• The next Pit+Paddock Grid Icons car show will be held in Pontiac, Michigan, on Thursday, August 15, 2024, ahead of the Woodward Dream Cruise.
• The featured theme for the curated exhibition will be modified Ford Mustangs of all generations, particularly the Fox Body.
• Headlining our fifth Grid Icons event will be Andrew Schenk’s 1986 Mustang GT, which debuted at the 2023 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
• The build is regarded as one of the wildest Fox Body builds in America thanks to its shaved and tucked engine bay that houses a twin-supercharged 7.0-liter 427ci V8.

For every Grid Icons show, Pit+Paddock strives to curate a collection of cars that embody a high level of style, execution, and use of reputable aftermarket performance parts. We’ve been blessed to feature four all-star rosters of incredible builds thus far, from Nissan Skyline GT-Rs, Volkswagen/Audis, naturally-aspirated BMWs, and Modified Porsches. Next month, we will host our fifth Grid Icons event to celebrate the 60^th anniversary of the Ford Mustang.

MOTOR CITY

We could’ve hosted this Grid Icons event anywhere; the Mustang community in the U.S. is massive! But what better way to bring together the country’s best Mustang builds than Motor City itself? Set to take place two days before the iconic Woodward Dream Cruise, Grid Icons will serve as the ultimate pre-party destination for muscle car fans and cruise-goers. An exhibition of 50 hand-picked Mustangs will decorate the grand ballroom and pit lane of M1 Concourse. As for the cherry on top, we’ve confirmed our elite hero car, which will be making the journey from Tennessee: Andrew Schenk and his 1986 Ford Mustang GT.

We first spotted Andrew’s car at SEMA last year, and from a distance, it looked simply like a slammed “four-eye” Fox Body. As we inched closer, the amount of precision and detail was through the roof, especially within the engine bay, which has been completely tucked and shaved, while a 427 ci 7.0-liter V8 with twin superchargers pushes 800 horsepower.

INTERVIEW WITH ANDREW SCHENCK

Andrew will be making the 10-hour drive to Detroit for Grid Icons next month, and while we wish all of you could make the show, we hope you’ll enjoy our feature and interview with him here.

So, what drew you to Mustangs in the first place?
My dad had an ‘85 GT Hatchback when I was growing up, and I have always wanted that car. I could sense how the car made my dad excited to drive, and I really loved the power and rumble the car made. That car would throw you back in the seat, and it was my first time feeling that type of torque. I learned to drive a stick with that ’85, and I always wanted one for myself. Over the years, I have owned three Fox Mustangs; two of the three were mostly ruined by previous owners and I sold those cars shortly after owning them. The Mustang that I have today is my first full-build project from start to completion.

This wasn’t the first version of your Fox Body, so how did the story start?
I have had a few iterations of my car from start to finish. I had owned a lot of cool hot rods over the years and was always seriously looking for a ‘four-eye’ Mustang like my dad’s. This meant I was looking specifically for a 1985 or 1986 GT Hatchback. I wanted a car with factory A/C and a sunroof and never found one, but in 2015, I finally found the car I have today and purchased it for $4,000 in Terre Haute, Indiana. At this same time in life, my wife and I were starting our family, and we had our first child. Money was tight, but I still found the ability to do smaller modifications like the Ridetech air ride system, add some aftermarket wheels and tires, and a GT40 Tubular intake. This first iteration of the car was best featured in S3 Magazine.

And it already looked great, then! What changed next?
I landed a position in 2016 as a Media Sales Rep for PowerNationTV, a how-to television show, and built some really amazing relationships in the automotive aftermarket. Through these relationships, I began thinking about my own build and how I could create a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Over the years, I dreamt of how I would incorporate my favorite parts of specific Mustangs to the Fox Body into my car and eventually made it happen. A few examples include the spoiler – only part of the ‘93 Mustang Cobra. The seats are the same styling of an ‘85/86 Mustang SVO. The intake manifold was designed to resemble the ‘twin snorkel’ of the ‘85 Mustang.

Then came SEMA…
Yes, I decided that if I could get a spot for my car at the SEMA Show, I would dive headfirst into the full build. After asking and being repeatedly denied by several companies, I eventually received the request to be a Feature Vehicle for Oracle Lighting for SEMA 2023.

And there was no going back! What was the mindset behind the monstrous 7.0L twin-supercharged setup?
The engine bay has been a fun project to think about and create!  During the time of my project, the Coyote swap craze of the Fox Body crowd was in high gear. 5.0 Coyote engines from late-model Mustangs were plentiful, reliable, and made excellent power. But knowing I wanted to stand out from the crowd, I wanted to do something different. I knew the 427 cubic inch engine had a particularly strong connection in the Mustang world, though mainly as the big block version – the Ford ‘FE’ engine introduced in the early 1960s. So, I opted to build a 427” small block from FordStrokers.

The front accessory drive is something very special with Torqstorm’s twin centrifugal superchargers, which came complete with everything needed. The twin charger setup allowed me to mimic the really cool ‘twin snorkel’ intake from the ‘85 5.0 Mustang.

Details matter most, so tell us about the very shaved bay.
The engine bay on a factory Fox Mustang is riddled with holes and a full smoothing was in order! Additionally, as a high-performance engine requires, many reservoirs are needed – all of these have been tucked behind the front fenders for a clean aesthetic. Lastly, the factory plastic 5.0-liter badges on the front fenders were replaced by the same font and colors of the factory badge but in billet aluminum so everyone knows it’s now a 7.0-liter (427 cubic inches is a seven-liter).

Air Ride isn’t very common in the Fox Body world. Tell us about your setup and, what you do at Ride-Tech.
Fox Body Mustangs have always been modified for straight-line performance as well as corner carvers for years, so air ride is definitely a different spin on the platform. I like challenging the norm, and my first vehicle was a slammed Chevy S10. I have just always loved a super low look!

My car currently uses the Ridetech front short/long arm with the Ridetech/Fox shockwave combination. This deletes the McPherson strut altogether and makes the car handle like a dream. My rear is a custom-length four-link design based on the original Fox Mustang triangulated four-link, using  Ridetech R-Joints, a high-performance rod end. The rear suspension also utilizes the Ridetech/Fox shockwave combination. Management is the Ridetech E5 Airpod which comes together in a nice package preassembled on a board.

At Ridetech, I manage the Dealer/Installer sales channel. We have over 500 installers throughout the US that require a modern suspension provider who ships quickly and offers a pro-touring, aggressive handling suspension designed for simple, easy installation.

What was the biggest challenge towards building the car “your way” and getting it to last year’s SEMA Show?
The biggest challenge in building the car and having a tight timeline was trying to keep a balanced lifestyle and a healthy family dynamic. I have a full-time job and three children and could not have built at all without my incredibly supportive and understanding wife.  She made it all possible for me to make the time to complete the car. Nights, weekends, and every lunch break possible were spent planning, wrenching, and procuring the parts needed. During the phase of the car’s paint job, I strategically took on the daunting task of restoring an old, enclosed trailer which took all my time while awaiting the car’s return with its new paint. My wife was also there right along the way and helped with all the prep work and even painted the interior of the trailer. The trailer turned out amazing and has allowed me to attend shows all around the country without paying the hefty price for transport.

And we couldn’t be more stoked that you’ll be making your next stop Pit+Paddock Grid Icons! See you in Detroit!

Thank you to our Presenting Sponsors—Vibrant Performance and WELD Racing—and our official sponsors, Hawk Performance (Official Brake) and MBRP (Official Partner) for helping make Grid Icons: Mustang a reality on such an important anniversary year.

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