i came close to buying a 1987 convertible mustang 5.0 instead of this firebird i have now.i've always been a gm guy so i stayed with gm but i've seen a couple 5.0s for sale at a reasonable price i'm thinking of picking one up just to have and mess around with

 

Camaro_nut, what's the deal with Ford's AOD trannys?? Why are they so inferior to GM's auto trannys? I've never heard anything good about Ford automatics.

 

The main reason is gearing, the AOD has such a horrible first gear that it is useless at the track.

 

The sad thing about mustang owners is that about 90% of them dont' know what the **** they are doing, and since mustangs are so plentiful and low in price, everybody and their cousin has one and claims it to be fast because of their well known potential. Case in point, my mustang is just barely modified, and of all the mustangs I"ve raced while cruising speedway friday and saturday nights, I've only lost to my friends notchback LX that has gears, intake and pullies. Just goes to show how many plain stock 5.0's are runnning around.

 

I haven't done a whole lot of auto trans. work on Fords.
Mainly just swaps. But I can tell you this: they ALL suck!
from transaxles to transmissions. Either in an Explorer
or a Taurus, ALL have issues from day 1. Even my daily
driving/winter beater Taurus has a harsh downshift.
Why? Because Ford decided to "cut corners" on every
possible thing they can get away with. And only give
the consumer a 36,000 mile/3 year warranty on everything
but emissions. Most companies don't even do that anymore.
It's more like 5 year/50K or even 10 year 100K. Although
Ford HAD to reinforce the Focus warranty. Why? You may
ask? Again, Ford has a repuation for using inferior parts
and inferior manufacturing. Always have and always will!
Ford had always built the worst auto trans. in Auto
history. Well, Dodge maybe just as bad also! In those
5 years at Ford, I had NEVER seen so many trans. swaps and
rebuilds in my life! Like 3 a day! Even motor swaps like
2-3 a day! Sad, very sad. This is just one dealership too.

The Ford Focus is the most recalled vehicle in history.
I had THREE pages of nothing but recalls! That's ALL the
customer had brought the car in for! 8 recalls! If I saw
that many on my car that was just bought only 1 month
ago, I would lemon law that crap box!

The Explorers,Mountaineers,Rangers and some Mazda trucks
had the most tragic accidents related to inferior tires/inferior
design of the vehicle. Firestone and Ford fought a HUGE
battle for this for 2 years! In my experience with the Firestone
recall, I believe it was due to poor tire manufactering, NOT
the vehicles. But made things worse because it was on mostly
SUVs that can tip over easy when a tire blows up!

Every trans. guy at Ford are in misery or stressed as we
speak! Why? Because it's a NEVER ending battle. They
hardly ever get a break. Even in the winter time, some
idiot decides to floor the gas in the snow, spinning the
tires like crazy, and BOOM! The trans blows up. Ford
autos are very easy to blow up. They do not take much
abuse! Especially in the 1986-2000 Taurus/Sable/Windstars!

I can give you people a novel on why Ford should shut down
it's plants. Despite the high volume of SUV and truck sales.
I will never buy another Ford again. They have the most recalled
vehicles with the smallest warranty.

I now work for Toyota. All I have to say about that:
I WISH I went to Toyota first! I kick myself for putting
so much stress and misery from those 5 years. I can't
get those back. Oh well, now I moved on. Toyota has
the best quality in the whole auto industry. No doubt
in my mind that a Toyota will outlast ANY domestic and
most other Foreign vehicles. I see Camrys and Corollas
with 200K even 300K on them. All original drivetrain on
most of them. Body maybe so so , but they run forever!
Not only that. They have a LOT fewer problems! Fewer
returns to the dealer for problems as well. Better for
the customer. Bad for the tech, he's not making money!LOL

 

I do hate Mustangs. But I give Ford some credit to making
an excellent sales pitch to teens on buying them. Also
the Mustang has the most aftermarket performance parts
out there! And yes, most do not have a clue on what to
do with a Mustang. I have seen more F body owners
know more about there own car and how to drive it
than Mustang owners. I guess because Mustang owners
ASSUME that the F body is a slow and heavy car. NOT!
For like 8 years time, the F body was the "more bang for the
buck" performance car. The Z28 was 6 grand less than
a Cobra, and the Z28 was 4 tenths quicker! Go figure.

