10 Best Mustangs

CarMichael Angelo · Mar 16, 2013

Building dream stables are we?

In order:
65 ShelbyGT 350
67 GT 500 (because it had a 427 in it, and I like the front end better than the 68)
69 Mach 1 w/ 428 CJ R model
69 Boss 429
71 Boss 351 (fastest production car ever built,....just ask ratio411)
86 GT (because you gotta have a 4 eye fox)
89 Notch ( only if modified heavily to incorporate 1968 front and rear sheetmetal)
93 Cobra
11 Shelby GT 500
13 Boss Laguna Sega

Couldn't bring myself to put a SN 95 anything in my list.
Sorry in advance to the pro sta-puft marshmallow body style lovers.

CarMichael Angelo · Mar 16, 2013

Illuminator said:
How about a Boss 302 with a Boss 351 motor? Years back a co-worker had it and let me borrow it from time to time with the assumption my life was on the line if anything happened to it...lol

That would be a car not worth it's namesake. At least not as much as it was before the swap. faster, but basically it became a 69/70 fastback w/ a different engine.

Illuminator · Mar 16, 2013

madmike1157 said:
That would be a car not worth it's namesake. At least not as much as it was before the swap. faster, but basically it became a 69/70 fastback w/ a different engine.

Yeah he still had the original motor, just had a deal come up on the 351 so went with it...car was a blast to drive, total fishtail burnouts all through third till it hooked. Good thing he never seen me driving it or I probably wouldn't be here...lmao

95PGTTech · Mar 16, 2013

Why some people are listing such high production value cars is BEYOND me.

Example:
Saleen E302 Sterling Edition - 25 were made for Saleen's 25th anniversary plus one car that got no VIN but a build number and went to their drag partner JDM Engineering. The cars were the full Saleen catalog - race seats, coilover suspension, watts link, 6 speed, built motor, blower, yaddah yaddah yaddah.

FordRacing302 · Mar 16, 2013

Let's see here

1. 1986 GT
2. 1985 GT
3. 1993 LX hatch
4. 1992 LX hatch
5. 1991 LX hatch
6. 1990 LX hatch
7. 1989 LX hatch
8. 1988 LX hatch
9. 1987 LX hatch
10. 1993 Cobra

Those are the best mustangs of all time...

ratio411 · Mar 16, 2013

madmike1157 said:
67 GT 500 (because it had a 427 in it, and I like the front end better than the 68)

I think that is the rarest car in this thread.
There were less than 10 with the 427, maybe less than 5, I don't recall exactly.
The standard engine in 67-68 was the 428 (non-CJ).
The CJ didn't come out until mid year 68.
I agree. They uglied up the car in 68.

Related trivia:
The famous "Shelby/AC 427 Cobra"...
If you went to your dealer and ordered one up new for personal use, what engine did it come with?
(It's not the one you think. Only legit race teams got that engine.)

hsean · Mar 16, 2013

FordRacing302 said:
Let's see here

1. 1986 GT
2. 1985 GT
3. 1993 LX hatch
4. 1992 LX hatch
5. 1991 LX hatch
6. 1990 LX hatch
7. 1989 LX hatch
8. 1988 LX hatch
9. 1987 LX hatch
10. 1993 Cobra

Those are the best mustangs of all time...

i love your list being a foxbody guy but i would add

1985 asc mclaren coupe
1986 asc mclaren convertible
1987 roush mustang with twin turbos
1987 mustang with t-tops cobra clone (my car)
1989 saleen ssc in white with the white leather interior
1990 asc mclaren convertible
1992 saac mustang
1993 cobra r

FordRacing302 · Mar 16, 2013

hsean said:
i love your list being a foxbody guy but i would add

1985 asc mclaren coupe
1986 asc mclaren convertible
1987 roush mustang with twin turbos
1987 mustang with t-tops cobra clone (my car)
1989 saleen ssc in white with the white leather interior
1990 asc mclaren convertible
1992 saac mustang
1993 cobra r

I just like my LX hatches...wouldn't have it any other way

stangrod2000 · Mar 17, 2013

I have loved this one since the day I layed eyes on it!! JBA Dominator

CarMichael Angelo · Mar 18, 2013

ratio411 said:
I think that is the rarest car in this thread.
There were less than 10 with the 427, maybe less than 5, I don't recall exactly.
The standard engine in 67-68 was the 428 (non-CJ).
The CJ didn't come out until mid year 68.
I agree. They uglied up the car in 68.

Related trivia:
The famous "Shelby/AC 427 Cobra"...
If you went to your dealer and ordered one up new for personal use, what engine did it come with?
(It's not the one you think. Only legit race teams got that engine.)

you can't have trivia contests where everybody has access to the answers online.

