Which are the good mustangs?
Discussion
blindswelledrat said:
THat looks superb.
For some reason I thought they would be much heavier than that. They look it.
>wants<
Yeah, they do look heavy but weigh in at 3 series kind of weight, despite being a fairly large car. Once set up on something like the Roush suspension, and you get used to the size and LHD, they are surprisingly agile and easy to chuck about.For some reason I thought they would be much heavier than that. They look it.
>wants<
The Fox-body Mustangs from 1981 were quite acceptable cars for their time. Of the last generation Mustang, the "Terminator" was the pick with a 400hp supercharged engine in a reasonable package, though they had an iron block engine and are rarer than hen's teeth in the UK.
The 2005-2009 Mustang GT had 300hp (315 for the green or black despoilered Bullitt)and all feature a 3v per cylinder 4.6 all-alloy engine with variable camshaft timing.
To get the best out of them, they do require modifying, either by buying the Roush, Saleen or (far rarer) Steeda tuner specials and this applies equally to the Shelby GT500 which, because it uses an iron block supercharged engine and beefed up brakes and 6 speed tranny, is far heavier, nearer 4000lbs and the handling suffers as a result as the TG track helped show (1:30 vs 1:28 GT500 vs Roush). Because of this weight penalty, supercharging a GT is the best means to a good-handling faster and lighter car though the GT500 looks better to most people's eyes and many GT's have had the GT500 nose grafted on.
All require lowering an inch or so, most require new wheels and lower profile tyres and all standard cars require better suspension. The good thing is that all this is relatively cheap. A full Roush suspension is around £1000. Superchargers vary but a ball-park figure of £5000-£6000 fitted. The stock engine will take around 450hp at the WHEELS so 550 is about the limit before looking at forged internals.
Standard brakes are adequate but better pads assist greatly.
Prior to 2002, the Camaro/Firebird twins were far better and far faster than the Mustangs of that period (even though the Mustang outsold both 2 to 1)with the Corvette's LS1 used from 1998 until they ceased production in 2002.
The 2005-2009 Mustang GT had 300hp (315 for the green or black despoilered Bullitt)and all feature a 3v per cylinder 4.6 all-alloy engine with variable camshaft timing.
To get the best out of them, they do require modifying, either by buying the Roush, Saleen or (far rarer) Steeda tuner specials and this applies equally to the Shelby GT500 which, because it uses an iron block supercharged engine and beefed up brakes and 6 speed tranny, is far heavier, nearer 4000lbs and the handling suffers as a result as the TG track helped show (1:30 vs 1:28 GT500 vs Roush). Because of this weight penalty, supercharging a GT is the best means to a good-handling faster and lighter car though the GT500 looks better to most people's eyes and many GT's have had the GT500 nose grafted on.
All require lowering an inch or so, most require new wheels and lower profile tyres and all standard cars require better suspension. The good thing is that all this is relatively cheap. A full Roush suspension is around £1000. Superchargers vary but a ball-park figure of £5000-£6000 fitted. The stock engine will take around 450hp at the WHEELS so 550 is about the limit before looking at forged internals.
Standard brakes are adequate but better pads assist greatly.
Prior to 2002, the Camaro/Firebird twins were far better and far faster than the Mustangs of that period (even though the Mustang outsold both 2 to 1)with the Corvette's LS1 used from 1998 until they ceased production in 2002.
Edited by LuS1fer on Friday 15th January 14:42
Matt Harper said:
Proper Mustang...
Indeed.BOSS 429's make the most wonderful noise
and that feckin huge engine just looks the mutts nuts 
Of the 'newer' modern Mustangs, I'd say the Roush ones are the pick of the bunch, they certainley have the best sorted chassis.
Edited by aeropilot on Friday 15th January 15:17
benny.c said:
back to the OP, if you want a well sorted Mustang then Roush, Saleen or Steeda are all good. Or a GT500 if you want straight line speed with a good starting point for big power. The 5.4 engine in the GT500 is a bit of a boat anchor up front though, so if handling is a big factor then you should look at the supercharged offerings from Roush etc which are some 400lbs lighter.
If you want a great car for good money you'll probably struggle to do better than this one:
http://www.mocgb.net/forums/showthread.php?t=30147
It's worth noting that Gibbo's Mustang is not a 'pukka' Extreme - it's had loads of upgrades though and is a great package for the price.If you want a great car for good money you'll probably struggle to do better than this one:
http://www.mocgb.net/forums/showthread.php?t=30147
blindswelledrat said:
Sorry, I guess the title should be "which are good modern mustangs"
ANd being as shallow as I am by 'good' I mean fast,loud and violent looking
Think I can help with a quick Mustang 101.ANd being as shallow as I am by 'good' I mean fast,loud and violent looking
In reality all the Mustangs have been pretty good since around 1983.
In reverse order:
2010-
Mustang GT
These use the aluminium 3v SOHC 4.6 V8 with around 315hp in stock trim. Good for 0-60mph in 4.9 sec and 150mph. Uses a Tremac 5 speed manual and a live rear axle.
