 The SBN team will unveil the ’13 Mustang GT at the 2012 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Photo: Hot Rod magazine |
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After months of conference calls, careful planning, procuring parts and recruiting team members, the SEMA Mustang Build Powered By Women came together Monday, July 9, at the Source Interlink Media headquarters in El Segundo, California. Everything was in place for this historic project, including the beautiful new ’13 Ford Mustang GT.
After a tour of the facilities, the team got to work on the installation of an Edelbrock E-Force supercharger. SBN members JoAnn Bortles, Susan Carpenter, Kellie Colf, Camee Edelbrock, Stephanie Justice, Dr. Karen Salvaggio and Samantha Whitfield worked together to get the job done. It was especially challenging, as the SBN team was the first to install an Edelbrock supercharger on a ’13 model. However, the detailed instructions, along with solid advice from Edelbrock Engineer Jon-Eric Gonzales allowed the installation to be completed in two days. On Wednesday, July 11, the team received the brand-new calibration from Edelbrock and the Mustang, now rated at 559 hp, started on the very first attempt. Before the hood was replaced, the all-girl team, with new members, Julia Johnson, Raquel Rangel and Kristen Stone, installed new gas strut hood lifts from California Pony Cars.
Week two focused on the undercarriage with Susan Carpenter, Kellie Colf, Mollie Lewis, Kelly Martin and Rebecca Olavarrieta. Magnaflow representatives Coelette Chenier and Laurie Paolone kicked the week into high gear with the install of a Magnaflow exhaust system. They completed the task in just 20 minutes, setting a new record for themselves. Jared Chavez from Whiteline USA brought a full lineup of suspension components, including front and rear sway bars, a chassis brace, upper/lower control bars and a Panhard rod. Mollie Lewis led the team as they installed these components along with an H&R coilover system, front and rear disc brakes from Wilwood and axles/bearings from Moser. Vic and Camee Edelbrock stopped by during the week to check in on the progress. Vic autographed the supercharger and shared great stories from the history of his company, his long-standing relationship with SEMA and Ford Motor Co., as well as his respect for the concepts behind the all-women build.
With the first two weeks behind them, the SBN team is on target to unveil the ’13 Mustang GT at the 2012 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Stay tuned for updates in future issues of SEMA News, SEMA eNews and online at hotrod.com and on Motor Trend’s YouTube channel.
To learn more about the SEMA Mustang Build Powered by Women, contact Bryan Harrison, SEMA's senior manager of councils and the build's project manager, at bryanh@sema.org.