I believe that there are way more modified F bodies than
Mustangs. Strange how the aftermarket companies sell
way more parts for Mustangs huh?

 

I am reading all this, and thats all fine, everyone in my family has had better luck with Ford quality then GM quality in every aspect of the vehicles...

The last part throws me, more Fbodies then Mustangs??? I go to the track and see 50 Mustangs and 15 Fbodies at best, I go to a cruise I see 50 Mustangs and 20 Fbodies at best, it is fact the Mustang has the most organized groups dedicated to it then any other car in the world, and has the largest and most of the time cheapest aftermarket as well... There are a Lot more moded Mustangs out there than fbodies, even Fbodies guys complain about this...

 

im a F body guy and i aint complain besides the fact that discuStangs are overproduced... I mean i hate them as well and 25thmustang i respect what u like and all, but i hate them no offence... Did u kkno almost every year the stang was produced more then camaro. So Mustangs are produced more which are prob gonna gett better Sales.... Also GM was always part of my family and never gaves us probs... ( my family owns 7 diff kinds of GM cars) It also depends what kinda driver u r and if u take care of the car... If u dont give ur car oil and drive it sh*tty, then yea youll have probs with it, if its a FORD or a GM car, And also GM is the largest manaufacturing car company in the world..... (just saying)

Well like my friend Sean always says " Mustangs are like t*mpons, every p*ssy owns one"


Sorry Moderators, i had to say that

 

also my dad owned a 1978 Mustang when he was my age (17) And man i give him a hard time

 

Allright I gotta say I do happen to agree with alot of the points being made (however harsh they are comming across though). But I gotta say, every winter vehicle I've had in the past 6 years has always been a Ford and they've gotten me by just fine.



You don't say?! You give your pops a hard time?!

 

But I gotta say, every winter vehicle I've had in the past 6 years has always been a Ford and they've gotten me by just fine.


thats cool.. I mean i dont hav any prob with u drivin a FORD in the winter or at all.. I just dont like them personally and mustangs..

 

I have a friend with an 88 5 speed GT. He ran a 17.4@82 mph with it. Granted if it weren't for the 2.8 60 foot his times would be much better. Maybe a high 15/low 16 et, but you got this in the bag man.

EDIT: NM, just read that you won. Good job.

 

thank you 25th.i'm looking for something to buy i called a guy about a 1987 gta with a L98 350 he said it has headers true duals with flowmasters.110k on the engine .do anyone know what about it would run in a quarter the way it sits right now

 

Ok not to sound like a ***** but you are going to base all Mustangs on some loser who obviousely cant drive? My dads F-150 with a 5.0 went 17.1, so your telling me F-150s with 5.0s are faster then Mustangs with the same motor. hmmm sounds weird to me! Id rather bank on the guy being a great driver and running a high 13 in it, then being a terrible driver, expect the worst and hope for the best. You go in there expecting him to go a high 16, your going to be surprised, you go in there expecting a mid 14 (what it should run) and you will be ready for it!

 

i'm not sure who your talking to 25th but i don't base all mustangs on some guy that can't drive.i think this guy can drive pretty good all the mods i've done to this car i'm definately not running 16s or high 15s i'd guess mid 15s.i'm gonna find out this weekend.if a mustang 5.0 is running 13s it has some good mods done to it.i found an old car & driver article wherethey took a 1987 mustang gt 5.0 and their best time was 15.1 and another article was a 1982 mustang gt 5.0 and the best time on that was 16.7.i know mustangs can be very fast with some mods and i know the LO3 is pitiful stock.. but i get so sick of people dismissing a car for being fast just because i has an LO3 in it.with some SERIOUS mods done to it the LO3 can be a very good running engine.alot of people has built LO3s and ended up getting very respectfull times and stayed right with 350s.i agree that bang for the buck a 350 is the way to go.i have a LT1 in my garage that i'm gonna do some work to and eventually put in my car

 

.

