Retro Spec: The Ford Mustang

Believe it or not, its hard to write a post about something that has been written as much about as the Mustang has. It’s more American than apple pie, and probably as simple to boot. This classic has stood the test of time as one of the most recognizable symbols of American freedom.

The Originals (’64 1/2-’66)

Frankly, to me? Ford just kinda pulled the Mustang out of their rear. They took the Falcon, got it dressed to go out for the evening, gave it a haircut and accidentally created an American legend. The mini-muscle car really resonated with people who wanted to roast their tires, but still wanted a senseable ride home from work. The 289 was simple, easy to work on and easy to upgrade as well.

Breaking the sound barrier (’67-’73)

Not much of a generation change really, more of a face lift. The little muscle car was a little-less-little now. The fast-back and the beautiful Mach-1 are now part of the lineup, as well as the legendary Boss 302. The Mustang had firmly set its mark in the American way of life by this point.

Less of a Mustang, more of a Pinto (’74-’78)

Fuel crisis time! In 1974 the Mustang dropped the old Falcon frame and picked up the… more advanced Pinto frame. The Pinto gets a worse rap than it deserves, don’t get me wrong, but it was not a fit for the mustang. What power was once there was choked out by emissions, and Ford made a period correct move of focusing on Malaise era luxury rather than old fashioned good looks.

Foxy Lady (’79-’93)

Leaving the sad 70’s behind, Ford took a more European approach and tightened things up a bit. The result of an internal design contact, what they came up with was one of the most standard looking fords to ever come out. But… there’s just something about the way that it looks. The muscle was back though, not so much from the factory, but more in the fact that the entire car was from Ford’s parts bin. Which means that pretty much every thing fit it too.