Coyote-Swap Cerberus Project Seeks ‘Happy Car’ Status

The obvious counterpart to a Hellcat would be a Helldog, and the most popular one I can think of would be Cerberus. — Scott McMurry, Spectro Racing

Some project cars evolve over time. We build one the way we think we want it or the way we can afford to build it at the time. After getting used to it or getting tired of it, we decide to remodel our machine. In the case of Spectro Racing’s Scott McMurry power-shifted his project car gears before it even galloped out of the stable.

“In September, 2011, I had recently graduated from college with my degree in Mechanical Engineering, and I decided it was time to start a project,” Scotty said. “I was raised to love Fords, so should come as a surprise to no one that my first love was a 1968 Mustang, owned by a family friend. Naturally, my first serious project had to be a classic Mustang.”

Central to making Project Cerberus the kind of alpha predator that Scotty had it mind, he turned to a Coyote 5.0-liter engine boosted by a VMP Performance 2.3-liter TVS supercharger supported by a Power by the Hour front engine accessory drive. (Photo Credit: Power by the Hour Performance)

While he really wanted one of those highly desirable classics, Scotty decided that, for the purposes of his project, a slightly newer Mustang would fit the bill.

“I initially had my eyes on an earlier Mustang, but pre-1969 model years fetch a premium. If it ran and it was in halfway decent condition, it costs $25,000 or more. That wasn’t in the budget. I heard through a friend that there was a 1970 for sale locally, which had been restored a few years back and looked to be in good condition,” he explained. “Even better, it was selling for less than $20,000! I saw the bright orange — you have to call it Calypso Coral around the old die-hard Mustang guys — muscle car and had to have it. I knew this car had a few issues, and it was definitely not perfect, but that made it perfect for me.”

Ideal Foundation

The mission for Project Cerberus is simply for me to build my dream car. — Scott McMurry, Spectro Racing

With the perfect car in hand, Scotty set out to build a car that could deliver high-level, multi-faceted performance.

“The mission for Project Cerberus is simply for me to build my dream car. What that means is building a ‘happy car,’ which is a phrase I’ve heard used elsewhere implying that the car isn’t built to be excellent at one thing, but to be good at everything,” Scotty said. “That being said, I’m building it with the intent of being a national contender for Optima USCA events. I’ll still compete in SCCA events as a CAM class, but SCCA is all about time, and one thing. USCA events give points for many other categories, and I think that my car will be well-rounded, while still being very custom and built to be extremely fast, making it perfect for this event format.”

“I’ve had the idea to do the fender flares for years. Ever since I saw Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s 1969 RTR-X Mustang, which is how I found out Maier Racing had flares even though they weren’t promoted on their site as they are now,” Scott McMurry said of his restomod project. “Well, ever since the Hellcat, and now Demon, there is a lot of popularity surrounding these cars and their crazy-high horsepower numbers. I figured it would be fun to play off that popularity. The obvious counterpart to a Hellcat would be a Helldog, and the most popular one I can think of would be Cerberus. Most importantly, everyone knows dogs are better than cats!” (Photo Credit: Spectro Racing)

Initially he planned to power this jack-of-all-trades restomod with a NASCAR-spec Windsor. While that sort of powerplant would certainly deliver performance, but maybe not as much to keep up his acquired taste for horsepower.

“As most long-term projects evolve over time, my project has drastically changed, including the fact that I’m on my third motor. The original motor was a Ford Performance 392 Sportsman which is a modified 351W, which is appropriate for the car and has the potential to make 500-plus horsepower without any difficulty,” he said. “I was going to keep this motor and build off it, but I got the taste of nearly 700 horsepower and decided I needed my Mustang to have at least that much.”

Unusual Inspiration

It was the good fortune of winning a high-powered vehicle that re-routed the path of this project. While it was an import car that helped make the decision, Scotty was driven to shift gears from pushrod power to something a lot more modern, even though the car that inspired the change was a little too sterile and modern.

