it sounds like you like torque. fox = torque. DO IT. and as far as looks, take a look at this thread. http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=539102 it'll take away that "bugging" feeling you're getting about the 80's looks. sbf has the biggest aftermarket. 5.0 sn95's were the same motor but in a heavier car, thats why it probably didn't seem as fast. greats cars still though, and can EASILY be made to go fast. the clutch was stiff because these cars have cable clutches, and he probably had an aftermarket clutch in it. centerforce makes a really good, strong clutch with very soft pedal pressure. to TRUELY appreciate these cars, you need to actually get in and drive one. nothing feels or drives like a fox. lots of torque down low. the 302 is a very reliable motor, tons of stangs on here with 150k + miles on the ticker and they're still running 12's and 13's. the stock bottom end is pretty stout. you can run a 150 shot on an all stock motor and the motor will run all day. i'm at work and don't really feel like going any further into it, but trust me, shop around, get a good fox, and you won't regret it.
they say they put out the same power but the fox is a little lighter than the sn95, you would probably feel the weight difference when you get into a fox. Plus they are cheap and easy to modify
they say they put out the same power but the fox is a little lighter than the sn95, you would probably feel the weight difference when you get into a fox. Plus they are cheap and easy to modify
Thanks for the quick reply. Yep, I do like torque. Is the fox 5.0 even torquier than the sn95 5.0? Or does it just feel better because the car is lighter? I think I need to drive one and see how I like it. Now I just need to find one nearby.
MR2 is a pretty cool little car but so is having 300lb-ft of torque from factory without needing to shift at 6000rpm. If you get a fox, you will notice the brakes aren't super and the car may not handle too well (compared to an MR2). That's a somewhat easy fix though, you can put some SN95 spindles and diff. The car will have a wider track and better brakes, add some eibach springs and you get the "small car" handling you may be used to.
this is mine with the upgraded brakes and suspension (5 lug - 1999GT wheels) :
Personally I would probably look at the MR2 if you want light and nimble. If you were looking for all out power, and all around performance, the LS1 is hard to beat. If you plan to spend a good amount of money and time, then the fox isn't bad either.
This is gonna be a personal tast type of thing. IMHO the fox body mustangs are some of the most fun to drive cars out there. Low rpm torque is lots of fun and the fox body cars are pretty light. The down falls of these cars are the suspension, brakes, and the interior quality which non are all that great but are fixable. They are also faster in stock form than the SN95 cars (except 96-98 cobras but they don't have the torque of the 5.0's either).
I like the SN95 mustang for the better suspension, brakes, and interior even though the interior isn't great I like the style of it. The looks are also ok but when upgraded I think they look great. The 94-95's still had the good old 5.0 but the power was down although some just say that they are just heavier they didn't have as much RWHP as the 87-93 cars stock. If you plan to do some modifications the computers are more sensative. I have a 95 cobra and I really like it but it does have some faults.
I really don't know much about the other cars you listed except the LS1 camaro. These cars are fast and everything but I don't like the controls, the interior, or the styling, not to mention they don't sound near as good as a mustang. They also have a very weak rear end and if any real power is put to them they will explode!!! As for the others I don't know enough to give you a honest opinion but I am not the biggest fan of imports.