Mustang 50th today

[SVT32V]

The mustang's introduction was 50 years ago today, starting an impressive run of consecutive model years.

On top of Empire State Building again 50 yrs later.

http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/mustang-celebrates-50th-anniversary-atop-empire-state-building/

50th anniversary edition:


http://www.caranddriver.com/news/2015-ford-mustang-50th-anniversary-edition-photos-and-info-news

Yeah, another mustang thread but a 50th is a good reason.

[Payman]

Happy Birthday! We'll just forget about your rotten, Gen II teen years. 

[SVT32V]

50 yrs ago:

[SVT32V]

Happy Birthday! We'll just forget about your rotten, Gen II teen years. 

Eh, Ford sold a ton of GenIIs, they would love to be selling the current mustang at those levels (as would any pony car manufacturer).

The disaster resulting from making the mustang a fwd probe would have been much worse.

[mzziaz]

Happy Birthday! We'll just forget about your rotten, Gen II teen years. 

Meh, I kind of liked the II. The fastbacks were nice. Stupid stunt to put it on top of Empire State Building, though.

[Galaxy]

Meh, I kind of liked the II. The fastbacks were nice. Stupid stunt to put it on top of Empire State Building, though.

Car companies seem to like doing stupid things.




Yes that is a Panamera in an elevator.

[Catman]

New addition looks stout.

[dazzleman]

I loved the early Mustang and its sister car, the Cougar.

My uncle had a red, '65 Mustang.  It was really cool.  He had to get rid of it when he lost his right arm to cancer at age 20, and couldn't drive a stick anymore.

The Mustang II which debuted in '74 was probably the worst incarnation of the Mustang, though I didn't like the fat look it had taken on by the early '70s.  A better version was introduced in '79, and I like the current version.

Mustang is one of the great cars of the automobile age.

[mzziaz]

Car companies seem to like doing stupid things.




Yes that is a Panamera in an elevator.

Sigh. The stupidity of marketers knows no bounds.

[Mustangfan2003]

You don't see a Mustang II very often these days.  Most people took the rack and pinion out of them to use on a street rod.  You don't see a lot of the early fox body cars around either.  I did see a 79 Indy Pace Car sitting somewhere in Alabama one time.  Wished I could've bought the car and restored it to glory. 

[Payman]

Eh, Ford sold a ton of GenIIs, they would love to be selling the current mustang at those levels (as would any pony car manufacturer).

The disaster resulting from making the mustang a fwd probe would have been much worse.

Yes, yes, Ford sold some 350,000 Mustangs that year. They also sold almost 600,000 1965 Mustangs, and Chevy was selling some half a million Impalas every year. The competition wasn't there like it is today. If you wanted solid reliable transportation in the '60s to late '70s, you bought one of a few dozen American cars that were available. Japanese cars were still cute oddities, and didn't make much of a dent in market share until the '80s.

[SVT32V]

Yes, yes, Ford sold some 350,000 Mustangs that year. They also sold almost 600,000 1965 Mustangs, and Chevy was selling some half a million Impalas every year. The competition wasn't there like it is today. If you wanted solid reliable transportation in the '60s to late '70s, you bought one of a few dozen American cars that were available. Japanese cars were still cute oddities, and didn't make much of a dent in market share until the '80s.

More than that it is just demographics, millions of baby boomers wanted a sporty coupe. Parents were happy to buy an underpowered flashy car that was a shell of the 64-73 and their performance.

It is hard to be a fan of genII, they really have nothing going for them, pinto roots, powerless engine, cart sprung. Thankfully, the '79 was a step in the right direction.

At the end of the day the none of the pony cars are even selling 100K per year, I am surprised they are still made, happily surprised.

[GoCougs]

Yes, yes, Ford sold some 350,000 Mustangs that year. They also sold almost 600,000 1965 Mustangs, and Chevy was selling some half a million Impalas every year. The competition wasn't there like it is today. If you wanted solid reliable transportation in the '60s to late '70s, you bought one of a few dozen American cars that were available. Japanese cars were still cute oddities, and didn't make much of a dent in market share until the '80s.

FWIW, the '65 Impala sold ~1.1MM units.

[Payman]

FWIW, the '65 Impala sold ~1.1MM units.

Holy shit yeah, I remember reading that somewhere.

[Mustangfan2003]

This Mustang II talk is a bit depressing.  Let's go from the worst to the most underrated, the SVO



A bit expensive and people were still balking at the idea of a 4 banger Mustang even though this one was faster than the V8.  The engine made 175hp which is very good even on todays standards. 

[MX793]

This Mustang II talk is a bit depressing.  Let's go from the worst to the most underrated, the SVO



A bit expensive and people were still balking at the idea of a 4 banger Mustang even though this one was faster than the V8.  The engine made 175hp which is very good even on todays standards. 

Modern 4-cylinders are making that kind of power without the turbo...

