Drake Viscome Knew This ’82 Mustang Would Be a Keeper – 22 Years Later, It Keeps Proving Him Right
Some purchases just prove their worth a little better than others. That jacket you always wear, a favorite hat, a power tool that refuses to give up even when it seems every other one only last just past the warranty period.
For a 1982 Ford Mustang that was purchased at age 14, Drake Viscome has shown that through all the changes that life (and this car) have encountered, he still enjoys making memories with it.
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Originally acquired as a 4-cylinder model, the Mustang has been treated to a few engines over the years, from pushrod 302 cubic inch-based combos to the current Coyote.
The transmission tunnel has also seen a few tenants, from a trio of automatic 3-speed choices, to the current 3550 5-speed manual transmission. “Some people are surprised a 3550 works behind a Coyote,” said Drake. “The 0.68-ratio overdrive makes it easy with a 4.10 rear gear on the highway.”
A former bracket racer, Drake once put his racing world on hold for family matters. “After my first child, I stepped out of racing for about five years,” Drake admitted.
And although Drake eventually returned to the racing game, he did it in a slightly different format. “Drag and drive looked like a really fun way to get back into racing, with a car I had kept without the overhead and time of bracket or index class racing.”
With his mind set that drag-and-drive was the new focus, Drake didn’t have to look far to find an event to attend. “Sick week is local to me,” Drake said. “It is a great way for me to connect with my brother, who lives across the country and is my crew for the week.”
Attending the 2023 edition of Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive, Drake ran the Bullseye Challenge class, placing second on day three with a 12.68 pass against the “67” Bullseye number, completing the week with a 12.68 average and a best pass of 12.55.
Then it was time to plan for 2024, and Drake decided to make some changes to the Mustang for improved performance. “We came into the week with a new suspension and clutch slipper device that needed to be tuned,” he said.
After working a pedal stop that was set too high, which in turn locked him out of gear, figuring out the right clutch slip settings, and tuning the new shocks and struts in, Drake was rewarded with an 11.71 at 117 mph pass on day three at Gainesville Raceway, and an 11.96 average for the week.
“We met lots of really great friendly people at each track and made new friends every day,” said Drake of his Sick Week experience. “The drag-and-drive community is awesome. Total strangers help each other at a moment’s notice. People pull over to check on each other, but have no idea who they are. It’s fun to see all the unique and non-traditional builds. Overall, just a really fun event.”
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine.
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