Car of Cars: Ford Mustang

Showing posts with label Ford Mustang. Show all posts

Monday, July 25, 2011

Ford Mustang

Ford Mustang

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Differences Between The 1964 And A Half Mustang And The 1965 Mustang

With all the confusion over differences between the 1964 and a half Mustang and the 1965 model it can be very tough to identify them. The issue is that all Mustangs from the very beginning of production back on March 9th of 1964 use the identifier "5," standing for the year 1965, in their VIN. Technically there is no "1964 Mustang" however collectors and enthusiasts refer to those cars built from March 9th to August 17th of 1964 of that year as "1964 and a half" Mustangs. Another variation is to call these cars "early 1965s" and the cars built after the above period "late 1965s."

As far as Ford is concerned they simply had roughly 18 months of production on the 1965 model. What's the big deal about the August 17 date? That was the day that Ford shut down the two Mustang plants (in Dearborn, MI. and San Jose, CA.) were shut down for retooling. It was at this point that most agree that anything that can be called a 1964 and a half Mustang stopped being produced and the 1965 Mustang production began.

The most glaring and easily recognizable change from before and after the retooling was the switch from a generator system to an alternator system. The real problems with identification come from the phasing in and out of various parts and components over several months. As the original parts used at the very beginning ran out they were replaced with more standardized versions after the "Great Retooling."

There is an issue when trying to determine exactly what a 1964 and a half really is. In fact some of the early 1965 models are assembled using some or many of the "early" 1964 parts. It can be confusing to say the least. There are, however, a few well accepted guidelines in determining year on these cars. (Either way, be prepare for a discussion when this comes up at the next car show.

When discussing this issue there are two sets or groups of parts that are talked about. These are generally referred to as "1964" or "early" parts, or those that were used at the beginning of production starting in March of '64, and "later parts" or those that came into use after the 1964 parts were exhausted. Keep in mind that some 1964 parts were used on some of the 1965 model year cars until the supply ran out.
A few of the very easiest differences to spot are handy to know when looking for a car to purchase or out at the local car show:

a) The first spot to look is at the corners of the cars hood at the front. The 1964 and a half Mustang had a beveled edge that set into a groove as opposed to the more finished looking "pinched" or "crimped" method use on the 1965 Mustang.

b) Passenger seats on the '64 were fixed, or in other words not meant to adjust or slide backwards and forward. The 1965 model had adjustable passenger seats.

c) The door locks are color keyed to the interior color of the car on the 1964 and while in the 1965 model they were chromed.

d) The gas tank cap will not have a holding wire on a '64 while it will on a 1965.

e) There are no Fastbacks that are considered 1964 and a half models. There may be a few of the early Fastbacks assembled with left over 1964 parts however it is widely accepted that Ford never built a Fastback prior to August 17th 1964.

f) The pedals on the 1964 were not made to accept a metal trim piece and therefore will not have the indentations around the edge you'll see on the 1965's.

g) The rule is a Mustang with the D, F, or U engine designation is considered a definite 1964 model. Those with engine codes of either C or K were used in the 1964 and 1965 model so are of little use in identifying.

h) The '64 and 's had a center position off switch for the heater.

These are just some of the most obvious, easily seen and most accepted differences between the 1964 and a half Mustang and the 1965. It's an interesting bit of automobile history and a lot of fun to look into.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/classics-articles/differences-between-the-1964-and-a-half-mustang-and-the-1965-mustang-805655.html
About the Author
Author: William Kelly
Bill has several early Mustangs on his site at OldCarRaffle.com. To see some great pictures of these restored beauties click HERE. Bill's got a soft spot for anything with wheels and a motor, including Harley's.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

1965 Ford Mustang Photo Gallery

1965 Ford Mustang Convertible (Top up)

1965 Ford Mustang Convertible (Top down)

1965 Ford Mustang Coupe

1966 Ford Mustang Convertible

1967 Ford Mustang GT Fastback Coupe

Thursday, December 16, 2010

2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302

The boss is back – and it’s back with a vengeance. Meet the 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 – said to be the quickest, best-handling straight-production Mustang ever offered by Ford, based on the strong foundation provided by the 2011 Mustang GT. The model has been upgraded in nearly every aspect including engine output, brakes, suspension, interior and exterior all examined to optimize weight, aerodynamics and track performance.

