Giving the SVTP GT a more aggressive visage with a selection of gear from AmericanMuscle.com
By Steve Turner
Photos by SID297 and StacyStangz
As much as we love the Mustang in its stock form, for anyone reading this site, the as-delivered Mustang is just a starting point. When it comes to personalizing vehicles, there are even stats that support the concept that the Mustang is the most modified vehicle. However, no matter what the vehicle, it is usually the exterior of a car that gets the most attention because it’s what we see first.
Who doesn’t like a little grilling in the summer? After finally deciding to install our Saleen grille in the SVTP GT—our Yellow Blaze 2012 Mustang GT project car—we also opted to give it a complete exterior makeover with a few choice mods from AmericanMuscle.com. We hope you agree it was a huge improvement.
From wheels and tires to body mods, tweaking the looks of a Mustang is the easiest way to make the car your own. In the case of the SVTP GT, we were generally pretty into the car’s looks, especially its distinct Yellow Blaze paint.
However, unlike most people, we concentrated our modifications in the drivetrain and suspension. For us, performance is the most important way to customize our Fords. However, as much as we love raising the bar on performance, we aren’t immune to the siren’s song of better looks.
To that end, we put together a strategy to bring some aspects of our favorite parts and pieces to create our own unique look for the SVTP GT. We always had a soft spot for the Saleen grille, so we picked one up a while back, but never installed it.
It’s amazing what a difference a new set of headlights will make. We chose Raxiom’s Smoked Projector Headlights with a CCFL Halo (PN 49129; $289.99). Not only does the smoked treatment provide a nice contrast to the Yellow Blaze paint, but also the halo really sets the car apart from the crowd at night.
Instead of adding just one mod, we decided to add the rest of these mods to complete the look. Fortunately AmericanMuscle.com offered one-stop shopping for the rest of our exterior makeover wish list. So we spent some time reading, researching, and clicking our way through the site to put together a combo.
In the end, the dark accents and new parts really added an aggressive edge to the 2012 GT’s personality. It now offers the outward personality to back up its near 600-rear-wheel horsepower credentials and Boss-level handling.
Continuing our menacing, blacked out look we chose to add Raxiom’s Smoked Aero Tail Lights (PN 49145;$224.99). These beauties retain the sequential functionality but add that blacked out look we were going for.
The cornerstone of our mods is this Saleen grille. We fancied one from the moment we saw it, so we ordered it and had it on the shelf. It didn’t seem right to add it as a solo mod, so we used it as the centerpiece for a complete exterior makeover.
To accompany the Saleen upper grille, we chose the fetching Ford Racing Boss/CS-style Lower Front Fascia with Foglights (PN 53673; $344.99). It is a classic upgrade for the ’10-’12 Mustangs, and it complements the Saleen grille nicely.
To round out our tinted theme, we ordered some Smoked Quarter Marker Light Tint (PN 26987; $19.99) and Smoked Side Marker Light Tint (PN 26088; $14.99). These kits come with detailed instructions and the necessary tools to perform the installation.
Installing both the headlights and the grilles both require removing the front fascia, so we got down to business by removing the radiator cover.
After removing all the fasteners, we removed the front fascia and exposed the headlights for our first R&R job. Also shown here down low is the heat exchanger that cools our Magnuson-supercharged boost. This intercooled blower boosts our Coyote to nearly 600 rear-wheel horsepower.
Here’s a direct comparison of the stock headlight (right) and the Raxiom smoked unit. You have to admit the smoked unit looks much better than the stocker. And, if you have factory HIDs, don’t sweat it. American Muscle carries Raxiom units (PN 49108; $324.99) compatible with those as well.
To power the CCFL halos, you’ll need to tap into the factory wiring. Don’t fret over this part, as the Raxiom units have detailed instructions to walk you through the process, and once you see them lit, you’ll know it was worth it…
Even in the daylight you can see that the Raxiom headlight (left) really gives the SVTP GT an aggressive look. The stocker looks downright plain in comparison.
Removing the grilles is a straightforward process. Just take your time and slide them out of their clips.
In some spots you’ll need to use one of these trim removal tools to pop out the clips.
Since we were ditching the big fog lights in the upper grille in favor of the smaller fogs in the GT CS/Boss lower valance, we’d need to extend the fog-light harnesses. Fortunately the Ford Racing kit from American Muscle includes these plug-and-play harness extensions to do the job.
Here’s a comparison of the stock grille in the foreground and the new Ford Racing CS/Boss behind it. Clearly the CS/Boss unit with the foglights is a visual improvement.
After securing the grilles in the front fascia, we plugged in the included harness extensions. Now it’s time to reinstall the fascia.
Ah, that is much better. The SVTP GT has the mean mug to back up its performance potential.
The new Raxiom tails are a direct swap for the factory units. Just follow the instructions, remove the inner trunk trim, unplug the harnesses, unbolt the taillights and reverse the process to install the new ones.
Just like the new lights up front, the taillights deliver a dramatically more aggressive look to the rear of the SVTP GT.
Here’s a close-up of the taillights with the lights on. Despite their darkened lenses, these tails still let plenty of light shine through.
To complete our blacked-out theme, the final step was to apply this pre-cut tinted film to the SVTP’s side marker lights. You can see American Muscle even provides a squeegee to get the job done.
