Lebanon Ford Still at It, Offers 800 HP Mustang Hellion for a Tick Under 40K

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

We told you about the bargain performance coming out of Ohio’s Lebanon Ford back in 2016. At the time, the dealer offered a base Mustang GT manual fitted with a Roush supercharger, good for a (then) Challenger Hellcat-beating 727 horsepower. Drive it away for $39,995, Ford and Roush warranty in hand, the dealer said. And many did.

The fun hasn’t stopped at Lebanon Ford in the ensuing years. There’s still an available Roush package owners can drop into their existing GTs, and buyers can still tell the dealer to hand over a Roush-ified ‘Stang at new car time. Power now stands at 700 hp. If that’s not enough grunt, a recent addition to the LFP (Lebanon Ford Performance) family is the Hellion — a Mustang GT that eschews the supercharged lifestyle in favor of a twin-turbo setup capable of generating 800 hp at the crank.

Should owners feel like swapping out the wastegate spring, power levels in the four-figure range become possible. Price? Again, starting at $39,995.

The Hellion, detailed by Motor Authority, first appeared at Lebanon on a limited number of 2018 models. It’s back for 2019, and can be applied after the fact to Mustang GT manuals from either model year.

Like other LFP models, this package begins with a basic 5.0-liter GT. From that starting point, the dealer bolts on a Hellion Power Systems Street Sleeper Twin Turbo System, which uses the factory air box while hiding the turbos beneath the engine. Included in the Street Sweeper package are Turbosmart Comp-Gate 40 wastegates, Turbosmart VEE port bypass valves, a high-flow intercooler, upgraded fuel injectors, and an engine tune from Palm Beach Dyno.

Offering a broader power band than a Roush Mustang, the basic Hellion setup runs 7 pounds of boost. Again, that’s good for 800 hp at the crank. Should buyers choose to leave sanity further in the rear-view, the car’s 5-pound wastegate spring can be swapped for an available 7-pound spring that cranks boost up to 9 or 10 lbs, or close to 1,000 hp. Ominously, the Street Sweeper system is capable of providing 30 to 40 lbs of boost.

You’ll need to spend more money if the basic Hellion leaves you wanting more. Lebanon Ford says the Mustang will surely cry uncle at a higher power level, requiring additional upgrades for greater fuel flow. You’ll also need a beefier pair of half-shafts.

While the promise of 800 hp from a $40k vehicle seems tempting, nervous drivers (who are shopping at LFP, for some reason) should note that a failure originating from Lebanon’s performance add-ons could render your powertrain warranty null and void. If the thought of minimal coverage keeps you up at night, the dealer suggests giving its sales staff a call for further details.

[Image: Ford Motor Company]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • Redapple2 jeffbut they dont want to ... their pick up is 4th behind ford/ram, Toyota. GM has the Best engineers in the world. More truck profit than the other 3. Silverado + Sierra+ Tahoe + Yukon sales = 2x ford total @ $15,000 profit per. Tons o $ to invest in the BEST truck. No. They make crap. Garbage. Evil gm Vampire
  • Rishabh Ive actually seen the one unit you mentioned, driving around in gurugram once. And thats why i got curious to know more about how many they sold. Seems like i saw the only one!
  • Amy I owned this exact car from 16 until 19 (1990 to 1993) I miss this car immensely and am on the search to own it again, although it looks like my search may be in vane. It was affectionatly dubbed, " The Dragon Wagon," and hauled many a teenager around the city of Charlotte, NC. For me, it was dependable and trustworthy. I was able to do much of the maintenance myself until I was struck by lightning and a month later the battery exploded. My parents did have the entire electrical system redone and he was back to new. I hope to find one in the near future and make it my every day driver. I'm a dreamer.
  • Jeff Overall I prefer the 59 GM cars to the 58s because of less chrome but I have a new appreciation of the 58 Cadillac Eldorados after reading this series. I use to not like the 58 Eldorados but I now don't mind them. Overall I prefer the 55-57s GMs over most of the 58-60s GMs. For the most part I like the 61 GMs. Chryslers I like the 57 and 58s. Fords I liked the 55 thru 57s but the 58s and 59s not as much with the exception of Mercury which I for the most part like all those. As the 60s progressed the tail fins started to go away and the amount of chrome was reduced. More understated.
  • Theflyersfan Nissan could have the best auto lineup of any carmaker (they don't), but until they improve one major issue, the best cars out there won't matter. That is the dealership experience. Year after year in multiple customer service surveys from groups like JD Power and CR, Nissan frequency scrapes the bottom. Personally, I really like the never seen new Z, but after having several truly awful Nissan dealer experiences, my shadow will never darken a Nissan showroom. I'm painting with broad strokes here, but maybe it is so ingrained in their culture to try to take advantage of people who might not be savvy enough in the buying experience that they by default treat everyone like idiots and saps. All of this has to be frustrating to Nissan HQ as they are improving their lineup but their dealers drag them down.
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