PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE
TOTAL PERFORMANCE
Since mid-1957, Ford and the other American auto manufacturers had abided—some more loosely than others—by an Automobile Manufacturers Association resolution that prevented the companies from participating in racing, including the publicizing of race results and advertising speed-related cars. The manufacturers loathed the ban. NASCAR in particular was popular among the general public, and the Big Three viewed racing as an opportunity to increase sales with a “Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday” mindset. Ironically, Ford chairman and CEO Henry Ford II was serving as president of the AMA when, in 1962, he advised the organization, “The resolution adopted in the past no longer has either purpose or effect. Accordingly, we are withdrawing from it.”
The Mustang was still on the drawing board when Ford pulled away from the AMA racing ban. Free to unleash its engineering and marketing forces on a public that was craving speed for both street and track, Ford realized that its new sporty car could play a huge role in a new marketing campaign. In the twelve months prior to the Mustang’s introduction, Ford transitioned its corporate advertising from “Lively Ones” to “Total Performance.” When the Mustang arrived on April 17, 1964, new models were often displayed in dealer showrooms adjacent to 427 Galaxies and 289 Hi-Po Fairlanes. Two months later, Ford GT-40s appeared at Le Mans for the first time. By the end of the year, Ford Galaxies had racked up thirty wins to secure the NASCAR manufacturer’s championship once again.
By the mid-1960s, the Mustang was smack-dab in the middle of Ford’s Total Performance campaign. Carroll Shelby’s GT350 won the SCCA’s B-Production championship in 1965, defeating Corvettes in the process, and by 1966, driver Jerry Titus was sitting atop his Shelby-prepared hardtop with the Trans-Am championship trophy. It was only the beginning for a Mustang performance tradition that would drive sales for over fifty years.
PERFORMANCE
289 HIGH PERFORMANCE
During the Mustang’s first two months, the top-rated engine was a 210-horsepower 289. In June 1964, Ford injected more muscle by adding the Fairlane’s 289 High Performance to the option list.
Rated at 271 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, the 289 Hi-Po, as it was known, was prepped for high revs with a solid-lifter camshaft, a dual-point distributor, a 595-cfm four-barrel carburetor, header-style exhaust manifolds, and cylinder heads with smaller combustion chambers, cast spring cups, and screw-in rocker arm studs. Inside, the Hi-Po short-block sustained the high-rpm power with thicker main bearing caps, a high- nodularity crankshaft, and larger rod bolts, which mandated revised crankshaft counterweighting and a new balancer. Hi-Po 289s were also equipped with a high-revving water pump and larger pulley for the generator or alternator.
Available for all 1965–67 Mustangs, the 289 High Performance was a package deal, not only adding the 271-horse small-block but also supplying a mandatory four-speed, 9-inch rear end, dual exhaust (an Arvinode system from October 1964 to March 1965), and a heavy-duty suspension with stiffer springs and shocks, a larger front sway bar, quicker ratio steering, and 6.95×14-inch tires. Peering under the hood, the Hi-Po was identified by its chrome valve covers and open-element air cleaner. Due to the high-rpm capabilities, air conditioning and power steering were not available. A small “High Performance” metal plate with checkered flags, sandwiched behind the standard 289 emblem and the front fender sheet metal, was all that identified the 289 High Performance Mustang.
In 1966, Ford beefed up the C4 Cruise-O-Matic transmission for use behind the Hi-Po.
Although high in both performance and marketing visibility, only 13,231 1965–67 Mustangs were factory equipped with the 289 High Performance engine—7,273 for 1965, 5,469 for 1966, and just 489 for 1967, a year when the high-revving Hi-Po was overshadowed by the high-torque 390 big-block.
PERFORMANCE
COBRA JET
Adding a 320-horsepower 390 to the Mustang’s powertrain list for 1967 was certainly a step in the right direction in a time when muscle cars were growing in popularity. However, the 390 was basically a high-torque passenger car engine with limited horsepower capabilities due to its restrictive cylinder heads. In Hot Rod magazine, influential Ford dealer Bob Tasca criticized the 390’s lack of performance potential in an article that reached the top floors of Ford World Headquarters. The result was a four-year corporate plan for Ford performance, including new image models, increased capabilities for producing parts, an energized marketing and advertising campaign, and the availability of Cobra Jet engines.
