The Shelby GT500 is a very capable thing in bone-stock specification, and lest we forget, it’s the most powerful production car ever from the Ford Motor Company. But for some people, 760 horsepower is not enough.
YouTube vlogger StangMode is one of those people, and his slitherin’ pony is rocking 1,000 horsepower thanks to a number of expensive upgrades. L&M camshafts cost $1,798 for a set of four, and the list goes on with Lethal Performance fuel injector rails, a Whipple intercooler, a throttle body from Kong Performance, a cold-air intake, and a 2.5-inch pulley.
A few months ago, StangMode got a ticket in his car - “The Hulk” - for driving at 36 in a 25-mph zone. But this time around, a blast on the highway was enough to blow up the supercharged V8. In addition to the inherent dangers of racing on a public road, there’s another thing wrong with the following video. Fast-forward to the 10-minute and 40-second mark, and two guys can be seen only a few inches away from a moving lane of traffic.
As for how the engine blew up, five seconds of hard acceleration translated into a cloud of white smoke at the rear of the vehicle. Thick smoke in this color likely means coolant leaking into the engine, and a possible cause for this issue is a failed head gasket. The Shelby GT500 kept smoking after coming to a grinding halt, both from the engine bay and exhaust pipes.
It’s hard to tell if we’re looking at a simple fix or a very expensive bill, but nevertheless, we can learn a lesson from this video. Or three of them if we count the don’ts mentioned earlier. If you want to add 300 horsepower to an already high-strung car like the Shelby GT500, prepare to pony up a few more dollars for stronger internals capable of sustaining that kind of abuse.
StangMode didn’t say what he’s planning to do with “The Hulk” going forward, and based on the mods we’ve talked about earlier, the factory warranty won’t cover the engine. On that note, have you heard that Ford Performance is developing a crate version of the Predator V8 motor?
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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