I know what it takes to go 13s, I went 13.0 with nothing more than bolt ons, exhaust, ET treets and 3.73s, full weight, AC, leather, and power everything driven to the track and raced how I drove the car on the street (I use the ET Streets as daily tires now). I am talking about 25THRSS saying his friend went 17.4 and then claims with a better 60' he would only see a high 15 to low 16, thats is a total joke and if anyone runs a 16 or 17 anything in a 5.0 he doesnt deserve the car (85-93 5.0, not an 82 thats a different car all together).

 

i believe you ran 13s.i was just saying that the stock 5.0s ran low 15s.knowing that i knew that if i did get beat i wasn't gonna be by much because i've done alot of mods to my LO3 so i knew i had to be close to that time.i was just basically wanting to state that you can do things to the LO3 to make it run good.it takes alot to get them going but you can get them there.

 

You can have ANY vehicle for years with no
problems, in the winter or any time. MY point is
that they are NOT built with high standards and
with quality parts as Toyota, Honda, and Mercedes.

Save yourself some trips to the dealer and headaches.
STOP buying Fords. Switch to Toyota, you will not
be unhappy. They ride better, last 10 times longer,
take more abuse (to a point!), have a lot less recalls, use
better parts, have higher value, and people have
owned one, end up buying another. Domestic cars
are junk. Most other Foreign cars are as well. If you don't
understand my point of view, work for Ford for few years,
then switch to Toyota for few more. I guarantee that you
will end up buying a Toyota for yourself!

P.S. To mods, sorry for this off topic post. I just needed
to let people know why Ford is what it is. I will end my
post now.

 

Chevys the same way, why not stop buying Chevy's?

I buy what works, I have owned 2 Fords in my short time driving and liked both, had no issues. My dad has owned many with no issues either, and we have since had better luck with Ford then GM. As for foreign cars, we have owned a few Toyotas and they are good vehicles (minus the metal the older toyotas had, they rusted and fell apart almost right off the lot). I can only say from my experience, and the Fords have been some of the best!

 

That's not entirely true IMO. Most '87-93 LX 5.0's ran in the 14's (5 speeds)as they were lighter than the GT's. (LX notchback was the lightest). The GT's may have been very low 15's according to the magazines (though I'm sure properly driven even the GT's could turn at least a 14.9x). I'm sure 25thmustang knows more about these cars than me since I've never owned one (though friends have).

There's even an article floating around of an '88 (I believe) LX 5.0 Coupe (5 speed) running 13.9x after some free mods. I think it ran mid-high 14's with no traction and progressively got quicker as the timing, traction and shift points were addressed.

 

14's are easily capable in fox bodies with the right driver for a fact.

 

82 mph trap speeds aint gonna get you anywhere near a 14 second pass.

 

Your right and a 17.4 @ 82 means your friend is one of the worst drivers out there. I have had friends seeing 98 with untouched SD 87-88 cars! And yes 98 mph trap will not only see mid 14s, but an ocassional high 13!

 

yes, as I have previously stated he can not launch the car to save his life, which is easy to see when you look at his 2.8 60 foot times. Regardless his trap speed is on par with a high 15 at most.

 

as i stated the article was on gt 5.0 not lx.the lx might possibly run in the 14s since they are lighter.i'm not doubting that.i'm sure the people that test drive the cars are professional drivers.a stock gt 5.0 might possibly get in the 14s but it would be very high 14s.i raced a STOCK 88 5.0 and i believe i beat him heads up.i have no idea what my car runs.i've never taken it to a track but i do know from stock to all the mods i've done is a huge difference.just because i beat a 5.0 doesn't mean the guy couldn't drive.when i started modding this LO3 my goal was to be able to beat or keep up with a stock mustang 5.0.i felt that i was close to doing that so i wanted to try this guy to see how close i was before i did anything else to the car.

 

Oh well if you guys want to think 15 s ror 16s and 80 mph traps, go for it... I should race them more often, afterall MT tested my Jeep to run a 15.4! Looks like I have a Mustang killer right in my driveway!

