The Mustang Mistique...Do you Get it?

[DGS49]

Several car magazines have published articles this month about the new Mustang Super Snake, a 750hp aftermarket add-on to a Ford Mustang GT, that makes it - for the purposes of this discussion - the greatest and fastest Mustang ever produced. The price is basically $50 grand, plus your "donor" Mustang GT, which we will assume costs you about $40 grand. There are different packages you can get on both the base car and the SS (oops, I guess I shouldn't use that as my abbreviation, since it has some association with a competitor's product), but basically that's it: $90 thousand to own the Best Mustang Ever.

Now, when I'm looking at a major automotive purchase I first look at the cost/value relationship for the vehicle in question, as I see it, then I look at what else I could get with the price of the vehicle I'm considering.

For Ninety Large I could get a ZO6 Corvette, or a Porsche 911 convertible, or a Viper SRT, or there is undoubtedly one of the Mercedes two-seat SL's that could be had for that number. Or the Jag sports car, either coupe or rag-top. I haven't seen the pricing for the new 2016 Acura NSX, but maybe that car as well.

Not to be melodramatic, but I could see a future (say, ten years out) in which any one of these latter cars could be passed on to my favorite male heir as a significant piece of my estate, and he would be thrilled to get it.

But a MUSTANG? Nice car indeed, but ten years out it's just a used Ford. Probably rusty.

"Ford People" - the ones who buy Mustangs and keep the F150 at the top of the sales charts every year - seem to lose their minds when considering some of their products. No sane person would shell out that amount money for a Mustang, even if it is the...

Best. Mustang. Ever.

at least that's what I think.

 

[Procrustes Stretched]

have a friend who buys and restores old mustangs

I guess you just like new

 

[DGS49]

Case in point: When the Mustang first came out my brother was an auto body mechanic, and he had occasion to repair some Mustang doors. He was astounded at how cheap and light they were. He called it the cheapest-made car he had ever worked on.

In this area of the country (Western Pennsylvania), Mustangs were seen rusting after 2-3 years, and lacking a frame, most of them were unsafe pieces of junk after 5-7 years.

They were the classic case of marketing over substance: a gussied up Falcon, sold to the masses as a "sporty" car. An Army buddy of mine had to have his '66 convertible (2 years old) reinforced underneath because the body had sagged and the clutch pressure plate and disc didn't align properly. The chassis was not really adequate to support a V8 engine. This was corrected by '68, but the first few years...junk.

My theory is that when men get old enough to buy expensive toys, many of them desire perfectly restored examples of the car they lusted after when they were in high school. They couldn't have it then, but now they can have whatever they want! Even if it was a piece of junk.

 

[Alystyr]

But a MUSTANG? Nice car indeed, but ten years out it's just a used Ford. Probably rusty.

I agree with that, except the rusty part. I've noticed that most modern (<10 or so years old) cars don't tend to really rust unless there's been physical damage. Definitely not like the cars of the '80s that would rust away if you looked at them cross-eyed.
I've never been much of a Ford person myself. Had a few over the years, but I'd say I'm more partial toward GM.
Though, for some reason, I've always liked the '58-'60 Thunderbird hardtops. Probably the only non-GM cars I would get if I had the means.
Given the $90K you mentioned, I could probably end up with 3-4 cars, decently restored, off my wish list - '66 Olds Toronado, '67 Stingray Split Window, pretty much any mid-late '60s Pontiac...

 

[DGS49]

Alystyr, if you are not familiar with the Youtube channel, Jay Leno's Garage (not to be confused with the new television program with the same name), you should check it out. He has a video on his restored Toronado (extreme resto-mod) that will give you a brain erection.

 

[Alystyr]

Alystyr, if you are not familiar with the Youtube channel, Jay Leno's Garage (not to be confused with the new television program with the same name), you should check it out. He has a video on his restored Toronado (extreme resto-mod) that will give you a brain erection.

Wow.
Yeah.
Glad I had the drool rag ready.
Very nicely done. I'm glad he didn't do any cosmetic changes to the car and ruin the lines of it.

Truth be told, If I had his kind of money, I'd probably have a similar - if not larger - collection.

 

[Lumpy 1]

I guess I love my 95 Mustang convertible, no problems with rust being a California car and all. Sure, a few blown head gaskets, fish tailing and the transmission get the shakes once in a while but still buffed rio red and black interior it's still a nice looking car to me.

 

[westwall]

Hell, for 90 grand you can almost buy a Aston Martin V8 Vantage S. Or the Porsche 997 911 GT3 for about 10k more. Much better cars for value.