces in the dash, and serial number, in this case P-01 for prototype number one. The track version has no rear seat, a five-point harness, and track-edition logos.

Under the hood, the stock 5.0L has only the 3.2L Kenne Bell supercharger to help it to 730 hp in the street version, and 750 hp in the track version, courtesy of smaller pulley. The track version has much larger rear wing, a number on the door, and some retro sponsor logos from the original car.

If you want your own Saleen, you can buy it through any Ford dealership with Ford financing and the same warranty offered with a Ford Mustang GT, or call them at their sales office in Corona, California. The price for this car as tested is $87,000.

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[markgreeley576]

Richard Calls ‘The Drive’ To Update Fans On Garage Rehab, Gas Monkey Energy

When Fast N’ Loud is on hiatus it can be a lonely and confusing time. When will the show come back? What is Richard up to? We get it. Richard recently was a guest on The Drive with Alan Taylor where he discussed his recent vacation, new show Garage Rehab and talked Gas Monkey Energy.

So be sure to give it a listen here (Richard’s portion begins around 01:02:01 mark). Other guests include: Steve Saleen, Dan Sandberg of Brembo Brakes and Bob Wheeler of airstream, among others, the whole episode is not to be missed.

The post Richard Calls ‘The Drive’ To Update Fans On Garage Rehab, Gas Monkey Energy appeared first on GAS MONKEY GARAGE | RICHARD RAWLINGS | FAST N LOUD.