[oldman]

Originally Posted by ULTRAZLS1

Notchbacks in negative da and free mods clipped high 13s.

The average foxy body was mid to high 14s.

Seems to be what I found over the time period. This era was really dominated by the last of the late 70s SBC and a few strange combinations of 360 and 400 CID Mopars many in cop packages. It was not unusual to find Joe average 350 Nova with home ported heads, milled, cam carb, manifold, headers, stall = pretty dominant. When I ordered my 1977 Firebird 400 4 speed, it came with a Chevy 350 small block (only in CA and HI). What no Pontiac engine well yeah it was some unaffordable to me at that time WS package with 4 speed, and if it was an auto it was an Oldsmabubble 409. I was kind of happy with the SBC in the long run, it was blue with white interior and vinyl top. Point is, it was EASY to get go fast parts for the 350. You could pickup double hump back heads with 2.02 for $150 a set. Heck even Napa could order them rebuilt. No way you could go down to Napa and order a set of Boss 302 heads... Well anyway the point being by the mid to late 80s there was a lot of affordable sbc around, as well as some cop Mopar stuff. But yeah the Fox 5.0 was light and built a huge following fast, the GN never had the numbers. It all hit a wall when Ford went modular (a bad joke 2,3 or 4 valve). Once GM rolled out the LT1, it was a compete and total blowout. So like the yarn says about 6 years of parity over a 50 year complete route. Heck Mopar was more competitive (and better looking) for most of the time.

Dodge was in the game till the end of the B and A (and big block Cs)body into the very late 70s, and back at it with the LX of 2006 (brief stint with the little red pickup and the Shelby Dakota). Like I said really to my mind it was not the Mustang it really was the Mopars that were forces to be reckoned with. Every 383, 400, 440 could be made fast for cheap, every 340 and 360 could be made fast for cheap, they all came with a great 727 auto and most with and 8 and 3/4 rear not like the 8 and 1/4 bango was actually OK... ugly, not a third member, but OK, and light.

1974 - 76 Duster 360 smog motor with safety bumpers an auto and mild 3.55 still could pull down mid 14s. The 4 speed 3.91s were pretty brutal to go against stock.http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/...ad-test.85146/



I was working in CA at a custom TBolt shop and going to some crazy liberal college that will remain unmentioned. At least the girls were liberal

So there are some "normal" Mustangs that to my mind offered reasobable turn key performace:
1970 to 1973 Mustang 351 4V Clevland, any body / trans
1985 to 1992? 5.0 manual notch
2013 to 2015? 5.0 non-IRS (personal preference here)
2018 GT PP1 A10

So 20% of the Mustangs produced offered reasonable performance for the money. Reasonable platform to build on. Vs ANY F Body with a V8 with any body config with any trans. OK I'll admit the Poncho 301 with or without turbo maybe inferior to the 302 W... OK you got me there. ouch. Then I'd have to bring up the 256 cid 119 HP Windsor of the same time frame.