Ford Mustang: PH Heroes
Like Dr Who the Ford Mustang has had many rebirths but the last regeneration remains a true PH Hero
'Hank, you got that sunset filter?' 'Sure thing...'
Out with the old, in with the ... oh
Under the skin, the Mustang was pretty much all-new, throwing off its old 70s underpinnings, riding on a platform distantly related to the Lincoln LS, Ford Thunderbird and Jaguar S-Type, and retaining that Mustang must-have, the solid rear axle. If that doesn't inspire confidence now, it's worth bearing in mind that it was heavily modified, stiffened all-round, and featuring a three-link coilover suspension set-up, tied down at the rear by a tubular Panhard rod.
2005 Mustang successfully reinvented classic
Jumping in a Mustang GT is a bit of a disappointment, as the drama of the styling and spec sheet set it up for a bit of a fall. The interior design is okay, but many of the materials and switchgear are more Aldi than Audi. But fire it up, listen to that exhaust burble, and prepare to forgive. A standard 300hp Mustang GT certainly feels brisk, all burning rubber, wheelspin and roaring V8, should you need it. But its talents are far wider ranging - dry-road A- and B-road handling is genuinely enjoyable, and as long as you're not intimidated by its width and the fact that you're sitting on the wrong side, it really is a great car to hoon, with high cornering limits.
Earlier 4.6 V8 is adequate, later 5.0 much better
Turn-in is swift, the steering has ample feel, and the meaty gearchange and clutch are great once you're used to them. You'll also be surprised at how effortless it is to maintain high averages. That back-end, also, only really comes out to play when you want it to, or should you not be looking too closely for mid-corner bumps and ridges. In the wet, just take care, and adopt a slow-in fast-out approach, and you'll be fine.
Many non-believers will joke about the Mustang's fuel consumption, and it is possible - when having fun - to burn through unleaded at the rate of up to 15mpg. And that won't last for very long, on account of its small fuel tank. But in the UK, and in real-world conditions, a sympathetic owner can quite happily see 25mpg-plus out of a gently-driven Mustang GT. Of course, that takes a combination of willpower, average speed cameras, and roads without good overtaking spots...
Not surprising Keith remembers this car fondly
Just the start
Speaking of full-fat superchargers and upgrades, the ultimate factory versions were the Ford Shelby GT500 and 500KR. The legendary Shelby name returned a year after the original launch, and allowed the Mustang to go chasing M5s. It was a collaboration between Ford SVT and Carroll Shelby, and was landmarked by its 500hp, 480lb ft, 5.4-litre V8, now packing a supercharger the size of a medium-sized semi-detached house.
Stripes? Check. Supercharger? Check.
The shame is that the Mustang GT and its Shelby cousin were never officially sold by Ford the UK. But the good news for British fans is that pretty much day one, a raft of importers would bring the Mustang to our shores to slake the huge demand, and SVA them ready for use. Back in 2005, when the Mustang GT first appeared, the £25,000-ish price tag represented a huge amount of performance and road presence for the money.
If you're going to do it make sure there's a V8 here
As when they were new, the S197 Mustang is a surprisingly rational used buy. You can pick up a 4.0-litre V6 from £10-12K, while the GT bottoms out at around £12-14K. Given the enthusiasm of the majority of Mustang owners, examples at this price point are still going to be very nice indeed, although make sure it was properly SVA'd when new. That can rise to £40K-plus for the best Shelby GT500s - but these are altogether more special and wonderful.
Mustangs aren't for shrinking violets, though, and owning one in the UK will attract attention. But like most recent Americans, it's nowhere near the as needy to run as you might expect. There are specialist garages who will give you a premium service and a feeling of well-being, but equally, the Mustang is a car most competent garages can overhaul - and many jobs are also a DIY proposition. Parts, too, are inexpensive - as you'd expect for a car produced in such large numbers when new.
And armed with that, it's safe to say that the Mustang GT is a PH Hero that's not only great fun at the weekends, but one that you could use day-in, day-out. Think of it as an old-school icon that's barely scraped through the 21st century entrance exam, and now revels in the fact that it has killer charm. And it's as individual as the enthusiasts who run them.
The new one has a lot to live up to.
