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What to compare our handling to?

3K views 38 replies 25 participants last post by  Huntingky 
#1 ·
This came up in another thread. I compare my Mustang's driveability and handling to my 98 MarkVIII and 97 Aurora constantly as I drive those three cars now. I also use my memories of my 77 Firebird for reference.

IMO under 80 mph I should be able to get my Mustang to handle as well as the 2nd Generation F body eventually and probably ride as well. Also far as spirited driving goes, the 68 will never match a 98 vette but the 98 MarkVIII is within range.

What do you all use for benchmarks?
 
#2 · (Edited)
A brick. :wink:

I just accept it for what it is. If I don't like something in the system, shocks, etc I replace/fix it... I don't compare them to anything but themselves... I find it interesting many people want "a Mustang" then go to great lengths (and costs) to make it something completely different to what a Mustang ever was...
 
#3 ·
I ordered my 64 1/2 vert(early 65) from the factory May 64. It was 4 speed, 289 4v, handling package, manual steering. It was a sporty looking compact car. The handling option gave it the steering ratio of the power steering cars and it had a stiffer sway bar.

Dec 64 I traded for a true 65 like my 64 1/2 but with disc front brakes and limited slip rear axle. No I wasn't rich back
then. Mustang verts were so hot selling the dealer traded me for my 64 1/2 plus the price adder of the LS rear and the disc fronts, about $200 for close to 10,000 miles use!

The Shelby was modified to make the Stang competitive.

I agree with dalorzof. I knew ahead of time the Mustang was a re bodied sporty looking Falcon. That's what it was
and I loved it!
 
#6 ·
As an adder. My daily driver at the time was 56 Ford Sunliner 312 automatic. I had improved the handling with a sway bar from a 56 Ford station wagon. The handling was about equal, the Sunliner rode better and the 4 speed Stang was more fun to drive.
 
#7 ·
No benchmarks. The 69 SCJ, the 65 GT and my pick up all are suited for different tasks. Each performs well for its designed duties and preformance range. The truck doesn't go to the track and the cars don't go to the dump. Brian
 
#8 ·
I will disagree with most of the reply's so far. The cars can be made to handle quite well with just a few upgrades. Removing the slop and bind from the stock suspension brings a huge gain to the cars handling. Using USA made parts and roller suspension pieces with quality shocks, appropriate sway bars and springs for the use of the car, can and does make them drive like a newer car. It's not hard, you just have to use the right parts.

We can make any early Mustang, Falcon, Cougar, Comet or Fairlane etc. handle like a newer car for a reasonable price. We do it every day and have a lot of positive feedback. Our old 65 Mustang handles as well as our 07 Dodge Magnum, if not better.

Vintage Mustang Suspension and Chassis - Opentracker Racing Products
 
#9 ·
Read closely. IIRC we each said our Mustang does what we wanted it to do. You can modify yours how you want. That becomes your benchmark.
 
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#11 · (Edited)
Ford should have taken note from the Shelby Mustangs and moved the upper control arm and added a thicker sway bar to all the early Mustangs. I guess Ford didn't want to change the stance of the car so they would appeal to women and men alike.

I thought they handled fine for what they were built for when they were new. As steering and suspension parts wore out, they handled more like the 56 Ford Crown Vic (my first car) which also had worn steering and suspension.
 
#12 ·
It wouldn't have changed the stance....that could have been adjusted by spring rate and length. The reason they designed it like they did was so that there would be significant understeer built into the handling in extreme situations to keep the car from looping.
 
#14 ·
its hard to compare a well setup mustang to other cars. the driver and how the driver knows how to drive the car they are in, the tires, the other cars setup and if its modded. some guys can drive certain cars real good and are not very good with others and some guys can drive anything they get in real good. theres no fair comparrison.
 
#15 ·
i feel like the old cars should at least be able to keep up with a Camry through some curves and feel safe doing it. I don't think it costs a fortune to make em ride, handle nice and stop well. I leaned on John at Opentracker for quite a few parts that he offered that were significantly better than the stock ones that needed replaced anyway. I'm very happy with how it all came out. I'm not aiming to run it through curves like a Vette or Porsche but I still like it better than either.
 
#16 ·
I would have a lot at some old 1960's TransAm racing series photos. What Chevy, AMC, and Mopar, had on the tracks racing Mustangs is what it's fair to compare to in street versions. And Falcons. :)
 
#17 ·
I just compare my Mustang to other Mustangs, really. Nothing else handles quite like it that I've ever been in. I'm proud to say that mine is one of the nicer-driving cars I've been in.

Having driven a couple of other very quick cars ('14 Vette, '08 Stage 2 Roush), I can honestly say that it's not the handling differences that stick out to me. It's more the rawness of power. Vintage puts power down in a terrifying way just so much better. You don't really notice the difference in handling because it's a completely different animal and that's not even close to the first difference that jumps out at you. It would be like me comparing my '66 to my '02 Ford Escape. Just way too different!
 
#18 ·
I compare my mustang to my daily, my 4x4 SCREW F-150,

My 69 Mach has new Bilstens that helped a lot as well as export brace, but it still needs a bunch more mods/adjustments to handle better than a pickup...lol

Someday I hope I can get this car to handle as well as a decently setup SN95 mustang.
 
#19 ·
My car handles sitting in the garage very well :shrug:. It's still in there now..... I need to move south!
Seriously though, everything else I drive is FWD so comparisons are kind of out the window for me.
 
#23 ·
Wow thanks for that video! One of the first things I want to do with my sons Mustang is race it against my Cayman from a standing start, which I suspect might be a pretty even contest.

I never even thought about the possibility of them being a match on a track but it is awesome to see it. Hopefully one day we can his car to that point one day.
 
#24 ·
You should talk with SilverblueBP. Before he recently upgraded his suspension, it was very stock other then Koni's, lowering the UCA 1". adjustable struts and springs. He was racing his 66 fb with the local Porsche/Audi club. They couldn't believe he was running with them with a basically stock Mustang suspension.

 
#25 ·
I have an 06 Ford F-150 and a mostly stock Mustang will drive circles around it. What I mean by mostly stock is a stock Mustang with radial tires, a larger front sway bar, roller spring perches, roller idler arm and a performance alignment. We based our level 1 kits on this principal. Some may not feel that changing 5 things makes the car mostly stock but some would. Those 5 items are not only a huge gain in performance, they make the cars safer to drive because the driver has much better control of the car. I would run an open track event with the 5 mods done to a stock Mustang and have a great time, I wouldn't have near as much fun at an open track event with my truck.
 
#38 ·
It's all so relative. If you put together a 400hp vintage Mustang that could consistently beat a 400hp C6 Corvette, that'd really be something. Not impossible, just pretty impressive. Now do it with a 1000hp Mustang and a 1000hp C6 Corvette.
 
#39 ·
Some of the replies are very interesting because I used to flat out eat up a lot of cars in the handling department with my stock 65GT and 66 couple. Yes, they are pretty archaic compared to modern suspension but if you read some of the old magazine comparisons, they faired pretty good when put up against other cars of the day.
 
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