Tag Archives: Mustang

The PHD was TNT – Ford Mustang Fastback 302

The first upgrade of the Ford Mustang in 1967 saw Ford deliver more interior space, exterior space and a larger range of motors from 3.3 litre / 200 cui six to to 7 litre / 428 cui V8.

Ford Mustang Fastback 302, Castle Combe

For their 1968 advertising campaign Ford was eschewing the value of PHD’s with the wonderful line the PHD was TNT in a ’68 Mustang !

Ford Mustang Fastback 302, Castle Combe

The example seen here at Castle Combe was the 8064th scheduled to be built at San Jose. Due to industrial action the car was six months behind schedule.

Ford Mustang Fastback 302, Castle Combe

The fist owner ordered a ’68 Windsor White 302 model with black interior, Cruise-o-matic transmission, Selectair conditioning and an AM radio, however because of the industrial action he was offered one in Acapulco Blue which he declined.

Ford Mustang Fastback 302, Castle Combe

When Ford offered to repaint the car in Windsor White the owner accepted and so the car was striped down repainted and rebuilt with a new VIN plate showing the correct combination paint code and interior trim. Ford ended up doing this 344 times with this particular non standard paint and interior trim combination.

Ford Mustang Fastback 302, Castle Combe

The car was delivered coincidentally, on the current owners Birthday, to north Hollywood, after a short spell in Seattle from 1995 to 1997 it arrived in the UK, the current owner bought it in 2004 without any evidence of ever having welding repairs.

Thanks for joining me on this “The PHD was TNT” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for Ferrari Friday. Don’t forget to come back now !

Everything You Could Ask For – Ford Mustang Hardtop

The 1966 Ford Mustang introduced minor detail changes to the original ’65 models including a simplified front grill.

Ford Mustang, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Below the bonnet / hood there were not many changes except the availability of the Cruise O Matic three speed transmissions on the V8 models.

Ford Mustang, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Chrome trim was also added to the faux intakes ahead of the rear wheels. Slightly different wheel trims were standard but this ’66 car seen at an Avenue Drivers Club meeting in Bristol appears to be fitted with out of period wheel trims.

Ford Mustang, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

In the cabin the original Falcon derived interior instrumentation disappeared with a five dial cluster as standard and two in car entertainment options were offered AM/8 Track Stereo or AM/FM Mono radio.

Ford Mustang, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Rear seat belts also became standard in ’66.

Ford Mustang, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

This particular was imported in 2008 and is showing signs of not having been kept in a garage since.

Ford Mustang, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

The ’66 Mustangs were aimed at both the single girl on a secretaries salary and the man in his 50’s looking to add a little spring to his step.

Thanks for joining me on this “Everything You Could Ask For” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me tomorrow for Ferrari Friday. Don’t forget to come back now !

Ford Mustang Man – Ford Mustang Fastback

Half way through the 1964 Model year Ford launched it’s sensational personal luxury Mustang and in the process created the Pony Car class which swept aside hitherto performance favourites like the Ford Falcon with which the Mustang shared many components including much of the chassis pan, drive train and even the original dash instruments of it’s older sibling.

Ford Mustang Fastback, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

The power unit’s offered on the original Mustangs offered from 105 hp from the Thriftpower straight six to 271 hp from the 4 barrel Windsor 289. The motor in today’s featured car is officially quoted as 4929 cc a fraction over 300 cui suggesting it might be either over bored or from an altogether later period.

Ford Mustang Fastback, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

The Falcon strip speedometer was replaced in 1966 with a six round instrument cluster, seat belts were standard in the front, but optional extra’s in the rear.

Ford Mustang Fastback, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

This particular vehicle is registered as and I quote from the DVLA, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency – GOV.UK website, a 1968 “Ford Mustang Man” however the grill bearing the chromed cross motif only seen on ’65 models, absence of trim on the faux ducts ahead of the rear wheels, the wheel trim, Falcon style instrument panel and altogether less aggressive styling compared with the mildly face lifted ’68 Fastback immortalised by Steve McQueen point to this car being at least a ’65 car if not an early ’64 and a 1/2 model.

Thanks for joining me on this “Ford Mustang Man” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again for Ferrari Friday tomorrow. Don’t for get to come back now !

Die Another Day – Ford Thunderbird

Ford revived the Personal Luxury Thunderbird model in 2002 following the success of various retro models including the the VW Golf based Beetle, and BMWs all new retro look Mini and Chryslers retro P/T Cruiser Ford designers took styling cues for the rebirth of the the Thunderbird name, which disappeared in 1997, from the 1954 first generation Thunderbird.

Ford Thunderbird, National Motor Museum, Beaulieu,

The new Thunderbird turned heads where ever it went according to one journalist and received the Motor Trend Car Of the Year Award from an adoring press. For a short time 11th Generation Thunderbirds even sold at a premium off the forecourts however Ford chose not to back it’s new jewel with the kind of marketing to which the public for luxury trucks had become accustomed and so just 19,000 Thunderbirds were sold in 2002 about a fifth short of what had been anticipated.

Ford Thunderbird, National Motor Museum, Beaulieu,

Despite cameo appearances in the 2004 science fiction kids film Thunderbirds an marginally more adult orientated 2002 James Bond thriller Die Another Day in which Bond’s side kick US agent Jinx played by Halle Berry appeared in today’s all Coral coloured car.

Ford Thunderbird, National Motor Museum, Beaulieu,

Unfortunately the lack of marketing, and possibly the lack of performance options which appear to have been lavished by the bucket load on the 2005 retro futurist Sid Ramnarace designed Ford Mustang, killed the Thunderbird off for a second time in 2005 with just 67,518 examples produced including a limited production run of 700 for the 007 special edition commemorating “Die Another Day”.

Thanks for joining me on this “Die Another Day” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for Ferrari Friday when GALPOT will be paying a second visit to Niello Serrano Concours d’Elegance. Don’t forget to come back now.

Highland Green 302 – Ford Mustang Fastback

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In 1968 a Highland Green Mustang GT Fastback running on Torque Thrust alloy wheels with Steve Mcqueen in the drivers seat became one of the motorised film icons of all time when it starred as the pursuit vehicle in a 10 min 53 sec car chase through the streets of San Francisco in the film Bullit. Thanks in no small part to that chase sequence the films editor Frank P Keller won an Academy Award for Best Film Editing.

In 1967 the Mustang was given it’s first face lift with more aggressive styling the Mustang became larger, thanks to a Ford Thunderbird type big block 6.4 litre FE V8 heavier, but now with 320 hp also more powerful.

For 1968 the Mustang gained mandatory side reflectors, the ’67 only brushed steel interior trim was replaced with woodgrain interior trim, 3 point seat belts became standard for the front seats as did seat belt warning and door ajar warning lights. Those last two safety items were way ahead of their time, I did not see those sorts of warning lights on any vehicle at all until I sat inside a brand new Honda while I was working as a car valet at a Honda Dealership during a college break in the summer of 1979.

Unlike Lt Bullit’s Mustang today’s 1968 model is powered by a, then new addition to the Mustang range, 4.9 litre / 302 cui Windsor V8 a motor. The 302 was designed to meet Federal Standards being introduced and would become a regular for the option for mustangs through to the end of third generation Mustang production in 1993.

Although two Mustangs were supplied by Ford Motor Company to the producers of Bullit both cars were debadged of all Mustang lettering logo’s that normally appeared on the model.

If one were foolish enough to steal this Mustang one would be disappointed to find that one could not recreate the double declutching sounds that are a strong aural feature of the Bullit car chase, not only is the motor smaller but this car has an automatic transmission. The Bullit film soundtrack also won an Academy Award.

In the United Kingdom Ford made a promotional film to launch the new Ford Puma in 1997. The film used some of the San Francisco Bullit film sets and edits from the Bullit film to make it look like Steve McQueen, who died in 1980, is driving a Silver Puma, pulling into his garage next to which is parked Lt Bullit’s Highland Green Fastback GT ‘stang, as can be seen in this link.

Thanks for joining me on this “Highland Green 302” edition of “Gettin a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now.

Heavy Weight Luxury – Ford Mustang Hardtop

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Within three years of it’s introduction sales of Ford’s “secretarial” pony car the Mustang had peaked at over 600,000 units per year and there after they fell sharply to level out at the 120,000 annual sales level.

For 1971 the Mustang grew in every dimension except height and gained 800 lbs, under the watchful eye Ford Design Product Manager Semon “Bunkie” Knudsen during his 19 month tenure in between jobs at General Motors and White Motor (Truck) Company. Knudsen is credited with pursuing luxury over the youth and performance culture at which the original Mustang had been targeted.

The ’71 Mustangs like the example seen here were 3 inches wider in both body and front and rear wheel tracks which when combined with the inherited height of the original made for a cramped cockpit.

However while the responsibility for the largest and heaviest Mustang of all time was the responsibility of Semon “Bunkie” Knudsen he was merely following the escalation derby that ended up with “option overkill” which saw $2500 vehicles loaded with options that doubled the value and profits of all of the contemporary vehicle manufacturers.

The Mustang Mach 1 performance option included the hockey stick stripes and Magnum 500 wheels, an all time favorite original equipment option.

Part of the justification for the increase in size and weight of the ’71 Mustang was the 7 litre 375 hp Big block Super Cobra Jet 429 cui motor option which could easily be fitted into the engine bay without the costly modifications that had come about from stuffing mid size cars with full size motors, an activity that can be traced back at least as far as the 1964 Pontiac GTO and was dropped on Mustangs from 1972 on. The 5 litre / 302 cui Windsor V8 on this car would produce between 190 and 210 hp depending on the carburetor option chosen.

The Mach 1 name first appeared on a concept Levacar, which offered a Jetsons vision of the future, in 1960. The Mach 1 name first appeared on Mustangs built for the 1969 model year.

Several sources I have read while preparing today’s blog have emphasised that the Mach 1 package was only offered on sportsroof models.

Ford Mustang Hardtop, Bristol

There was a Sports Coupé version of the hard top offered in the Spring of 1971 which included the hockey stick stripes and a black roof without the Mach 1 lettering of which only 500 are thought to have been manufactured.

It is thought that 1971 Mustang sales figures broke down to 83,000 hard tops, 60,000 fastbacks and just 6000 convertibles.

Thanks for joining me on this Ford Mustang Hard Top edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow for a celebrity edition of Ferrari Friday. Don’t forget to come back now !

25th Anniversary Aero Airbag – Ford Mustang GT Convertible

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They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder and the few owners of third generation Mustangs, built from ’79 – ’93, that I have spoken too always rave about them, no matter that in some eyes they share the aesthetics with a family pack of lard with no knobs on, you either love these cars or hate them.

Based on the Ford’s mid size Fox platform, around which contemporary classics as the Ford Granada (US), LTD and Thunderbird, Mercury Cougar and Capri, Lincoln Versailles and Continental Mark VII were also built, the third generation Mustang GT is fitted with a 5 litre / 302 cui V8 produced 225 hp. In 1987 third generation Mustangs received an “aero” style face lift which replaced the earlier 4 eyes look.

Handling was improved over the other vehicles built on the Fox platform with Fords Quadra Shock rear suspension though the handling still takes some getting used to and is best not sampled in the snow. For 1990 when today’s featured car was built drivers airbags became standard.

A school friend of mine who used to work in the oil industry out in Houston Texas had one of these 25th Anniversary Mustangs from new and said that the cost of keeping it maintained aside, there was no car he has owned before or since that has given him so much pleasure as his Mustang GT being driven out of Houston on a balmy evening with the hood down and the air conditioning on.

Thanks for joining me on this 25th Anniversary Aero Airbag edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !