Touge Weekly #7 Domestics on the Touge

The Foxbody Mustang is universally known as one of the greatest drag cars in the world, boasting light weight and an exceptional suspension design that seems almost specifically designed for straight line performance. Chances are if you’ve spent any time in the car community, you’ve seen a Fox or two. However, just because they’re good at drag racing doesn’t mean they can’t be adapted to do other things too! Meet Zac Standridge and his 1993 Foxbody Mustang, an amazing example of just how versatile the platform can be.

Zac has a long and interesting history with this car. Before Zac had gotten his license, he had taken an interest in Japanese imports and more specifically Hondas like the Integra and EG Civic hatch due to their lightweight nature and ability to carve corners extremely well. There was something about the high-revving, lightweight, momentum-based cars that fascinated him. In late 2016, Zac picked up a 4 cylinder Foxbody Mustang that his dad had found a good deal on. Although the car wasn’t his first choice, he quickly grew fond of it and enjoyed the times he was able to go and drive the car for fun. Zac and his friends began driving a lot of the local backroads and mountain roads surrounding them, leading him to appreciate the twisty mountain roads more and more with each drive.

As Zac spent more time driving the car, he became more and more enthralled with the idea of building a car so unique that everyone would be shocked by it. To Zac, a car that could be very unique and also perform exceptionally well was the ideal finished product. He developed a passion not only for mountain driving, but also for shattering the expectations people had for a seemingly out-of-place machine. Although he loved the imports that were much more common on the local mountain roads, he grew very close to the Mustang. Zac’s Mustang became something of a symbol itself, showing that any car could be truly impressive on both the mountain and the track with enough dedication and seat time.

On New Year's Day in 2021, Zac had an accident with the car that resulted in it being totaled. After assessing the damage and determining that the car was in fact fixable, he decided to do a few other big things while repairing it. Although the car had been a stock 2.3L 4 cylinder up until this point, Zac had been putting together a 5.0L V8 in his spare time and, having completed the engine, needed only an excuse to tear apart a perfectly fine running and driving car. Work began in early 2021, and the car was ready to drive again by the fall of the same year. When the car returned to the street, the only thing that stayed the same was the shape.

After almost two more years of driving, modifying, and enjoying the car, we’re finally up to speed! In the time that Zac has had this car, he’s learned a ton about not only driving and car control, but also about the mechanical side of cars and how they work. Rebuilding the car from the ground up taught him everything he knows, and at this point there isn’t a nut or bolt on the car that has gone untouched. The Fox has made such a huge transformation from its original state and has become a bit of a monster! Not only is the car an absolutely incredible machine, but Zac can drive the wheels off of it as well. With the amount of seat time and knowledge of the car that he has, Zac has developed a truly unique relationship with the car and it really shows!

Zac has since attended a couple of track days and has countless hours behind the wheel of the car. Even after all this time, the car still gives him the adrenaline rush he craves and continues to give him a way to build something that reflects his personal style. If you’re in the area, you have a good chance of running into Zac up at the Tail of the Dragon or on lots of back roads in the area. The car has changed a lot, but the goals remain the same: build something that turns heads and shatters expectations. If one thing is certain, it’s that Zac’s Foxbody knocks those goals out of the park!

Full Modifications List

Suspension / Tires / Brakes

• Maximum Motorsports K-Member

• Maximum Motorsports full-length subframe connectors

• Maximum Motorsports panhard bar

• Maximum Motorsports rear lower control arms

• Maximum Motorsports SN95 front control arms

• UPR Spherical Bushings (rear upper control arm + rear RH control arm (PM3L))

• Moser 31 spline axles

• Torsen T2R LSD

• Eibach rear sway bar

• Maximum Motorsports front coilover kit

• Maximum Motorsports springs F+R

• Koni Yellow single-adjustable shocks

• Cobra brake swap w/ stainless lines and Hawk HP+ pads

• Misc Chassis bracing

• Enkei RPF1 - 17x9.5 +38

• Nankang CR-S 275/35R17

• Alignment by Doug @ Eurospec

Engine

• 306ci

• Scat I-Beam rods

• Wiseco Pro Tru-Street Pistons

• GT40 Heads + Intake

• BBK long tube headers

• Custom X Pipe by Garrett’s Custom Exhaust

• 65mm throttle body

• SVE Intake w/ K&N filter

• Ford Racing Harmonic Balancer

• AFM N41 camshaft

• Fluidyne radiator

• 24lb injectors

• BBK underdrive pulleys

• Canton Road Race oil pan

• Custom Oil Cooler

• Flowmaster FlowFX Mufflers

Miscellaneous

• Maximum Motorsports 4pt roll bar

• 3qt Accusump by Canton

• TrackSpec 370z Hood Vent kit

• LMR grille delete

• MGW Shifter

• Momo Start seat

• 2.3L T5 transmission

• JEGS aluminum driveshaft

• Exedy Stage 2 Clutch

• Stifflers transmission crossmember

• Maximum Motorsports solid engine mounts

ARTICLE BY: Ben Duncan

Instagram: @Justdr.ve