What is it like driving '65 - '73 Mustang and how does it compare to a S550??

[Cobra Jet]

Solid steel dashboards, non-collapsible steering columns, a thud and either moaning or dead silence after a wreck were the definition of airbags back then...

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[Jimmy Dean]

Solid steel dashboards, non-collapsible steering columns, a thud and either moaning or dead silence after a wreck were the definition of airbags back then...

the spoke steering wheels where the spokes would collapse and turn the steering column into a spear to go right into your chest, at least makes it quick and painless so you don't have to see your totaled car.

 

[mustanghammer]

I have a '71 mach 1, I've owned for 20 years now, sitting in my shop waiting for a complete resto. I am really hoping to get started on it in 1-2 years, I have two other projects to wrap up first, 1 small, 1 larger. then it is her turn to shine. Who needs a rear view mirror anyways? they are useless in those cars.

Yes a rear view mirror really is worthless in those cars. Anyone that thinks the current Camaro is bad should sit in one of those cars. But the look is hard to beat

 

[Sigma6]

There’s really little to compare besides the emblems and body lines. The S550 is so well refined. The original gen 1 Mustang was more-so marketed as a entry level sport coupe per say. You had drum brakes for Pete’s sakes and no vented cooling seats cmon ;) All kidding aside, it’s a night and day difference. The only thing I find superior if we’re taking a stock 65’ GT to a stock 20’ GT is the “cool” factor.

I could daily a restomod. I would not daily an old car, even if it had been restored to original condition. The difference in every performance/safety metric is just too great.

100% agree ^. Further for me it’s also not so much a safety or comfort thing as much as people are...selfish, jealous, don’t care. If by the off-chance I drive one of my classics and have to get out. I keep an eye on it. Parking in the back lot seems to never fail that someone parks next to it and still bangs my panels. I didn’t work my butt off to afford something as well as put sweat getting to what it is just to have someone mess with it knowing or unknown. Honestly, I don’t know if I’ve gotten cranky here or people have gotten worse within the last couple of years.

 

[Rash]

My first car was 'a used 70 Mustang 6 cyl. Rust was a problem back then. One day, went to get in the car, put my right foot on the floorboard, it went straight through to the ground. Was standing there with one foot in the car, one foot out, both on the ground. Not long after that, was driving and had to brake hard to avoid someone stopping abruptly. When I started moving again, steering wheel was pulling hard right. If I let go of the wheel, it would literally spin fast on it's own to the right. Stopped into a nearby shop, they looked at it - shock tower had separated from chassis on right side due to rust. Toast. Sold it for $500. I still miss that car, but don't miss the build quality.

 

[Jimmy Dean]

There’s really little to compare besides the emblems and body lines. The S550 is so well refined. The original gen 1 Mustang was more-so marketed as a entry level sport coupe per say. You had drum brakes for Pete’s sakes and no vented cooling seats cmon ;) All kidding aside, it’s a night and day difference. The only thing I find superior if we’re taking a stock 65’ GT to a stock 20’ GT is the “cool” factor.



100% agree ^. Further for me it’s also not so much a safety or comfort thing as much as people are...selfish, jealous, don’t care. If by the off-chance I drive one of my classics and have to get out. I keep an eye on it. Parking in the back lot seems to never fail that someone parks next to it and still bangs my panels. I didn’t work my butt off to afford something as well as put sweat getting to what it is just to have someone mess with it knowing or unknown. Honestly, I don’t know if I’ve gotten cranky here or people have gotten worse within the last couple of years.

yup, I'll be doing a restomod on mine when I get to it. at the very least upgrade steering, 4 wheel anti lock disc brakes, not to mention tire and suspension upgrades. The original equip on a 71 was pretty decent for it's day, but was outdated significantly by the early 80s, and is ancient compared to today. Shoot, I am hoping in a few years doing a mangeride retrofit will be reasonably priced. That would be nice on that car.

 

[Sig556]

@Sig556, the Camaro is gorgeous! First gen F bodies were a whole lot better cars than first generation Mustangs, which after all were just gussied up Falcons. And no the early F cars weren't gussied up Novas. The Camaro chassis went over to the X body, not the other way around. Nice job on the tri power, too.

Richard, Thanks for the kind words. I busted my tail disassembling this car down to the unibody. I replaced every nut and bolt on this car including the dash support braces. Even the brake lines were hand bent and installed. It took me 6 months to complete. and it took Best of Show in 2005 at the Grange Fair in Bucks County PA run by the Delaware Valley Corvette Club. A closer look and you can see the Stainless steel bolts installed in the engine assembly.