I swear I haven't looked and my "guess" is legit. Uhhhh 260?

madspeed · Mar 18, 2013

stangrod2000 said:
I have loved this one since the day I layed eyes on it!! JBA Dominator

The front needs a smoother transition from the fenders to the nose. I've always liked the rear on this one

ratio411 · Mar 18, 2013

madmike1157 said:
you can't have trivia contests where everybody has access to the answers online.

I swear I haven't looked and my "guess" is legit. Uhhhh 260?

428
You didn't get a 427 in your 427 AC Cobra unless you had connections inside Ford.
Dealer sales got the 428, no side exhaust either.

Bullitt347 · Mar 18, 2013

What a Mustang must have to NOT be on my top 10 list:
#1) Convertible
#2) A production date (model year) from 1974-78'
#3) A V-6 engine
#4) A 4 cyl engine
#5) A production date (model year) from 1994-95'
#6)Have ASC McLaren on it ( fit and finish was horrendous, and that is being nice)
#7) Have Sandalwood or Tan interior trim color (red also qualifies)
#8) An open rear differential.......A track-lock or Detroit Locker was an option on a 428 CJ Mustang, ...........yup standard equipment was an open diff on that bad boy thus making it an epic fail.
#9) A "Moonroof/Sunroof" or glass roof. Edit: adding T-tops to this ultimate list of fail
#10) Bench seat
This does not mean that any Mustang that does not have these features is a top ten car.

95PGTTech · Mar 19, 2013

#7 - the blue and grey (not the New Edge dark charcoal) were also tasteless options IMO. Grey leather interior in a 94-98 gets really dirty looking really easily.

#9 - have you seen the glass roofs on the 05+ cars, actually looks pretty bad ass in person. Most people don't even recognize it in pics.

I agree wholeheartedly with the rest. I was never a convertible guy - I'm glad my friend on here adam95gt has a convertible so I can get a ride when I want to and get the experience without having to deal with all the BS of owning one.

StreetsideStig · Mar 19, 2013

JordanB21 said:
1986 SVO

Definitely needs a mention. Handling was boss in this thing.

91TwighlightGT · Mar 20, 2013

StreetsideStig said:
Definitely needs a mention. Handling was boss in this thing.

I think this is a case of remembering things better than they actually were. When you really break down the parts list, the SVO just doesn't have much to make it that much better than a standard Fox GT.

So, as is common knowledge it had better than stock brakes and 5 lug axles.

It has the same wheel/tire size as a 91-93 5.0 Mustang.

It has a slightly wider track than a standard 5.0L car.

Koni shocks are certainly a plus... I'll venture to say that they probably made the most difference in terms of how the car felt as stock Mustang shocks leave a lot to be desired.

Stiffer Bushings - In my research every SVO site says stiffer bushings, but there is zero data on the differences. How much does could it add to the handling?

Front Suspension

Re-valved rack and pinion - 20:1 ratio is actually slower than later model GT's.

The SVO spindle/Control arm setup is the biggest difference compared to the standard Fox. According to MM...

Spindle, rotor and caliper were sourced from a Lincoln.
Diameter of the ball joint taper is that of the Lincoln, which is larger than a typical Mustang ball joint. This requires a ball joint adapter when swapping this spindle onto any other 1979-04 Mustang ball joint.
Steering arm geometry is slightly different than that of the other Mustang spindles of the same era, increasing the Ackerman geometry effect, but also slowing the steering ratio.
Strut mounting ear is 0.230" (5.9mm) thinner than the first generation Mustang spindle.
Bolt holes for the strut mounting are 0.130" (3.3mm) further apart than the first generation Mustang spindle; are the same as the 1987-93 V8 Mustang spindle, and all 1994-04 Mustang spindles.

However, in context the change is similar to that made on the SN95 chassis. Some slight front track increases and slightly better ackermann. Not enough IMO to classify it as a great handling car.
Stiffer front ARB - Ford changed the swaybar size a lot, but from Maximum Motorsports...

SVO Sway bar is 1.25 inches, an 87-93 GT is 1.313 and a 93 Cobra is 1.125. Upgrade? I'm not so sure it really matters that much.

Rear Suspension

7.5 inch axle - From a handling perspective, it is lower weight than the 8.8 (although until 1986 all Mustangs had a 7.5 anyway) which is preferred.

Same quadrabind rear suspension setup with quad shocks. The Mustang achilles heel is not fixed on the SVO.

Rear bar (article claims it is added, but MustangGT registry shows the GT always had one) size difference is seemingly impossible to find, but like the front bar these things changed a lot through the years.