The decision to build a modern Boss was not entered into lightly,” said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Global Product Development. “The entire team at Ford felt the time was right and with the right ingredients, the world-class 2011 Mustang could support a successful, race-bred, worthy successor to the original Boss 302. For us that meant a production Mustang that could top one of the world”s best ““ the 2010 BMW M3 ““ in lap times at Laguna Seca. We met our expectations.”

To celebrate the victory and the racing heritage, Ford will offer a limited number of Boss 302 Laguna Seca models for those interested in more on-track driving. The 302 Laguna Seca has increased body stiffness, a firmer chassis set-up and an aerodynamics package carried over almost in its entirety from the Ford Racing Boss 302R.

So what’s under the hood? The 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 uses the same 5.0L V8 from the 2011 GT but to achieve the high-rpm horsepower to make it competitive on the track, Ford added a new intake, revised camshafts and a more aggressive control calibration. All that results in 440-hp and 380 lb-ft of torque. Power is transmitted to the wheels through a race inspired short-throw, close-ratio six-speed manual transmission handles gear change duties.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Ford Mustang generation

The birth of the Ford Mustang also saw the birth of the phrase "pony car", which is a term used to describe an American car that is sporty and affordable explained. Most horses are represented by, their small sizes cheap, compact and more powerful engine.

In the late 1950s, Ford saw sales decline in two-seat Thunderbird and in 1958 introduced, a new version of a larger 4-seat introduced in 1958 was very successful.

http://carmodifcation.blogspot.com/

The rivalry between Ford and Chevrolet are always strong with the two big companies try to appeal to the same market. This led to the introduction of Chevrlet Corvair in 1960 which is the catalyst that forced the successor to the Ford Thunderbird, called Futura and Futura Sprint to create. Competition leads to other manufacturers such as Ford with the introduction of the Dodge Dart GT Plymouth Valient seal and create a song and it was not long before the Oldsmobile, Buick and Pontiac joined the competition.

All car commercial success, but a number of top auto executives, including Lee Iacocca Ford believes there is a larger market that they could catch. They saw a niche market to buy a car that more young with disposable income looking for an affordable car to buy with a more sporty image.

http://carmodifcation.blogspot.com/

This led to the creation of the Ford Mustang in 1964 which proved a huge success. Ford initially expected sales of just wear-resistant 100, 000, but the orders came to 22,000 in the first day alone. At the end of the year it had achieved sales of up to 618,812 units.

Ford Mustang is a car that all other manufacturers want to mimic the new term "pony car" was adopted to lead. The term was first used by Dennis Shattuck, the editor of Car Life magazine around that time and created a sound based on the Ford Mustang ride.

http://carmodifcation.blogspot.com/

Ford Mustang is one of the oldest running Ford took with the series-F and Falcon, which is still in production in Australia. Over the years there were five generations of the 1970 Mustang to see light derived from the original Mustang design early 1964 urging fans to force Ford to return to its 1960 roots.

First Generation

The first generation of Mustang has been made under the strict supervision of Lee Iacocca and Ford's chief engineer Donald N. Frey and take 18 months. The original prototype saw a car with a mid-mounted V4 engine and only 2 seats but this was abandoned for the design of 2 4-seater in February due to low sales of the Ford Thunderbird. February 2 design is believed to have been selected because of the success of cars like the Jaguar E-Type.

Design of the new agency created by Joe Oros that the design win in a match that produced by Iacocca.

"I told the team that the car I want to attract women, but I want to desire men, I want the front end such as Ferrari, motif centered on the front of heavy Something that looks like a Maserati, -. but, please, not a trident and I want to intake air on the side to cool the rear brakes, I say sporty as possible and it seems related to the European design "-.. - Oros

In order to maintain a minimum construction cost of a car based on parts of the car is production, such as Ford Falcon and Ford Fairline.

Second Generation

The second generation of the Mustang driven by the energy crisis in 1973 that cars were a big thirst for gasoline is not preferred because of rising fuel costs.

New, smaller Mustang II was released in 1973 and Ford is aiming to compete with small Japanese imports like the Toyota Celica. However, the last car was much heavier than their beginning to hurt performance.

Third Generation

In 1979 the third generation of the Mustang was introduced, highly dependent on the Japanese market for design. The car was designed more to accommodate four passengers, baggage volumes improved and extended the engine room for easy maintenance.

Fourth Generation

In 1994 the third generation Mustang suffered major Restyling for the signal from the original 1964 design for the first time since the 1973 version of the hatchback is no longer available.

The original engine was 3.8 OHV V6 rated 145 horsepower, but over the years, this is an upgrade to a 4.6L V8 producing 225 hp big in 1998.