Mike Trenkle has had a competitive career in motocross, and when the results of injuries got to be too much, he turned his focus elsewhere. After sitting for nearly 13 years in his garage, Mike decided to dust the cobwebs off his 1982 Fox Mustang to turn it into a formidable contender as an autocross car. The car has competed in the Optima Ultimate Street Car Challenge, and was recently stealing the show at the Holley Ford Festival.
The widebody Mustang has a Ford Boss block stuffed under the hood, with lightweight SCAT H-beam rods, a custom ground camshaft, Probe pistons, and Ford Z heads – all buttoned up with ARP hardware. A FAST fuel-injection system helps the 383 cubic-inch Windsor make 550-horsepower and 480 lbs-ft of torque. A Centerforce DYAD clutch, paired to the TKO 600 transmission, is just the clutch for the job, since it’s designed for heavy-duty use.
While the 500-horsepower engine is nothing to turn your nose up at, the real highlight of this build is how it was made to handle. Mike put together a SLA suspension up front, and he took a Cobra IRS, modified it to fit, and that takes action out back.
The lightweight, carbon body kit, inspired by the DTM Mustangs of the early 1990’s, sets the whole build, and lets competition know they’re in trouble! The widebody fenders cover the 12-inch wide wheels and sticky 315 Yokohama A052 tires give the fox a fat stance.
Mike and his wife, Kelly, traveled from Elizabeth, Colorado to the Holley Intergalactic Ford Festival to compete in the Grand Champion Competition with their 1982 Mustang. This is their second year coming out, as they had such a blast last time, they didn’t want to miss it!
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!
