[Hyperformance]

i am a certified autobody tech who does a fair amount of heavy duty frame work. i have seen more than my share of wrecked cars.
i rebuilt fox body wrecks for a side job when they were new cars. these cars are pretty close to beer cans on wheels. they are probably the worse structurally constructed car ford ever built. i lost count on the cars i have seen torn in 2 pieces from hitting a telephone pole. i have seen friend of a friend car that was torn in 2 pieces from hitting a mail box pole. if it actually hit something solid more likely than not someone will be severely hurt.

the S197 mustangs are light years ahead in construction strength over a fox body.
i myself wouldn't even let my 13 yo get inside of one of them let alone drive one.

WOW...didn't know that, and now very thankful some of those close calls never materialized into the massive wrecks they could have been!

 

[Hyperformance]

It’s a big reason why they were so light. Same logic on WW2 Japanese Zeros… didn’t have much armor plating for protection, which made it light and maneuverable.

I just googled the curb weights:

1979: 2550
2005: 3351

Great example! Of Course, mine was drag strip duty only when I began its weight reduction, but I was able to get it down to 2,690 with me in it! I had to add 110 lbs of weight to the trunk just to qualify for my class. That included pulling out both front and rear bumpers, cutting out side-impact door bracing, removing back seats, etc, etc. She was at about 2,500 lbs without me in it. I guess a tin can on wheels now that I think about it. The factory weight was 3,194, so I was able to shed right at 700 lbs!

 

[Daves500]

Great example! Of Course, mine was drag strip duty only when I began its weight reduction, but I was able to get it down to 2,690 with me in it! I had to add 110 lbs of weight to the trunk just to qualify for my class. That included pulling out both front and rear bumpers, cutting out side-impact door bracing, removing back seats, etc, etc. She was at about 2,500 lbs without me in it. I guess a tin can on wheels now that I think about it. The factory weight was 3,194, so I was able to shed right at 700 lbs!

I weighed mine on a large truck scale and i remember it being 3400 with me in it …

 

[Hyperformance]

I weighed mine on a large truck scale and i remember it being 3400 with me in it …

Yep about the same here, 3,385 with me in it before I put her on a weight reduction program...lol.

 

[thatsmrt2you]

Great example! Of Course, mine was drag strip duty only when I began its weight reduction, but I was able to get it down to 2,690 with me in it! I had to add 110 lbs of weight to the trunk just to qualify for my class. That included pulling out both front and rear bumpers, cutting out side-impact door bracing, removing back seats, etc, etc. She was at about 2,500 lbs without me in it. I guess a tin can on wheels now that I think about it. The factory weight was 3,194, so I was able to shed right at 700 lbs!

even after the weight reductions the S197 car is still constructed better.
most if not all of the main structure sheetmetal is better designed and there is more carbon and other additives added to it to make it stronger and more rust resistant. the floor pans and inner rocker panels are made out of thicker metal. there are significantly more inner reinforcements built inside of the frame rails and rocker panels. there are more crush zones built into it so the impact forces will get absorbed and transferred around the people inside of the car. there are probably 2+ times the amount of spotwelds holding the car together.
there is high strength and ultra high strength steel in the inner structures to protect the occupants. on a fox body the only high strength steel is the bumper bars and the side beams inside of the door. the metal barely qualifies as high strength steel, this is why the doors weigh so much compared to a S197 car

 

[rxsamg]

even after the weight reductions the S197 car is still constructed better.
most if not all of the main structure sheetmetal is better designed and there is more carbon and other additives added to it to make it stronger and more rust resistant. the floor pans and inner rocker panels are made out of thicker metal. there are significantly more inner reinforcements built inside of the frame rails and rocker panels. there are more crush zones built into it so the impact forces will get absorbed and transferred around the people inside of the car. there are probably 2+ times the amount of spotwelds holding the car together.
there is high strength and ultra high strength steel in the inner structures to protect the occupants. on a fox body the only high strength steel is the bumper bars and the side beams inside of the door. the metal barely qualifies as high strength steel, this is why the doors weigh so much compared to a S197 car

Ok ok ok.............we can pretty much agree the newer models after the fox bodies are structurally stronger & potentially safer & etc etc, BUT although I wasn't the OP in this thread, I think we've veered off from the point more of sentimental value to our shared histories & some cool racing stories/legends sitting at our collective table. At the risk of upsetting anyone who may have experienced otherwise with friends, WE DROVE THEM & WE DIDN'T DIE! Was that due to good judgment (highly debateable for me at least), was it due to luck (probably a bit)? When I take my SN95 out these days, do I drive it like I stole it?...no....but it's still damn lot of fun! Now, the '22, I may drive it with a bit of thievery....at least after it's broken in

 

[AZ21GT500]

I thought this was a celebration of the Fox not frikkin lecture hall 😂. Of coarse the S197 is superior in technology etc it was made 24 years after my Fox was. I owned an S197 as well BUT we are celebrating our love for the Fox body.

 

[FK’s Shelby]

Bought it new in 93 kept it for 29 yrs.