The 428 Cobra Jet arrived in April 1968 as an option for Mustangs equipped with the GT Equipment Group. Based on the existing 428 Police Interceptor, the CJ made more usable power with updated 427 Low-Riser heads, a 390 GT camshaft, a cast-iron intake with a 735-cfm Holley four-barrel, and low-restriction exhaust manifolds. It was rated at a conservative 335 horsepower, a sly deception to avoid scrutiny from insurance companies while also gaining an advantage in organized drag racing.
The FE-based 428 CJ continued into 1969–70 as an option for all Mustangs, either Q-code or R-code with Ram-Air, before being replaced in 1971 by the 429 Cobra Jet based on Ford’s new 385-series big-block. With canted-valve heads, the 429 CJ produced 370 horsepower, which was upped to 375 as a Super Cobra Jet with a solid-lifter camshaft and Holley four-barrel as part of the Drag Pack option.
The 1971 429 Cobra Jet was the last big-block engine offered for the Mustang. For 1972–73, the Cobra Jet name shifted to the four-barrel 351 Cleveland.
PERFORMANCE
MACH 1
Mustang was moving in the right direction with the 428 Cobra Jet for 1968. In 1969, Ford unveiled a new Mach 1 SportsRoof that injected a muscle car image into the Mustang, one that was especially fitting for the new performance big-block.
A complete package, the Mach 1 came with hood blackout, scoop, and racing-style click-pins; side and trunk stripe decals (with the first-time use of a reflective material); quad exhaust tips; chrome styled steel wheels; and a pop-open gas cap. But the Mach 1 was more than looks; the package also included the Competition Suspension and a unique Deluxe interior with high-back bucket seats, red accents, woodgrain trim, and a console. Engine availability was limited to 351 cubic inches or larger. For 1970, the Mach 1 was amended with grille driving lights and aluminum rocker panel covers. The combination of the Mach 1 with the optional 428 Cobra Jet was a match made in muscle car heaven—a brute of a 335-horsepower big-block blended with a Mustang named for the speed of sound.
The Mach 1 continued into 1971 on the Mustang’s new and larger SportsRoof. Visuals such as the honeycomb grille with driving lights, two-tone paint, and new NACA-duct hood scoops were part of the package, although the special Mach 1 interior moved to the option list. The standard 1971 Mach 1 engine was the anemic 302 two-barrel, so buyers needed to check off one of two 370-horsepower 429 Cobra Jets, including J-code with Ram-Air, to put muscle into the Mach. The big-block disappeared after 1971, so the 1972–73 Mach 1 soldiered on with the 266-horsepower (net rated) 351 Cleveland four-barrel as the most powerful engine.
The 1974–78 Mustang II years were not good to the Mach 1, identified by black lower body side paint but powered by a standard V-6 in 1974 with the 302 two-barrel added as an option for 1975–78. In 1976–78, the Mach 1 was overshadowed by the Shelby-look Cobra II.
EVERY MAN’S SPORTS CAR
BOSS
From 1969–71, Ford produced three Boss Mustangs—Boss 302, Boss 429, and Boss 351, all SportsRoofs with high-performance engines and heavy-duty equipment. Both the 302 and 429 were created to legalize the special high-output engines for racing.
For Trans-Am, the Boss 302 was equipped with canted-valve, large port heads from the four-barrel 351 Cleveland, a solid-lifter cam, and an aluminum intake with a Holley four-barrel carburetor for 290 horsepower. Introduced in April 1969 as a special model, the Boss 302 came with four-speed only, 9-inch rear end supported by staggered shocks, and Competition Suspension with 15-inch wheels and Goodyear Polyglas tires. Ford stylist Larry Shinoda penned the graphics—C stripes and blackout for 1969 and wild wraparound stripes for 1970.
