Open-top Goodness

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

What went wrong on the fox body?

It was just cheaply made. The top wouldn't line up rite, The fog lights would cut off and on after 30 mins of use, and the interior was cheap as they came (even for '89). Easily the worse car I ever owned. And to top it off it caught fire 10/13/95 (yes it was a friday) and burned to the ground..............That mite have been a blessing in disguise! 

[FoMoJo]

It was just cheaply made. The top wouldn't line up rite, The fog lights would cut off and on after 30 mins of use, and the interior was cheap as they came (even for '89). Easily the worse car I ever owned. And to top it off it caught fire 10/13/95 (yes it was a friday) and burned to the ground..............That mite have been a blessing in disguise! 

You can say the same for any domestic car of that era.  They were all crap.

[Onslaught]

You can say the same for any domestic car of that era.  They were all crap.

Not in the late 80's. A Supra, RX-7 or Z car were much better made then a Mustang of that time. You didn't find shims and washers all over the place in a Japanese car back then.  But a Fox Mustang? You probably couldn't find one panel that didn't have 2-3 shims to try and get it fitting close to right from the factory. And even then it fit like shit. You try to put an FC RX-7 together and everything had to be perfect for things to fit. A Fox mustang had half an inch of play in every part to line things up. That's why most body men loved them because nothing had to be right to make them work. But a Japanese car had to be dead on for anything to fit. I measured 3 different Fox Stangs in the showroom one time to figure out the measurements of something I was working on. And all three of them came out with something different on brand new cars.

My dislike for American cars came from working on the junk they put out in the late 80' and early 90's. My love for Japanese cars came from working on their cars from the same time and how much better they built cars. Sure they're full of hard plastics and stuff then but back then everything was.

[FoMoJo]

Not in the late 80's. A Supra, RX-7 or Z car were much better made then a Mustang of that time. You didn't find shims and washers all over the place in a Japanese car back then.  But a Fox Mustang? You probably couldn't find one panel that didn't have 2-3 shims to try and get it fitting close to right from the factory. And even then it fit like shit. You try to put an FC RX-7 together and everything had to be perfect for things to fit. A Fox mustang had half an inch of play in every part to line things up. That's why most body men loved them because nothing had to be right to make them work. But a Japanese car had to be dead on for anything to fit. I measured 3 different Fox Stangs in the showroom one time to figure out the measurements of something I was working on. And all three of them came out with something different on brand new cars.

My dislike for American cars came from working on the junk they put out in the late 80' and early 90's. My love for Japanese cars came from working on their cars from the same time and how much better they built cars. Sure they're full of hard plastics and stuff then but back then everything was.

I agree.  Late 80s was when imports started to improve and the domestics were still nickelling and diming their suppliers.

[Onslaught]

I went into working on cars with an open mind. I didn't really know all that much about cars when I was 19 and just wanted a job to make some money. I didn't know much of a difference between a Toyota or a Ford.  I found the US cars so inferior that to this days I still don't forgive them for making stuff like that. If I was older and worked in the 60's and 70's it's possible I'd have the same feelings about Japanese cars. 

[MX793]

Not in the late 80's. A Supra, RX-7 or Z car were much better made then a Mustang of that time. You didn't find shims and washers all over the place in a Japanese car back then.  But a Fox Mustang? You probably couldn't find one panel that didn't have 2-3 shims to try and get it fitting close to right from the factory. And even then it fit like shit. You try to put an FC RX-7 together and everything had to be perfect for things to fit. A Fox mustang had half an inch of play in every part to line things up. That's why most body men loved them because nothing had to be right to make them work. But a Japanese car had to be dead on for anything to fit. I measured 3 different Fox Stangs in the showroom one time to figure out the measurements of something I was working on. And all three of them came out with something different on brand new cars.

My dislike for American cars came from working on the junk they put out in the late 80' and early 90's. My love for Japanese cars came from working on their cars from the same time and how much better they built cars. Sure they're full of hard plastics and stuff then but back then everything was.

