I've been stopping by the Raceskinz compound in Van Nuys, California, as much as I can, checking on the progress of Project Boss 340's paint and interior makeover.
While the Boss is my primary interest, I just had to take a closer look at a black Shelby GT500 that I saw in the parking lot. The 'Stang, a convertible model, looked very familiar, but it had a Cervini's cowl hood, which threw me off.
Despite the hood (which actually is the reason why the car was at Raceskinz in the first place--to be striped) I stepped closer to make a full inspection. Head over the jump to see what I saw...
Yes, the Shelby that I was certain I recognized belongs to my buddy, Carlos Cortez. If the name rings any bell (or if the car also looks familiar to you), Carlos' 'Stang is the same Pony that we used for one of our Shelby bolt-ons/dyno-test exercises last year.
I haven't spoken to Carlos in a while, so I was curious to know why he added a cowl hood to his ride. As you see in the photos, the addition of Vortech's all-new VTS "Twin Screw" supercharger system is the reason.
This was my first in-person look at the massive new blower, and it's easy to see why installing one requires the hood change.
Since our tech project, Carlos' Shelby has been the platform for the VTS Twin Screw's prototyping (Shelby GT500 system) and, of course, dyno testing, and I believe Bassani's long-tube headers and complete 3-inch exhaust system are going to be added to the GT500's power package as well.
So, the big question is, does this big blower make "big steam," or what? Well, I don't have any official numbers, but the word on the street is that when it's all finished, Carlos will be cruising around SoCal with a LOT more than 600 horses running at the rear wheels of his Shelby GT500--with 91-octane pump gas, and seven-hundie-plus with race gas.