Set apart by its unique flat-plane crankshaft, the 5.2L Voodoo V8 nestled between the frame rails of Bob Ramser’s 2017 Shelby GT350 was celebrated for its free-revving nature and exotic soundtrack. Off the assembly line, the naturally aspirated powerplant breathes in air at approximately one bar—that is, standard atmospheric pressure.
But for Bob, a little extra pressure was exactly what this pony needed to reach its full potential.
Bob is a Mustang man through-and-through. “I wanted one since I was sixteen,” he says. “I grew up around them. It was a dream of mine to get one.” After decades of waiting, he started big with a 2014 Roush, then upped the ante with this GT350. In true enthusiast fashion, Bob couldn’t leave them alone. They needed improvement, and word on the street led him to The Snake Pit and its founder, Clint Chaney.
Bob describes The Snake Pit as “a place where we can work on our cars that kind of morphed into its own business.” Originally a storage facility for construction equipment, The Snake Pit now pumps out beautiful Mustangs built to incredibly high standards. “We’ve got like seven guys who are completely obsessed with this kind of stuff,” says member Greg Hildebrand. Fellow member Jerry Jana backed it up: “If it isn’t perfect—to our standards—it doesn’t leave this shop.”
The Snake Pit crew specializes in improving and customizing late-model Ford muscle: exactly the kind of talent Bob needed to take his Shelby to the next level. While Bob’s GT350 is the star of this story, every Snake Pit member has envisioned a perfect setup for their respective cars. In many cases, this includes chasing the performance of another member’s car, no matter how high the bar is set. Everyone in the crew helps to achieve these goals. Bob himself is working his Roush over to eclipse the quadruple-digit horsepower produced by Clint’s GT500!
For his GT350, Bob knew from the get-go he would spend the bulk of his time enjoying the car around town and on longer trips. Power wasn’t necessarily at the top of the list. “The first thing we did was lower it on a set of Ford Performance springs,” recalls Bob, “We did a BMR K-member, vertical links, and cradle bushing lockout kit. Between all that and the wheels, everyone completely fell in love with the car.”
A shakedown run on the famous 318-turn, 11-mile Tail of the Dragon was all it took to convince Bob to raise the bar, both figuratively and literally. “We took the car to the Tail of the Dragon and had a lot of fun with it down there,” says Bob. “And that got us thinking, ‘Hey, this thing handles so well, but it would be a completely different beast if we put a blower on it.’ So that winter, we put a blower on it. Now it not only handles, but it’s got the power to back it up.”
Join our host Justin at The Snake Pit for a ride in this one-of-a-kind Mustang and meet the crew who made it happen—check out the video below:
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2017 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 Fast Specs
Owner: Bob Ramser – Medina, Ohio
Engine and Transmission
- Power/Torque: 780 whp @ 8,066 rpm, 562 ft.-lbs @ 5,762 rpm
- Engine: L&M Engines custom camshafts, ARP fasteners, Boundary Racing Pumps oil pump gears and crank sprocket, JLT oil separator
- Induction and Fuel System: Whipple Gen 3 2.9L supercharger, 10-rib pulley kit, 132mm throttle body, and cold air intake; Injector Dynamics 1050 injectors, JMS fuel pump booster
- Exhaust: Stainless Works long-tube headers and 3″ Redline Series active exhaust
- Transmission: TREMEC TR-3160, Mantic triple-disc clutch, Drive Shaft Shop carbon fiber driveshaft, MGW short-throw shifter, BilletWorkz shift knob
Chassis
- Suspension and Steering: BMR K-member, vertical links, jacking rails, and cradle bushing lockout kit; Watson Racing 4-point roll bar, Ford Performance lowering springs
- Wheels and Tires: Signature SV303S wheels (20″ x 11″ front, 20″ x 11 1/2″ rear), Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires (295/30R20 front, 315/30R20 rear)
Exterior/Interior
- Body: Trufiber wicker bill rear spoiler extension
- Seats: Watson Racing rear seat delete
- Dashboard: Trufiber carbon fiber dash, Beith Performance steering wheel
Special Thanks To:
My wife Kimmy and my son Reed; Team Snake Pit: Clint Chaney, Bill Coleman, Greg Hildebrand, Tom Habbyshaw, Jerry Jana, and Joe Ramey; Terrance Williams at Signature Wheel
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