Molly Be Good - Molly Saleen

WHO
DRIVE
THEM!
DECEMBER 2007
USA $S.99 • CANADA $6.!19
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WIT" m
S last name being Saleen, she pretty
much had the pick of the Iiiier when Hcarne time to
option out her Mustang. One of the Items she went with
was the Scenic Roof option. Not wanting to deal with a
windy convertible, but knowing she wanted an open-air
feello her Sateen, the Scenic Roof was the per1ecl
compromise.
Why all of this talk about pink, you ask? One
glance at Molly's ride and you'll have the hot-pink
Iridescent answer. Behind every car 1s a story,
though, and Molly's is no different. To tell the tale
of this explosrve Mustang is to tell the tale of
Molly Saleen and her famous father.
Molly got her car from her parents upon
graduating from the University of Southern
California, and rt's one of the most unique
Saleens ever. "I graduated from USC as a
psychology major and a law minor, and started
working at a law firm as well as at the Saleen
Store,• Molly says. While she could've had a
career helping us MM&FF staffers deal wHh our
car obsessions and getting out of speeding
tickets, Molly wanted to go her own route. both in
life and with her ride. "My parents let me make
my own decisions and go my own direction. and
that was why I worked at both the law firm and at
the Saleen Store after graduation •
Eventually, though, Molly's passion for the
Saleen Mustang and racmg overwhelmed her
desire to stay in the law field. 'I've always been
passionate about the family, the brand, and about
racing: Molly explains. "That's why I went in the
direction I did.·
That direction was manager of the Saleen
Store. Around the same time, her father retired,
MOLLY WANTED a pink car that would stand out from all the rest of the Muslangs out there. Since mom, Uz, had her
own color, Molly figured it would onty be right to come up with one, too. The iridescent hoi-pink color fils right in with
the rest of the Saleen paint lineup.
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leaving many to question what would happen to
the company. 'A lot of customers were concerned
when Dad left," Molly says. "That's why ~ helps
being the manager of the Saleen Store.
Customers see me and recognize me as his
daughter. I wasn't handed the job because 1am
his daughter. though. I worked hard to get this
posillon:
Uz and Steve are no longer mvolved in the
company, but they still have an influence on
how Molly maintains her role wnhin Saleen
and those surrounding her. "My dad has always
been my mentor, and my mom has always been
supportive: she says. 'That's why 1am able to
do something I have wanted to do for myself."
Being in the public eye and holding the
position she does with the company meant that
her own Saleen would have to make just as huge
of an 1mpact as the first one d1d back in 1984
As you can see, Molly is a big fan of the
color pink. Since her mom already had a paint
color named for her (lizstick, which is a vibrant
red), Molly wanted her own shade. The result is
what you see here. "It's my favorite shade of
pink: Molly says. "I wanted the car to be
magenta or hot pink, but w~h some iridescence
to it as well."
How did dear old Dad take to the color? "At
first, he thought Hwas pretty dramatic, but he
liked it.· Molly says. "He wasn't too sure how so
much pink would look on the car, though. I had
the paint crew come up with a few samples, and
my dad and I picked out the color that the paint
guys aptly dubbed 'Molly Pop.' After that. the car
moved into producbon.•
In addition to choosing the color of her oneoff Mustang (which bears the number 001 ), Molly
also chose the Scenic Roof option offered by
Sateen. "I went with ~for a couple of reasons,*
she says. 'I love convertibles, but I don't like
having my hair blown around. With the color pink
I chose, it would be a bit overboard on a hardtop.
The Scenic Roof is the best of both wortds, and
it's nice because it lets the light tn like a
convertible without having to deal with the wind.
Plus, it looks really cool when it rains."
With the color and body style settled upon, the
car was fitted into the S7 production line to be
finished-but don't think for one second that Molly
wasn't an integral part of the car's build. "During
the buildup process, I was constanUy checking on
the progress of the car with the engineers. As far
as the performance upgrades went. though. I let
them know ~ was in their hands."
The engine mods started with the stock
Three-Valve powerplant, which had ~s innards
replaced with Saleen-spectfic components. A
forged-steel crank has forged-steel connectJng
rods swingmg from it, while a set of forgedaluminum pistons are slung up and down the
eight-cylinder walls The rest of the powerplant.
such as the camshafts and heads, were left
stock. though the induction and exhaust portions
of thts modem-day teenage moVle were enhanced
with some crafty film edtbng Topping the mod
mill is a Stage VI integrated twtn-screw
supercharger that came complete with a twostage water-to-air intercooler. A Sateen high-flow
inlet tube and airbox, a 98mm MAF. and the
company's stainless 2.5-inch variable exhaust
system allow the modular powerplantto thump
out a thundering 500 hp and 430 lb·fl of torque.
