"Justin is driven" (justinisdriven)
04/17/2014 at 16:42 • Filed to: Mustang, road racing, drag racing, V8, Drifting, 50th
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"Justin is driven" (justinisdriven)
04/17/2014 at 16:42 • Filed to: Mustang, road racing, drag racing, V8, Drifting, 50th | 17
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It's no secret that today is the Ford Mustang's 50th birthday. Anybody with an ounce of gasoline in their blood could tell you that. Even if you didn't know or care before today, the glut of !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! assures that everyone in America knows that the original pony car made it's first appearance half a century ago.
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But why do we care? Car people can be a divisive lot, with clear demarcations often present between those who love drag racing, road racing, cruising, drifting, or whatever. Then there are the divisions within divisions - Chevy vs. Ford vs. Mopar, Ferrari vs. Porsche, McLaren vs... well, everyone.
But people from all of these groups have posted about the mustang's birthday. Even the mustang's mortal enemy Camaro !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Over the course of the day I've seen drifters, auto crossers, and hardcore track rats alike wish this iconic piece of rolling Americana well.
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That's because the Mustang is all things to all people.
Think about it. Is there anyone in your life right now for whom a mustang of some vintage or configuration is not a desirable car? It is the quintessential American GT - the perfect thing for the coast or the open highway or the stretch between stop lights. For the car illiterate it's shape is either sports car or muscle car, and the meaning is the same either way - a mustang to them, is a Nice Car.
For enthusiasts, there are mustangs to fit nearly any budget or taste. Vintage GT350's recall a time when America tried to beat the Europeans in Europe.
A prepped '70s Boss gets you into some of the most exciting vintage racing in the world - vintage Trans Am.
A Fox body can become almost anything, from the dragstrip terror it's known to be to the IMSA wide-body monsters that only those in the know recognize.
And yes, drifters have caught on to the mustang's potential too, with several competing and winning in Formula D.
On any given weekend, on any given racetrack in America, there is very likely a mustang of some kind lining up to be flogged. They are crude, simple, infinitely modular. This cheap and easy philosophy has lead to a series of cars that punch way above their financial weight and that are flexible enough to participate and excel in every form of automotive enthusiasm.
On the internet, the answer is always Miata . But in the real world, the answer is almost always Mustang.
mycarneverruns87
> Justin is driven
04/17/2014 at 16:48 |
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Well said sir!
lone_liberal
> Justin is driven
04/17/2014 at 16:48 |
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I think that one of those pictures is technically a Capri, but at the time it was the same under the skin as a Mustang so no harm, no foul.
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Justin is driven
> lone_liberal
04/17/2014 at 16:56 |
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You are correct sir. I included it because frankly it's the same damn car, but if people want to believe thy have a euro-chic Capri rather than "just" a mustang, that's cool. :)
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lone_liberal
> Justin is driven
04/17/2014 at 16:57 |
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Well, it was a Mercury so it had to be better than a Ford, right?
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Justin is driven
> lone_liberal
04/17/2014 at 17:20 |
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Of course! It has leather.
Garrett Davis
> Justin is driven
04/17/2014 at 17:44 |
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Excellent post.
DougNuts
> Justin is driven
04/23/2014 at 12:41 |
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The only thing I would add is that the S197 chassis is a very good platform that doesn't get the respect it deserves. Sure, it has a stick axle, but it's a very good stick axle arrangement.
I'm not sold on the styling of the '05-14, but I won't deny its capabilities with just a few mods appropriate to whatever your use of the car is.
And that brings me to my final point - that the Mustang is such a versatile blank canvas, with an aftermarket that will let you tailor the car towards whatever you want the car to be (modularity, as you put it). I'm not sure why so many people love to hate it, but I guess popularity breeds critics. I'm just a car guy who likes anything with wheels.
Howie
> Justin is driven
04/23/2014 at 14:00 |
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They are crude, simple, infinitely modular. This cheap and easy philosophy has lead to a series of cars that punch way above their financial weight and that are flexible enough to participate and excel in every form of automotive enthusiasm.
This is something I think the fans and Ford are starting to forget. It looks as if in an effort to appeal to more people Ford is purposely moving the car upscale but at what cost? Are there enough people to offset the fans being locked out of the car due to refinement?
nellydesign
> lone_liberal
04/23/2014 at 14:10 |
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I always liked that fox body Capri front end too. It looked more business than the Slanty mustang one of the same time period.
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nellydesign
> Howie
04/23/2014 at 14:13 |
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Trust me, the aftermarket will still love the new S550. And usually it's a lot easier to swap a solid axle into a IRS than the other way around.
zx6rob
> Justin is driven
04/23/2014 at 18:32 |
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"On the internet, the answer is always Miata . But in the real world, the answer is almost always Mustang."
Couldn't have said it better myself. I heartily approve of this article!
The_Phalanx
> Justin is driven
04/24/2014 at 08:38 |
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What? Neither of my Capris had leather. I owned a 79 and an 80. Looks like I got skrooed.
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The_Phalanx
> Justin is driven
04/24/2014 at 08:39 |
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"On the internet, the answer is always Miata . But in the real world, the answer is almost always Mustang. "
Loved this. Well done sir!