Biggest problem with the SVO was the turbo-lag.  No sooner would the turbo spool up, you'd have to shift into the next gear.  Resulted in some very lumpy power delivery.  Kind of like the 2.8T V6 that later Saabs used.  I'd expect the upcoming Ecoboost Mustang to be vastly better in that regard.  Still have to deal with the lackluster, Turbo I4 exhaust note, though.  Most are pretty sorry sounding, and even the best-sounding don't come close to my V6.

I'm further saddened by the apparent fact that, in order to encourage people to pick up the turbo-4, it looks like Ford will not be offering any of the factory performance packages (like the shorter rear-end ratio or Track Pack) on the V6 model for the next gen, instead offering those for the Turbo model.

[Mustangfan2003]

I know that non turbos make that kind of power but for a car that era to make that kind of power period isn't too shabby.  I did come close to buying a 79 4 non tubro car.  It ran but the body had a few rust issues but overall the body wasn't terrible.  If I got it the plan was to put a 302 in it but at the time I didn't have any room to do that kind of work. 

[SVT32V]

Modern 4-cylinders are making that kind of power without the turbo...

Obviously, but 30 yrs ago modern 4 cyl cars were making half that, hell the accord only came with a 99 hp engine in top trim.

That is too bad on the V6 and track pack, maybe they will bring it back if customers show a demand.

[Mustangfan2003]

I think the only thing saving the V6 model is the rental car companies that would rather have them for their lower maintenance cost.  Who knows in the future it might end up being replaced by a larger 4 cylinder. 

[Payman]

175 hp was more than many of the V8s were making at the time. I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the new turbo 4. If they keep the weight down and give it a snarly exhaust note, it could be a great option.

[Mustangfan2003]

Also the final SVO was rated at 205 while the EFI 5.0 was rated at 200 at the time.  The V8 is always my first choice but between the V6 and the turbo 4 I would likely pick the 4.   

[MX793]

175 hp was more than many of the V8s were making at the time. I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the new turbo 4. If they keep the weight down and give it a snarly exhaust note, it could be a great option.

Performance should be great.  Probably better than the V6 out of the box, given the turbo's extra fat midrange torque.  Even with a "snarly" exhaust note, I don't see it sounding better than the current V6.  I can't think of any turbo I4 that sounds better than this:

http://blog.caranddriver.com/name-that-exhaust-note-episode-67/

[MX793]

Also the final SVO was rated at 205 while the EFI 5.0 was rated at 200 at the time.  The V8 is always my first choice but between the V6 and the turbo 4 I would likely pick the 4.   

The SVO was the GT350 of its day.  The SVO got Recaro seats, a special pedal box with pedal spacing that actually allowed for easy heel-tow shifting, fully adjustable Koni shocks, and a quad-shock rear suspension setup.  It was a road racer.  It also had 4-wheel disc brakes before the GT adopted them as standard equipment.

[Soup DeVille]

Sigh. The stupidity of marketers knows no bounds.

I think it goes  back to the stunt of driving a Cadillac up the Wayne County Courthous steps back in the 19-teens (forget which year).



and of course the next stunt had to outdo the last one, and so on...

[Galaxy]

GM was classy here.

[MX793]

GM was classy here.

But there's only been 41 years of rivalry (47 if you ignore the 6 year hiatus between the Gen4 and Gen5 Camaro).

[Mustangfan2003]

[Byteme]

FWIW, the '65 Impala sold ~1.1MM units.

Yes and no.  That included the Biscayne and Belaire variants; trim levels in reality.  All were based on the same full size body and frame.  Still it's an impressive statistic

[Raza]

This Mustang II talk is a bit depressing.  Let's go from the worst to the most underrated, the SVO



A bit expensive and people were still balking at the idea of a 4 banger Mustang even though this one was faster than the V8.  The engine made 175hp which is very good even on todays standards.

[SVT666]

Ford has announced that its all-new 2015 Mustang GT will include an industry exclusive electronic line-lock braking system.

The Mustang GT has always been a favorite among amateur racers, with bracket racers taking a particular interest in the affordable muscle car. In order to better cater to that crowd, Ford will include an electronic line-lock as standard on the 2015 Mustang GT.

"We're using advanced controls technology for the all-new Mustang to provide some of our most dedicated fans with an industry-first feature they can use when they go to the track," said Dave Pericak, Mustang chief engineer. "With electronic line-lock, customers who drive their Mustangs to work all week and then compete on the weekends will appreciate not having to modify their brake systems to be able to do effective tire prep at the drag strip."

When engaged, the line-lock system locks only the Mustang's front brakes, allowing the rear wheels to spin freely. Drivers can then perform a burnout to warm up the Mustang's rear tires for maximum grip.

The line-lock system is a bit of a catch 22, though. Ford notes that the system is intended for track use only, but racing the Mustang voids the car's factory warranty.