Supra, RX-7, and Z were also a lot more expensive than the Mustang.  In '87, cars like the Supra Turbo, RX-7 turbo and 300ZX Turbo were all $20K+.  A Mustang GT of the same vintage was $12K and change ($15K for the 'vert).  Even a non-turbo 300ZX was $18.5K  I sure as hell would hope those cars were a lot better built.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

Supra, RX-7, and Z were also a lot more expensive than the Mustang.  In '87, cars like the Supra Turbo, RX-7 turbo and 300ZX Turbo were all $20K+.  A Mustang GT of the same vintage was $12K and change ($15K for the 'vert).  Even a non-turbo 300ZX was $18.5K  I sure as hell would hope those cars were a lot better built.

True! Those were all Corvette competitors (turbo versions)
!

[Onslaught]

Supra, RX-7, and Z were also a lot more expensive than the Mustang.  In '87, cars like the Supra Turbo, RX-7 turbo and 300ZX Turbo were all $20K+.  A Mustang GT of the same vintage was $12K and change ($15K for the 'vert).  Even a non-turbo 300ZX was $18.5K  I sure as hell would hope those cars were a lot better built.

A 1989 Miata was better built then the Mustang.An 80's MR-2 was better built. The MX-6,celica or Prelude was better built.
Even a 1985 RX-7 GSL-SE was better built then a 1990 Mustang.


I could go on and on and on with lists of cars put together then the Mustang or Camaro back then. All you got out of those two cars was an engine and a good sound. The rest was crap. Absolute crap.

[MX793]

A 1989 Miata was better built then the Mustang.An 80's MR-2 was better built. The MX-6,celica or Prelude was better built.
Even a 1985 RX-7 GSL-SE was better built then a 1990 Mustang.


I could go on and on and on with lists of cars put together then the Mustang or Camaro back then. All you got out of those two cars was an engine and a good sound. The rest was crap. Absolute crap.

I don't disagree that the Mustang was poorly built, just pointing out that using the Supra, RX, and Z as comparison points isn't exactly fair since all of those were higher end cars that cost considerably more money.

[Onslaught]

I don't disagree that the Mustang was poorly built, just pointing out that using the Supra, RX, and Z as comparison points isn't exactly fair since all of those were higher end cars that cost considerably more money.

Well the top of the line ones with turbo's cost much more. The base non turbo cars cost much closer and are made the same as the top of the line ones.


I just have a very strong dislike for 80's -90's American cars. It got to the point at work that I told them not to give me any to work on. I'd rather go home and not make money then stay at work and fix them.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

A 1989 Miata was better built then the Mustang.An 80's MR-2 was better built. The MX-6,celica or Prelude was better built.
Even a 1985 RX-7 GSL-SE was better built then a 1990 Mustang.


I could go on and on and on with lists of cars put together then the Mustang or Camaro back then. All you got out of those two cars was an engine and a good sound. The rest was crap. Absolute crap.

I think the fact that the pony cars were on decade old chassis had a lot to do with it too. But I agree they were not well buit cars but the Camaro was tons better than the Mustang!

[MX793]

Well the top of the line ones with turbo's cost much more. The base non turbo cars cost much closer and are made the same as the top of the line ones.


I just have a very strong dislike for 80's -90's American cars. It got to the point at work that I told them not to give me any to work on. I'd rather go home and not make money then stay at work and fix them.

Not really.  Like I said, a base 300ZX cost ~1.5x what a Mustang GT cost, and the Supra was similar.  Not sure about the non-turbo RX-7s of that time, but I find it hard to believe they'd be much less than the base Supra or 300ZX.

[Onslaught]

Not really.  Like I said, a base 300ZX cost ~1.5x what a Mustang GT cost, and the Supra was similar.  Not sure about the non-turbo RX-7s of that time, but I find it hard to believe they'd be much less than the base Supra or 300ZX.

From my RX-7 book


1988 all models had a mid year price increase
SE - $15,480
GTU - $17,350
GXL - $19,160
SE 2+2 - $ 15,980
GXL 2+2 - $19,660
Covertible - $20,500
Turbo - $21,800
10th Anniv. - $24,650

1989
GTU - $17,300
GTUs - $19,600
GXL - $21,600
2+2 GXL - $22,100
Turbo - $22,750
Convertible - $25,950