There's no wimpy automatic tor Molly here,
either. Backing the blown mod millis a Sateenworked, five-speed stick complete with one of the
'10LLY HAD tbe engineers go over the Mustang's Three-Valve mod motor inside and oul The result is a
supertharged powerplant tipping the horsepower scales at 500. Sitting on top of tbe 4.6L engine is a (you guessed it)
Saleen twin-strew supertharger. The blower comes complete with a two-stage wa1er-to-air intercooler lor maximum
efficiency and power.
company's short-throw shifters. The rearend is
fortified with a set of 3.73 gears and Saleen's
MaxGrip differential.
The underpinnings of the S197 can trace its
roots back to the Saleen Mustangs of lore. The
front suspension showcases the Saleen Racecraft
system, which consists of MacPherson struts
with lower control arms, linear-rate conover
springs, and a 1.38-inch tubular antiroll bar. The
rear of the car features a Watt's linkage-style
suspension system. The live-axle rear is located
by three links plus the Watt's system, and is also
aided by a pair of linear-rate spnngs and a
smaller 0.79-inch tubular antiroll bar. The final
credit goes to the braking system, which is made
up of Saleen four-piston calipers and frontspecific 14-inch slotted and vented rotors.
Even though Molly enjoys the power and
subsequent clutch depression needed tor each
gear change with the manual tranny, she wanted
to be comfortable behind the wheel. A pair of
Saleen sport seats with louvered headrests
replaced the factory chairs, but that's just the tip
of the Iceberg. A Saleen-designed dash with
custom dash vents and bezels werrt in next. along
with the 200-mph speedometer. black-faced
WHILE MOLLY'S ride sports a lull complement ol S281 bodywork, II does have the carbon-fiber front splitter and rear
diffuser normally found on the S281-E.
gauges; and the dashboard-mounted, twin-gauge
pod. Rounding out th10gs tn the looks department
of the tinted cabin are Saleen-specific driving
pedals. a shifter knob, doorsill plates, custom
noor mats. and the Saleen-badged steenng wheel
and senalized dash plaque. The Shaker 500
stereo system was removed and replaced wtth a
Rockford Fosgate "Punch" 12-inch long-throw
subwoofer that gets Juice from a 150-watt amp
housed in a custom-contoured box.
The exterior upgrades consist mostly of triedand-true S281 panels. The front fascia and grille
link up with the rear fascia, center body panels, and
rear spoiler and end caps for the S281 look. Since
the car fealllres the blower, tt gets the superchargerspecific aluminum hood with heat ventilation ducts.
The difference between Molly's S281 and the
others lie in the fact that her S281-SC is equipped
with the front spoiler and rear diffuser normally
seen on the S281-E. Analizing the look is the rolling
stock. which consists of 20x9 front and 20x1 orear
Saleen forged five-spoke rims shod in Pirelli P-Zero
Rosso shoes, P275135ZR20s in the front and
P275/40ZR20s tn the rear
When the car was unveiled tn front of the
Saleen Store, everybody, including Molly, was
taken back by the fimshed product. "The car had
a great reception." Molly says "It was delivered
to the Saleen Store. and when I saw it, I freaked. I
dtdn't expect the car to be that dramatic. All of the
guys have respect for it, and everyone from all
age groups ask where the paint came from. I get
more women taking photos of the car, but the
guys like 11 and come to see tl also.•
Just because the car looks good doesn't
mean that Molly won't whip things up. In fact,
she just finished competing in the Great America
Run, where she drove from Miami to Los
Angeles. "I raced with 200 other cars. and I had
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WWW.MUSCLEMUSTANGFASTFORDS.COM
THE INSIDE of Molly's S281 got the lull regalia of
Saleen appointments. From the bucket seats to lhe
pedals and doorsill plates, the car showcases the
Saleen name in comfort and style.
.CLLY REDEFIKES the phrase "pretty In pink" with her
Molly Pop '07 Sateen S281 -SC Mustang.
the fastest bme,• she says. the tdea ts to
maintain a 61 -mph average, and I averaged 91
mph." Oops!
"I am starbng to do my own thtng and
develop my own apparel hne, appropriately called
Molly Pop,· she says. "The apparel will be
women's fashion combined wtth a race theme,
almost like a Bebe Sport This has always been a
hobby and passion of mine, and when 1finally
started working full-time at the Saleen Store, I
made more and more contacts that allowed me
to become involved with that industry and start
up my own ltne."
Being the daughter of a Mustang icon has its
good points and bad points. "As for my last
name, it and my car allow me to meet a lot of
people and get invtted to a lot of parties and
events," Molly says. "You'll always get people
who want to hang out wtth you because of your
last name. but by the same token, you also have
people who are pretty down to earth.·
One thing that's obvious in Molly's life is her
feelings towards her Saleen. "I love everything
about the car-the power. the color, and of
course, the fact that tt's named after me: she
says. "For now. this is my baby. I don't plan on
getting another Saleen Mustang. but I do foresee
getting a Molly Pop S7: Sounds like the recipe
for a summer blockbuster. All it needs Is a
marketing campaign shrouded in tire smoke. Ill