Very good chassis on these, only stock tyre selection and damper setup really hampers the cornering ability. But these are easily and cheaply fixed.
Car is very tunable and can be turned into a 650hp monster if you want.
These are the facelift version of the S197 platform which was all new in 2005. The 2011 model (due for release in Spring this year has a new 412bhp 5.0 litre V8 engine).
V6 ones don't have the fog/spot lamps in the grill and usually have smaller wheels and tyres, giving them a slightly toned down stance. However they can be made to look identical.
The V6 is SOHC Cologne unit making 210hp. Fairly nippy still with sub 7 sec 0-60mph and 140mph ability.
The top of the range model is the Shelby GT500. This is essentially the same car but uses a cast iron 5.4 litre DOHC engine with an Eaton Roots M112R supercharger. It makes 540hp and is silly fast. Still uses a live rear axles and has a T56 6 speed gearbox.
2005 - 2009
This is known as the S197 Mustang. Available in V6, GT (V8) and Shelby (supercharged V8). Essentially the same spec as the newer model above.
V6 210hp no spot lamps and more toned down wheels and such
V8 GT, 4.6 SOHC 3v 300bhp
Shelby 5.4 V8 DOHC 500bhp
All use live axle and again tyre and suspension swap makes them a very sharp handling car. They are also fairly lightweight for this class of car weighing less than a BMW M3 (e46) in most cases.
The GT will crack 100mph in a little over 13 sec in stock trim, but is very tunable either n/a or with aftermarket superchargers.
"Shelby Stripes" are optional on all Stangs and I feel the wheels makes a difference to how "bad ass" they look.
From about 2007 there was an appearance option for the GT which included a bonnet scoop (think it was also available in a California only model GT350HC or something). It's not functional, but I like the look of it.
They also did a Bullet version to commemorate the film. All are green and make a few hp more and look like a beefed up V6 with cleaner lines than the GT.
V6:
GT:
GT with appearance pack:
Bullit:
Shelby GT500:
Tuning companies like Saleen and Roush also sold Mustangs with their own bodykits. There are also a multitude of other aftermarket bodykits such as Steeda and Dominator. Personally I prefer the factory lines, but I know many love the look of these:
Saleen:
Roush:
Dominator kit:
I would say the Mustang is colour sensitive. Bright colours like the Torch Red, Screaming Yellow Clearcoat and Grabber Orange make it look more in your face muscle, where as some of the more neutral pastel colours and greys make it more subtle and sleek.
1999-2004
These Mustangs are the facelift version of the SN95 plaform Mustangs. Technically these use Fox platform and are the 4th Generation of Mustang.
It's a little complex though as these were in production since 1994 and there have been several variants so bear with me.
From 1999 to 2004 the facelift variant is known as the "new age" edgy styling. I personally really like the look of these Mustangs.
The line-up is similar to current with a base V6 model and a V8 powered GT version.
V6 - uses a 3.8 Cologne V6 making 19xbhp
V8 GT - is a cast iron SOHC 2v 4.6 making 260bhp
They are still fairly rapid with 60 in about 5.5sec and top speed over 140mph. They weigh a tad less than the newer S197 Mustang. And use a live rear axle.
Handling wise not as sharp as the S197 and the factory setup is rather soft. That said they can still be made to perform rather well with the right mods. So as a performance platform are still a good place to start (and a lot cheaper to buy than a s197). They take very well to supercharging!
The number of and size of side and bonnet scoops varied a little over the years.
V6:
GT:
They essentially look very similar, the GT just a tad more beefy looking.
I personally don't think Shelby stripes suit this model. Again there are 3rd party and after market kits from Saleen, Roush and others.
The only downer with these is they are very rare in the UK for some reason.
The factory did do 3 performance models.
Bullit which again was green had 265bhp and was very similar spec to the GT otherwise (might have had upgraded suspension):
Mach 1 (available around 2002/3 onwards iirc). This arguably is one of the best modern Mustang. One was on ebay recently for peanuts too. These have an aluminium DOHC 4v 4.6 V8 (cast iron with an auto box). And a live rear axle with a 5 speed gearbox. This means they weigh less than a GT and make more power. Ford rated them at 305bhp although its often proven that they might make as much as 320bhp in stock trim. They are faster than a stock S197 GT.
Another difference is the shaker scoop. That big air intake is fixed to the engine and stays there when you lift the bonnet up (big hole in bonnet). And really does shake when you blip the throttle.
Again very tunable if you want and a much superior package to the regular GT in terms of off the shelf performance:
Mustang Cobra. These are the forerunners to the current Shelby variant and were produced by Fords SVT (Special Vehicle Tuning) department.
They went trough a couple of guises. The earlier (99-01) ones had a DOHC 4.6 rated at 320bhp. It's not strictly the same engine as the Mach 1 and from the factory the Mach 1 was slightly quicker in stock trim.
