Autoblog

Click above for a larger image of the twin-turbo Saleen Parnelli Jones Mustang

There's a special place in our hearts for the Saleen Parnelli Jones Mustang. After a week in the Autoblog Garage we fell in love with the wonderful 302-ci V8, amazingly sharp handling, and Trans-Am inspired looks. If we were to pick any of the current Mustang variants, the PJ would probably be it. Because of the collectability of the car (a total of 500 were produced) we're guessing that most owners have left their cars stock, but one particular owner decided to make his Parnelli Jones Mustang truly unique. How? He added dual 57mm Precision turbos, upgraded forged pistons, aluminum heads, a full three-inch exhaust system, and much, much more. In total, the motor produces 768 horsepower and 769 lb-ft torque -- at the wheels! The look of the car remains completely unchanged, making it as much of a sleeper as a car painted in Grabber Orange can be. The modded Parnelli is now up for sale on eBay Motors, and we're wishing that we had significantly more funding in our bank accounts.

[Source: eBay Motors]

Click on the image to enlarge

We're rather pleased that Saleen has seen fit to offer their excellent 302 cubic inch V8 as a crate engine. Having driven several Mustangs equipped with the powerplant , we feel qualified to say that this is an engine more than worthy of carrying on the 5.0 legacy. If you want take-no-prisoners style horsepower, consider opting for the supercharged model, which we found almost too powerful for every day use in the Saleen S302E Mustang. Perhaps a more streetable choice would be the naturally-aspirated version that we sampled in the Saleen/Parnelli Jones Limited Edition Mustang.

Regardless of your choice of induction, the base engine will have started life as one of Ford's 4.6 liter modular blocks. After being bored and stroked to the requisite five liters, the block receives bigger injectors, ported aluminum heads, performance camshafts, forged-aluminum pistons, forged-steel connecting rods and a forged-steel crank. Power levels range from 390 to 580 horsepower, depending on your choice of options. You can peruse the complete press release after the break.

[Source: Saleen]

Click image for huge gallery of high-res pics

We have been very lucky when it comes to having special Mustangs in our Autoblog garage. After a brief drive in a Shelby GT500, we were longing for more. Then we had a Roush 427R that Eric subjected to some serious instrumented testing. It performed well at the dragstrip and backed up its horsepower claims on the dyno. We also had some fun for a few days behind the wheel of a Saleen supercharged convertible, as well. That Saleen S281 SC Mustang was a 2006 with 435 hp and a lot of "hey, look at me" add-ons. A real kick in the pants in a straight line, but not our first choice for the twisty roads we enjoy so much. When we returned that S281 to Saleen, they mentioned that their newest special edition product would be available soon. When the words "Parnelli Jones" escaped the rep's lips, we felt a surge of adrenaline that led to an involuntary, "How soon?"

The 2007 Saleen/Parnelli Jones Limited Edition Mustang was first shown at the New York Auto Show last year. It promised 370 hp and a beefed up suspension that would emulate the performance of the 1970 championship-winning Boss 302 that Parnelli Jones helped make famous back in the golden era of Trans-Am racing. With retro touches like the Grabber Orange paint, black stripes, rear wing, jutting front lip, chrome surrounds on the grille and rear lights, rear window louvers, Minilite-like wheels, and the Shaker hood, it instantly became our favorite Mustang.

Follow the jump for the rest of the review and do yourself a favor and check out our high-resolution gallery of pics. We guarantee your next desktop wallpaper is in there somewhere. .

Our pick for Best of Show at the 2006 New York Auto Show would have to be the Saleen S302 Parnelli Jones Mustang. Despite the debut of the Shelby GT500 and Shelby GT-H by Ford, the Parnelli Jones Mustang managed to not only best its corporate-backed cousins, but also emerge as the vehicle we coveted most at the show. While Saleen's website states that a batch of 500 limited edition cars would be available this fall for purchase, we haven't heard from anybody who has parked one in their garage. Recently, however, a crop of Parnelli Jones Mustangs have popped up on eBay and include #40, #56, #67 and another car whose serial number is not mentioned. Each is being auctioned by a different dealer, but three of the four auctions feature a no-gouge buy-it-now price of $60,565, which is the car's actual MSRP. Though Ford has introduced a number of Mustang iterations itself, none seem to stir the soul like the Parnelli with its 400-hp V8, Grabber Orange paint, and booming exhaust. And where else are we gonna find a 2007 MY car with louvers on the back hatch like that?

Thanks for the tip, Brad!

[Source: eBay via The Mustang Source Forums]

While we wouldn’t necessarily call the 2007 Saleen/Parnelli Jones Limited Edition Mustang the Best of Show overall at the NYIAS, it has easily nabbed the title of Best Mustang of Show. That’s not an insignificant feat considering Ford itself let two new ponies out of its corral – the “California Special” and the GT350H – and had the Shelby GT500 on display.

Following Ford back into the past, Steve Saleen and Parnelli Jones have faitfully recreated the 1970 Boss 302 Mustang that Parnelli himself piloted back in 1970, right down to Grabber Orange paint, shaker hood and Watts linkage rear suspension. (You engineers out there should appreciate the effort that must have went into putting that last item on the list.)

As we said in our earlier post, the Parnelli LE Mustang pumps 370 hp and 370 ft-lbs. of torque out of Ford’s modular V8. We also told you it would cost somewhere in the $50,000 range. Now we know that Steve and company only plans to build and sell 500 units, and Parnelli has dibs on the first one.

Follow the jump for more live detail shots of the Parnelli Mustang.

Not satisfied with Ford’s own "California Special" Mustang? A muscle car brought to you by Hertz not making your blood boil? Then perhaps Steve Saleen can light a fire under your ass with his new Saleen/Parnelli Jones Limited Edition Mustang that not only does a great job harkening back to the past with visuals inspired by Jones’ own Grabber Orange Boss 302 Mustang from the early ‘70s, but also adds to the Mustang’s moxy with a 302 cid V8 that produces 370 SAE hp and 370 ft-lbs. of torque at a low, low, low 4,000 RPM. Further engine upgrades allow Steve’s new Stang to rev higher than most Mustangs ever will.

Other special touches include 302 valve covers, a black striped “shaker” hood, a 1970 replica rear wing and rear window quarter panels. There are even removable and reusable static cling decals included, one of Parnelli’s famous number 15 and the other a blue oval logo.

Suspension and brake upgrades as well as an interior tweak that invites the orange inside round out the 2007 Saleen/Parnelli Jones Limited Edition Mustang. While we don’t know how many units will be produced, we do know they’ll be sold in the mid-to-high $50,000 range.

Follow the jump for more pics from Saleen of the Parnelli Jones pony car.

Saleen announced yesterday that it intends to unveil a special Saleen/Parnelli Jones Limited Edition Mustang at the New York Auto Show next week. While no images of the vehicle were made available (the snap above is of Saleen's 2005 NY Auto Show display), the Mustang tuning house did reveal the collector’s coupe would be packing a 370-hp V8 and that the styling would harken back to the 1970s. We’ll have more info on this Mustang dedicated to International Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee Parnelli Jones when we arrive in the Big Apple next week.

[Source: Saleen]