heard a rumor of the new 05' body styleS?

RedFireGT05 · May 3, 2004

I heard that they will be making the 04' body style for 2005 along w/ the new retro body style..

can anyone confirm this?

afast93stang · May 3, 2004

I highly doubt this is true considering the 04 is a completely different chassis than the 05 and the fact that it has an all new design is its major selling point...

shatner saves · May 3, 2004

Not likely.

asa96fmc · May 3, 2004

From recent talks with the DAP Plant Manager at the MCA 40th in Nashville, I heard the last day of the current Mustang being produced is May 10. If you believe the Internet forums, the new car will be built beginning on September 7 at AAI.

Slapyo · May 3, 2004

everything is different on the 05. from the ground up it was a complete re-design. no 04 body with a 05 chassis/engine.

tylers65 · May 3, 2004

Although many have stated that the 05 is on a completely different platform, I can see how one could think that they would produce both at the same time. Let us not forget the "Heritage Edition" F-150. Ford built BOTH the old and new F-150 at the same time and sold them both as 2003 models. It is not so far fetched that they could do the same with the Mustang considering that the 2 different platforms are produced at 2 different plants. It could be concieved that one plant would continue to build the Fox platform cars in tandum with the new S-197 cars at the Joint venture plant that the new Mustang is slated to be built at.

But I have to join the nay sayers here and say that it is highly unlikely that this will happen.

The Fireman · May 4, 2004

I for one would like to know where you heard this from.

Without that I'm calling on this.

CatmanJJ · May 4, 2004

The Fireman said:
I for one would like to know where you heard this from.

Without that I'm calling on this.

351CJ · May 4, 2004

RedFireGT05 said:
I heard that they will be making the 04' body style for 2005 along w/ the new retro body style..

can anyone confirm this?

Production of the 2004 Mustang ends on May 10.

The factory (Dearborn) is being torn apart and converted to making trucks, so there is NO way the 04 Mustang will continue in production next year.

rhumbline · May 4, 2004

Not a chance, entirely different chassis, suspension, interior, etc., virtually impossible, much less profitable.

RICKS · May 5, 2004

What 351CJ said is absolutely correct, which means that even though Ford has a track record with the trucks building old and new concurrently, it WON'T happen with Mustang. Another bit of trivia: I toured the old River Rouge plant last June during the 100th anniversary celebration, and the factory worker who was our tour guide stated that the tooling used to produce the floorpan was the SAME tool they had been flogging since the introduction of the Fox platform in 1977!!! He said it was flat wore out, that they could not produce another year's worth of Mustangs if they wanted to, with that tool. As it was, he said that the tool was so worn out, and so far out of typical production tolerence, That each floor had to be hand-fitted and welded-in mostly by hand for the last couple years due to huge variances from floor to floor to floor, causing major headaches down the line trying to maintain tight tolerences and measurements, making it a bitch to get the cars to go together and line-up well as a whole. I thought that was interesting, considering I had a couple pals who had just bought new Machs, and were complaining about how the character lines in the passenger side door didn't line up with the fender worth a $hit, and wondered if that couldn't be attributed to the snowball effect of having a subframe and floor that was "cobbled" together at the start of the production line.

mattdee1 · May 5, 2004

RICKS said:
What 351CJ said is absolutely correct, which means that even though Ford has a track record with the trucks building old and new concurrently, it WON'T happen with Mustang. Another bit of trivia: I toured the old River Rouge plant last June during the 100th anniversary celebration, and the factory worker who was our tour guide stated that the tooling used to produce the floorpan was the SAME tool they had been flogging since the introduction of the Fox platform in 1977!!! He said it was flat wore out, that they could not produce another year's worth of Mustangs if they wanted to, with that tool. As it was, he said that the tool was so worn out, and so far out of typical production tolerence, That each floor had to be hand-fitted and welded-in mostly by hand for the last couple years due to huge variances from floor to floor to floor, causing major headaches down the line trying to maintain tight tolerences and measurements, making it a bitch to get the cars to go together and line-up well as a whole. I thought that was interesting, considering I had a couple pals who had just bought new Machs, and were complaining about how the character lines in the passenger side door didn't line up with the fender worth a $hit, and wondered if that couldn't be attributed to the snowball effect of having a subframe and floor that was "cobbled" together at the start of the production line.

If this is true, it might shed some light on why my '03 squeaks, creeks, and rattles like nobody's business.

Lord, bring on the '05. I've had it with this wreck.

RedFireGT05 · May 5, 2004

I just heard from a friend.. i was just asking to see how true it is..

351CJ · May 5, 2004

Interesting info, Ricks, although the Fox Mustang was introduced in 1979 (although they could have been making prototypes as early as late 1977).

That's one thing that most people don't understand. Machinery and tooling flat wear out after they've been used for years. If that tooling (I assume dies on a large stamping press) has really made all the floor pans since 1979, that means it had been used to make over 4,000,000 floor pans.

RICKS · May 6, 2004

Interesting info, Ricks, although the Fox Mustang was introduced in 1979 (although they could have been making prototypes as early as late 1977).

Ah yes, Grashopper, the Fox Mustang WAS introduced in 1979, but you forget my young kung fu master, that the Ford FAIRMONT was introduced in the fall of 1977 as a '78 model. The Fairmont/Futura was the first application of the Fox platform. That's why the running joke on most bowtie websites is that we're all ga-ga over a gussied-up Fairmont. Other Ford cars that were built on the Fox platform? It may shock you how many Ford tanks shared underpinning with Mustang:

FORD FAIRMONT 1978-83 (105.5" wheelbase; 2-door coupe, 2-door sedan, 4-door, station wagon)
MERCURY ZEPHYR 1978-83 (105.5" wheelbase; Z-7 coupe, Villager wagon)
FORD MUSTANG 1979-93 (100.4" wheelbase; 3-door hatchback, 2-door coupe)
MERCURY CAPRI 1979-86 (100.4" wheelbase; 3-door hatchback, 2-door coupe)
FORD GRANADA 1980-82 (105.5" wheelbase; 2-door, 4-door, station wagon)
MERCURY COUGAR 1980-82 (108.2" wheelbase; 2-door, 4-door, station wagon)
FORD THUNDERBIRD 1980-82 (108.2" wheelbase; 2-door only)
FORD LTD 1983-86 (105.6" wheelbase; 4-door, station wagon)
MERCURY MARQUIS 1983-86 (105.6" wheelbase; 4-door, station wagon)
LINCOLN CONTINENTAL 1982-87 (112.0" wheelbase; 4-door only)
MERCURY COUGAR 1983-86 (103.8" wheelbase; 2-door only)
FORD THUNDERBIRD 1983-86 (103.8" wheelbase; 2-door only)
LINCOLN MARK VII 1984-92 (112.0" wheelbase; 2-door only)
MERCURY COUGAR 1987-88 (104.2" wheelbase; 2-door only)
FORD THUNDERBIRD 1987-88 (104.2" wheelbase; 2-door only)

In 1994, the fox platform was highly modified and enhanced, renamed "SN-95", but the same old fox floor remained virtually unchanged.

afast93stang · May 6, 2004

Actually the roots of the Fox platform go back to Ford of England and its research was launched in 1973, headed by Hal Sperlich. In 1975 NAAO (North American Automotive Operations) had taken over the Fox program from Sperlich's Product Planning And Research team. The First Fairmont prototype was a yellow reworked English Cortina that was transformed by the NAAO... and well, you guys know the rest

351CJ · May 6, 2004

RICKS said:
Ah yes, Grashopper, the Fox Mustang WAS introduced in 1979, but you forget my young kung fu master, that the Ford FAIRMONT was introduced in the fall of 1977 as a '78 model. The Fairmont/Futura was the first application of the Fox platform. That's why the running joke on most bowtie websites is that we're all ga-ga over a gussied-up Fairmont. Other Ford cars that were built on the Fox platform? It may shock you how many Ford tanks shared underpinning with Mustang:

FORD FAIRMONT 1978-83 (105.5" wheelbase; 2-door coupe, 2-door sedan, 4-door, station wagon)
MERCURY ZEPHYR 1978-83 (105.5" wheelbase; Z-7 coupe, Villager wagon)
FORD MUSTANG 1979-93 (100.4" wheelbase; 3-door hatchback, 2-door coupe)
MERCURY CAPRI 1979-86 (100.4" wheelbase; 3-door hatchback, 2-door coupe)
FORD GRANADA 1980-82 (105.5" wheelbase; 2-door, 4-door, station wagon)
MERCURY COUGAR 1980-82 (108.2" wheelbase; 2-door, 4-door, station wagon)
FORD THUNDERBIRD 1980-82 (108.2" wheelbase; 2-door only)
FORD LTD 1983-86 (105.6" wheelbase; 4-door, station wagon)
MERCURY MARQUIS 1983-86 (105.6" wheelbase; 4-door, station wagon)
LINCOLN CONTINENTAL 1982-87 (112.0" wheelbase; 4-door only)
MERCURY COUGAR 1983-86 (103.8" wheelbase; 2-door only)
FORD THUNDERBIRD 1983-86 (103.8" wheelbase; 2-door only)
LINCOLN MARK VII 1984-92 (112.0" wheelbase; 2-door only)
MERCURY COUGAR 1987-88 (104.2" wheelbase; 2-door only)
FORD THUNDERBIRD 1987-88 (104.2" wheelbase; 2-door only)

In 1994, the fox platform was highly modified and enhanced, renamed "SN-95", but the same old fox floor remained virtually unchanged.

I am well aware of the Mustang's roots in the Fairmont, but the Fox Mustang does not use the same floor pan as the Fairmont. Therefore the dies for the stamping press that makes the Mustang floor pans are NOT the same dies that made the Fairmont / Zephyr floor pans.

Also, the last generation Cougar and T-bird (2 door RWD, 4 seaters) use a different platform, MN12, shared with the MK-VIII. You have the production dates for those cars wrong too.

FallenPhoenix · May 6, 2004

I'd go for them producing it another year but from what has been said and that this is the first I've ever heard rumor of that, I'd say it's not gonna happen

Detroit_guy · May 7, 2004

production of the 04 mustangs are down to only v6's and mostly all white. the last car will roll of the line moday may 10 and head for the museum. all workers are mostly going next door to the new f-150(dtp) plant some to the new mustang home AAI in flat rock,MI.

awalbert88 · May 7, 2004

It'll be a sad day when the last Fox vehicle rolls off the assembly line, but I'm looking forward to the new platform.

Fox has certainly been one of the world's most durable and long-living platforms, but I think after 27 years, it's time for it to ride off into the sunset.

heard a rumor of the new 05' body styleS?

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