SP Rides: Back in the Saddle Again
BY MICHAEL KITCHENS
Name: Andrew Bake
Age: 42
Occupation: U.S. Army Soldier
Hobbies: Cars, golf, guns
Year/Make/Model: 2015 Ford Mustang GT
Color: Black
Engine: HPT Honolulu dynode at 722rwhp and 564rwtq, Magnaflow competition 3-inch quad tip, UPR catchcan, Beefcake D1SC Stage 2 Procharger black and black 4.5-inch pulley, Injector Dynamics 1000cc injectors, JMS BAP, SCTx4, MAK Cat deletes with custom cat replacements, MMR Oil Pump Gears and Timing set, Holley Sniper intake, Lund Tuned
Exterior: Roush quad tip rear valence, Roush rear spoiler, Roush hood vents, FRPP hood struts, Custom grill, Badgeless rear panel, Diode Dynamics all, Hide a plate, Anchor room headlight tint, Howler badges from Spacecity
Interior: Weathertech floor mats, Ecoboost Gauge pod, Anarchy automotive shift knobs, JLT carbon fiber center console, JLT carbon fiber door switch plates, Redling alacantara center console, shift boot, and emergency brake boot, GT-350 steering wheel, all-stitching dyed blue
Drivetrain: DSS 800 h.p. axles, RXT clutch and flywheel, Barton M6 shifter, BMR driveshaft loop
Suspension: BMR diff and IRS kit (Poly), BMR Uplinks, BMR Toe rods, Steeda progressive sport springs, Steeda front and rear sway bar with billet links, Steeda IRS centering kit, Steeda Clutch line, Steeda IRS brace, Self fabricated jacking rails, Koni two-way adjustable shocks all around
Wheels and Tires: 19×9.5-inch and 19×11.25-inch custom widened Advanti Hybrids, Custom 16mm and 6mm wheel spacers, Ventus V12 Evo2 265/35-19 front and 325/30-19 rear
How often does someone take what is essentially a brand new car and tear it down to its bare essentials as soon as it’s off the showroom floor? Not often, but that’s exactly what Andrew Baker has done with this monstrous 2015 Ford Mustang GT.
The teardown is nothing new for Baker, who’s been modifying vehicles since he joined the military. From mini-trucking to assembling a show-winning supercharged Corvette, he’s gained a ton of experience pulling things apart, putting them back together and ending up with a product that’s always better than what he started with.
He first spied the new Mustang at the 2014 Honolulu International Auto Show and became enthralled with its clean lines and potential — so much so that he had ordered about $15,000 of parts before he even owned the car. Two days after shipping the brand new automobile over from Oregon, Baker literally had the pieces of the Mustang strewn all across his garage floor.
“My wife and neighbors thought I was nuts to take apart a car with only 200 miles on it,” he said.
For the past year, Baker has spent weekends working on and improving his Mustang. The car is now pushing a dyno-proven 722HP and 564TQ. We’re not talking at the crank, but at the wheels — thanks to a selection of choice mods including Injector Dynamics 1000cc injectors, a Beefcake D1SC Stage 2 Procharger black and black 4.5-inch pulley, and a Magnaflow competition 3-inch quad tip. Obviously there are too many mods to list, but the entire package really helps to put out some fantastic numbers.
The drive train has been strengthened with DSS 800HP axles, an RXT clutch and flywheel, a BMR driveshaft loop and a Barton M6 shifter. The suspension has been fully upgraded to handle the immense horsepower with another collection of Steeda and BMR components. All of this helps the 19×9.5-inch and 19×11.25-inch custom-widened Advanti Hybrids put the rubber down.
Baker also performed minor modifications to the exterior with the inclusion of a Roush quad tip rear valence and rear spoiler as well as sporty hood vents. Also added were Howler badge accents to help break up the blackness of the body along with a custom grill. The interior has been spruced up as well with an Ecoboost gauge pod, an Anarchy Automotive shift knob, as well as JLT carbon fiber console and doorplates.
All in all, this is a well-modified sleeper capable of putting out some intense numbers. Being a self-taught mechanic, Baker noted the most important thing is to “work on your own dang car!” As a matter of self-fulfillment, he believes that modifying your own automobile is an important part of the entire process.
“Get out there in the driveway and learn about it,” he added.
