Priority Shift - Tyler Garlock Makes the Move from a Proven Mustang to a Freshly-Built Fairmont – With a Driveline Surprise
When we saw Tyler Garlock at the first edition of the TBM Brakes Sick Summer event in 2023, his 1998 Ford Mustang grabbed our attention for the 8-second runs we witnessed in the Stick Shift class.
Fast forward a couple years, and Tyler has completed a new ride for local racing, as well as a return to drag and drive in 2026, and just like the Mustang, this one packs a few surprises.
Looking to jump into the drag and drive game? Sick On The Green is May 29th - 31st, 2025 at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Kentucky should be on your calendar! Come see some amazing racing action - with seven classes contested - including the Sick Street Car Challenge with $32,000 up for grabs!! Entries, advance spectator tickets and spots in our Sick Spit Show & Shine are now available; CLICK HERE for more details on Sick On The Green!
Tyler originally acquired the Mustang in 2013 for a mere $1100, requiring some engine work as part of the money deal. “I bought it from a high school kid who didn't have the money to fix the knocking engine,” Tyler said.
He procured a 5.4-liter 2-valve from Lightning pick-up to fill the engine bay until 2020, and then Tyler would give the Mustang a decidedly different engine swap.
Instead of doing the more-common Chevrolet swap, Tyler opted for a Gen 3 HEMI and got the swap all wrapped up by 2021. By the time we saw the car at the 2023 Sick Summer event, the 6.4-liter HEMI was sporting a Borg Warner-based 85/87-millimeter turbocharger, and a Tremec Magnum 6-speed transmission with a G-Force 1-4 gear set.
“Sick Summer is relatively local to me, so I chose to run this event rather than Midwest Drags when it headed East,” said Tyler back in 2023. “Plus, a lot of my local racing friends are attending, and it will be an awesome week.”
After a week of work, the HEMI-urged Mustang laid down an 8.79 average, with a best single pass of 8.75 at 167 mph at Cordova Dragway on day one, earning a third-place finish in the Stick Shift class.
Since then, the Mustang has seen action in local racing and no-prep work, but Tyler’s heart was calling for another avenue. “I settled on the Mustang when I couldn't find a clean and inexpensive Fairmont,” Tyler admitted.
Things changed in late 2024, when fellow Fairmont owner Fonzie Novelo located a roller perfect for Tyler. “He knew I was looking and put me in touch with the guy via Facebook,” said Tyler. “Found it in New Mexico, a Ford Fairmont Futura.”
The 1982 model Fairmont came in sporting a much better 25.3-SFI spec roll cage than the Mustang, allowing Tyler to clock runs all the way down to 6.50-seconds. It also rolled across the scales over 500 pounds lighter, and the decision to focus on the new ride was an easy one. So, the Mustang was given its walking papers, but not before Tyler plucked the driveline from it.
“I kept my engine and transmission, and put it in the new car,” said Tyler. “Upgraded the rear end to a 9-inch, and sold the Holley HP for a Holley Dominator EFI. “
The new Fairmont, known as ‘Smudge’, did get a big upgrade in the engine bay, as the Borg Warner-based 85/87-millimeter turbo got the boot in favor of a bigger 91/102-millimeter Borg unit. “The 85/87 was a restriction,” Tyler said. “I tried pushing it harder and it said no more boost.”
After a lot of work, the Fairmont debuted at a test and tune at US131 Motorsports Park in Michigan the second weekend of April, where it clocked a best of 5.57 at 132 mph with a 1.44 60 foot. “First pass had some new car struggles, but it managed to get down with a mild tune in it,” said Tyler.
Unfortunately, Tyler ran into a problem he’d faced before, and it would signal a major change in his program. “The Fairmont is getting a transmission swap now, because I broke third gear,” said Tyler. “I am love running the stick, but it's killing the wallet to run low 8-seconds or faster.”
With his event debut for the car set for Street Car Braggin Rights at Rockingham Dragway in less than two weeks, Tyler is making the switch to a Turbo 400 automatic. And although Tyler claims he will miss the manual transmission action, the automatic should help him reach his goals for the near future.
“I’m planning on lots of local no-prep,” Tyler said. “Plus, some 5-second eighth-mile, and then dial in for the 5.30 index races popping up all over. Then a drag and drive in 2026 once it's all sorted.”
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine, Mr. Fabulous Photography and Tyler Garlock.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com