The Boss 429 was Ford’s new hemi-head NASCAR engine. Instead of legalizing the racing big-block in the aerodynamic racing Talladega Fairlane, Ford went to extreme lengths to drop the wide Boss 429 into the 1969–70 Mustang, widening the engine compartment with unique inner fenders and sending semicomplete SportsRoofs to Kar Kraft, Ford’s contracted performance shop, for the engine installation and final assembly. Rated at 375 horsepower, the most powerful Mustang to date, the Boss 429 was prepped with a mandatory four-speed, 9-inch axle, and Competition Suspension with 15-inch Magnum 500 wheels. Unlike the wildly striped Boss 302, the Boss 429 looked more like a base Mustang SportsRoof; identification was limited to small fender decals and a large hood scoop.
When Ford pulled out of racing in August 1970, there was no longer a need to produce a special Boss 302. Freed from the SCCA’s Trans-Am displacement restriction, Ford developed a high-performance, solid-lifter version of the 351 Cleveland. Rated at 330 horsepower, the Boss 351 SportsRoof put more cubic inches under the four-barrel Cleveland heads, resulting in more power and improved torque for an overall improved driving experience.
PERFORMANCE
5.0-LITER HIGH OUTPUT
More than a decade after the last of the big-block Mustangs, and after two years of woefully inadequate 4.2-liter V-8s, performance returned to Mustang with 1982’s high-output 5.0-liter. Like 1968’s 428 Cobra Jet, Ford engine engineers dipped into the parts bin to revitalize the 302-cubic-inch V-8 with a 351 camshaft, higher flow cylinder heads, a 369-cfm two-barrel carb on an aluminum intake, and a dual snorkel air cleaner for 157 horsepower, the most powerful Mustang engine since 1973. The 5.0-liter was a perfect match for the new Mustang GT, inspiring Motor Trend’s cover line, “The Boss is Back!”
Over the next three years, the 5.0-liter matured as a performance engine, gaining a four-barrel Holley for 175 horsepower during 1983–84 and jumping to 210 horsepower in 1985 with a roller camshaft and tubular headers. For 1986, the 5.0’s carburetor was replaced by fuel injection for 200 horsepower. The following year, the return of better-breathing open chamber heads increased horsepower to 225, an output that would prevail from 1987 to 1993 (although a new rating system lowered the number to 205 for 1993).
From 1982 to 1993, the 5.0-liter HO was available in both the Mustang GT (hatchback or convertible) and LX (hatchback, convertible, or hardtop). It was the only powerplant for the GT starting in 1983. The LX 5.0 was popular not only for its lower sticker price but also for its tasteful good looks compared to the 1987–93 GT’s aero body.
For 1994’s new SN-95 chassis and retro-styled body, the 5.0-liter continued as the standard engine for the GT but was no longer available in the base Mustang. A new intake, required to clear the SN-95’s lower hood profile, limited output to 215 horsepower.
The 5.0-liter, in production since 1968 as a 302-cubic-inch pushrod small-block, was replaced by Ford’s new overhead-cam 4.6-liter in 1996.
PERFORMANCE
SALEEN
The 5.0-liter Mustang’s horsepower and improved Fox-body chassis caught the attention of Steve Saleen in 1984. Like Carroll Shelby, Saleen was a racer who saw the opportunity to fund his competition activities by selling his own high-performance cars. He convinced his sister to order a 1984 Mustang GT hatchback and loan it to Saleen Racing as a concept vehicle. Saleen sold only three 1984 Saleens, but they served to establish a performance formula that would insert him into the thick of the Mustang’s reemerging performance image.
Saleen was in the right place at the right time, as he noted himself: “The turbocharged SVO had just come out, the GT had generated a lot of interest, and Ford wanted to show how committed they were to performance. They thought another premium-priced Mustang model would add to that image.”
With Ford on board to sell Saleen Mustangs through a network of Ford dealers, Saleen outfitted his hatchbacks with lowering springs, Bilstein struts/shocks, subframe connectors, 15-inch wheels, and tweaked alignment specs, along with race-style seats and an upgraded stereo. He chose an existing aftermarket body kit—front air dam, side skirts, and “spats” in front of the rear wheel wells—then added his own tricolor side stripes and a rear spoiler, a “whale-tail” design that would become a Saleen staple for years to come.