 

[Fly2High]

Thank you all for the walk down memory lane. I did not have a Mustang but did have a '73 Olds 98 as my first. Loved the sound of the Rocket 455. Hit the gas while in park and the body would roll to about 30 deg. Big tires and bigger suspension. Beat a late 80's Camaro once. I drove a 1/2 mile over dozens of speed bumps while he cut into the parking lot trying to pass. It was over 19ft long and I never had to look for the car when parked. just walked up the end row and looked for the car that stuck out over 3ft farther than everyone else. It had a 6 or 8 way power adjustable ... Bench seat. The entire side would open when you dropped the windows. No column between them. It too had its quirks. Shoulder belt was optional and did not auto adjust. I did like using it though. It gave me that tied in feeling well, because you WERE tied in. I really was scared when I sat in an self adjusting shoulder belt the first few times. The windshield leaked right over the driver - only spot it leaked. For some reason, it would unscrew sway bar linkages. Either that or they broke. Replaced them several times. Nothing would hold them. Bushings would wear out fast too. Then again, I drove it way too hard.

Miss that car but it too was nothing like the Mustang. Completely different beast but it had its own charm and being a family hand me down from my uncle made me love it even more.




My reason for the thread, besides the walk down memory lane was also to remind us how much we have and maybe not look so much at what we don't. Cars today, including the Mustang, offer us so much already that we should appreciate.

Thank you all for the stories and to make us realize what we should be thankful for. feel free to keep them coming.


There is one question I would like answered.

Did you feel the cars today having so much torque and hp are safer to drive than any other year Mustang or there was a sweet spot in the Mustang lineage where it had just the right amount of power and performance that the average Joe could use fully?

 

[Jimmy Dean]

Thank you all for the walk down memory lane. I did not have a Mustang but did have a '73 Olds 98 as my first. Loved the sound of the Rocket 455. Hit the gas while in park and the body would roll to about 30 deg. Big tires and bigger suspension. Beat a late 80's Camaro once. I drove a 1/2 mile over dozens of speed bumps while he cut into the parking lot trying to pass. It was over 19ft long and I never had to look for the car when parked. just walked up the end row and looked for the car that stuck out over 3ft farther than everyone else. It had a 6 or 8 way power adjustable ... Bench seat. The entire side would open when you dropped the windows. No column between them. It too had its quirks. Shoulder belt was optional and did not auto adjust. I did like using it though. It gave me that tied in feeling well, because you WERE tied in. I really was scared when I sat in an self adjusting shoulder belt the first few times. The windshield leaked right over the driver - only spot it leaked. For some reason, it would unscrew sway bar linkages. Either that or they broke. Replaced them several times. Nothing would hold them. Bushings would wear out fast too. Then again, I drove it way too hard.

Miss that car but it too was nothing like the Mustang. Completely different beast but it had its own charm and being a family hand me down from my uncle made me love it even more.




My reason for the thread, besides the walk down memory lane was also to remind us how much we have and maybe not look so much at what we don't. Cars today, including the Mustang, offer us so much already that we should appreciate.

Thank you all for the stories and to make us realize what we should be thankful for. feel free to keep them coming.


There is one question I would like answered.

Did you feel the cars today having so much torque and hp are safer to drive than any other year Mustang or there was a sweet spot in the Mustang lineage where it had just the right amount of power and performance that the average Joe could use fully?

480hp and 450ft-lb today is alot easier to handle than 300hp and 300 ft-lb was 55 years ago, no doubt. the supporting systems, suspension, tires, brakes, steering, etc are so much better. anti lock brakes, all the nanny's, make it possible for the common driver to contain what it used to take a race car driver to handle.

 

[Fly2High]

Yes, and hypercars with even more power also have clever systems to make them go around tracks even faster/not kill you immediately. For example, no human can operate each brake independently, but the car can.

From what I have heard, an Aventador is still a very different beast than a Huracan. One is far easier to drive than the other but it was designed to be.

I am sure the same can be said of different years of Mustang.

Also SUVs do the braking to improve handling because they have to. Inherently unstable with the high Cg.

My ask is just to see if anyone felt there was a 'best' Mustang for them or is today, with all everyone complains about, is in fact the best. Of course, every year of every car could be improved. Then again, many will say there is a certain year of Honda S2000 that is better than the later ones. Curious if the Mustang was the same.

Are we in the Golden Age of the Mustang?

