With Time

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I’m going to go out on the limb and say this is the first vehicle I’ve featured twice since starting Gear-Trends. I mean, if I wanted I could go back and confirm – but lets just pretend I did and you can just take my word for it. And even though at it’s core, this is the same 05′ Mustang I featured 7 years ago; saying it’s the same car would dismiss how far both the vehicle and Thomas have come within that time.
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I’d like to think that over these past thirteen years, I’ve kept in contact with mostly everyone that’s been featured. And even though some of the vehicles are long gone, there’s still the occasional check in on what new build they have going on, or they’re asking me where the good coffee is at haha. I met Thomas back in 2017 and featured the early stages of what this 3V is now. Back then I was pretty much booking features and taking Starbucks lattes as payment… I guess some things never really change. But since then, we’ve kept in touch – constantly shooting the shit or talking about his next plans for the car. Those of us who have been doing this long enough know a car can admit that they are never truly “finished“. But following the path he set out on, pushing the limits, and setting sights for a higher goal – it makes you wonder how much further things can go. I’m betting if you ask him, there’s still so much more left in it.
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Some are on social media posting their cars getting washed (guilty), or doing small changes here and there. But scrolling through Thomas’s page you’ll see this Stang’ at a track event, then cutup in his garage within days, just inching for more progress. And that’s one of the things I’ve always admired about the guy – the want for not only getting to the next level, but learning and doing what’s needed to get it done in his own garage. And after it’s all said and done, the time to make it look as if it came that way from the factory is taken into account. I mean hell, there’s some show cars that aren’t even this flawless in person
::cries in spotty SEMA welds::
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This past March, “The Flying 3 Valve” earned it’s new nickname where it stood toe to toe amongst some of the nations fastest out at TX2K24. Kicking things off on day 1 of qualifying and easing into things – it put up a 9.4 @ 144.92, but things were just getting started. Thomas managed to drop it down after bumping up the boost some for a 9.05 @ 149.74 with a 1.26 60ft . The rest of the event was managing issues, blowing out an x-pipe, and several other factors that he was able to work past. Before ending the weekend and earning it’s wings, this 5th gen that has been built for battle lit the board with a best of an 8.97.

I’ve been able to document some pretty cool rides from right here in the Rio Grande Valley. And in doing so, I’ve been fortunate to have found and kept some great company. It’s also allowed me to explore the “why” – that thing people just don’t understand about all of this. Cars get us from A to B, they can simply just be a mode of transportation – but for a select few, they’re so much more.

Take a trip down memory lane
^before it flew^

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Thomas Sanchez’s 2005 Ford Mustang

Performance:
4.6L Whipple Supercharged
TH400 3-Speed Automatic
**Fits All Steel All Glass Rules**

Cosmetic:
Anderson Composites Hood
Fender Emblems + Antenna Shaved
CF Mirror Covers
CF Strut Tower Covers
GT/CS Front Bumper
Foose Stallion Quarter Scoops
Foose Stallion Rear Spoiler
Engine Bay Shaved

Interior:
Fathouse Fabrication 10pt Cage
**Certified by NHRA to 8.50 seconds in the 1/4 mile**

Rollers:
Weld Racing Spindle Mount Front Wheels
Weld Racing V Series Rear Wheels

Stiff:
Racecraft Components
UPR Components
BMR Components

Shoutouts:
Lund Racing
Department of Boost
AOC Gas
Skreet Kar 3D
Wire Everything
Make It Modular

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Photos and Words by : Bobby Villarreal