I remember them as SS Chevelles, not Camaro. In 1970, the SS Chevelle had monster 454 engine that produced 450 horsepower. The real muscle car for the 60's era was the Pontiac GTO. It had a six pack for carbs and forced air induction. The only cars that could even come close to keeping up with it was the Dodge Charger and the 428 KR Mustang. But, somehow, the Charger and the GTO just faded into the sunset. It is very rare that you see one today, but you see pony cars all the time.

 

People like to tinker, and we all like Mustangs....I would think it natural that they mix.

 

I fall into the "modify" crowd,or at least I do with this particular project('65 convertible). Come to think of it,I have nothing stock. Not my'05 gt,not my p/u,not even my house. To me it's all about personalization. Improvingmy house and improving,modifying,customizing or whatever termis chosen to use is how I make them part of me. Does this make sense,or am I just rambling on?[sm=icon_blah.gif]

 

I think the question should be why people modify cars.
Its being going on since the automobile was invented...remember how the chassis and engine used to be made by a car manufacturer and the body and interior was added by a coachbuilder. Instant customisation. No 2 cars the same. Of course Henry Ford changed that with mass production assembly lines, but it continued at least into the 1940's for a lot of manufacturers.

to me, the population falls into 2 categories...them's that use cars for transportation only and those of us who are passionate about them (ie everyone on this forum).

for the passionate ones, we all seem to make improvements. Even Glen! How far we go depends on what we want and what we can afford. Brand preference is irrelevant to this point.

why people modify mustangs in particular
[ul][*]there were a lot of them[*]they were cheap[*]aftermarket parts are readily available (and relatively cheap)[*]one is only limited by imagination as to what can be done to them[*]the base platform is not that good in terms of overall performance, nor was it exactly cutting edge 40 years ago. Ford after all did have to make them to a budget as Daze said.[*]vast improvements can be made without destroying the lookof the car.[*]most of the improvements are bolt on and can be returned to original if/when desired.[/ul]

So Glen will modify his mustang to make it reliable and safer than it was. I will take mine a step further and make it faster, better handling and capable of stopping in half or less distance than the original and more than once! Someone else will add EFI and a 5 speed to make it viable daily transport and so on.

The fact that we are all passionate about mustangs and we all want our cars to have a bit of our personality in them is the greatest thing about this site.

 

I don't want to start anything but this also comes down to what you consider modified. I personally don't consider any of them original as I doubt every single screw and bolt and pump is what came with it. Besides that though I think it comes from a few places.

I mean when that carb takes a dump it's just too tempting to look at that new intake carb combo for not much more. Or when that rad goes out why not throw a aluminum one in there, it was getting too hot anyway. Disc brakes would be awsome!

Then there are those times when you look at your coupe for instance and think a pony interior would make it look nicer or a different grille or tires.

I think also there are those times when what you want is that california special or that boss but theres no way you can afford a real one but all you really want is the body kits and the looks of it. I don't plan on ever getting rid of this car unless forced at gun point.

On the other hand I do admire those who strive for that original look of the car and are able to pull it off. If all cars were the same none of them would be special now would they? All that personality would die.

 

I modify because I enjoy the benefits from the modifications. I love the look of the classic mustang and love the way my Porsche 944 handles and stops. A classic mustang that handles and stops about as well as the 944 is great. Awesome classic looks meet awesome new technology is a match made in heaven though my eyes.

The environment in which we drive our mustangs probably plays a huge roll too. In my town there isnt a straight stretch of road longer than 1/8 mile with the exception of the main town which has the only straight part of road longer than 1/8 mile and 107f + summers are average.

-Gun

 

I don't fall into one category or the other. My 67 is not all original. It has some updated toys on it like an Edelbrock carb, Edelbrock manifold covers, K & N Air Cleaner, disc changer, etc.). When my radiator finally kicks the bucket, you can bet an aluminum one is going in there.

One thing I did do was try and keep the original look as much as possible. I left the original radio in the dash and installed a seperate modern radio with CD changer under the dash. I will figure out a way to hide it when I get the time. While I like the original look, there are other things that you have to do for safety purposes. My wife drives mine so disc brakes are a must. Shoulder belts are another needed safety accessory.

No one group is better than the other. Yes, there are some extremes out there when it comes to the modified crowd. However, we all have one thing in common...our love for our ponies

 

Because for a Mustang -or just about any car that I can reasonably afford, for that matter -the mfr has chosen a different set of compromises than I prefer.

I only have to satisfy at most two people. Three, if you count the state's periodic inspection. Ford looks at maybe two million (plus 50).

I could easily add 50% or more to the purchase price of a 70's or older car in upgradeswithout doing irreparable harm to the finances. Ford would be but a memory if they operated with a similar lack of financial restraint.


Norm

 

Or then, you can't decide on either! I love the original look, and feel but have made some mods that put me out of the original camp. I just don't think it matters, and I've started threads that got into opinion wars also, and left wondering why (look for my post about a radiator overflow reservoir - my new engine overheated a bit when trying to fill it up with fluids, and it spit all over my nicely painted engine compartment and all over my garage... i wanted to fix that problem for good!). I LOVE a car that I see at a carshow that is completely original. I also love to see what people have done to improve, or just simply have done.... just because.

 

I had a 65 Mustang as my first car (in '77) and it didn't drive, brake, handle, or accelerate well. I would mod (which I plan to do if I can ever find a suitable car) just because the technology of 40 years ago is not very impressive to me. I like looking at the perfectly restored cars with all the frame marks and such, but if I see a really well done resto-mod at the same show, that's the one I'll be drooling over. There's plenty of room for both sides.

If I was to find something really rare, I'd rather tell one of the members about it and keep searching for my car because I wouldn't want to cut up a rare car. I've read some of Soaring's (and others') comments and respect his point of view, but I like 'em fast and nimble.