RANT!!! What Not To Wear (if Your A Fox Mustang)

CarMichael Angelo

my rearend will smell so minty fresh,
15 Year Member
Nov 29, 1999
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Birmingham, al
I just can't stand it. I posted this as a rant,..so I have already defined it as an opinion. In other words:

"The opinions expressed in the following thread do not necessarily express the views of the consensus, or the website and are entirely that of a single individual."

So there......Disclaimers aside,........This is the bug that crawled up my ass today.

This is a collective, made up of a common interest. In this case the "common interest" is the ownership of a fox mustang. By far and large the majority dictate what is and isn't acceptable based on the examples each member exhibits. Despite that, there is always room for a certain degree of individuality or personality in each of the examples each member brings to the group.

I'm on record all over this website that I have a certain disdain for the "same ol, same ol" nature that owning and modifying a fox mustang is typically regulated to. I get that though,..there is/are only so many things you can do to these cars (or any car for that matter) to make them "yours." Say what you will, play the "I built it for me" card all you want, the fact of the matter is the car, and your choices as to how it looks matter as soon as you show it. If you "Don't care what other people think" then you are more thick skinned, or thick headed than most. I believe all of us build these things because "we" think it's cool. That perception,...the perception of "cool" is clearly all over the place,...one guys cool is another guys WTF. And despite what you say,.....deep down what other people think......matters.

The Community is the guideline more often than not for what is accepted as cool, and what doesn't quite float.
Whether it's this group, a large car event, or the Saturday night cruise-in,...the percentage of what is "accepted" is heavily weighted one way.....whatya think?........85-90%?

9 out of 10 Mustangs look similar to the one sitting next to it. For a reason. Most people in the hobby have that same perspective.

So then,..that leaves 1-2 guys that for what ever reason see things on a slant,......how is that? How is it with all of the examples of what is "Average", "Very good," and "Excellent" out there as a reference does the one guy manage to find a way to steer the ship so far off course?

I blame the Chinese aftermarket. So many things that were tied to the now all but forgotten "Ricer/Tuner" phase has migrated to this model, as companies strive to give the owners some way to set their cars up differently from the normally accepted.

Led head/tails stick on scoops, double/triple stack wings, gawdy billet thingys, all help to confuse a would be mustanger now a days......despite the fact that any one of you display excellent examples of your own cars that first-timers could pull inspiration from,....there's always that shiny thing hanging on a peg at Auto-Zone tempting them to walk down the road to poor taste.

Again,.....poor taste is a perception. My version of what is, isn't necessarily your version of what is in poor taste, but there is that 80-90% thing that dictates what is most likely one way or the other.

And that opens up this topic for today's conversation.

With regard to the Mustang hobby....

What's in "poor taste"?
 
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Body kits. The big ricer style ones.

87BK-CX-FULL-FG-COMBO-87HOO_01.jpg
 
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Could really care less what other people do to their own vehicles that I don't like at this point, also wouldn't ever use a forum as a "gauge" as to how I should feel about my own vehicle quite honestly.
Well then,.....what do you use as a gauge then?

So you're saying then that you don't like or dislike other peoples cars then?:bs:
The point wasn't about how you should feel about it, ...it's about how others perceive it.
 
Where do I start? Too much to list. How about I just drop random photos..
IMG_0288.PNG


Taste. It's like common sense. All the money in the world can't buy it. In fact, it tends to enhance the lack there of.
 
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Where do I start? Too much to list. How about I just drop random photos..
IMG_0288.PNG


Taste. It's like common sense. All the money in the world can't buy it. In fact, it tends to enhance the lack there of.

There's a whole bunch of youtube video's featuring Mustangs like this. I've seen 24-25" wheels on Fox bodies. You can prob find it pretty easy with a search.

I try not to let it get to me what people do to their own cars. It's their car and their money and they certainly didn't ask me for advice. If they do solicit an opinion, i'll give it, but for the most part they can do what they want, and I can do what I want.


Now, I do want to say that I feel the parts selection these days seems to be trending towards cheaper parts. Fox body websites used to carry a lot of different vendors, now I find it's more and more house brands being promoted.
 
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IMG_0292.PNG

Here's a three-fer. There's a guy in my area with a lime green brz with lambo doors and something on the car that says something to the effect of "slower traffic keep right." I was gassing up my '16 GT when I saw the guy getting into it at the station. I couldn't help laughing at him. He saw me. It was awkward. For him-not me..
 
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I think it is really only just a few things...

Overly large (19&20+ inch wheels)
Mostly any "Tuner" style modifications: Neons, gaudy body kits, LED lights or blue headlight bulbs. "Slammed/Stanced, overly small wheels, Wheels that have offsets that stick out too far, etc.

With Mustangs, though, it seems like it more comes down to the quality of modifications rather than the above, which I consider to be "obviously" obnoxious or in poor taste.

