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Your Opinion on 5.0 Mustangs

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  • #16
    Re: Your Opinion on 5.0 Mustangs

    Being old school, never had any interest in the car untill a buddy needed a cage. It was then after seeing the 'Stang "naked" I asked how anyone ever survived a crash with one...and realized it is the perfect race car.
    The rear suspension was familiar as a Chevelle, the front suspension could be incredibly lite weight, short wheel base, the engine compartment is huge, the 8.8 is strong modified, the fit and finish, quality of the car was miles better than the Camaro/Firebird of it's time. The car itself I'm a big fan of for going fast.
    Everyone has their own favorite engines to build. I prefer GM/Cadillac and Mopar...never really cared for the Ford for whatever reason.
    I love trucks...I buy truck mags. I love bugs...I buy bug mags. I like street rods, rat rods, muscle cars, 4x4's....I own two Fox Mustangs. I buy those mags too.
    If this site is favorable to excepting all forms of makes, models, racing, venues, and the like...I would read about a 5.0 build. Like anything else, I would pick out what I like about the article and skip over what I dont.


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    • #17
      Re: Your Opinion on 5.0 Mustangs

      wow, are these brand loyalty comments in here or what??

      It's a car. It has an engine. It can be hotrodded, very easily. If a turbo minibike is accepted around here, then a mustang should be accepted at least as equally. Nevermind that it's probably one of the most widely followed cars to hotrod.

      I give the foxbody lovers a lot of credit for being some of the first hotrodders to embrace technology. I remember when EFI 5.0s came out, and OBD-I, and if there was an internet you'd have heard nothing but "IT'S THE END OF HOTRODDING" Lots of people talking like EFI was the end of the world. Instead it was the gateway to more power for the hobbyist...!

      Give the 5.0 guys credit for figuring out how to haul ass with electronics, at least. Didn't any of you follow the east coast Mustang versus Grand National wars of the early and mid nineties? Those were some of the most fun races to watch IMO... that was a time of learning, and great spectating.

      Just my $.02

      www.realtuners.com - catch the RealTuners Radio Podcast on Youtube, Facebook, iTunes, and anywhere else podcasts are distributed!

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      • #18
        Re: Your Opinion on 5.0 Mustangs

        Originally posted by dieselgeek
        wow, are these brand loyalty comments in here or what??
        Not really, mostly just "ho-hum" comments. five-ohs are just fine for what they are, a mass produced entry level performance car.

        My fabulous web page

        "If it don't go, chrome it!" --Stroker McGurk

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        • #19
          Re: Your Opinion on 5.0 Mustangs

          I've owned a few and all have just been cheap drivers with some bolt on mods. Nothing wild. To me they are a fun little car as a daily driver and are pretty easy on the pocket to fix and repair. Mine have been 5spds... no autos here. While you can spend tons of money and really make them perform. That interest is in other places for me. Mine have been all 87-89 5.0's.

          G.

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          • #20
            Re: Your Opinion on 5.0 Mustangs

            Being a dyed in the wool Ford guy, I kind of hate to say this, but those cars are kind of .... well..... boring? I mean, why don't you just do a Camaro? :D No doubt you can go really fast in a late model Mustang, and for really cheap, but I'm hoping for a little more style and panache in my hot rods than those cars will ever have. Until 2005, that is; they got it back with the new body style, and they are cool now, all over again. 8)

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            • #21
              Re: Your Opinion on 5.0 Mustangs

              Growing up a GM guy I hated em.
              They were driven by knuckleheads at the races and at the cruises. (See Ice, Ice, Baby)

              Then I bought a 91 GT cheap in my 20's because I needed a daily driver and the car was offered to me.
              A few years ago after the AOD puked, we yanked the motor and trans, put in a new Motorsport 302, a c-4 and carb'd it.
              I am really surprised how much I love working on it.
              Parts are easy to come by (not quite as cheap as SBC, but close) and with little mods they run great.
              I am converted.

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              • #22
                Re: Your Opinion on 5.0 Mustangs

                I've had serveral, will own some more I'm sure. Love the cars for all the reasons stated. Laughed at a few of the reasons people don't like 'em.

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                • #23
                  Re: Your Opinion on 5.0 Mustangs

                  I bought an 87 LX hatchback with nothing but A/C back in the day, because I wanted the cheapest, fastest, new car I could afford, with A/C!! By 1989, there were a lot of 5.0s around the Toronto area, they really seemed to catch on in this area. I was working as a parts guy at a Ford dealer, among other things looking after the sales of Ford Motorsport parts. So by 1990 I had a GT-40 intake, Dart heads, B303 cam, Pro-M MAF, C springs, the 2300-C rear disc kit, etc., etc., on my car. Owned it for about 11 years. Used it as my summer daily driver, and Solo I / Solo II competition car, as well as a bit of drag racing ... back in 88 with a few tweaks it ran 13.96 on the stock Gatorbacks, stock gears, stock exhaust. Ended up as a track-only car in the mid 90s with Baer brakes, 1000 lb. springs, and a 347 stroker.

                  Overall it was the most fun car I've ever had, but I wouldn't call it the best. They certainly are flimsy, frame connectors and a roll cage were some of the best mods on the car. I've pondered getting one again, but I have to agree with most of the other people here, they've been done to death twice over. For a project vehicle, maybe look at using a different Fox platform as suggested by a few posters. In the early 90s for a daily driver I had an 85 Marquis LTS, which was a Canadian-only Merc version of the LTD LX ... 5.0 HO CFI, AOD, 3.27 gears, big bars and springs, console shift, etc. Something like that, or a Zephyr Z7, or even a Mark VII would be more interesting.

