STANG September 2022 Editor's Choice Issue

Mustang enthusiasts have asked for a magazine that has no ads, no sales pitches, and no bogus “fillers” to eat up space. They have asked for a magazine that is free, easy to access, and nothing but focused on Mustang pictures and content. They have asked for a magazine produced and written by Mustang owners. They have asked for a magazine that highlights the daily drivers and the average Mustang that is driven and is not a trailer queen. They have asked for the chance to one day have their ride, their group, their club, or their cause to be recognized in print or online. It is our absolute pleasure to meet these standards and to give you STANG Magazine. We hope that both our message and our image will be seen in every Mustang community out there. Thank you Mustang fans and enjoy your ride! - Daniel Ramey, Editor-In-Chief

TALKING WITH TJ

As we begin our journey into the descent of madness that is my mind and the crazy antics of my life, I would like to first introduce myself. My name is TJ, blah blah blah, that sums it up and all you need to know. Whew… got past the CRAP no one cares about! Now for the good stuff.

Mustang culture is one that is very unique and brings together people from all walks of life. One thing is for sure though, the STANG Mag crew isn’t your typical crew. We are a bunch of weirdos, oddballs, and out casts. We party hard and live by our ride or die motto and have adventures like no other.

From partying in various spots all over the U.S., to touring some of America’s most haunted sites, to having my ass spanked by a beautiful Latina in Las Vegas in front of a restaurant packed full of guests (and owning it), it’s never a dull moment! All I can say is... strap in, rev the shit out of your motor, and let’s go!

BATTLESHIP NEW JERSEY

One of the coolest events of the year is the annual STANG Magazine and Locked and Loaded Battleship Bash. For the past couple of years, we have been going to the USS New Jersey, in Camden, New Jersey. The USS New Jersey has a long history protecting America, which dates all the way back to December 7, 1942, when the ship was officially launched. The USS New Jersey is an Iowa-class battleship. The Iowa-class battleship was a class out of six classes of fast battleships, which was ordered by the U.S. Navy between 1939 and 1940. These battleships were designed to intercept fast capital ships (which are typically larger leading ships, which are heavily armored and have larger caliber guns, which are considered the most important ships of a navy) and also capable of serving in a traditional battle alongside slower battleships acting as its fast wing.

What makes the USS New Jersey so special is that the ship has earned the most battle stars for combat actions compared to the other three Iowa-class ships. The battleship earned a Navy Unit Commendation for service in Vietnam and 19 battle and campaign stars for combat operations during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Lebanese Civil War, and service in the Persian Gulf. The USS New Jersey supported the assault on Iwo-Jima by screening the Essex group in air attacks on the island on February 19-21, 1945. USS New Jersey also screened

the Essex group right after Iwo-Jima to attack Tokyo aircraft production sites, then Okinawa. USS New Jersey was directly engaged in the taking over of Okinawa from March 14 until April 16, by fighting off air raids, used her seaplanes to rescue downed pilots, defend carriers from suicide planes, while shooting down at least three and assisting in the destruction of others. Prior to the invasion of the Okinawa beach, the USS New Jersey carried out heavy bombardments of the Okinawa beaches to prepare for the invasion. The USS New Jersey was the only US battleship providing gunfire

JOKE OF THE MONTHWHAT DID THE SAILOR SAY TO THE OTHER SAILOR WHEN THEY HAD A PROBLEM?

We are in the same boat.

TALKING WITH TJ

support during the Vietnam War. On November 25, 1968, the battleship launched its most destructive bombardment against Vietcong near Quảng Ngãi, destroying 182 structures and 54 bunkers, inflicting heavy damage to 93 structures, and demolishing several tunnel complexes.

The USS New Jersey’s main battery consisted of nine 16”.50 caliber Mark 7 guns in three, three-gun turrets, which could fire 2,700-pound (1,225 kg) armor-piercing shells some 23 miles (42.6 km). The secondary battery consisted of twenty 5”.38 caliber guns mounted in twin-gun dual purpose (DP) turrets, which could hit targets up to 9 miles (16.7 km) away. With the rise of air power, battleships needed to gain and maintain air superiority in order to protect the growing fleet of allied aircraft carriers, which lead the USS New Jersey to be fitted with an array of Oerlikon 20 mm and Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft guns. When reactivated in 1968,

the USS New Jersey had the 20 mm and 40 mm AA guns removed and was tailored for use as a heavy bombardment ship. When reactivated in 1982, the USS New Jersey had four twin 5”.38 caliber DP mounts removed and was given four Phalanx Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) mounts for protection against missiles and aircraft, and eight Armored Box Launchers and eight Quad Cell Launchers designed to fire Tomahawk missiles and Harpoon missiles.

