Steve Shrader's 1999 Chrome Yellow Mustang GT (Photo Brad Bowling)
Taking a closer look at Steve Shrader’s 1999 GT coupe, it’s easy to see how his attention became focused on yellow Mustangs.
Code-named Project Bee-Z (BZ is Ford-speak for the Chrome Yellow paint code), the five-speed GT was purchased used from Young Ford in Charlotte in June 2000. For about five minutes Shrader clung to the belief that his GT would remain stock; sometime during the sixth minute he remembered there were hundreds of modifications he could make to his Chrome Yellow coupe, and the catalogs started to fly.
Shrader has modified the car’s interior, exterior, powerplant and suspension components – in some cases because he felt the Ford equipment needed some beefing up, but mostly just for the heck of it!
His performance upgrades include a Nitrous Works 100-shot wet kit; NOS pressure gauge; FRPP 3.73:1 rear axle gears; Steeda underdrive pulleys, strut tower brace and Sport springs; Tokico five-way adjustable shocks; MAC cold-air intake and Prochamber H-pipe; Flowmaster two-chamber mufflers; Pro 5.0 shifter with Steeda Tri-Ax handle; UPR trunk-mounted battery and an aluminum driveshaft.
With the nitrous switch in the “on” position, Shrader has recorded dyno readings of 361 horsepower at the rear wheel. His best quarter-mile time with the juice stands at 13.01 seconds with a trap speed of 110 miles an hour.
Cosmetic changes include a Steeda Cobra R hood, billet grille, stainless steel rear bumper letter inserts, Steeda manifold nameplate and billet interior accessories, 35th anniversary shift knob and silver dash bezel, Husky Liners brushed aluminum dash kit, painted (yellow) brake calipers, shortened antenna, aluminum pedals, window tinting, custom nitrous switches in console and GT fender badges (to replace the stock 35th anniversary versions).
Wheels and tires are Steeda Ultralite 17×9-inch alloy rims and Sumitomo HTRZ II 275/40R17 radials.
It’s not certain just where or when the modifications will stop on Project Bee-Z, but it’s a safe bet Shrader will continue the upgrades as long as UPS keeps finding his house.