The main thing that I see on otherwise nice cars is the silly stuff. Carb conversions are #1 on the mostly unnecessary list. Cutting springs to lower the car. Cutting holes in the dash to stick huge tachs or other gauges. Gutting the interior on non race cars.
 
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Euro tails (they look :poo:ty on EVERY fox. if you're reading this, yours is not the exception)

Big ass Cowl hoods on stock foxbodies (guilty of this at one point). Some people just dig the look I guess. Worse things have been done.

Saleen wings, i guess these aren't really so bad. I wanted one bad at one point, they do nothing for me now.

Cutting holes in the GT bumper to fit tail pipes never looks right.

Intentional sloppy mechanic anything. It's stupid and so are you for being proud of it. You can do things INEXPENSIVELY without doing a :poo: job of installing/fabricating/modifying/etc. there are zero exceptions to this. Try your best. if it's not that great, own it. But the "I made it crappy on purpose" thing is a cover up that children use.

Most other things are obvious.
 
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Euro tails (they look ****ty on EVERY fox. if you're reading this, yours is not the exception)

Big ass Cowl hoods on stock foxbodies (guilty of this at one point)

Saleen wings, i guess these aren't so bad. I wanted one bad at one point, they do nothing for me now.

Cutting holes in the GT bumper to tail pipes

Intentional sloppy mechanic anything. It's stupid and so are you. You can do thing INEXPENSIVELY without doing a **** job of installing/fabricating/modifying/etc. there are zero exceptions to this.

Most other things are obvious.
Now, tell us how you REALLY feel!
 
Well then,.....what do you use as a gauge then?

So you're saying then that you don't like or dislike other peoples cars then?:bs:
The point wasn't about how you should feel about it, ...it's about how others perceive it.
Why do you care? Are you a bit more bored this week than others so we need to debate worthless opinions about what the "cool kids" don't like about the "wannabe's"? You don't even own a Fox Mustang anymore so you have no skin in this game. Why in the world would anyone care about what I/we think about another persons vehicle unless that person asked for it? There are no rules IMO, this is not a Religion and they can do whatever they want with their car and their money and I'll do the same. None of us build/modify our vehicles to please anyone but ourselves.

The real question is why the hell did I recently remove you from my ignore list when it's these types of threads you create that piss me off.
 
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Isn't his car built on the same platform?
That would be skin enough for me.
But then I could be accused of suck'n up because I'm jealous he has the guts to build sht and then rebuild it a couple more times and I don't.
 
Oh wait... lemme try. :p

Why do you care? -Bekuz Rant! :fuss:

Are you a bit more bored this week than others so we need to debate worthless opinions about what the "cool kids" don't like about the "wannabe's"? -Maybe and it's getting cold.

You don't even own a Fox Mustang anymore so you have no skin in this game. -Rosie O'Donnell is still ugly and I don't have one of those either.

Why in the world would anyone care about what I/we think about another persons vehicle unless that person asked for it? - Bekuz Rant! :fuss:

There are no rules IMO, this is not a Religion and they can do whatever they want with their car and their money and I'll do the same. - The Mustang Gods must be appeased.

None of us build/modify our vehicles to please anyone but ourselves. - Wrong... We do it to garner "likes" so that all the hungry children in Africa get free food (saw it on the interwebz).

The real question is why the hell did I recently remove you from my ignore list when it's these types of threads you create that **** me off. -Bekuz you're even more touchy than the grumpy old man! :fuss:

Wait... Why would you even care what someone else's thread said? :chin
 
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Why do you care? Are you a bit more bored this week than others so we need to debate worthless opinions about what the "cool kids" don't like about the "wannabe's"? You don't even own a Fox Mustang anymore so you have no skin in this game. Why in the world would anyone care about what I/we think about another persons vehicle unless that person asked for it? There are no rules IMO, this is not a Religion and they can do whatever they want with their car and their money and I'll do the same. None of us build/modify our vehicles to please anyone but ourselves.

The real question is why the hell did I recently remove you from my ignore list when it's these types of threads you create that **** me off.

Pffft.

This is why somebody coined the phrase "Calling the Kettle black".

I have to consider your opinion, but mine is worthless? Do yourself a HUGE favor, and put me back on your ignore list. Then you won't be so pis sed off when I start a thread like this.
The fact of the matter is that the simple submission of a pic on a public forum is a solicitation for an opinion.
I expected the same this morning when I submitted this thread...opinions.

I find it humorous that you can ignore the bogus sht some people can throw together when they build a car, then post it up for public scrutiny, (because you just don't care) and then at the same time take issue with something I say on a forum. Why is it that you are all of the sudden so conscientious?

BTW There were 12 other replies before you decided that nobody cared.
 
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I care...a little lol. Not a fan of certain things and occasionally give my disapproving comments. I'm very vanilla with my mustang. Hell im still sporting 4 lug chrome cobra's(and like them)....what the hell do I know
 
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