A Turbocharged Maverick Makes the Swap to Stick Shift, and A ’93 Mustang Cobra Sets Its Sights on the 7-Second Range!
Is the headline a bit confusing? What does one have to do with the other, and how does it sound like both rides might be even more fun than before?
Let’s break it down about some recent changes from the single-digit street rides of Jonathan Whitaker and Kendall Collins.
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It all started when Jonathan Whitaker took his real deal 1993 Ford Mustang Cobra on this year’s Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive. Whitaker, whose car and racing efforts have been a little hampered by work in the past few years, said he enjoyed his first drag-and-drive ever, but was left wanting more.
Despite the single turbo Coyote-swapped Cobra running a pair of back-to-back 9.6-second passes to end the week and a 9.89 average, Jonathan wanted to make a change. “I’d love to stay stick, but it requires a lot of time and money that I don’t have,” said Jonathan.
So a post was made on Facebook just a couple weeks ago about selling off the entire clutch and transmission set-up to make the change to an automatic, in hopes of being able to navigate the quarter-mile quicker and faster than before.
Meanwhile, one state north in Georgia, Kendall was thinking about making the swap from an automatic to a clutch pedal in his 7-second twin-turbo Coyote-swapped Maverick. “I wanted to put a stick shift in it from the very beginning but didn’t do it,” said Kendall. “I love me some gear jammers.”
Just nine days after Jonathan listed his set-up for sale, a deal was struck and both parties would be making the changes they wanted.
“The Cobra will be making the transition to an automatic,” Jonathan said. “Kendall and I have agreed on a deal. He is now the owner of a brand new Defiant black magic clutch, and with some funds from me, I’ll be the owner shortly of his built 3 speed Turbo 400 automatic.”
The swaps have both Kendall and Jonathan amped for their next big event, FL2K in October at Bradenton Motorsport Park. “I just want to go out and be knocking on the door to 7s,” said Jonathan. “It will be so much easier to use the potential I have.”
Kendall’s Maverick, which has already clocked a 7.41 at 184 mph at No Mercy in October 2023, will attempt to keep the sevens coming with the manual transmission swap, a TKX Tremec. “Cale from Black Magic Clutches think we can do it,” said Kendall. “No one has pushed the TKX to these levels yet.”
Will both cars be able to get into the 7-second range with the changes they’re making?
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine, 1320 Video, Kendall Collins and Jonathan Whitaker.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com