Leaked email from Ford Employee

I can't believe no one is responding to or commenting on 351CJ's post, which makes several valid points and actually addresses issues raised by the original post in this thread, unlike most of the others. This board is odd.

66Satellite said:

I can't believe no one is responding to or commenting on 351CJ's post, which makes several valid points and actually addresses issues raised by the original post in this thread, unlike most of the others. This board is odd.

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His post is one of the most intelligent replies to this "email".

Unfortunately, everyone is too busy being worried about an imaginary sky falling to respond to common sense.

351CJ answered all of the major concerns, but everyone is still looking up in hopes that a chunk of sky doesn't fall upon them and crush them to death.

So sad...

66Satellite said:

I can't believe no one is responding to or commenting on 351CJ's post, which makes several valid points and actually addresses issues raised by the original post in this thread, unlike most of the others. This board is odd.

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too lazy..

tylers65 said:

His post is one of the most intelligent replies to this "email".

Unfortunately, everyone is too busy being worried about an imaginary sky falling to respond to common sense.

351CJ answered all of the major concerns, but everyone is still looking up in hopes that a chunk of sky doesn't fall upon them and crush them to death.

So sad...

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Ok, well here's my ignorant stab at it, and I'll make it as inflammatory as possible so maybe it will stir up some response. Given 351CJ's comments on Ford's current engine control systems, etc., I'd say the original post/e-mail is legit, and although the weight concern may be (slightly) exaggerated, the 2005+ Stang will be heavier, and it's going to be much harder to mod it for increased HP. Perhaps Ford will cooperate with some of the aftermarket companies, but maybe they also want to take back some of this business for themselves. The article that was posted previously about Ford and customizing is really oriented toward aesthetics, and it's really all about giving business back to Ford and the dealers. The new dashboard with all the silly colors is a perfect example of what Ford thinks people want (and they're probably right). Ford mostly sells V6 Stangs, and beyond wheel/suspension/aesthetic tweaks, even most GT owners probably are only interested in maybe adding a fart pipe and a chip--which Ford can probably provide. I don't know, what does Honda do to cooperate with the aftermarket, and how has that hurt/helped them? How about BMW? I think the ability to mod the Mustang for more HP will have little or no impact on its sales. If the car looks good (and I suspect that it will, even if some people are disappointed) it should be a huge hit for the first year or two. Then Ford will be able to keep sales up by offering an array of "special" models like the Bullit, Mach, etc, or by offering different appearance packages. And by the time a new Camaro comes out they'll probably have the 5.4 available. And of course the new Cobra will probably offer more performance than anyone could possibly use on the street.

Ruffrider said:

Can they really make a computer put the car into Failsafe mode if a mod increases TQ

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Shouldn't be hard for them to do at all. Any significant increase in torque will require additional airflow through the intake. All it would take would be for the computer to cut out say everyother cylinder if the MAF detects airflow above a given level set by the factory.

There would probably be ways around that assuming that the aftermarket can decifer the factor code/chip......and assuming there is some way to add an aftermarket chip to the engine. If there isn't a spot for a piggyback chip as there is now then the only access may be through the OBD port and they could probably disable that as well if they wanted to badly enough.

I'm not quite sure why they would go to all that trouble, though. All they really have to do to get themselves off the warranty hook is to make it so difficult to re-program that it will be obvious that it's been done.

I'm assuming here that simple changes such as intake/exhaust which leave airflow within the usable range of the existing chips and that don't require an aftermarket chip would still be possible. Given the typical variability in torque/horsepower that has been reported here from dyno runs they would have to leave a reasonably large margin above design airflow so that normal variation would be a couple of standard deviations below the cutoff. If they don't, then they could create a situation where a totally stock engine could potentially trigger the fail safe.

I think.

66Satellite said:

Ok, well here's my ignorant stab at it, and I'll make it as inflammatory as possible so maybe it will stir up some response. Given 351CJ's comments on Ford's current engine control systems, etc., I'd say the original post/e-mail is legit, and although the weight concern may be (slightly) exaggerated, the 2005+ Stang will be heavier, and it's going to be much harder to mod it for increased HP. Perhaps Ford will cooperate with some of the aftermarket companies, but maybe they also want to take back some of this business for themselves. The article that was posted previously about Ford and customizing is really oriented toward aesthetics, and it's really all about giving business back to Ford and the dealers. The new dashboard with all the silly colors is a perfect example of what Ford thinks people want (and they're probably right). Ford mostly sells V6 Stangs, and beyond wheel/suspension/aesthetic tweaks, even most GT owners probably are only interested in maybe adding a fart pipe and a chip--which Ford can probably provide. I don't know, what does Honda do to cooperate with the aftermarket, and how has that hurt/helped them? How about BMW? I think the ability to mod the Mustang for more HP will have little or no impact on its sales. If the car looks good (and I suspect that it will, even if some people are disappointed) it should be a huge hit for the first year or two. Then Ford will be able to keep sales up by offering an array of "special" models like the Bullit, Mach, etc, or by offering different appearance packages. And by the time a new Camaro comes out they'll probably have the 5.4 available. And of course the new Cobra will probably offer more performance than anyone could possibly use on the street.

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you'll believe this before you believe brad saying he has 50 photos of the legit 05?
i'm beginning to think no matter what the mustang 05 is, you won't like it.

we are still ignoring the fact that noteworthy aftermarket suppliers are already engineering power adders for the 05. dyno proven.

foghorn67 said:

we are still ignoring the fact that noteworthy aftermarket suppliers are already engineering power adders for the 05. dyno proven.

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Does your statement contradict 351's statement that: "Ford's new engine control system as used on the LS, T-Bird and it apears the new F-150, is quite a bit different from the old system. You can go into the ODB-II port and make some setting changes, but large variations such as changing things to accomodate a supercharge will not be possible unless Ford gives you access to their computer code. No one has yet been able to break the code on the Lincoln LS w/o Ford's help. So real performance upgrades and tuning could be limited to larger companies like Saleen & Roush who have working arrangements with Ford."

foghorn67 said:

you'll believe this before you believe brad saying he has 50 photos of the legit 05?
i'm beginning to think no matter what the mustang 05 is, you won't like it.

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I never said I doubted Greg had 50 photos. I think they're all the same ones we've all seen. They're either with camo, or they are fish eye spy shots. They don't necessarily show exactly what the car, particularly the GT, is gonna look like. I have it from a good source that the grainy shot released to dealers is close but not 100% accurate. I think that's all I ever said on the subject.

I think the email or whatever it was, looked poorly written. Although, the new mustang being made harder to modify might hold some truth. Back in 1993 when the new firebirds came out GM made it to where if you got the RPM's up too high in 1st gear when you went to shift to 2nd it would slide over into 4th instead. They were trying to make it to where they couldnt be drag raced. After awhile aftermarket companies made some kind of a kit to get rid of the problem so GM just went back and made it normal again.

Am I the only one who remembers back when they were going to introduce the OBD-II computers in Mustangs? At the time magazines such as MM&FF and 5.0 were telling us that OBD-II would spell the end for performance mods in cars. And here we are in 2003 with modified Mustangs galore. Back then, they stated that "simple" mods like headers and intakes would cause the computer to go wild and put it into limp mode.

Then there was when it was announced that the 5.0L was going to be dropped for the "weak" 4.6L. Everyone was terrified by this new engine and that it would spell the end of the Mustang. Did it happen? No. Yes the '96 - '97 Stangs were not top performers, but they were also not the dogs everyone made them out to be. And now look at were that 4.6L has come. It's become a very potent V8 that.

We cannot speculate on items like this and hope to reach an educated opinion. The simple fact is, until the car is released and people are driving it, we will not know for certain.

I know there are reasons Ford could come up with to justify making the new Mustang harder to modify, but none of them I can think of seem logical to me. If someone purchases a Mustang and they want to spend time customizing their vehicle, whether it be looks or performance, let them. They paid for it didn't they? They spent their money to buy something they wanted, they have every right to do whatever they please with the car, even if it is illegal.