“Long story short, last year I won one of Speed Society’s giveaways and became the owner of an Alpha 7 (meaning nearly 700 horsepower) Nissan GT-R. That kind of power is addicting, but the car was boring. It lacked a soul, so I sold it to help pay for my Mustang,” he explained. “The first thing I bought was a refreshed NASCAR motor, hence the former project name NAStang. The thought of putting a NASCAR motor in anything put a grin on my face, but after coming to the realization that literally everything connected to or powered by the motor (headers, dry sump, air conditioning, etc.) would be custom, and it would drive like hell around town, I decided it would be better to have my cake and eat it too.”

Boosted Combo

To create that tasty combination, he chose a Coyote 5.0-liter topped by a VMP Performance 2.3-liter TVS supercharger. This potent pairing has the potential to deliver big horsepower with a bit more personality than that GT-R and much better driveability than a cammed-up Windsor.

“Though the Coyote isn’t capable of the near-orbit, high-RPM range of the NASCAR motor, it can still safely do 8,400 RPM with supporting modifications, which I like to point out to my GT350-owning friend, is higher than the Voodoo rev limiter. The TVS helps the engine to make power over a much broader range than the NASCAR motor, which is basically set up for 5,000-plus-RPM peak efficiency,” Scotty said. “The TVS, though not as simple to adjust as a turbo setup, can also be adjusted for different power levels by changing the pulley and tune.”

“In addition to the quarter panels, we are using fender flares from Mike Maier front and rear to provide additional width,” Scotty said. “The Detroit Speed Aluma-Frame front suspension allows for a 295 front tire without any modification, so with all these modifications I will be able to run a 335 square tire setup.”

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that swapping in a blown Coyote is facilitated by plenty of aftermarket support.

“The biggest thing that sold me on the TVS setup was the fact that Power by the Hour Performance had a turn-key option to have an eight-rib serpentine kit with all the accessories I wanted — power steering, alternator, and A/C compressor, all ready to drop into my Mustang and make 1,000-plus horsepower…”

Doing Work

When building an all-around performer with that kind of power on tap, it’s crucial that the supporting cast is up to the task. It seems that Scotty has a solid plan to plant that power and keep the maintenance with reach.

“To aid with the traction provided by massive tires and the very well designed Detroit Speed front end, the rear will have a custom Street or Track cambered and full floating Ford 9-inch, held in place by a Watt’s link and torque arm. The paint color will be Ford’s Avalanche Gray,” he said. “Again, not a big deal to do a one off, but I’m going to drive and race my car, so if and when something happens I’ll be able to get the paint matched without too much difficulty. I have yet to figure out wheels, brakes, a clutch, the interior, or some of the smaller details that will fall into place closer to the finish line, but there is still time to figure these items out.”

Project Cerberus Mods

• BFGoodrich tires

Canton Racing Products oil pan

COMP Cams camshafts

• Chris Alston’s Chassisworks

• Detroit Speed Aluma-Frame front suspension

• Diode Dynamics lighting

• Ford Performance Coyote 5.0-liter engine

Forgeline wheels

• Power by the Hour eight-rib accessory drive

• Quicktime Motorsports bellhousing

• Street or Track cambered and full floating Ford 9-inch rearend

• Tremec T-56 six-speed manual transmission

• VMP Performance 2.3-liter TVS Gen2R supercharger

• Wilwood disc brakes

Figuring out is what building project cars is all about, but it will be interesting to see the finished product when Cerberus starts howling with all that Coyote power. Scotty seems pretty confident that it will all come together.

“The car is still a decent way from being done, but making excellent progress. My builder, Telly Violetto, is definitely one of the best in the business,” he added. “Previously employed by the Ring Brothers before starting his own shop, he is definitely the most skilled builder/fabricator/painter that I have ever met. When he is not working on my car, he is working for companies like SpeedKore, helping with SEMA projects.”

Scotty hopes to have his happy car up and running by next summer and hopes to have it on display at the SEMA show the fall of 2018, so stay tuned.

About the author

Steve Turner

Steve Turner brings decades of passion and knowledge in the world of Ford performance, having covered it for over 20 years. From the swan song of the Fox Mustang to the birth of the Coyote, Steve had a front-row seat.
Read My Articles

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