 

Here's an interesting read supplied by member 12smustang (Chris):

I'll edit the post with a link to a 5 speed 88 LX Hatch documented in Car Illustrated. I'm not sure, but I think it had 3.08 gears.

Chris

Page 2
Page3
Page4
Page5
Final Page

EDIT: Ok, the links don't work. I'll try again.

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...hreadid=167855

try the above link and scroll down to 12smustang's post (near bottom of page). You'll see the pages listed.

If someone knows how to set the link properly (pages 2- final page) please do so. I'm a dumba$$ when it comes to this!

 

No need, I have posted links to 12 second bolt on cars, 13 second GT verts with nothing done (2002) and all sorts of proof yet it means nothing. Some people will never believe it, thats fine, they are in for a shock one day!

 

I've never owned a Mustang but I always liked the 87-93 GT's and 5.0 LX (as well as the '99+up GT's). The late 80's 5 speed LX 5.0 was a great sleeper (especially the stripper notchback). My friend had an '89 or '90 LX 5.0 (5 speed) with Flowmasters and a few other mods, it sounded great and was quick.


BTW, the article I posted is well worth the time it takes to read it!

 

i think we all agree that those mustangs do run good.i don't think anyone is disputing that.if you want to get a car that is a little easier to get going then mustang is the way to go.everyone has their own taste of cars.i also like those years of mustangs that 406ta mentioned..i'm thinking about buying one myself but those mustangs are certainly not unbeatable.i just beat one with my little LO3.

 

Nobody is saying they're unbeatable. Just because you beat one with your car doesn't mean you're going to beat every stock Fox body 5.0 Mustang out there. Many factors are involved. Good luck with your car.

 

i understand that just because i beat that one doesn't mean i'm gonna beat all of them.that would be very stupid of me to think that.i've been messing with cars since i've been 16 and i'm 34 now.so i know that there are alot of fast cars out there and always a faster one around the corner.this is actually the slowest sports/muscle/performance car i've owned.this is the first 3rd gen car for me.most of the cars i've owned have been old muscle cars

 

Thats the thing you have guys like 25THRSS who start calling them 16 and 17 second cars, and people start to believe it. Its a shame there will be a lot of misinformed Fbody owners out there, but nothing I can do about it, I mean I only have owned and worked on more Mustangs than most have seen in their lives (guys on this board i mean).

 

they are certainly not 16 or 17 second cars.i have alot of bolt ons on my car plus the heads and rockers i have on it.if it wasn't for the stuff i've done to it i would of got spanked.i have no doubts about that

 

I've seen it with my own 2 eyes. The bad thing is you get guys like yourself who claim they're the best thing since sliced bread and all run low 14's stock. Fact is my friend has a 1988 mustang GT with a 5 speed. He took it to the track and ran a 17.4 @82 mph with a 2.8 60 foot. He can not launch the car at all hence the horrible 60 times. The better numbers to look at for what the car really has in it are trap speeds, and I'm sorry, but 82 mph is not enough for what numbers you claim they run. My Bone stock 1992 Camaro RS with the lowly L03 ran a 16.3@83 mph and i smoked his ***. That is pathetic. If it had a good driver in it he would probably edge me out, but not by much, and he is certainly nowhere near 14's, let alone 13's. Actually, I think one run he did manage an 86 or 88 mph trap speed, but still a 17 second run. He might be able to hit a low to mid 15 if he could launch the thing.

 

Not to turn this into a Ford bashing thread, but I agree with EVERYTHING Camaro_nut has stated about Fords... EVERYTHING! I've been working as a tech at a Lincoln/Mercury/Mazda dealer for a little over 5 years now. I feel his pain.

Job 1 my a$$!

All manufacturers/vehicles have their problems. Ford just has a greater share.

We have customers literally walk into our dealer, nearly on a weekly basis, and boast about trading in their Ford for a xxxxx brand car. Never have they been so pleased with a new car.

And the Focus isn't the only vehicle that's come in for an RO of 8 recalls. I've seen it on Cougars, Mystique/Contours, Windstars... Ford boasts about the Windstar being the safest minivan on the market. Yeah, after you get another 10 shots at it AFTER it was built And don't get me started on the recent debacle over the Cougar fuel pump recall!

The only thing Ford has going for them is their Crown Victoria/Grand Marquis/Town Car chassis. Excellent car. Too bad they're changing it.

The real truth about the issue. Watch the technicians leave at the end of the day. More than half our shop drives other brand vehicles, and mostly GM products at that. I have several friends that work for other dealers, and its all the same. One tech even bought a new 04 6.0L diesel F-250. He had it all of 3 weeks before the problems began. He's currently looking to unload it.

 

I love my camaro. Dont get me wrong. But if I were to go and buy a brand new vehicle, it sure as hell wouldnt be a chevy. I would go strait to the ford dealership. In all honesty, if you are buying a new car, they are all pretty well made the same. You will get decent reliabilty out of all of them. Now if we went back 25 or 30 years, that is another story.

 

well obviously by my user name you can tell what my brand x is ..lol...im a gm guy thru and thru ive owned em all ford chevy dodge you name it ive probably owned it but all in all i prefer my chevys they are easier to work on and cheaper on parts and perform the best to upgrades ......

 

I've never heard of a 5.0 mustang running 17.4 . I guess that guy just couldn't drive. late 80's early 90's stock GT's ran low 15's and stock LX's went high 14's. With few bolton 5.0 Mustangs make 13's pretty easy. Anyone thinking there going to beat up on 5.0's with a 16-17 second car is going to be in for a big shock. Its has taken me every external engine bolton I could think of to get my to run low 13's. It's would have been alot easier and cheaper for a 5.0 Mustang to turn the same times. No big deal thats just how it is.

 

now come on general, you and I both know that the 302 responds just as well as the 350. Saying that the 350 responds better is

 

im just partial to my chevys thats all and what is it you put in your camaro ????....LOL...just messin with ya but yeah about any kind of car is gonna respond to upgrades but its always cheaper with a chevy as far as ive seen over the last decade and a half of workin with em ..lol.

 

nice car TPI-formula350..looks dead on mine.same color and everything except the 350.i think the formulas like ours are the sharpest looking third gen.your right there is no 16 or 17 second car gonna beat a 5.0.no way possible.like i said eariler if i didn't have all the bolt ons and other stuff done to my car i would of got beat bad

 

Ford 302 parts run about the same price as 350 chevy parts, outside of that and the ford stuff will cost you an arm and a leg. I would say that if it wasnt for the great deal that i got on my camaro, i would have kept looking until I found a mustang that i liked.

 

just gotta hate them little gt 5.0 vanilla ice lookin kids driving around reving up at everyone else..lol....

 

yes I do. Thats the only problem, they think that the 5.0's are unbeatable. Of course, there are a lot mu11et wearing punks who think thier camaro is the fastest car in the world too. I know a couple.

 

or those sating GMs cheaper this was true back in the days of carbs, now where most people run fuel injection the GM parts are quite a bit more. I was hellping my cousin price out parts for his car and he was in shock, I got my AL Driveshaft for $169, his was well over $300 (The one I remember off the top of my head). I was looking at other parts and they were consistently cheaper for the 5.0 Mustangs. Also the 5.0 responds well to mods, I dont have all the external motor mods stock suspension and at the time was running like crap, had no subframes, and AC, and the car went 13.0. If I had actually made it more race oriented or ran down in New Jersey I could have seen a 12.8, still lacking some bolt ons.

There are losers with all sorts of cars, there are just more Mustang owners out there than Fbodies. From my experience, the Fox owners are kids who have no clue, the new Mustng owners are 20 year old guys afraid to hurt them, and the thirdgen owners either dont exhist or the car is ragged out sitting in some high weeds in front of their house! Its amazing I am not brand loyale, if you guys saw the thirdgens near me you'd probably hate them too!

 

Compared to the Ricers around here, I have no problem with punks in 5.0's!!

 

mostly what you see around here are the ricers and the 4.6 mustangs.i'd say there are probably more 4.6 mustangs than ricers though.i see them everywhere

 

Good kill..

 

same here. i'm lucky if i get to race a 5.0. i get bored beating 4.6s all nite.:lala: :lala: