You are reading about the 1989
Saleen Mustang convertible of Justin Gadlage. I am the third owner of
this black convertible while was
originally bought in Texas. This is a black convertible with a tan top, tan cloth interior, gold graphics and wheels (one of 12
Saleens that had
this color combination for this year). The first owner bought it
in
Texas and drove it until the odometer hit 1,600 miles. It was
later caught the
eye of a Mustang enthusiast and jeweler in the Fort Meyers
area of
Florida. The dealer that was selling the car said that it had
17,000 miles
on it, but closer inspection revealed that only 1,600 miles
were on
it. By the summer of 1995, the car had about 16,000 miles and
many
performance modifications on it when I bought it. |
So what makes this Saleen different
from every other Saleen out there? Sure there are plenty of other Saleen's that
have more horsepower
and have more modifications than mine, but they haven't been
pampered like mine. Don't be fooled by some of those other
"show winning" cars
that got their awards at a local "Show and Shine" car
show. Other cars might rely on a fresh or flashy paint job and body
kit, but the body and
paint are all original from what the second owner told
me. The only paint work that he did was to put a layer of clear coat
over the gold side
stripes to keep them from getting chipped. This
Saleen's show history is different from others in that I have shown this car at many
events
including National and Grand National shows where professional
certified judges pay strict
attention to detail, fit, and finish of each car and not
just looks.
Some of the shows that I attended were held at various
locations (Georgia,
Florida, and North Carolina) and it has been driven to each show
under its own power. This car was not tailored to
any events, but special care was taken to keep it in the pristine
condition that it is in now. It
does have a show willing history as it
took a "Best of Class" title at the National Mustang Club of America (MCA) 30th
Anniversary show held
at Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina. It
has also won a "Best of Class" title at the World of
Wheels show held in Atlanta, GA. It
was even part of a limited invitation
only show held at Charlotte Motor Speedway previous to the National Mustang
Club of America (MCA)
30th anniversary show. To top it all off it was featured
in the August 1991 issue of Mustang Monthly as one of
the hottest mustangs of all time. |
I have spent many a night detailing the engine,
undercarriage, and interior
for shows and have spent some time getting it
dyno tuned just right for a
good balance of dependable driving and maximum performance.
. It has
been dyno tested and custom tuned with a programmable
PMS computer
module that allows you to tune many different specifications in real time.
It now stands with a conservative 460hp to the crank (or 383hp to the
wheels) running at 8-10lbs of boost. There are
a little over 27,000 miles
on it and it spends its garage kept days under cover
just waiting for a
good weekend to stretch its legs. The oil has been changed every 2,500
miles to keep the oil going through the engine
and supercharger as clean
as possible to lengthen their life.
I have also done some regular maintenance like
fixing a short in the
convertible top motor. The car hasn't been
run in so long that the
alternator couldn't keep a charge and eventually
gave out. I have since
replaced it with a new 130amp alternator. |
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Right now the car is sitting in my garage and is
not getting any use other than its monthly startup.
The condition of this car has been verified since it
is Carfax certified to have a clean
title in hand with no accidents, liens, or damage as of March 1,
2004. If you would like a copy of this report
and I would be more than happy to furnish it for you.
Included in the sale
is:
* Custom made embroidered seat
covers to match the interior
* Original heads that
have been ported and received a 3 angle valve job
* Nitrous Express direct port "wet"
nitrous system that has not been
installed.
The Nitrous System will have the lowest jet setting
( 25 - 50 hp jet ) for intercooling purposes only. |
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