Change of Scenery
The Meet ’N Greet kicked things off with a massive turnout at a new spot
By Steve Turner
Friday’s car show might be the event of the week, but we have to confess that we look forward to the Meet ’N Greet cruise-in with the same type of anticipation. This official kick-off gives attendees a feel for the scope and excitement that the week hold for them and it has grown in size every year. So much so that the Mustang Week team finally had to relocate it to a larger facility—the Myrtle Beach Convention Center—this year.
The new spot did little to dampen the enthusiasm for this informal launch of the week’s official happenings. Rough estimates put today’s turnout at well over 1,200 Mustangs, though there was a constant flow of cars in and out from the morning until it wrapped up in the early afternoon, so the number is likely even higher.
Here’s some video that will give you a feel for the scope of the event...
[video=youtube;uBPqY9NyQek]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBPqY9NyQek[/video]
It’s difficult to believe, but it appears that Mustang Week continues to grow in its 15th year. We’ve seen it on a steady upward track for years and it seems the enthusiasm remains, as anecdotal evidence says the number of Mustangs in town the preceding weekend was already more than it had been in prior years. An anniversary year and affordable gas prices certainly created the perfect recipe for success this year.
While the huge numbers were present at the convention center there was also a gathering of hardcore cone carvers participating in the BFGoodrich autocross school at the speedway. Not only did students get the opportunity to learn the course in their own cars, but they were also afforded two laps in BFG-equipped Mustangs. The quickest driver in each of the two sessions won a free set of tires and those two will square off for a chance a trip to the SEMA Show in Las Vegas later this year.
Today the action moves to Myrtle Beach Speedway for the autocross, fun runs and the SVTPerformance burnout contest! See you at the track.
The Mustang Week Meet ’N Greet is a great place to spot trends. From colorful wheels to air bag suspensions, you see a lot of ways to stand out from the crowd. One subtle way is the paint on this New Edge. Avalanche doesn’t just look good on S550s.
Jay and Lisa Tucker were on hand with the JLT Performance Shelby GT350. As you might imagine, this Comp Orange head-turner is decked out with many of the company’s products, including painted underhood bits, oil separators and, of course, a cold-air intake. Look for JLT to debut several new parts at the show this week.
A fixture at Mustang Week, this crazy New Edge sports a supercharged Lightning 5.4 underhood. For good measure this year, it’s now a compound-boost setup thanks to the addition of two turbos!
This row of engine-swap Foxes warmed our hearts. From 4.6-liter engines to the latest Coyotes these classics show the flexibility of the Fox platform.
Regular readers of the Front Page know all about Jeff Scofield’s bagged and blown 2016 Shelby GT350. With a ProCharged Voodoo engine underhood and a low-slung stance, it was clearly the most modified GT350 at the Meet ’N Greet.
This Boss Shinoda convertible features a unique combination of power adder and induction atop its 5.0-liter intake. The power adder is an internally belt-driven Powerdyne which huffs into a rare Roush intake manifold.
Coyote-swap Foxes are definitely becoming more common. This one, however, is uncommonly clean and its engine is upgraded with a Boss 302 intake and a ProCharger supercharger.
After the Meet ’N Greet we attended the second of two BFGoodrich autocross schools at Myrtle Beach Speedway. These classes allow beginners and more experienced drivers to hone their car control with advice from professional instructors.
After learning in their own cars, BFG students get a change to make two runs in one of these Mustangs. The quickest driver from each session won a set of tires. Today those two drivers will run again and the winner will score a trip to the SEMA show in Las Vegas!