I just can't understand their reasoning.

If it is to make it so that only big name tuners can improve performance, then what about those who can't afford the "big name" part of tuning?

If it is to get people to go to Ford dealerships for their performance needs/wants, what about those who despise the service centers at most dealerships? (I'm one of them).

Rant on:
Let's face it, people who work at dealerships, for the most part are assclowns. Mercedes, one of the most prestigious companies in the auto world, has shown me some of the most undesireable experiences when it comes to servicing (rarely do they completely fix the problem, if not making it worse. Also you bring them an $80,000 car and they give you a stripped down bottom of the line loaner in return.) Volkswagen has got to have the WORST service centers (at least in Georgia) I have ever been witness to. You tell them to do one thing, and only one thing, and they do everything but what you asked. You write "Do not do anything without calling ME and getting approval from ME first." and they do a million other things and change your half-month old wiper blades out for new ones (for only $34.95 plus labor) and wash your car that was detailed and waxed that morning on top of everything else. Oh and it takes 3 hours for them to remove wheel locks.
Rant off.

What about all the "do-it-yourself" people who want to work on their car themselves, even if it means screwing up a few times before they get it working right?

If it is to stop people from street racing, then why the hell do they make GTs, Mach 1s, SVTs, Bullits, etc.?

Rant on:
If people want to street race, they're going to do it with any damn car you give them. Making it harder to modify to cut down on street racing would do nothing. The only thing I can think of on this idea is that Ford may think it might improve the Mustang's reputation with adults who hate fast cars and teenage drivers, or drivers who like driving. But come on, everything else aside (heritage, sentimental connections, etc.) Mustangs (especially the V8s), are death traps. They are fast, and as far as safety features go today, they don't have many. To top that off, thousands and thousands of 16-25 year olds die in auto accidents every year. Does that stop people from buying Mustangs? No.
Rant off.

I truely hope this "email/post" does not become a reality.

Yes VW sucks. The mirror on my friends jetta broke off. The dealer recommended duct tape to fix it.
GT/Mach/Bullit/Cobra's are made to attract buyers who want more hp. This does not make them street racers. Some buy them for drag. Some for open track. Some like me buy them just to have a powerful car.

SVTdriver said:

Some like me buy them just to have a powerful car.

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Same here, no racing in mind, just having the power is great!

i saw those posts on mach1registry ..and 3800lb and i'm sure you guys saw that ugly rear end?....made me get a 04 mach 1!

So you believe everything you read? There has been no real proof that the weight is accurate. Now if the "ugly" rear end is what made you decide. That's a totally different subject.

2005Eleanor said:

I just can't understand their reasoning.

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You guys seem to have forgotten about the upcoming emissions requirements (tier II or something like that).

Ford's addition of VCT to most of its engines has as much to do with meeting the new emissions requirements as it does in making more HP.

351CJ said:

You guys seem to have forgotten about the upcoming emissions requirements (tier II or something like that).

Ford's addition of VCT to most of its engines has as much to do with meeting the new emissions requirements as it does in making more HP.

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Ill end this right now. The new 05 Mustang was shown to select group of aftermarket companies at SEMA, so they could start getting ideas on modifications before the car is released.

The 05 Mustang was built before the prototype you all see at the carshows, and they built the prototype by looking at the real deal.


Why in the world would they show the car to aftermarket companies, if it was not going to work with any modifications.

Cliff Notes-
That first post is 100% FALSE.

I can not say anymore at this time. I do know people who have seen the real production car though and it was good.

GNN60GT500 said:

The 05 Mustang was built before the prototype you all see at the carshows, and they built the prototype by looking at the real deal.

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Let me make sure I'm understanding you...
Are you saying that the production version of the car was designed and completed before the concept car? I find that hard to believe. That just doesn't happen in the automotive industry. Not to mention all the articles I have read about how the concept car was created. If it were true, they would be showing the production version as a "concept" and release it immediately if it was well received. Remember that Ford would like to have the car on sale by April 17, but they won't be able to. Why would there be a delay if the car has been completed for a long time, as you seem to suggest??