MyStang

MyStang(s)

I live on Long Island (pronounced "Lawng Island" by some of the locals), New York, and I'm a Ford guy; have been since my maiden voyage in my buddy's then-new '86 GT. The car was faster than anything else on the road at the time, except for some high price exotics. I'll never forget the look on the face of the driver of an Alfa Romeo Milano as we completely obliterated him off the line and that with 3 guys in the GT! I'll also never forget the time we fishtailed all over a curve on the Meadowbrook Parkway right after my friend said "Man, this car handles good in the rain." Ah, the memories...

Anyway, my first Mustang was this black '90 GT. Very quick, although hobbled somewhat by it's AOD transmission.

This is the newspaper ad from the dealership where I traded her in. The car sold the very first weekend on the used car lot.

My current Mustang is an "Opal Frost" '95 GT 5-speed coupe. This was the last year of the 5.0, so there's still gobs of low-end torque.

Performance Modifications (so far):

- Pro-5.0 shifter (short, positive throws; never miss third gear again)

- Motorsport clutch

- aluminum driveshaft (balanced, plus lighter than OEM driveshaft)

- Flowmaster mufflers (car is significantly louder than stock; this is a good thing?)

- 3.73 rear end gears (awesome; can actually pass another car on highway without downshifting; 2,500RPM @ 80MPH in 5th gear)

- '98 Cobra wheels (17 x 8)

- MAC underdrive pulleys (lights dim slightly while idling, but car jumps off the line much quicker)

- bumped timing (free horsepower)

- C&L 76mm MAF System (w/K&N air filter)

- adjustable fuel pressure regulator

- "chip tune"

Remember, this is RWHP, so we're talking 260-HP (or 45-HP up from the factory 215-HP rating for this model year) with just a few simple bolt-ons. Gotta love the 5.0!

As a bonus, I'm still averaging 15-MPG with a mix of highway and city driving.

Other Mods:

- tinted windows (comes in handy on a hot summer day, when the black leather seats can get hot enough to scorch your ass)

- leather shifter boot (looks much better than the cheapo stock stuff)

- Kenwood in-dash CD Player w/Mach 460 adapter (bought car used; didn't have CD; this solution was much cheaper, and better sounding, than buying the overpriced Ford CD player)

- FatKnob™ shifter ball (2.25" in diameter, great feel & shorter throws - highly recommended!) - courtesy of FatKnobs.com

- Bullitt pedals

- clear Cobra-style headlights with black housing (enhance the look of the car while improving nighttime visibility significantly) - courtesy of American Muscle

- Mustang chin spoiler - courtesy of American Muscle

I know that the newer 260HP 4.6L Mustangs were quicker straight from the factory, but I'm a fan of torque down low, so for me, a 5.0 is the still the way to go. Besides, with a few more mods, I'll be keepin' up with the Jones' without another stupid car payment. I didn't buy this car to race every a-hole that pulls up next to me at a red light and revs their engine... But, sometimes, when the right song is playing on the radio, the engine is purring, and your right foot is telling your brain what to do, there is nothing quite like the feeling when you drop the clutch, plant your right foot on the go-pedal, and sit there with a big, cheesy grin as you smoke a few hundred miles off the BF Goodrich Comp TA's.

(That said, I REALLY like the looks and performance of the new 300HP 2005 Mustangs... Kudos to Ford for a Job Well Done!)

Here are a couple of pics of the engine bay before the C&L was installed...