The beautiful thing about the 5.0 is unquestionably its aftermarket. Unfortunately in today's world of stock 505hp Corvettes, 420 horsepower cobras, 500 hp Shelby GT500's, 400 horsepower caddies, pontiacs, Chargers, challengers.... The list just keeps going and going.... 300hp lightweight AWD cars, supercharged Cobalts, Turbocharged neons... Hell, The honda freaking accord comes with a 253hp V6 whereas our beloved 5.0 came with only 225 hp in its best form (besides a cobra). All I've even mentioned here are production stock cars the KB Cobras, H/C/I+ LSX cars, turbo supras, the growing aftermarket of the EVOs notwithstanding.
There are so damned many cars now... What does it take to make a 5.0 competitive with the sports cars of today? Some type of forced induction without question. Realistically, though, 5.0s seem to be fading into the rear-view mirror. How many 5.0s are left in good condition? Of those, how many people are willing to invest the large sums of cash required to fight on into the forced induction realm? Then there's the limits of the stock block before aftermarket blocks and internals are necessary.
It used to be that LT1 owners were afraid of 5.0s because just a couple simple cheap bolt-ons had the potential of turning a 5.0 into something that an LT1 couldn't catch. With the LS1, 5.0s were still hanging on with the multitude of H/C/I combos out there that were cheap and how easily the work could be done. Now, the cars are so quick from the factory that fully worked 5.0s sometimes with forced induction are having problems keeping up. How embarrassing to take a supercharged 5.0 against a factory corvette and lose!
Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of enthusiasts like me who have gone to the extreme building fox bodies with monster power. I'm certainly not afraid of any production car on the planet, but more realistically to be on the playing field with today's factory hot rods (especially after a few modifications of their own), the 5.0 has to have more than the normal 5.0 owner can afford, has the effort for, or is willing to put into such an old car.
God bless the ol' 5.0 (fox-body mustang) and those who are continuing to fight on to the ranger objective with their fox-body. I'm just a little displeased that my dream car is fading away. The muscle cars of the golden age of the hot-rod, while no faster or more easily modifiable than the 5.0, are looked upon with such reverence, inspiration, and awe. I think the 5.0 is beginning to be looked back on as just an old car that's out of wind and can't keep up.
Chris
There are so damned many cars now... What does it take to make a 5.0 competitive with the sports cars of today? Some type of forced induction without question. Realistically, though, 5.0s seem to be fading into the rear-view mirror. How many 5.0s are left in good condition? Of those, how many people are willing to invest the large sums of cash required to fight on into the forced induction realm? Then there's the limits of the stock block before aftermarket blocks and internals are necessary.
It used to be that LT1 owners were afraid of 5.0s because just a couple simple cheap bolt-ons had the potential of turning a 5.0 into something that an LT1 couldn't catch. With the LS1, 5.0s were still hanging on with the multitude of H/C/I combos out there that were cheap and how easily the work could be done. Now, the cars are so quick from the factory that fully worked 5.0s sometimes with forced induction are having problems keeping up. How embarrassing to take a supercharged 5.0 against a factory corvette and lose!
Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of enthusiasts like me who have gone to the extreme building fox bodies with monster power. I'm certainly not afraid of any production car on the planet, but more realistically to be on the playing field with today's factory hot rods (especially after a few modifications of their own), the 5.0 has to have more than the normal 5.0 owner can afford, has the effort for, or is willing to put into such an old car.
God bless the ol' 5.0 (fox-body mustang) and those who are continuing to fight on to the ranger objective with their fox-body. I'm just a little displeased that my dream car is fading away. The muscle cars of the golden age of the hot-rod, while no faster or more easily modifiable than the 5.0, are looked upon with such reverence, inspiration, and awe. I think the 5.0 is beginning to be looked back on as just an old car that's out of wind and can't keep up.
Chris