USS New Jersey was decommissioned for the last time in 1991 and spent the remaining years in the navy reserve fleet or mothball fleet, after serving a total of 21 years in the active fleet. In 2001, the battleship was donated to the Home Port Alliance, in Camden, New Jersey, where the battleship is held on display for tours.

Pretty cool history huh? This battleship has played an integral part in our nation’s history and I am glad to

be a part of the annual battleship bash were proceeds go to continue restoration and preservation of this living piece of history. This year was a special event for us, since we did a WWII rockabilly theme. Many of our Veterans dressed up in their old military uniforms and non-Veterans dressed in WWII military style costumes, bringing back history and making it memorable for people who attended the battleship that day. Now me, I am not a Veteran. I am plus sized and I couldn’t find a military costume, so I did the next best thing. Every Navy guy in our group loves the movie Down Periscope. If you have seen the movie, then you know the infamous pirate scene where they threw the Executive Officer Marty Pascal overboard for mutiny. So, I dressed up as a pirate in honor of our Navy Vets’ favorite movie. Now unfortunately, my costume went over many peoples’ heads, and instead it became why in the hell is TJ dressed as a pirate to a battleship? Well,

you know what, I don’t care, you know why? Because I got to go be on a battleship dressed as a pirate!! ARRRRGGGGG. Who else can say that!!! Most importantly, my costume made a Veteran battleship employee who drives the golf cart around the battleship smile, as every time he passed me, he would laugh and scream AAARRRGGG!! Kids also loved the costume and made comments as they passed by me. That is what it’s all about. Why we do what we do. It not just about us, but the impact we have on others. If my lame ass pirate costume made one person smile then, I say that it was a successful day! Don’t ever be afraid to step out of your comfort zone, be bold, and stand out. Fair winds and following seas.

GARY HAMLIN

BADD ASP–2003 SVT COBRA

IF IT WEREN’T FOR ALL OF THE HEROES THAT SERVED OR ARE NOW SERVING, THIS COUNTRY WOULD NOT HAVE THE FREEDOM WE HAVE TODAY.

Badd Asp is a 2003 SVT Cobra convertible and is a complete custom build and designed by me as a Military tribute. It is 100% painted with no wrap by Jeff Urman. She is a one owner. I purchased her new in August 2002 and the list of mods is endless. She puts just over 800 hp to the rear wheels on pump gas but honestly I would rather people understand why I would build a tribute car.

My Grandfather and uncle were the heroes in my life as my father was non existent. They both served our country proudly as well as my youngest son and grandfather’s namesake. If it weren’t for all of the heroes that served or are now serving, this country would not have the freedom we have today. I enjoy talking with Veterans and listening to the stories they tell.

NIKKI JENDERKO GEORGE BAD BITCH–2016 GT/CS

RACING IS SUCH AN INCREDIBLE FAMILY ORIENTED SPORT. A SPORT WHERE I MET THE LOVE OF MY LIFE DUE TO CARS! SO THIS IS DEFINITELY IN MY BLOOD FOR LIFE.

My Mustang’s name is Bad Bitch. My passion for vehicles came from my father. As a young girl I remembered always having to help him repair his vehicles. When I turned 16, I was able to get my first Mustang GT. Why the Mustang? Because I loved the body style and power of this pony car. As a young girl, my mom always had Mustangs for many years and my dad had a Foxbody Mustang for a period of time.

When I got my chance to get a Mustang of my own I was the owner of a 2000 Ford Mustang GT Convertible. It was a reliable car and really took my love for Mustangs to a whole other level. I then purchased a 2013 Mustang V6 as I wanted that upgraded body.

Not even a year later, I had to get a 2014 Mustang GT as the v6 just was not cutting it power wise. My ex-husband and father in law were heavily into drag racing. I would constantly be at the track playing pit crew while also running whatever street car I brought with me. We were at the track pretty much every weekend. I loved being a part of the crew but what I really enjoyed was when I got to race my Mustangs or my dad’s 1967 Mercury Cougar. The rush I felt off the line was an adrenaline rush I had not felt before. So what did I do during a rough spot in my life just a few

years later? I decided to upgrade to a 2016 Mustang GT California Special. This baby sat on the showroom floor and was so pretty! I told myself It would stay stock. As I had modified each of the other Mustangs I owned and also drag raced them. This 2016 was special to me as a way to escape the bad I was dealing with. It took me all of about a week until I started modifying the car and was out at the track running the car! But note this vehicle was also my daily driver and grocery getter for me and my two daughters.

During the time of purchase, I was going through a rough time and this car kept me occupied while my

children split households. I met new friends and was able to get out to the track where everyone made me feel welcome and at home. I also met other friends and was able to get out to car shows, meets, and different events that were out of my normal. The drive and love I learned for drag racing and the car community was insane. I always told myself I wanted to do autocross or drift but when I went down that drag strip I realized how much passion I had for the

sport. When I started getting heavily into bracket racing I was then able to pick up sponsors for my vehicle which made modifying the vehicle much easier. I am excited to have partnered with Nitrous Race Connection to supply us with the added ponies we were looking for, as well as grow with them as their official brand ambassador to help get the word out. Racing is such an incredible family oriented sport. A sport where I met the love of my life due to cars! So

NIKKI JENDERKO GEORGE

MODS, MODS...

new ported spec on 10 rib

system

over drive and

throughout the motor: head cooling kit, Traxx oil cooler kit, oil pan, high flow pick up, engine diaper, MMR trigger wheel, secondary tension bracket billet, pulse ring trigger wheel, roller bearing thrust system oil pump backing plate, APR bolt upgrades throughout engine, billet rear main seal cover/support

pump fuel system

race fuel

House Fabrication

cage install by Garagistics and safety window

long tube headers, X pipe with black widow nabor haters muffler (cat delete resonator deleted)

suspension, BMR drag k member, motor mounts, solid bushings, driveshaft

MORE

DECEPTICON IN SWEDEN

PERSSON

DECEPTICON IN SWEDEN–2007 SALEEN S281SC

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE A CAR GUY BUT ALSO LIKE MOVIES? BUILD A MOVIE CAR OF COURSE.

What to do when you are a car guy but also like movies?

Build a movie car of course. I remember seeing the movie Transformers (2007) when it came out, and I really loved the mean looking police car. I didn’t know that it was a Saleen at the time. I just thought Mustang back then. But fast forward eleven years and I happen to buy a Saleen S281sc and that is a very rare car in Sweden. There is only six S281sc in the country.

The one I bought was alloy gray and had chrome wheels. It was in decent shape, but I felt I wanted to do something with it. My last Mustang was wrapped as a tribute to the legendary P-51 Mustang air planes, so keeping the Saleen stock was never an option. About then I noticed that Barricade in Transformers was built on a Saleen so I decided then and there that I had to build a Barricade replica.

I ripped most of the car apart and got it painted in pieces.

Then I ordered decals and some police lights and got to work. Sure, the car is not 100% movie accurate. It has the wrong emergency lights on the roof and the pushbar had to hold a led bar for legal purposes here in Sweden.

The car lacks the rear Saleen carbon diffusor and I have APRs front splitter instead of Saleen’s. But the car is built

to work well on the race track and I have upgraded the oil cooling, the brakes, and I think I have all the handling upgrades that Whiteline Performance can provide and adjustable Koni shocks and some other small things. So it has rather good handling and it is very fun to drive.

But my days with the Saleen have not been without issues. Early on my supercharger started to make an awful noice. And due to lack of service from previous owners, my supercharger had seen better days. Superchargers tend to get missed at service. Perhaps because the Saleen supercharger sits beneath the intake and is not as service friendly as a GT 500. But I thought it would be a walk in the park to renovate it, but parts were more or less impossible to get. So I cut away the supercharger housing on the intake, welded on a plate, and installed a HPS 2,6 liter supercharger (the same brand that Kenne Bell uses).

It was a tight fit and took lots of work, but it worked out great and the car still looks stock under the hood.

MORGAN PERSSON

DECEPTICON IN SWEDEN–2007 SALEEN S281SC

CRAIG PITTMAN MACHSTANG– 2004 MACH 1

I am a 58 year old man. I have worked for the Department of Homeland Security since 2006 and currently a Police Lieutenant at a top secret facility.