 

[Scottie24]

I thought this was a celebration of the Fox not frikkin lecture hall 😂. Of coarse the S197 is superior in technology etc it was made 24 years after my Fox was. I owned an S197 as well BUT we are celebrating our love for the Fox body.

I celebrate the fox!!!! Safe or not, it will forever be my first Mustang and represent my Mustang generation.

 

[AZ21GT500]

I celebrate the fox!!!! Safe or not, it will forever be my first Mustang and represent my Mustang generation.

My first vehicle purchase was an 81 Mustang Fox. I actually bought it before I was old enough to drive. Me and Dad built a motor and made that car fast as hell! I’ve owned every generation since. That car started an obsession that I’ve never been able to shake since.

 

[rxsamg]

View attachment 239207 View attachment 239208 View attachment 239209 Bought it new in 93 kept it for 29 yrs.

Very nice Frank!!! Especially that little centrifugal hanging out there.
Great to hear you kept it all these years! Not a fox, but only 25 years on my younger SN95 that I also bought new.

 

[cyoung9799]

Well I don’t even know what to say. Those are very kind words Chris. Ok, so I’m extending you same offer as I did Scott. You ever find yourself in middle TN please look me up. It would be my pleasure to let you take Eleanor for a spin. I’m not just saying that either. If you have a bucket list put it on there brother! She’s suppose to pull 60-130mph in 4.33 seconds! Might be worth a TN vacation 😉.

I grew up in Middle TN. Great car culture there. I really miss the scenery up there. I don't get back near as often as I'd like to. My parents are in their 80's and live with us now in TX, but they used to live just west of the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area. Loved those twisty mountain roads in my old Mustangs. Great car shows up there too.

 

[FK’s Shelby]

Very nice Frank!!! Especially that little centrifugal hanging out there.
Great to hear you kept it all these years! Not a fox, but only 25 years on my younger SN95 that I also bought new.
View attachment 239210

View attachment 239211

Nice still looks bra new .

 

[Goose17]

I’ll just leave this here…

 

[Daves500]

Very nice Frank!!! Especially that little centrifugal hanging out there.
Great to hear you kept it all these years! Not a fox, but only 25 years on my younger SN95 that I also bought new.
View attachment 239210

View attachment 239211

Super Clean ! Real Nice car !

 

[Hyperformance]

I’ll just leave this here…

So appropriate Tim!! I remember rattling the windows with this as I cruised the strip and it sounded so freaking good through that Rockford Fosgate 10" subwoofer mounted in a custom-built 7th order sub box sitting in the trunk! My wife says it's why I have "selective hearing" today 🤷‍♀️.

 

[rxsamg]

So appropriate Tim!! I remember rattling the windows with this as I cruised the strip and it sounded so freaking good through that Rockford Fosgate 10" subwoofer mounted in a custom-built 7th order sub box sitting in the trunk! My wife says it's why I have "selective hearing" today 🤷‍♀️.

😂🤣 We ALL did that. I had big ‘ole JBL subwoofers. Wasn’t good unless you could hear the body panels vibrate outside the car 😂🤣

 

[Goose17]

So appropriate Tim!! I remember rattling the windows with this as I cruised the strip and it sounded so freaking good through that Rockford Fosgate 10" subwoofer mounted in a custom-built 7th order sub box sitting in the trunk! My wife says it's why I have "selective hearing" today 🤷‍♀️.

Sooo funny! I too had a 10” Rockford Fosgate sub in the trunk of my 89! That thing rocked some Vanilla Ice! 🤟

 

[Sovine]

LOL Scott…I’ll promise you this, if you ever find yourself in middle TN look me up…you just earned yourself a drive in Eleanor! My 89 5.0 was in the centerfold of October issue of MM&FF. It was in several issues, but that one was a special write up and my favorite. It was in another issue the next year picked as one of the “Top 10 Coolest Mustangs In America”, and that one came as a surprise. MM&FF didn’t even call to let me know. I didn’t learn about it until a fellow racer seen it and called me. I wish I still had that issue, but misplaced it after all these years. So many great memories of those days. And being out of it for 25 years has left a hole in my heart. So grateful to be blessed to be able to afford this life long dream Shelby GT500 while I can still enjoy it. You’ve run in the 9’s before, and something I’ve always dreamed to do, so it’s time to join the club. I just want to do it in a street car, so buddy anytime you want to drive Eleanor you have an open invitation!

Love these stories and I live In middle TN and would love to check out Eleanor ! 😬

 

[Hyperformance]

Love these stories and I live In middle TN and would love to check out Eleanor ! 😬

Absolutely! I still don’t even know the first person in middle TN with a 20+ Shelby. No doubt they’re around, but have been to a few cars and coffee and couple car shows and yet to see one. What part of middle TN are you in? I’m in Sparta, just south of Cookeville.

I’ll likely start a thread once the 6 month project begins in August. I’m expecting should have her done in January. Stay in touch and we’ll connect somewhere next spring when I introduce her to the public.