PHOTOS: ANGEL MUNIZ

Angel Muniz of New York is a lifelong “Saleen Freak.” Having owned two previous S281 “New Edge” coupes, Angel recently upgraded to a modified Supercharged Speedster. As a child, Angel loved reading car magazines, wishing he could one day own a vehicle worthy of a centerfold feature. For the past year Angel was on the lookout for a “special” Saleen Mustang and found 01-0643, an S281 Supercharged Speedster with a rare optional Ford white leather interior and white top. Angel’s surprise bonus to this find was the history of 01-0643 being a former Street Thunder magazine and calendar car.

Produced during May 2001 and shipped to American Ford, 01-0643 contained the following Saleen equipment: Tire Upgrade, 10″ rear wheels, painted door panels, floor mats, 13″ front brakes, chrome wheels, tonneau bag and stripe delete.

From model year 1999 through 2002, Saleen Performance produced 12 Mustangs with optional Ford white leather seating. For 2001, Saleen converted five white seat cars. Of those, four were painted Oxford White and two were equipped with the optional automatic transmission.

Aftermarket modifications include the following:

Engine:
• Rebuilt original supercharged long block
• Bored .20 over to 284c.i.
• New Cobra crankshaft
• Cobra oil pump / pick up tube
• Diamond +20 – 19cc ceramic coated forged pistons / Diamond rings
• Manley H beam rods w/ ARP 2000 bolts
• Fed Mogul Main bearings
• Fed Mogul Rod bearings
• ARP main studs #ARP156-4101
• Comp Cams XE270AH
• Manley valve springs
• Valve job and new valve seals
• Engine was washed, bored, honed, balanced and assembled by Modular Performance
• Built to handle well over 1000hp!

Transmission:
• ProMotion built Tremec 3650
• New bearings, synchros, seals, small parts kit, fork pads
• Ford TSB + beefy forks
• 68% overdrive
• Built to ProMotion Performance race spec and precision shim to handle 1000hp

Additional:
• Chicane RIPP cold-air intake
• Accufab polished 75mm throttle body
• Upgraded intercooler pump
• BBK ceramic coated Long tube headers
• BBK X pipe
• NX Nitrous wet kit retrofitted to run alcohol through “fuel solenoid”
• Snow Performance methanol kit (used only with nitrous)
• Innovate air/ fuel gauge
• MGW shift handle/ Saleen carbon fiber shift knob
• Saleen EXTREME heat extractor composite hood

Congratulations to Angel on his new purchase!

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[Source: Angel Muniz]

PHOTOS: JAEDA CROSBY

Currently, Saleen Automotive offers a dozen custom exterior paint colors on their line of performance vehicles. Though in the late 1990s during the SN95 era, there was one available non-factory hue. A single color that could represent green, blue, purple and gold. This lone color was Extreme Rainbow, the initial optional Saleen custom color developed with partner BASF.

BASF introduced a line of “Extreme Colors” in 1996. Of these first three Extreme hues, Rainbow was the most varied. Officially offered by Saleen as an option for the 1997 model year, they would go on to produce a total of 19 vehicles in this chromatic paint before this color disappeared after the 2009 model year.

One such vehicle is 96-0002, this special SN95 S281 coupe is among the earliest Saleen Mustangs to showcase this unique paint option. Current owner, Jaeda Crosby, located 96-0002 through a fever-pitched search for an original Saleen Extreme Rainbow Mustang. Given both the limited production and limited availability of this color, Jaeda had few leads and numerous dead-ends in trying to locate a vehicle in the United States. Perseverance sent Jaeda to the United Kingdom where #02 had lived since 2004.

Produced during October 1996 and shipped on the 25th of that month, #02 features an interesting list of early Saleen optional equipment. Beginning with the newly introduced S281 coupe, #02 hosts the following: Heat extractor hood, Speedline magnesium wheels, tire upgrade, 13″ front brake upgrade, and Saleen/Recaro leather seating.

For the 1996 model year Saleen produced 444 Mustangs, 424 were S281 models, 413 were based on the GT chassis, 191 were of the GT coupe body, 177 GT coupes featured 5-speed manual transmissions and 27 GT coupes with manual transmissions featured Opal Grey interior. Of those, 4 had the Saleen/Alcon brake upgrade, 20 were equipped with the optional 3.55:1 gears, 3 had the Tire Upgrade while 96-0002 was the lone S281 coupe, GT chassis, Manual Transmission, Opal Grey interior vehicle to receive the optional Saleen vented hood, Saleen/Recaro leather seating, Speedline Magnesium Wheels and Optional Custom Paint.

Of the 444 street Mustangs produced for the model year, one was painted a Saleen custom color. 96-0002 is this car.

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[Source: Jaeda Goodwin Crosby]