Saleen would go on to produce nearly three thousand Saleen Mustangs from 1984–93, including special models such as the 290-horsepower SSC, 326-horsepower SC, and anniversary SA-10 models. The reengineered and restyled 1994 Mustang provided Saleen with a stronger chassis along with a new palette to design a more purposeful look with a new front fascia, side skirts, and rear wing, plus a new S-351 model with a transplanted 351-cubic-inch engine that made 480 horsepower with a supercharger.
Saleen continues to offer limited-production Mustangs on the new S550 chassis.
PERFORMANCE
SVO
In 1980, Ford launched a new Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) group to support private Ford racers, develop performance parts, and create high-performance production vehicles. The 1984–86 SVO Mustang would showcase the program’s capabilities.
SVO developed its Mustang, introduced in November 1983 as a 1984 model, to compete against import sports cars such as the Datsun 280-ZX, Toyota Supra, and Isuzu Impulse. Promoted as being “built by driving enthusiasts for driving enthusiasts,” the high-tech SVO was powered by a turbocharged and intercooled 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine with 175 horsepower and stopped by the Mustang’s first-time use of four-wheel disc brakes. The suspension incorporated adjustable Koni struts/shocks, new Quadra Shock technology at the rear, and 16-inch wheels mounted by five lugs (instead of four like other Fox-body Mustangs) and carrying Goodyear Eagle performance tires. Externally, the SVO stood out with its sleeker front fascia, foglights, hood with offset and functional intercooler scoop, spats at the rear wheel openings, and a distinctive dual-wing rear spoiler. Inside, the SVO’s monochromatic charcoal interior justified the car’s $15,000 sticker price with inflatable lumbar support for the sport seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and an AM/FM stereo with Premium Sound. Confirming its status as a driver’s car, the SVO also came with a Hurst shifter, a wide brake pedal to assist with heel-and-toe shifting, and a dead pedal foot rest to aid driver bracing during hard cornering.
For 1985, SVO acceleration benefitted from 3.73 gearing. At midyear 1985, Ford upgraded the SVO’s engine with a new camshaft, reworked intake, split exhaust system, and one-pound boost increase for 205 horsepower, improvements that continued into 1986.
Regardless of the SVO’s modern technology and all-around performance, most Mustang buyers preferred the torque—and lower price—of the 5.0-liter V-8. Ford sold fewer than ten thousand SVO Mustangs during its three-year run.
PERFORMANCE
COBRA
Similar to SVO in the 1980s, Ford’s Special Vehicle Team (SVT) was tasked with marketing performance parts and vehicles into the 1990s. SVT quickly outpaced SVO by producing several high-performance Fords, including Mustang Cobras and Lightning F-150 pickups.
SVT’s first Mustang was the 1993 Cobra, introduced during the final months of the Fox-body era. The Cobra lived up to its legendary name with 235 horsepower, 30 more than the standard 5.0-liter HO thanks to GT-40 heads, a unique intake, and a more aggressive camshaft. The extra power was supported by an upgraded suspension with 17-inch Goodyear Eagle tires. Visually, the Cobra differed from GTs with a narrow grille opening, a unique rear spoiler, and vane-spoked aluminum wheels.
Shortly after the introduction of the new 1994 Mustang, SVT launched its latest version of the Cobra, once again with more power (240 horsepower, the most ever for a production 5.0-liter to date), a bumper cover with round driving lights, larger disc brake rotors, and a restyled rear spoiler. It was also offered as a convertible, which was chosen as the pace car for the 1994 Indianapolis 500.