I'm not sure of the exact change over points, but some had a 6 speed manual gearbox and some also had IRS instead of a live rear axle.
As a rule they are heavier than the GT or Mach 1 but offer other benefits.
2003-4 saw a big change in the Cobra. This is my favourite Mustang and the one I'd buy if I could!
With IRS and a T56 6 speed gearbox the SVT department decided to equip the 2003 Cobra with an Eaton Roots M112R supercharger. They rated it at 390bhp and 390lb ft. However many a dyno test has said these things make nearer to 420hp in stock trim.
A very very fast car and will run the 1/4 in the 12's with ease. This is truly supercar acceleration levels.
A big bonus here is with only a few bolt on mods you can get 550hp and people have run over 1000bhp on the stock engine internals. A very very good street motor and loads of potential.
Sadly I've only ever seen 2 in the UK, a very rare beast indeed, but they look totally bad ass!!!
1996-1998
These are also the sn95 platform. The main difference here is the engine and the styling.
This is the original more rounded look from 1994. In 1996-7 the 4.6 V8 was introduced. These make 215hp and 225hp in 1998. Performance is rather lack luster compared to the 1999 onwards cars (which are known as PI engined). But they are still fairly rapid motorcars in reality. I think around 6.5-7 sec to 60mph mark.
These are still good cars and still have tuning potential, but the later 1999 onwards models certainly have the edge in stock power and tuning.
I'm also not such a fan of the curvy looks and much prefer the new edge styling.
I think the V6 made less power too, but I'm not so sure. There was a Cobra variant, live axle and 5 speed and made around the 300hp mark.
I believe the V6 and GT look very similar from this era, a single exhaust instead of a dual is the big give away that I know of.
1998 Mustang Cobra:
Again I think these are quite colour sensitive and crappy wheels (as in stock wheels) make the entire car look only a fraction as good as it should.
1994 - 1995
These are the first of the Fox 4 SN95 platform cars. They look identical to the 1996-98 cars but they use the older OHV 5.0 push rod V8.
This is good and bad. The engine made 225bhp in stock trim and they sound fab. It's also a proven performance engine of years gone bye.
Sadly in this Mustang they are not that easy to tune due to the ECU setup on them. They aren't slow, not for 1994 but they are not as speedy as the newer ones and more modern performance cars in general.
As they look the same as the 1996 model I won't post a pic.
These are still good fun cars, but quite a different beast to latter models.
1993 and earlier
This platform is the original Fox platform, often referred to as the "Fox body". While the 1994-1998 cars are fairly common in the UK, these Fox bodies are again on the rare list.
The platform was launched in 1979 and underwent several changes in appearance and engine spec over the years. Although from about 1987 to 1993 they remained fairly unchanged.
I'll ignore the older ones and small engine ones. I should mention there was a 2.3 Turbo offered at one point by SVO (Special Vehicle Operations, forerunner to SVT). But it never really caught on in the US as they wanted to stick with the V8.
The V8 available was the 302ci also known as the 5.0 (although its actually 4.9 litres). This is the same engine that was used in he 1994-5 models. And can trace its roots all the way back to the mid 60's.
Its a compact OHV engine. In this shape of Mustang and latter era it made 190-225hp depending on year.
Unlike the SN95, the Fox body variant is quite tunable and without too much hassle 300bhp is on the cards and more if you want. Supercharging is another common route to 320-420hp power levels.
The car weighs even less than the Sn95 and not so disimilar to a latter Porsche 911. So power to weight can be very good and thus performance. Stock the V8 manages 60mph in 6.5 sec and 140mph+ through a 5 speed manual.
Handling wise is up for debate. In stock trim they are going to be a typcial late 80's type of car. However with upgrades they can become fine performers. But don't expect a stock one to take on an S2000 in the bends.
There are 3 trim specs/models to look at.
The LX, which is a cleaner more basic car. I actually prefer these. They were available as a hatch coupe and a "notch" coupe. The notchbacks are now very popular and sought after in the US.
The GT is a bit more flouncy than the LX with a big bumper and side skirts. Earlier GT's looked more like the LX however, but I can't recall what year they changed.
These maybe don't look as bad ass as the newer ones and arguably more MK IV Escort in appearance. But on the right wheels and setup they really appeal to me.
I kind of think they look like a body builder nightclub bouncer in an Armani suit. All muscle but trying to look reserved and smart.
This gives them quite a nice sleeper appeal, at least in LX trim. And can potentially be very very quick machines.
There were Cobra variants of this model, but I've never seen one in the UK so won't bother posting any info on them.
Think this covers most of the options. There were some other very limited edition models over the years. Auto gearboxes have been available on all but the Shelby and Cobra models, but until the S197 models the Ford AOD (Automatic Over drive) was not very performance orientated, so I'd stay clear. The s197 5 speed auto however is very good.
And all of the models pretty much have been available as convertibles in one shape or another. As a rule they are heavier and less sharp to drive with slightly blunted performance. But this is true of all car makers not just Ford.
Hope it helps!
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