A Dream in Motion
Why Mustangs? Well, why not? Pick a hot rod, any hot rod, even a poor man's hot rod. I can't afford 2011 Porsche GT2 RS. Nope, so I will stick with my current fleet of my '88 and '68 Mustangs.
My love of my Mustangs started back as far back as I can remember. I remember liking late 80 model Camaro's, but thankfully, I saw the light. My infatuation really took off in the mid 90's when my buddy and I ran around in a pair of Fox bodies. He in his '89 LX and me in my '88GT. Fox body Mustangs (1979-1993) are by far my favorite era of Mustang, although I love all Stangs. I am looking forward to owning my own Terminator, Mach 1 or Bullit stang in the near future!
Project Cars
Current Projects
- 1988 Mustang LX - Current (2nd) V8 Swap
- 1993 Mustang LX 2.3L - My Little Pony
- 1968 Mustang Coupe - Restoration Plus GT500 Review
Past Projects
- 1980 Mustang 3.3L
- 1987 Mustang LX 2.3L - First V8 Swap
- 1988 Mustang GT - The Night Runner
- 1988 Mustang GT - Back in Black
- 1991 Mustang LX 5.0
Other Projects
As you can see, I have owned several Mustangs. I started off slow and moved on up until I got my first 5.0 in 2000. That was my first '88GT which I had a ton of fun in. As I have gotten older (and become a family man) I have started appreciating my cars a little more. Yes, it is about being "Loud. Fast. Real." and I love the speed (and the noise), but it is about being safe, too. Keep the racing off the streets and on the track!
Fox Body Mustang History
In 1979, the Fox body Ford Mustang is born! The prayers of the enthusiast were answered with MacPherson Struts, a lighter weight Mustang than the Mustang II, and it had more power! Ford introduced the turbocharged I4 to make up for the lack of power in the past five years, and the 302 was also a welcomed addition to the Mustang powerhouse. With high fuel prices though, in 1981, Ford again lowered the power of the v8 to meet emissions standards.
For the first time since 1969, Ford brings back the Mustang GT in the form of a 5.0L V8 4-speed in 1982. 1983 called for a more powerful turbocharged I4, making 145hp. The Borg-Warner T-5 (five speed) transmission is now brought into the Mustang, and tire size increased from 185/75/14 on the 82 to 205/70/14 in 1983. 1984 called for a quad-shock rear suspension to replace the traction bars, and variable rate springs and gas shocks are introduced to the Ford Mustang. This will be the last year for the turbocharged four cylinder GT. The SVO turbocharged four cylinder Mustang is introduced, and it made 175hp, had four-wheel disc brakes, a better suspension, and rode on 16″ wheels. 1985 would be the last year for the carbureted Mustangs. The SVO gets 205hp, and the 5-speeds get a 2.73:1 rear gear. In 1986, the 7.5″ rear end was replaced with the sturdier 8.8″ one, fuel injection was introduced, and compression went up from 8.4:1 to 9.2:1. Horsepower went down, but torque increased.
In 1987, the GT Mustang s horsepower is increased by 25hp, compression was set at 9.0:1, and larger front brakes matched 15 7 inch wheels. This year, the car is 180 inches longer, shorter than even the First Ford Mustang! Mass Air metering is introduced in 1988, allowing the computer to adapt to modifications more easily. 1991 called for larger wheels measuring 16 7 inches. Generally, Mustang Fans favor the 1989-1992 Ford Mustangs for performance use because the 5.0L V8 came with forged pistons, MAF (mass air flow meters), EFI (electronic fuel injection), and a stronger main block. The last of the Fox body Mustangs is in 1993. The GT was rated at 205hp, and the Cobra was underrated at 235hp. A Cobra R model was introduced without A/C, a stereo, and backseat along with stiffer suspension.