                  As far as Mustang owners go, I too find a lot of them have blinders on, as bad or worse than some die-hard Chevy only guys. If it's not a 5.0 Mustang, they don't know about it, or don't want to know about it. Many so-called "true-blue" late-model Ford people I've met, have never even heard of the 3.8 SC engine package in my T-Bird.


                  cheers
                  Ed N.
                  Ed Nicholson - Caledon Ontario - a bit NW of Toronto
                  07 Mustang GT with some stuff
                  88 T-Bird Turbo Coupe 5-speed

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                  • #24
                    Re: Your Opinion on 5.0 Mustangs

                    I don't know how much interest I have in 5.0 mustangs, but I do have interest in tech on ANY SBF, since most of my non-diesel experience is with Chevy's and Pontiac's. In particular, I'd really like to see some in depth tech articles about the pro's and con's of stroker engines. Not basic stuff (well, that's okay too) but some detailed discussion about rod angles/ratios, strength of imported cranks, rods, pistons, etc.. compared to OEM stuff, etc.. In my case, I"m currently trying to decide about using a factory crank in my 351W build, or an imported reciprocating assembly. I know it's not a 5.0, but I think the tech would apply anyway in this case.

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                    • #25
                      Re: Your Opinion on 5.0 Mustangs

                      why is building a 5.0 even an issue? as stated before being cookiecutter boring sbc or camaro never stopped anyone from doing it and showing pages and pages of it. for as many websites and magazines dedicated to the 5.0 there have to be at least that many that either discount or practically ignore Ford in favor of GM. I for one would really like to see a full on Ford build up. what ever Ford you build, the 66 truck or the 5.0, make a monster out of it. it doesnt have to be F-Bomb2 or anything crazy, but they both have potential to be beastly (and Ford powered) in their own right.

                      btw I have seen more than a few non caged non subframe connected 5.0's with cracked "A" pillars from body twist. just something to think about.

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                      • #26
                        Re: Your Opinion on 5.0 Mustangs

                        Those cars don't really do anything for me. I find them ugly, boring, common, and besides, somewhat ugly aswell, like what's been said already. Did I mention I think they're ugly little cars? ;)
                        Mostly anything newer than the early '70s doesn't get my attention actually. No compression, no horsepower.
                        Although I do admire the real fast ones at the tracks. But then again, everyone can make a small car go fast... :P
                        www.BigBlockMopar.com

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                        • #27
                          Re: Your Opinion on 5.0 Mustangs

                          Oh boy, do I miss mine. I had a blue 85, 5.0 5 spd hatchback LX. What a fun car that was! I think the most fun I had was cleaning the clock of a 454, 70 Monte Carlo at Etown, even with the 2.73 gears! I often think about what fun it would be fooling around with a '79 or early 80's Mustang that a stripper with manual windows. But I have to agree with you about them being their own sub culture. I think there's enough in the way of magazines and web coverage as is for them. Now, If I found a 58 or 59 Rambler to fool around with!
                          Tom
                          Overdrive is overrated


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                          • #28
                            Re: Your Opinion on 5.0 Mustangs

                            I like them. thats my opinion.
                            Bought a 1984 GT brand new in the summer of '84.
                            it had a carb, so it wasnt a EFI car, had a 5 speed manual,
                            and it was quick enough. did some typical things like a Bigger Holley, Headers,
                            2 1/2 inch exhaust, and it became a little quicker.

                            Cheap, easy to work on, plenty of parts, the perfect recipe for
                            a fun car!

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                            • #29
                              Re: Your Opinion on 5.0 Mustangs

                              Basically you've all confirmed what my impressions were. So let's shift the conversation to what we could do with a 5.0 that would make it interesting and different to YOU.

                              Some options:
                              - Put a small-block Mopar in it, just because we can.
                              - Stick an FE in it, just because we can.
                              - Rallye race it (as we've discussed doing with the '72 Nova or '74 Duster)
                              - Cannonball it cross-country
                              - See how quick we can make it while looking/sounding bone stock. Sleeper street racer.
                              - Go open-road racing with it as cheaply as possible

                              Or come up with your own ideas and tell us how a mundane 5.0 can be Car Junkie worthy. Get creative but realistic.

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                              • #30
                                Re: Your Opinion on 5.0 Mustangs

                                Buddy of mine has this one:



                                I was kinda burnt out on the whole 5.0L Mustang scene until I met him. Runs 9.70's on a single turbo FAST efi. Totally streetable car.

                                4 eye > than aero nose in my book.

                                Life is short. Be a do'er and not a shoulda done'er.
                                1969 Galaxie 500 https://bangshift.com/forum/forum/ba...ild-it-s-alive
                                1998 Mustang GT https://bangshift.com/forum/forum/ba...60-and-a-turbo
                                1983 Mustang GT 545/552/302/Turbo302/552 http://www.bangshift.com/forum/forum...485-bbr-s-83gt
                                1973 F-250 BBF Turbo Truck http://www.bangshift.com/forum/forum...uck-conversion
                                1986 Ford Ranger EFI 545/C6 https://bangshift.com/forum/forum/ba...tooth-and-nail

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