In 1971, Ford built its last Boss Mustang--the elongated, slippery, sleek, and potent Boss 351. A lot of folks believe the fun ended there, but it didn't. After 1971, things grew lean, and brute performance took a hiatus for more than a decade. Then something wonderful happened. Ford started putting more than two throttle bores atop the small-block in the Mustang GT and the Capri RS beginning in 1983. It was a portent of things to come in the '90s.
Introducing the redesigned SN-95 Mustang GT. This is the Boss Mustang redefined. Meet Jeff Sneathen and Rick Jones, two guys from two different parts of the American heartland, yet two guys with the same mission--to make good-looking Mustang power. Jeff Sneathen of SEMO Classic Mustang knows a thing or two about hot Mustang performance. He and brother Bill have been building, swapping, selling, and trading classic Boss and Cobra Jet cars and parts for most of their adult lives. It wound up being a living as well as a hobby for two brothers from southeast Missouri.
Jeff saw great potential in the late-model Fox-bodied Mustangs when 5.0L mania started unfolding in the late '80s. Heated interest in these high-power hosses surfaced when Jeff and his wife, Sandra, purchased their Chrome Yellow '95 Mustang GT convertible. Right off the car carrier, it was just another Mustang droptop. But Jeff wasn't content with the car in box-stock form. He knew what the car could be, given striking bolt-on accessories and the infusion of pressurized induction. So he conceived the 30th Anniversary Commemorative Edition package for '94-and-later Mustangs. And so it went.
Jeff custom-tailored this '95 GT convertible for Sandra to enjoy. The cowl-induction hood is a SEMO Classic Mustang exclusive trimmed out like the classic Mach 1s and Boss 302s. On the ground are 17-inch chrome three-spokes wrapped with Goodyear Eagle ZR40 radials. Handling and good looks spoken here. Jeff and Sandra have added a supercharger since our photo shoot. Plans call for a Kenne-Bell suspension package shortly.
Rick Jones hails from Detroit, roughly 600 miles from southeast Missouri. Though Rick lives far from Jeff, they have a lot in common. Rick understands the appeal of the SN-95 generation of Mustang convertibles. He looked to SEMO Classic Mustang and Classic Design Concepts for his guidance and product. That's Ford's Sapphire Blue for 1995 married to gray leather inside. It is a rare color combination in a mass-production world.
Rick opted for some of that Larry Shinoda Boss magic: awesome "Boss Shinoda" graphics revised to suit his own performance agenda--"Cobra, Supercharged." Classic Design Concepts in Walled Lake, Michigan, clad the body with Shinoda graphics, a Cobra fascia, sequential taillamps, tungsten headlamps, Cobra appointments, side exhaust, brake cooling scoops, an aeroshield, a billet grille, a speedster tonneau cover, rear deck SC badging, and CATZ SP projector-beam driving lamps. It's a striking road show for enthusiasts everywhere.
Like the Sneathens, Rick looked to Kenne-Bell for his inspiration, which was provided by an 8-pound-boost supercharger, a Tremec TKO five-speed transmission, and an 8.8-inch diff sporting 3.55:1 gears. A Griggs tubular K member and bumpsteer kit get the job done along with Kenne-Bell subframe connectors. Super-wide Cobra wheels fitted with Goodyear Eagle GS-Cs keep this purple 'Stang glued to the firmament.
We wish we had more room to cover these bucking steeds in greater detail, but we don't. Suffice it to say two enthusiasts created winners from stock run-of-the-mill Mustang convertibles. So can you. Check it out.