SP Rides: Writing His Own Story
BY MICHAEL KITCHENS
Name: Steve Brian Santiago
Age: 27
Occupation: Student, Civil Engineering
Hobbies: Cars, Gaming, Math and Science, Programming
Year, Make, Model: 2014 Ford Mustang
Color: Candy Apple Red
Engine: MPT 91-race tune, SCT X4 calibration, ported upper and lower intake manifold by TB Built Performance, BBK long tube header, BBK off-road X pipe, Borla Atak cat-back exhaust
Exterior: Side quarter louvers, GT grill conversion kit, angled front license plate brackets
ICE: Custom enclosure by Retto Aguilar, Hifonics four channel Brutus 600 watts, Hifonics 2 channel Brutus 1500 watts, four 8″ Skar audio ix8 subwoofer, four 5X7 kicker CS speakers, LED illumination trunk
Drivetrain/Suspension/Chassis: Ford Racing 3.73 gears, DS one-piece aluminum drive shaft, GT500 Differential Fins cover, BMR Panhard bar, Eibach Sports line lowering springs, Eibach camber adjuster kit
Wheels/Tires: Varrstoen ES2 19X9.5, Federal Tires at 245/35R/19 all around
Shout-Outs: Hi Velocity Racing, WickedStangs, Team Unbelievable, Blake Ogawa and everyone who helped
When it comes to rides, Steve Brian Santiago loves to create “sleepers.” This is where you take something a little more ordinary and turn it into the unexpected. There are many out there who have been left sleeping by assuming more than they could chew.
For example, one of his first rides was a four-door Oldsmobile Alero with an LS1 motor. “People didn’t even want to talk to me … so I raced them and ended up pulling on them. Then everybody wants to talk to me,” said Santiago. Apparently, conversation pieces are great when you have a lead foot.
Steve ended up purchasing this 2014 Ford Mustang due to dealer peer pressure, but as a starving college student, he felt that this was a good option to start with. Although a V6, the 2014 models aren’t the anemic versions of yester-year and this baby puts out 305HP with 280lbs of torque direct from the factory. That’s nothing to sneeze at and thanks to mods, upping that number is quite doable.
The grunt is definitely there as this Mustang has had its throat opened up in a mighty fashion. I could hear Santiago coming from several blocks away thanks to the burbling, rumbling inclusion of BBK long tube headers mated to an off-road x-pipe. The resulting roar echoes easily from the Borla Atak cat back. TB Built Performance has given a little breathing room thanks to a ported lower and upper intake manifold. The car has an MPT 91 Race tune along with SCT X4 calibration, which has resulted in an immensely streetable yet race-hungry ride for Steve.
The gearing has been upgraded to 3.73 gears from Ford Racing. Power is transferred to the rear through a DS one-piece aluminum driveshaft. He hasn’t ignored the suspension and chassis either as Steven has included Eibach Sportsline lowering springs, a camber adjuster kit, and a BMR Panhard bar. All of this rolls on Varrstoen ES2 19×9.5 wheels wrapped in Federal Tires 245/35R/19s all around.
For looks, he’s kept it minimal while upgrading with a GT Grill conversion kit and GT500 differential fins cover as well as side quarter louvers.
Although Santiago has some big aspirations for this car, including a built custom turbo, his student budget has limited him to building things from scratch. Take the current centerpiece of the car … a fully custom, hand-built stereo and subwoofer installation. This features two Hifonics amps pushing serious wattage through four 8” Skar audio subwoofers in a gorgeous enclosure. Considering everything was put together Home Depot-style, the setup is impressive. Brilliant, changing multi-color LEDS light the gear impressively, while four 5×7 Kicker CS speakers line the interior of the car. It’s simply dazzling.
Although Santiago loves modifying his rides, he builds his rides the way he wants to. The parts don’t have to be brand name; they just need to fit the way he wants. “This is your book. Write your own story,” he said.