FORD MUSTANG
Engine: 4,601cc V8
Transmission: 5-speed manual, rear-wheel drive (yee-haw)
Power (hp): 300@5,750rpm
Torque (lb ft): 320@4,500rpm
0-60mph: 5.5 sec
Top speed: 150mph
Weight: 1,580kg
On sale: 2005-2010
Price new (2005): £25,995 (depending on spec and importer)
Price now: £12,000-£20,000
I've got a 2012 with the 5.0 Coyote engine. It's very responsive, and sounds great.
I had a Roush 427 with the supercharged 4.6 combined with all the Roush suspension and braking upgrades. That was an awesome car.
But I also enjoy pootling around in my 97 Convert
Every trip is an occasion although people looking at it does get tiresome after a while, particularly when they're too busy taking pictures of it to concentrate on their driving.
Size wise, they don't feel as big as the article suggests and one of the better interiors I seen on an American car - OK, not up to German standards, but fairly acceptable all the same.
Something I enjoyed driving and missed when I handed it back, so there would definitely be a GT500 in my fantasy garage.
The 3v'er unit also isn't as revvy as older DOHC 4.6 variants of the same engine, nor a Chevy LS6.
The exhaust note of an S197 is almost the same as any other modular V8 powered vehicle.
Over the past 4 1/2 years it has been a dependable steed, only letting me down once when the 6 year old battery packed in last winter. I bought it in 2009 with 23,000 on the clock, it now has 68000 on the clock and almost 100 full power passes (and their associated burnouts) on the drag strip. In that time it has had:
An oil +filter change every 5000 miles (£40 if you DIY)
3 Pollen filters (£25 a pop shipped from the US)
2 fuel filters (£10 each)
One set of ball joints (£140)
Alternator £300 (was just a dry joint but I replaced it anyway)
Two sets of tyres (£700 for four) (usually last around 20,000 miles)
Two lots of differential oil (£60)
One coolant change (~£50)
That’s it other than fuel, tax (currently £225pa), MOT and insurance.
If you keep it stock and don’t spend ££££’s on upgrades and racing like me (make it faster and more consistent on the race track) the running costs are in the hot hatch bracket (especially if you self-service it as much as possible) and the fuel consumption isn’t that bad either; despite the mods (my garage links to my build thread), I am getting around 19mpg (US indicated) or 22.8mpg UK on my 11.5 mile daily commute (an increase over the 16.5mpg (19.8UK) it did when I bought it. Which is mixed, around 4 1/2 miles of NSL B-road and 1 mile of NSL DC in the middle of 3 miles of town driving at each end so not much scope for kicking its teeth in (traffic), especially at this time of year. Pre-modifications at 70mph it would return 31mpg (UK) post, around 26mpg post mod.
Unless you deal with toll roads regularly the LHD is a non-issue (I have never encountered a problem), I can’t think of one instance where I have wanted it to be RHD. Even in stock form it doesn’t handle badly at all, but a few cheap (£200 for a set of springs and £200 for a set of rear lower control arms) make a huge difference, as does ditching the stock tyres for something decent that come with the car which are hideous things, Toyo T1 Sports seem to do the job very nicely.
Mine is far from stock (non-supercharged) but these cars were built to be modified and to be driven, leaving them locked in the garage because it’s a bit damp is tantamount to cruelty.
I don’t think I’d ever sell it, well not unless somebody offers me say £250,000 (and not a penny less) for it.
Indeed they aren’t that heavy really (the Shelby is rather lardy – especially the convertible), the shipped weight for my 06 Auto was 1590kg.
The S197 has really revitalised the brand and helped create a new era of muscle cars
For instance, I really like the look of these:
Euro offerings at the time would have been a 320ci or underperforming Audi. Neither of which I'd call as striking or good looking and both lacking performance in comparison.
That said, remember the car you pictured replaced this:
So in 1994 was quite a change from the then current model.
And lets not forget that in 1994 here in the UK for the same sort of money/marlet segment we'd have been offered things that looked like this:
or this:
So it's all relative.
Every trip is an occasion although people looking at it does get tiresome after a while, particularly when they're too busy taking pictures of it to concentrate on their driving.
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