The Cobra took a huge leap forward in 1996. The new dual-overhead-cam (DOHC), four-valve 4.6-liter modular V-8 developed 305 horsepower, once again a Mustang high-water mark, as SVT’s Cobra became more of a mainstream offering alongside the GT. In 1999, the Cobra was the first Mustang equipped with an independent rear suspension. The Cobra skipped 2000 entirely while SVT sorted out an engine problem, and the 2002 model was canceled when power didn’t meet Chief Engineer John Coletti’s expectations. However, the resulting 2003 Cobra was worth the wait. An Eaton supercharger boosted horsepower to 390, yet another record for Mustang and one that was bolstered by a new six-speed manual transmission, upgraded suspension, and a new front fascia for improved engine cooling.
The Cobra name was retired after 2004 and replaced in 2007 by the Shelby GT500.
PERFORMANCE
MODULAR DOHC
The Mustang rolled into the modern powertrain era for 1996 with a new overhead-cam 4.6-liter engine, described as “modular” because it could be built in a variety of cylinder configurations on the same assembly line. While the Mustang GT was powered by a two-valve 4.6, the SVT Cobra came with a dual-overhead-cam (DOHC) version sporting four valves per cylinder for 305 horsepower. Sharing only a few components with the two-valve, the DOHC’s bottom end used a lightweight aluminum block with a forged crankshaft and powder-metal connecting rods. On top were four-valve heads with a pair of cams for each bank. A multirunner intake with secondary throttle plates, combined with more aggressive timing, allowed the engine to make horsepower and torque up to its 6,800-rpm rev limit. Final assembly of each Cobra DOHC 4.6 was handled at Ford’s Romeo engine assembly plant by twelve teams with two technicians per engine. A plate on a valve cover included the signatures of the engine builders.
Realizing that the DOHC 4.6-liter had reached its maximum horsepower potential as a naturally aspirated engine, SVT chief engineer John Coletti urged his powertrain team to explore supercharging, a popular aftermarket power-adder for Mustang hot-rodders. The Eaton Roots–style blower offered a quick path to Coletti’s power goal. Bolstered by revised aluminum heads and a water-to-air intercooler, the 2003–04 Cobra’s supercharged DOHC 4.6 generated 390 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque. To handle the added stress, the engine was built from a cast-iron block with Manley H-beam connecting rods, forged pistons, and an aluminum flywheel.
The naturally aspirated DOHC 4.6 made a special reappearance in the 2003–04 Mach 1. Topped by a retro Shaker hood scoop, the Mach’s 305 horsepower slipped perfectly between the GT and Cobra.
PERFORMANCE
ROUSH
After a successful drag racing career with Wayne Gapp and winning numerous Pro Stock championships in Gapp and Roush Fords, Jack Roush left his job at Ford to launch Jack Roush Performance Engineering (now Roush Performance). Combining his racing experience with engineering savvy, Roush’s company provided services not only to racers but also to the Big Three auto manufacturers. In 1984, Ford encouraged Roush to return to racing, only this time for the SCCA and IMSA road courses. Roush-prepared Fords would win numerous championships, including ten consecutive IMSA GTO wins, most with Mustangs, at the 24 Hours of Daytona.
Roush Performance built its first street production Mustang in 1995 as a 5.0-liter with a Roush-designed intake and cowl-induction hood. With Ford’s 1996 switch to the 4.6-liter, Roush began offering Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3 Mustangs, starting with exterior enhancements and progressing up to the Stage 3’s all-out performance package with suspension upgrades and a supercharger. By 2002, Roush had added Sport, Rally, and Premium options to the Stage 3.
During the 2005–14 S197 era, Roush continued with the Stage models but also produced many special editions, including the 427R, P-51A and P-51B, BlackJack, 428R, 440A, 380R, and RTC. A Roots-type ROUSHcharger supercharger with a water-to-air intercooler, a new aluminum intake, and exclusive Roush calibration generated between 417 and 675 horsepower for the Stage 3 and other supercharged models. Thanks to Roush’s status as an OEM supplier, the Roush Mustangs were known for their quality.
Roush continues building Stage 1, 2, and 3 Mustangs on the latest 2015–18 Mustangs. All include Roush body components and graphics. The Stage 1 is now based on the EcoBoost four-cylinder, while the Stage 3 pushes Coyote 5.0-liter horsepower to 670 with a Roush 2300 TVS supercharger.