 

[Jimmy Dean]

From what I have heard, an Aventador is still a very different beast than a Huracan. One is far easier to drive than the other but it was designed to be.

I am sure the same can be said of different years of Mustang.

Also SUVs do the braking to improve handling because they have to. Inherently unstable with the high Cg.

My ask is just to see if anyone felt there was a 'best' Mustang for them or is today, with all everyone complains about, is in fact the best. Of course, every year of every car could be improved. Then again, many will say there is a certain year of Honda S2000 that is better than the later ones. Curious if the Mustang was the same.

Are we in the Golden Age of the Mustang?

that depends on what you like. For performance, nearly every year starting from 1964 has seen an improvement, until where we are today, with the best performing Mustangs ever made (we can ignore the 74-77 as far as improvements, and even the Fox was a performance stepdown from 73, but they started increasing and late 90s we saw them able to outrun and outhandle the 70s model mustangs again).

For looks, character, you cannot beat the 1st gen. not even close. nearly every year and varient in the 64.5-73 surpasses every mustang since in looks. the exception is probably the 71-73 grande...that thing was fugly, and I think some of the best are the 71/72 machs and bosses.

 

[Fly2High]

that depends on what you like. For performance, nearly every year starting from 1964 has seen an improvement, until where we are today, with the best performing Mustangs ever made (we can ignore the 74-77 as far as improvements, and even the Fox was a performance stepdown from 73, but they started increasing and late 90s we saw them able to outrun and outhandle the 70s model mustangs again).

For looks, character, you cannot beat the 1st gen. not even close. nearly every year and varient in the 64.5-73 surpasses every mustang since in looks. the exception is probably the 71-73 grande...that thing was fugly, and I think some of the best are the 71/72 machs and bosses.

Of course, ownership did not impact that looks preference .

Envious of you owning a '71 Mach 1

 

[Strokerswild]

I think we're pretty close to the pinnacle for an ICE Mustang, personally.

IMO, around 500HP seems to be the sweet spot for a road car that you can actually use. I've had more (much more in the case of my former '07 GT500) but it ends up being unusable unless you want to run tires that are a compromise elsewhere. Combined with a proper suspension and brake setup, 500ish HP is about all you really need.

(Not talking about want.....)

 

[Balr14]

There are a number of people, in the local Mustang club, that think the recent 6 cylinder Mustang was the perfect blend of performance and handling. I have driven and ridden in several of these Mustangs and they do feel well balanced and seem unlikely to get you in trouble.

One thing I do miss about the older cars is that the engines were a lot more clean and "visual". Now all you can see is a CAI and a plastic engine cover. It's hardly worth raising your hood when you go to a car meet any more.

 

[Norm Peterson]

I had the pleasure of being offered to drive a coworker's late 60's Firebird convertible. He said that I could only drive it in the parking lot because it was SO different from modern cars.

Being 6' 1", I was surprised the seat had no travel. I had my knees up around the steering wheel. The seat just doesn't go back.

Next, the steering was power-assist but , to me, barely. The biggest shock was that it took SEVERAL revolutions just to make a right turn.

Throttle response was so different.

Brakes? well I felt I had to push way too far before they started to grab.

Was this really state of the art back then? How did people drive the car?

That no-travel seat aside, you just got in and drove. It's not like there was anything truly advanced to compare it against.

You were probably more aware of the driver's involvement in, well, driving. But less aware of how crude the various systems were at the time. Basically, you just dealt with it, and enjoyed the freedom that driving gave you. I don't think anybody ever thought 'geez, these 4-wheel drum brakes flat-out scare me' or that needing about twice as much rotation of the steering wheel to make any given turn as we do today was worth complaining about.

Actually, the 1960's Mustangs were - relatively speaking here - noticeably refined relative to the cars of the 1950's.

The car sounded fantastic but I learn quickly to appreciate the advances we now have even though I feel we have gone too far too.

I think that last part is particularly true with respect to today's emphasis on 'refinement' and 'features'. Where "good enough to enjoy driving it" isn't good enough. Where refinement has insulated us from many of the sensations under the guise of "reducing NVH". Too far, for sure, and the poster-boy for that might be where mfrs now feel they have to either make a pipe to bring engine sounds into the cabin or fool us with electronically synthesized sounds.

I would love to hear what it is like to drive an early Mustang and how it compares to a modern S550.

In a couple of words, 'raw' vs 'polished'. Which applies across the board from 1960's cars vs today's.


Norm

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