I have always been a fan of Mustangs. When I was a teen ager my dad had a red 1966 with a 289. He had a heart attack and crushed it, hitting a pole. He did recover from the accident but the Mustang was totaled. I did get a couple years of enjoyment driving it.

I have always put God and family first. I would go to my local Ford dealership and drool over the new models, especially the Roush and Mach 1 models

which were far and few between. In 2004, I especially remember seeing, sitting in, and really wanting this azure blue 40th Anniversary Mach 1. With three boys and my wife, looking was all I could afford. At that time we were living on a Virginia Department of Corrections salary.

In 2011, my wife totaled her car (2006 Hyundai Tiburon). We were trying to replace it on a budget. I found a clean, red, 1999 Mustang with 21 thousand miles on it. It was a V-6. She reluctantly went to test drive it. Surprisingly she thought it was awesome and the price was right.

FEELING THE BACK END WIGGLING JUST BEFORE YOU HIT SECOND, IT BECOMES A STRAIGHT LINE ROCKET WITH THREE MORE GEARS TO GO!

In 2016 I purchased a crimson red GMC Sierra Denali. More practical for our needs but nice! A few months later I found a like new ruby red 50 year anniversary appearance package Mustang. Of course when I took her to look at it she absolutely fell in love with it. We sold our youngest son the red Mustang in which he still drives today.

About two years ago I was looking on marketplace and saw this beautiful 2004 azure blue Mach 1. It had 58 thousand miles on it. I watched it on marketplace for about three months. I didn’t need another vehicle but I had a bad case of Mustang fever. I negotiated a fair price and purchased it. It was a one owner car. I took it home with my truck. Besides buffing it out and putting a ceramic coating on it I haven’t done much to it yet.

In conclusion we now have the 35th, 40th, and 50-year Anniversary Mustangs. With patience, dreams will come true. My wife has a 2015 50 year anniversary Mustang that she’s very proud of. When I drive it, it looks good and feels good. It is faster than my Mach 1. There’s nothing like turning that key and feeling the rumble of those Flowmasters.

Feeling the back end wiggling just before you hit second, it becomes a straight line rocket with three more gears to go! That’s the feel of getting behind the wheel of the Mach 1. That feeling never gets old. There is a reason why other cars have come and gone and Mustangs live on!

PHOTO CRED: CRAIG PITTMAN

NURPLE

COUPE

I ALWAYS SAID IF THE ARMY WANTED ME TO HAVE A HOBBY THEY WOULD HAVE ISSUED IT TO ME.

After retiring from the U.S. Army and relocation back to my home state of Ohio, I did not have any hobbies. I always said if the Army wanted me to have a hobby they would have issued it to me. After some encouragement from my wife to do something, I came across this 1968 Mustang on Marketplace. Luck be had I ended up acquiring this vehicle from a couple who restored it years ago. They were selling it after it sat for years in the back of a garage in order to buy a golf cart in preparation for retirement.

limped the car home and went to work on it. Not a mechanic myself, I spent countless hours online researching how to replace the intake, carb, distributor, and everything in between. I learned how to adjust the carb and time the engine. I joined a few local car clubs in the area and in my free time I enjoy attending local shows and cruise-ins throughout the summer.

PHOTO CRED: BRITTNEY HOWILER

SNOW WHITE

JODY HENSLEY

WHAT BETTER WAY TO ADVERTISE FOR MY CUSTOM FIREARMS BUSINESS THAN A CUSTOM CAMOUFLAGE WRAP.

My family is a Mustang family through and through. My grandparents had a 1965 Mustang they bought new off the lot. My mother has never owned another car besides a Mustang for the past 20 years. She is on her fifth Mustang currently (2013 V6 in grabber blue with black stripes). So, I grew up around Mustangs and knew I wanted one for myself.

I started off with a 1999 Mustang GT that my mom sold me when I was a senior in college at the Univer

sity of Kentucky. She bought it brand new off the lot when she turned 30 years old and it was her dream car. Fast forward a few years, I bought a brand new 2016 Mustang GT base in Magnetic just before I turned 30 years old. That car lasted two years before I was in a head on collision with a motorcycle which totaled my car.

That brings us to my current ride, Snow White. After my wreck, I decided I wanted the premium trim to get the digital gauge cluster and bigger navigation screen. She started out as a shadow black GT, but I needed a vehicle to advertise my business Hensley Munitions LLC, a firearms store that specializes in cus tom AR15 rifles and pistols built to user specifications.

JODY HENSLEY

SNOW WHITE–2019 GT

PHOTO CRED:

HENSLEY

GARY HAMLIN

URAEUS– 2021 SHELBY GT 500

The first weekend of October 2019 my wife and I were at the Cruise for a Cause car event cancer fundraiser in Wisconsin. Ford Performance is a huge sponsor of this event and in 2019 they brought the prototype 2020 Shelby GT500 and parked it on the banquet room floor. That was all it took and this was the first car that I loved as much as my Terminator.

After much convincing, my wife agreed to me buying a 2021 GT500 (yes 1000% she is a keeper). I ordered my Shelby from my small town Ford dealership. Since we have owned her, we have road tripped to Yellowstone and the Black Hills for the Sturgis Mustang Rally. She is an AMAZING car and extremely comfortable to drive in. My mod list is short since I have told my wife I wasn’t going to mod this car. I have changed the rear quar

ter windows to the HGP glass louvered windows and added iconic silver pinstripes between the paint and black factory stripes. Also some engine bay clean up parts from JLT and their cold air intake and custom cam covers from CM Components as well as their rear seat delete, a resonator delete, and Kelltrac irs bushings completes my mod list to date.

With the impending end to the modern muscle car revolution, I fully believe this will be the last V8 supercharged Mustang. With my Terminator, I own the first factory supercharged Mustang as well as the last!

PHOTO CRED: STEVEN MOORE/EPOCH DECOR

WITH THE IMPENDING END TO THE MODERN MUSCLE CAR REVOLUTION, I FULLY BELIEVE THIS WILL BE THE LAST V8 SUPERCHARGED MUSTANG.

IN THE

BASED IN SUMMERVILLE, WHICH IS JUST OUTSIDE “THE HOLY CITY” OF CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, BRANDED’S MEMBERS ARE A QUIRKY CROSS SECTION OF FAMILY ORIENTED ENTHUSIASTS WHO ENJOY ALL THINGS MUSTANG.

The Branded Mustang Club was formed in the Fall of 2020 and has been growing ever since. Based in Summerville, which is just outside “The Holy City” of Charleston, South Carolina, Branded’s members are a quirky cross section of family oriented enthusiasts who enjoy all things Mustang. Since its inception, Branded continues to support local communities in any way they can. In just two short years, Branded has grown to now hosting an annual car show, sponsoring a yearly fundraiser to benefit a local horse reserve, and participating in weekly and monthly shows, events, and cruises throughout the Low Country.

A particularly distinct aspect of Branded’s membership is inspired by the practice of branding wild horses on the Western Plains. Upon acceptance into the Club, each new member receives their own unique “brand” by way of a decal consisting of a set of symbols representing the year of their Mustang, body style (SN95/S197 etc.), and year you became a member. Branded takes great pride in fostering an atmosphere of acceptance and inclusion regardless of race, religion, political beliefs, and sticker price! So if you find yourself visiting the Charleston area, keep your eyes… and ears…on the lookout for Branded rollin through the streets!

PHOTO CRED: AUSTIN CHATTERTON

©

help with performance as it lowers the center of gravity of the car for better cornering but more importantly, it just looks cool! There are several ways to go about this, such as air ride systems or lowering springs. However, if you are dropping your Pony, you need to adjust the front and rear wheel alignments to match. An often-overlooked aspect of lowering a car, that will have a negative impact on performance, tire wear and steering. Think of your car as two different entities. The top part, which is the frame, body, engine, seats, etc., and the bottom part, which is the wheels, rear axle and steering components that make contact with the road. The top part is riding on the bottom part

in the suspension. You may wonder, what happens when a car gets lowered? The short answer is: while the car is riding on the springs, there are other components such as the steering rack, control arms, sway bars and track bars that are connected to both the top and bottom parts of the car. When the car is lowered, it changes the geometry of all these parts. When that geometry changes from factory specifications, it affects tire wear. The wheels will have negative camber (wheels tilting from top to bottom), which affect how the car steers and the handling of the backend. In future episodes, we’ll discuss track bars, caster/camber/tow, and other aspects of a car’s suspension. But for now, if you drop your ride, adjust the suspension.