During an open test-n-tune session, you never know what you’ll see lurking in the staging lanes – Mustangs, G-bodiess, F-bodies, dragsters, minivans, and everything in between will pile in, waiting their turn to make a hit. There are the immediate attention grabbers and then there are those that get overlooked. At first.
Some would say that Cameron Powers and his 1999 Ford Crown Victoria fall into that latter category. Don’t be fooled however by the low-key four-door sedan, for it certainly is no slouch. After it hits the strip, onlookers will be pleasantly surprised.
“I just love the looks on peoples faces when they see it make a pass,” shares Powers.
Under the hood, the Vic is packing a turbocharged 5.3L bullet that’s propelled the Ford into the nines.
Cameron shares with us, “in the car now is a 185,000 mile 5.3L. The only modifications to the motor are Lunati .600 lift springs, head studs purchased off eBay, LS1 head gaskets, LS6 intake, LS6 cam, and I gapped the stock rings to .028. The car has a Precision 7675 GTS turbo and an air-to-water intercooler, also found on eBay.”
The sedan is fueled by E85, a Magnafuel 625 pump, and Bosch 120lb. injectors. Cameron tunes the car himself with Megasquirt. Behind the 5.3L is a rebuilt TH400 transmission, and suspension work is fairly mild according to Powers. The Ford has Heinous billet aluminum control arms in the rear and Competition Engineering three-way adjustable shocks front and rear, but is otherwise stock.
The future for the ‘99 Crown Vic includes a universal TRZ anti-roll bar install over the winter to help with sixty foot times. “Besides the ARB, I’m going to have to start saving for a 10-point chromoly cage, and maybe a billet PTC converter,” say Cameron.
As if the nine-second Ford isn’t impressive enough, Powers drove the car seventy-five miles to the track, made his runs, and drove the return trip home. Check out this video of Cameron Powers and his 1999 Ford Crown Vic as they click off an effortless nine-second pass!