Weight
Despite commonly held beliefs, the SVO just isn't that much lighter than a Stock Mustang GT. The 2.3L is all cast iron, and it is heavy for a four cylinder. Add in the turbo components and you are knocking on the door of 5.0L weight. A 5.0L with aluminum heads is about the same weight as a full dress 2.3L turbo. Weight distribution is nowhere near 50/50, it is about 57/43, which isn't anything to write home about.

Now, the point I am making here is that if I were to make these changes to an 87-93 5.0L Mustang with new aftermarket parts and then claimed that I had a great handling car, I would be rightly laughed out of the room. The fact is, the SVO was a poor handler just like pretty much every other Mustang from 79-04.

Links -
Spindle tech - http://www.maximummotorsports.com/store/index.php?main_page=tech_front_susp_svo_spindle

Sway bar tech - http://www.maximummotorsports.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=88_219

General history and specs - http://www.svoca.com/history/svo_history.php

85_SS_302_Coupe · Mar 20, 2013

95PGTTech said:
Why some people are listing such high production value cars is BEYOND me.

Example:
Saleen E302 Sterling Edition - 25 were made for Saleen's 25th anniversary plus one car that got no VIN but a build number and went to their drag partner JDM Engineering. The cars were the full Saleen catalog - race seats, coilover suspension, watts link, 6 speed, built motor, blower, yaddah yaddah yaddah.

Not sure I understand. Are you saying all that is a good thing? What would I do with a rolling parts catalog that I can't drive on the street? To me, a purpose built race car is worth less than an equally built street car. We can split hairs about what makes a car a race car or not streetable, but to me I'll take a car that isn't so rare that I'd be afraid to break it over a priceless irreplaceable garage ornament.

JordanB21 · Mar 21, 2013

95PGTTech said:
Why some people are listing such high production value cars is BEYOND me.

Example:
Saleen E302 Sterling Edition - 25 were made for Saleen's 25th anniversary plus one car that got no VIN but a build number and went to their drag partner JDM Engineering. The cars were the full Saleen catalog - race seats, coilover suspension, watts link, 6 speed, built motor, blower, yaddah yaddah yaddah.

I don't find it the rarity that is important to me, rather, what I see and like.
I could pick up an SVO fox, and a convertible cobra. They're cars I want because they're neat/appealing. Yah know?
It doesn't have to be a Lamborghini (besides, I hate supercars body styles), it just has to be something I like and don't have (and is a mustang!).

madmike1157 said:
Building dream stables are we?

In order:
67 GT 500 (because it had a 427 in it, and I like the front end better than the 68)
69 Mach 1 w/ 428 CJ R model
69 Boss 429
71 Boss 351 (fastest production car ever built,....just ask ratio411)
89 Notch ( only if modified heavily to incorporate 1968 front and rear sheetmetal)

Couldn't bring myself to put a SN 95 anything in my list.
Sorry in advance to the pro sta-puft marshmallow body style lovers.

Esta Bien. The cars on your list make up for it.

StreetsideStig said:
Definitely needs a mention. Handling was boss in this thing.

I love the idea of it, and while it may not handle up to 85coupe's needs/wants, for me it's a cool car. And for its time it was great. I can understand saying it's a glorified 94 v6 mustang or so, but that's still 8 years ahead of its time.
Plus those headlights are pretty F***ing cool.

StreetsideStig · Mar 21, 2013

^And don't forget the offset hood scoop and the biplane spoiler!

StreetsideStig · Mar 21, 2013

91TwighlightGT said:
I think this is a case of remembering things better than they actually were...

Yeah, you're probably right. It's more the spirit of the thing, I guess.

10 Best Mustangs

CarMichael Angelo

my rearend will smell so minty fresh,

CarMichael Angelo

my rearend will smell so minty fresh,

Illuminator

Active Member

95PGTTech

Member

FordRacing302

ratio411

hsean

FordRacing302

stangrod2000

Member

Attachments

CarMichael Angelo

my rearend will smell so minty fresh,

madspeed

Colonel Mustard

ratio411

Bullitt347

I have been doing it wrong this whole time

95PGTTech

Member

StreetsideStig

Active Member

91TwighlightGT

85_SS_302_Coupe

it sucks (I know) to be on the receiving end

JordanB21

Active Member

StreetsideStig

Active Member

StreetsideStig

Active Member

Similar threads

10 Best Mustangs

my rearend will smell so minty fresh,

my rearend will smell so minty fresh,

Active Member

Member

Member

Attachments

my rearend will smell so minty fresh,

Colonel Mustard

I have been doing it wrong this whole time

Member

Active Member

it sucks (I know) to be on the receiving end

Active Member

Active Member

Active Member

Similar threads

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency