I noticed that Ford's banner ads for the new 2010 Mustangs on the intarw3bz are calling it "The most customizable Mustang ever," apparently because you can get all different kinds of tape & decal packages on it.
In 1968, however, you could choose between four different transmissions, six different engines, nine final drive ratios, and a partridge in a pear tree.
Of course the former is a lot more economical from a business standpoint, but the latter sure does feel a lot more like "customizing".
I had a '69 Fastback with a 351 Cleveland under the hood. Man that was one sweet ride.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe anyone makes a "real" car anymore.
If only I'd have kept it. I kick myself in the rear everytime I think about that.
I traded it for a nice Harley so things weren't all bad but I still wish I had the old mustang today.
Joe
This seems to be the next big thing in advertising. Tell the drones they're unique (just like everyone else). Not surprisingly, given that it's aimed at soulless people who have nothing on the inside so they're forced to show who they are on the outside, virtually all of it revolves around appearance.
ReplyDeleteIt's like they took a lesson from the motorcycle companies: Brave New Graphics!
ReplyDeleteThey have to say SOMETHING to get people's attention away from the Camaro. The Chevy's V6 is darn near almost as powerful as the Mustang GT's 4.6 and the 'Stang's V6 is old enough to get its own driver's license.
ReplyDeleteThey have at least a new V6 coming next year, but for now they're pretty well hosed. Stickers are probably the only thing they can think of that's cheap and quick enough to implement before next summer.
Y'know, the Camaro is purty and fast and all, but I wouldn't buy a car from Government Motors now if it came with a nekkid Russell Crowe gift-wrapped in the passenger seat.
ReplyDeleteLooking at the sales figures, the new Camaro is a guaranteed collector's item in 2020.
I've been to several GM dealers while helping my dad look for a new truck, to a one, all of them said they can't get enough Camaros to sell. The last GM dealer we went to had ONE Camaro, it was already sold, but he would let you sit in it if you asked nicely.
ReplyDeleteThis is typical GM bullshit. When they finally make a car that someone might want, they don't make enough of them and then they try and bait and switch you into a POS like a FWD Impala. Guaranteed this car will never be made in quantities and GM will kill it in a couple of years. They've been slowly committing corporate suicide for the last 25 years.
That being said, I would never own a Mustang. My most vivid memories of Mustangs were a friends '69 that had the rotted out shock towers fail and the whole front end of the car collapse going over a bump, and another guy's shiny Mustang II (pintostang) that caught fire and burned down in the HS parking lot.
BTW Pops ended up buying a Dodge Ram quad cab from a dealer who had had his dealership yanked by Chrysler. His last non-GM car was a '63 Galaxie. So much for retaining brand loyalty...
Assrot-- I'll just bet you wish you still had it; I always thought the '69 Mach I was the baddest-looking of the pony cares.
ReplyDeleteTam-What is it about Russell Crowe? My wife goes gaga over the guy.
ReplyDeleteAh, the Galaxie... I don't know why, but I love 'em.
ReplyDeleteSo, what if I sweeten the nekkid Russel Crowe offer with a nekkid Antonio Banderas? And maybe a gas card?
To their "modifiable" credit, Ford has always done one thing with the mustang that swappers appreciate... they either will put a next-gen motor in last year's chassis for a year or two before the next gen arrives, or they'll hold the old motor over in the new chassis for a year or so.
ReplyDeleteThe Fox 'stangs could fit almost any current production ford motor with factory parts (excepting the 460). The '94 repop kept the 5.0 for a year. The 3.8/3.9 V6 is the SBF v8 pattern as well. The 4.0 V6 means all the Cologne engines fit, and the new 3.7V6 IIRC is the Duratec pattern... meaning if you wanted to gank a 2011's K frame and trans, you could shove a SHO 3.4 V8 under the hood of whatever that frame fits.
The Fox really had it though... between the 4, the I-6, and the V8 plus "offsides" bits from other Fox platform cars you could, if you really, really wanted to, assemble factory parts into....
... how about an '85 Stang convertible with the GT suspension, LX series "reduced flash", and a BMW 2.4 I6 turbodiesel?
I read somewhere that not all that long ago that Summit is selling more Ford parts than Chev.
ReplyDeleteFunny old world.
I had a '94 GT, and I miss that car sometimes.
Jim
Ford has noticed there's money in them thar boi racers. The last time I was at the Honda dealership getting maintenance done I noticed Honda is offering pre-"customized" Civics with crazy mag wheels and other stuck-on junk.
ReplyDeletePrice? $30K. The Civic is a fine car - affordable, easy on gas, uber reliable - for $15-20K. For $30K you're entering a whole other class of otto. Stretch just a bit and you're in Bimmer territory.