Devin Vanderhoof doesn’t believe in half measures when it comes to his drag-and-drive racing program. His convertible 1993 Mustang, known as “Big Ern,” set records and smashed the competition, but Vanderhoof wanted to go even bigger. “Reddi Whip” is Vanderhoof’s new drag-and-drive S550 Musang, and it’s ready to stir up some trouble.
Big Ern was an absolute terror in the drag-and-drive world. The droptop Fox ran deep into the six-second zone at over 230 mph and always was at the top of the leader board of any drag-and-drive it entered. The problem was the convertible top caused unique issues at those speeds, including leaving the car at the top end, and causing the windshield to collapse.
Vanderhoof knew that if he wanted to stay at the top of the drag-and-drive game a change needed to happen, and that’s what spawned the creation of Reddi Whip. J&E Chassisworks built the foundation of the Mustang, and Vanderhoof purchased the car as a stripped roller. Performance Fab took the car from its stripped roller status and turned it into a stunning steel roof and quarters ride.
Under the hood of the Mustang, you’ll find a 557 cubic-inch Par Racing Engines-built big block Chevy mill. The engine uses a Brodix block as its foundation, and is topped off with a set of conventional Chevy cylinder heads from Brodix. Rossler Transmissions built the TH400 transmission behind the engine, and it was matched with a Cameron’s Torque Converter Services torque converter. A pair of 94mm F5 series turbos from HPT provides the boost for the rat motor.
Vanderhoof did all of the wiring at his shop, HCR Innovations, and he pulled out all the stops with the Mustang’s electronics. The Holley EFI system is headlined by a Dominator ECU that provides Vanderhoof with all the inputs and outputs he needs. A total of 24 fuel injectors is controlled by the Dominator, and allow Vanderhoof to feed the engine pump gas, E85, and methanol as needed. The system seamlessly switches between pump gas and methanol when Vanderhoof goes from street driving to race mode.
In this video from Holley, Vanderhoof really drives into more details about the build. Make sure you check the video out so you can see all the cool stuff Vanderhoof incorporated into the Reddi Whip Mustang.
You might also like
‘Energizer Buddy’ Hull Going Full Speed In Beloved Funny Car Class – This Time As A Team Owner
Buddy Hull is ready to focus his endless energy on team ownership. Hull talks about his new role as Funny Car team owner and driver.
