Photos by: Larry Chavarria
Larry Chavarria’s Mustang Proves that You Don’t Have to Overdo it to Make an Aggressive Looking Machine
Larry is an automotive photographer who bought his 2016 Mustang GT as a daily driver that he could use as a photography subject when he needs to test out new lenses and lighting. Since he had planned on driving it everyday, he wanted it loaded with all the creature comforts he could; he bought it with a leather interior, navigation, heated/cooled seats, and other options. Going with the premium package was the easiest way to get everything he wanted. He didn’t, however, want a car with a lot of cheap decals or plastic add ons, so he did some visual modifications to clean it up from how he brought it home.
Backing up a little, Larry didn’t really intend on owning this Mustang. He hasn’t ever owned a Ford before this one, and had previously owned a 1981 Chevy Malibu nitrous car for his street car, a 1990 Chevy 454SS, and 1994 Chevy Camaro Z28.
While the whole car has a sleek look, it’s the hood that seriously elevates the appearance without making the car look overdone or extreme, something Larry wanted to avoid.
He also has a 2015 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon as his capable off-roader. One thing he’s never was a fast Ford. When he went to the Ford dealership to look around, he was simply window shopping, he had no intentions on bringing anything home. However, that’s exactly what happened and he brought home his Mustang that evening.
“Went to a dealership to go “look” at them and it ended up in my driveway that night.” -Larry Chavarria
Even though he knew there were things that needed to be changed to make the Mustang look the way he wanted, Larry wanted to make it look like it could have come this way from the factory. Basically, he didn’t want to overdo it, but he did want to take the styling a few steps further than what Ford had put into the car.
Making sure nothing clashed on the Mustang, especially at the front end, is extremely important to Larry, so everything has been taken into consideration.
He chose the aftermarket wheels the pony car is riding on from AXE Wheels because they resemble the wheels from the Performance Pack, only slightly larger and with a concave look. A set of Weld Racing wheels take over when he takes it to the strip. He’s also got two different sets of Continental tires for both sets of his aftermarket wheels, one set with a wider foot print for better ground contact at the track and the other for the street. The hood was picked out because it gives the Mustang GT an aggressive look, without having to change anything about the bumper or lights. Larry had the grille custom-made to look like the stock honeycomb grille, minus the pony emblem.
From there, Larry added his own custom badge in black so it wouldn’t stand out from the rest of the car. At the rear of the GT, Larry opted to cut the lower valance panel to accommodate the quad tip exhaust since it exits in a unique position. He didn’t like the Roush or GT3350 lower valance, so he had to improvise to finish off the backend the way he wanted. The car originally had a spoiler, but he found someone who wanted to swap trunks with him because he preferred the cleaner look of the spoiler free trunk lid. He also swapped out the rear decklid for one without the GT badge to further clean it up.
Inside, you’ll find a GT350 start button, black brushed stainless, vinyl wrapped, and silver parts. Most of the chrome parts have been wrapped in matte black vinyl, and the seats are wrapped in black leather.
“It is comfortable to drive, quiet, quick, and good-looking, all around a great daily!” -Larry Chavarria
As humble as the motivation behind the appearance might be, this snake has some bite thanks to what’s under the hood. The 5.0L Coyote engine is topped with a Paxton 2200SL blower with 3.8 pulley, Race blow off valve, and 7-psi. of boost. A MagnaFlow resonated X-pipe, exhaust and JLT Performance open element air filter round out the rest of the performance modifications. Even with a totally stock bottom end, stock heads and cams, and even a stock throttle body and MAF in use, the Stang has a best quarter-mile E/T of 10.702 at 132.61 miles per hour — not too shabby!
Larger ID1000 fuel injectors by Injector Dynamics keep it well fed, and Lund Racing custom tuning using HP Tuners software keep the boosted setup running strong. With a BMR cradle lock-out kit, BMR drop drag springs in the front and BMR drag springs in the rear, this Mustang GT has an aggressive stance and improved plant off the line.
What’s next for Larry? He’s waiting to get bored with the current look and anticipates making changes from there! Larry wants to extend a special thanks to Cervinis for the sponsorship opportunity.
- Tech Sheet:
- CAR: 2016 Mustang GT
- OWNER: Larry Chavarria
- ENGINE: 5.0L
- CYLINDER HEADS: Stock
- CAMSHAFTS: Stock
- INDUCTION: JLT Performance Cone-Style Air Filter
- POWER ADDER: Paxton 2200SL with 3.8 Pulley and Race Blow-Off Valve
- EXHAUST: Magnaflow Exhaust Resonated X-Pipe
- FUEL DELIVERY: ID1000 Injectors
- TUNING: Lund Racing/HP Tuners
- TRANSMISSION: 6R80
- REAREND: Stock with 3.55:1 Rear Gears
- SUSPENSION: BMR Cradle Lock-Out Kit, Front BMR Drop Drag Springs, Rear BMR Drag Springs
- WHEELS: Front: 20×10 AXE EX30 (Street) / 17×5 Weld RT-S71 (Strip) Rear: 20×10 AXE EX30 (Street) / 17×10 Weld (Strip)
- TIRES: Front: Continental 275/40R20 (Street) / 28×5 (Strip) Rear: Continental 275/40R20 (Street) / 305/35R17 (Strip)
- 1/4-Mile E.T.: 10.702 @ 132.61 mph and 1.77 60’
Elizabeth is hardcore horsepower enthusiast with unmatched intensity for making things faster and louder. She wakes up for power and performance and only sleeps to charge up for the next project that’s heading to the track. From autocross to drag racing, Elizabeth is there with you, so stay tuned for her unique perspective on horsepower news, builds, tech info, and installs — with her, it’ll never be boring!
