one of the reasons there are so many parts available for some of the other stuff is because the same headers fit every small block chevy chevelle, malibu, elcamino, monte carlo from about 1965 to 1988. Not to mention the other General stuff from the same platforms, and the easily adaptable stuff (like putting S10 spindles on your Vega and using a willwood 4 piston caliper for a Malibu). This makes for a huge market that alot of folks have thrown their hat in. Just about Every ford engine and chassis combo has it's own quirks... 302 headers don't work on a 351 (any of them) or a BOSS 302, a 460 just doesn't fit most places and if you get it in there it's a struggle, and who can afford the SOHC? Don't see alot of Rangers with a 428 Jet based mill in them do you? How many S10's have you seen with some form of big block Chevy (even the occasional Olds 455!)?
Ordinarily those who want to be thrifty pull the 83 malibu wagon out of the barn and $1500 later they have a quick killer machine that's kind of neat. Those who want to be different buy an AMC. We want both so we dusted off the MII and started engineering our own parts, and making stuff fit by calling on our buddies that are handy with a bench grinder and a sawzall.
Check out some of the other message boards and see what they discuss. Fox body guys all talk about the best price to performance ratio of the bolt on parts in their 500 page catalogs. 50 replies later they are bashing each other for buying brand x parts instead of genuine Saleen body kits, or whatever.
We talk about "Here's what I want to do, do you think this will fit" and 50 replies later you have a really good list of stuff other folks have tried and had varied success with, but never really do get an answer because there just isn't one. "I got this to work but here's what I had to do to it" is not uncommon to us at all.
I like it here. I think I'll stay, and if any of you know where I can get a repop targa band for a T-top car let me know. I won't pay a cent more than $32 tho, because I am a MII owner and that's just the way we are. LOL