Raw and Radical

Mike Burroughs Relies on VMP Performance to Power his Muscular Model A Ford

By Evan J. Smith

Mike Burroughs is not a man of convention. His website, Stanceworks.com, seeks the obscure, from vintage road racing cars to outrageous off-road trucks. He’s also known for his unique land-based projectiles. A lover of anything automotive, his builds are “outside the box” and anything but common. For his very first project, Mike combined a BMW 4.0 L V8 from a 1995 7 Series with a 1928 Model A Ford. It was a hard runner and a huge hit. For SEMA 2018, he created an all-new Model A,  It is a 1931 version with a VMP Performance supercharger and ultimate Blue Oval appeal.

Mike’s Model A started life nearly 90 years ago.  Amazingly it lived in near-stock trim until a few months ago. Recently Mike squeezed a VMP Performance Gen3 TVS supercharged 5.0 L Coyote between the rails.

“At Stanceworks we cater to automotive storytelling,” Mike told us. “And this vehicle definitely tells a story. In 2012 I built my first hot rod, a 1928 Model A Ford truck with a BMW V8. It was really cool, but I had an itch to build another early Ford with Ford power.

“I found the ’31 Model A this past May at the Pomona Swap Meet in California. It was running, driving, and unmolested. It had all the fenders, a four-cylinder Flathead, and a manual 3-speed. It was completely original, but it wasn’t in great shape. Everything that counted was there so I picked it up,” he explained.

“A week after getting it home I pulled the body off the chassis and built my own frame. I wanted a pair of rails rather than round tube, so I began with a 2×3-inch square tube. I ran the rails and got the body seated on there. Then we built the rear roll bar, cage, and used a triangulated four-link to attach the Ford 9-inch rear.

“The front suspension is my own design,” he told us. “It’s a double A-arm with coilover shocks and H&R springs. I also wanted to keep it Ford powered and run a Coyote with a VMP supercharger. I pulled a 5.0 L engine from a wrecked 2011 Mustang GT, and from that same Mustang I used the Brembo Track Pack brakes.”

Inside the engine is stock, save an MMR Hurricane oil pump. “I wanted a lot of power and instant torque, so VMP was the clear and obvious choice. I spoke to Rebecca Starkey at VMP and she was excited to help out. It’s not a Mustang so we had to clear some hurdles, but the install was fairly straightforward. VMP has been helpful, too. They’ve answered every question right away,” Mike stated.

Feeding the VMP Performance Gen3 supercharger is a fabricated custom intake elbow and a VMP Twinjet 67 mm Throttle Body. There’s also a huge inlet tube with a custom mass air that tucks behind the hand-made grille. Burroughs designed the grille with slats that can be opened or closed. It conceals the headlamps and the heat exchanger. To fire the engine, Burroughs selected a Ford Performance Control Pack, which will be dialed in by VMP using an SCT tuner.

“We currently have a base tune in it for the moment, but I plan to have Justin do the tuning. We’re running on E85 with a smaller pulley, so I’m excited to see what it will make. I’m looking forward to getting it on the dyno. Justin and Rebecca have been hugely supportive of the build and great all around.”

Making big power should not be a problem. The VMP Gen3 2.65 L TVS represents the latest in supercharger technology. It is capable of over 1,000 horsepower and VMP offers the Gen3 in both tuner and complete kit forms for a variety of Mustangs, Ford trucks, and clearly for special projects.

For extra fun, Mike installed a Jerico WC4-4 4-speed manual transmission with a lightweight aluminum flywheel and a McLeod RXT clutch. The stick was a must, even though it required tight pedal placement in the small foot box.

The wild headers catch the eye as well. “I wanted the VMP blower to breathe so we created a set of unique headers with a race car theme,” he said. “Most hot rods use Zoomies or Lake Pipes; I wanted something different. I turned towards my BMW roots for inspiration and that’s where the equal-length bundle of snakes comes from.” The headers look the part and are engineered to clear the front tires at full lock.

Mike’s build is impressive, especially considering the short time frame in which it was created. “There was a bit of evolution along the way, but I knew roughly what I wanted to accomplish. I wanted to blur the lines between a classic hot rod and a streetable race truck. That’s one reason it has wide wheels and tires at all four corners.”  The same ultra lightweight, centerlocking Motegi wheels used on the Mazda DPI racecar are used on the truck. They are wrapped neatly in Michelin Motorsport rain slicks.

At roughly 2,200 pounds, the Model A Ford will have power to haul and plenty of grip in the corners. The VMP-boosted Coyote with open headers looks right at home and will provide a sinister howl at any throttle angle. “I built this one to drive,” Mike said. “I do want to put it on track and see what it’s capable of, but it’s really a driver and I plan to hop in and go blow up some tires really soon.”