The Drag-and-Drive Arena Got This ’87 Mustang Routed to Solid 2023 Results and Some New Goals for 2024
It’s hard to believe the final year of the Fox Mustang was 30 years ago, and although there are still examples of 1979-1993 Ford Mustang models that still rock a pushrod-based Ford engine, it seems the Coyote-swapped, Terminator-swapped and LS-swapped ones get noticed more often.
In the case of Mike Cataline, he’s a dyed-in-the-wool Blue Oval man, and this 1987 Mustang is a car he’s been refining for nearly a quarter-century.
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Having previously owned a ’87 Mustang convertible, this coupe model was acquired after he lost the convertible to an accident. It served use as a daily driver with a stroker 331 cubic inch small block engine, and with nitrous for extra pep, collected 9.50 time slips at the track. “I finally split the block after eight years,” said Mike, and realized he needed a stronger foundation.
“I bought a Ford Motorsport Boss 302 block, and built a 13:1 compression 347 cubic inch small block.” That combination got him closer to the 8-second range, but it didn’t take long for Mike to decide he was ready for a change.
“I ran that for about 6 months, and realized the VP Racing C16 fuel and nitrous were too expensive for me to race regularly.” Mike reflected on what the next step would be, and he took a page from the playbook of well-known small tire Mustang legend Keith Szabo. “I bought a 91-millimeter turbocharger from Keith, and in 2011 tore the car apart to make the switch to turbo,” Mike said.
With a career as a U.S. Navy man, it took until 2018 before the Mustang was completely switched over and ready for play once again.
After racing mostly at test and tunes, as well as some participation in grudge racing and Fun Ford and National Mustang Racers Association (NMRA) events, Mike was ready for a change. “I usually raced in a True Street or Open Comp class in the past, since my car never really fit into any other class,” he said.
Finding out about Sick Week, Mike decided to jump into his first drag-and-drive event by getting behind the wheel of a friend’s car, but plans changed less than a month before. “My goal for the 2023 Sick Week event was to drive a buddy’s car and just have fun,” Mike admitted. “Two weeks before Sick Week, he informed me the car wasn't going to be ready.”
Now Mike needed a Plan B, and his ’87 Mustang looked like the ticket. “I decided to try driving my car on the road the weekend before Sick Week. I drove it 13 miles and figured it would be good to go.”
Despite the car not having seeing the street in over 15 years, and never with the turbo combination, Mike decided to take his chances and head south from Orange Park, Florida to the starting point of Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive, Orlando Speed World Dragway. “Going to Sick Week, I just wanted to have fun and complete it,” Mike said.
Selecting the Street Race 275 class, Mike found the biggest challenge was getting the car to run near the 8.50 elapsed time limit. “For me, slowing my car down to the chassis cert limit was difficult,” said Mike. “The car has no issue running low eight-second times, and to get it to the legal 8.50's proved most difficult.”
Finding the magical 8.50-time slips wasn’t the only issue Mike had. “We had to drive at night with the hood strapped to the roof of the car, because the radiator was a bit small,” Mike said. “We didn't make it to Valdosta, Georgia until 3:30 in the morning, driving from the Bradenton stop.”
But the combination of a 348 cubic inch old-school pushrod small block Ford combined with a Work Turbochargers 88/96-millimeter single turbo, backed by a FTI Performance Turbo 400 transmission, got it handled. Mike survived the week, finishing with a best single run of 8.57, and compiled an average of 8.66, missing a top three spot by less than three hundredths of-a-second.
Most would be happy with that result, but Mike decided to try and better his highest finish of the season, rolling north to the No Mercy event at South Georgia Motorsports Park, featuring the new Street Car Braggin Rights Street Car class.
Battling against some familiar drag-and-drive runners like Devin Vanderhoof and Josh Davis, Kendall Collins, Larry Albright and Robert Worcester, Mike survived to the final round before the 6.81 at 201 mph pass from Jeremy Sparks took the win over Cataline’s consistent 8.14 at 167 mph run.
Now Mike’s focus is getting ready for another shot at Sick Week. “After the 2023 Sick Week, I have made some changes to the car to hopefully make the driving a bit easier,” said Mike. “I have a larger radiator with dual fans now, controlled through the FuelTech 550 ECU. I also ditched the CO2 for the shifter and wastegate control, in favor of an on-board air compressor, which will double to help air the tires up in the lanes.”
Mike also is working on a better plan for finding E-85 fuel, but admitted the FuelTech and their support saved him at the 2023 event. “I had a flex fuel sensor on the car, but didn't have a chance to tune it,” Mike said. “After day one in Orlando on the way to Bradenton, we stopped after a short drive and realized we were already almost out of E-85. I pulled into a gas station, filled up with 93 octane pump gas, and called the guys at FuelTech. While in the gas station parking lot, they remote connected to my laptop and got the car running on a flex fuel tune. I can't speak more highly of the guys and customer service from FuelTech.”
Sick Week isn’t the only event on Mike’s radar for 2024. “I would like to try getting in on a Street-N-Yeet, as well as getting a top three finish this year,” he said. “I feel the car is more than capable now having competed in a drag-and-drive event. And those plans could eventually include a second car. “As of right now, I plan to have my wife Sharon ride with me for Sick Week. We are also looking for a car for her to possibly get her into a drag-and-drive event in the future.
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine, 1320 Video, Street Car Bragging Rights, Mike Cataline.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com