PERFORMANCE
5.0 COYOTE
For 2010, Ford gave the Mustang a leaner and meaner facelift; for 2011, they gave the GT a major horsepower boost with a modern 5.0-liter four-valve V-8 with Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) for 412 horsepower, a 97-horsepower improvement over the outgoing 4.6-liter from 2010. Codenamed “Coyote,” the new engine revived the famous 5.0-liter engine displacement from the Fox-body era but otherwise had nothing in common with the older pushrod V-8.
The Coyote’s aluminum block was developed for optimized high-rpm use during enthusiast track-day outings. The aluminum four-valve-per-cylinder heads were also new, adding a compact roller-finger follower valvetrain layout to provide more room for higher-flow ports. Output would be adjusted to 420 horsepower for 2013–14.
The new 5.0-liter’s 302-cubic-inch displacement allowed Ford to bring back the Boss 302 for 2012–13 as a track-ready Mustang with 444 naturally aspirated horsepower.
Using lessons learned from the modern Boss 302 development, the 5.0-liter in the all-new 2015 Mustang GT generated 435 horsepower. Car & Driver magazine reported a quarter mile elapsed time of 13.0 seconds at 113 miles per hour with the six-speed manual transmission, easily topping the best performing Mustang muscle cars from the 1960s.
Ford continued to refine the Coyote 5.0-liter into the Mustang’s 2018 model year, describing it as “totally reworked” with revised camshafts and new cylinder heads for 460 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque, vaulting the Mustang ahead of the Camaro SS in the modern muscle car war. A combination of direct- and port-fuel injection, along with a higher compression ratio, contributed to the increase, which propels the 2018 Mustang GT from 0 to 60 in under 4 seconds when equipped with the new ten-speed automatic transmission and available Drag Strip mode.
GLOSSARY: PERFORMANCE
AMA: The Automobile Manufacturers Association, a trade group that proclaimed a ban on factory-supported racing and performance in 1957 following incidents where race cars crashed into grandstands.
Boss: Youth slang for something cool or great in the late 1960s; used for special performance Mustangs in 1969 to 1971 and 2012–13.
Cleveland: The designation for the Mustang’s mid-displacement V-8 engine from 1970 to 1973, as used to differentiate the newer canted-valve powerplant from the earlier inline-valve Windsor version.
Cobra Jet: The name for the higher-performance 428s and 429s that were optional for Mustangs from 1969 to 1971.
Coyote: Ford’s internal code for the overhead-cam, four-valve 5.0-liter V-8 engine that debuted in the Mustang GT for 2011 with 412 horsepower. By 2018, the horsepower rating had improved to 460.
Displacement: Measured in cubic-inches or liters, the total volume of air/fuel mixture that an engine can draw in during one complete engine cycle. It is calculated by multiplying the number of cylinders by the bore and stroke.
Hi-Po: Short for 289 High Performance, this is Ford’s high-output small-block engine, equipped with four-barrel carb, solid lifters, and high-flow exhaust manifolds for 271 horsepower.
Mach 1: By definition, equal to the speed of sound. The name of a performance image Mustang model offered from 1969 to 1978 and 2003–04.
Ram-Air: In the late 1960s and early 1970s, this was Ford terminology for cold-air induction as a method for drawing cooler outside air into the air cleaner via hood scoops or ducts.
Supercharger: A belt-driven induction system that forces more air and fuel into an engine for increased horsepower. From 2007 to 2014, the Shelby GT500’s roots-style supercharger helped produce from 500 to 662 horsepower.
SVO: Special Vehicle Operations, a Ford division that developed and sold performance parts in the 1980s. SVO also developed and marketed the high-performance SVO Mustang from 1984 to 1986.
SVT: The Special Vehicle Team, created by Ford in 1993 as a successor to SVO. It developed and marketed high-performance 1993 to 2004 Cobra Mustangs, 2007 to 2014 Shelby GT500s, and 2015 to 2018 Shelby GT350s.
Voodoo: A 5.2-liter variation of the Coyote V-8 engine with flat-plane crankshaft technology, as used in the 2015 to 2018 Shelby GT350.