Hello All:
This is my first post to this forum and wanted to say hey to everyone! I am very excited to be living in these days of the dawn of the 4.0 V6 performance mustang. I have been reading the posts that have been coming out of here for a while now and I am really geeked about the potential that my (our) '05+ V6 Stangs are capable of !!!!!
I have been a mustang fanatic since about 1991 when I acquired my first steed (a '91 Titanium 5.0 LX AOD) in which I put on Cobra GT40 heads, Cobra Intake, 65-mm TB, 1.7 roller rockers, C&L MAS, B&M shift kit, Flowmaster 3-chamber and a 3.73. Needless to say it rocked my world and was hooked!
I have since owned an '89 blue-silver GT 5-spd convert. and currently own an '88 Silver hardtop LX 5.0 5-spd (about 375 hp) which I am currently redoing as it was rough when I picked it up and Ebay keeps me smiling.
My recent acquisition is this here '05 Redfire V6 Mustang that I have absolutely fallen in love with so much that it makes my wife jealous (LOL).
I know I am getting exhaustive here (LOL) but because this is my first post I want you all to know why I had decided to trade in my '01 black GT 5-spd (which romped) for the new S197 V6.
One day recently I was reading a new magazine (Mustang Enthusiast) I had picked up and I read an article by the Editorial Director by the name of Rob Reaser about how he felt that the new '05+ V6's were going to be the 'new prince of performance'.
If you will allow me please let me quote what he said that totally blew me out of the water:
"Unfortunately, too many enthusiasts have looked upon the six-cylinder Mustangs as "useful idiots" - a car that was necessary to keep the nameplate going, "but, please, don't be hanging around us or pretend to be an equal". Snobbery at its finest. Now, let's consider something. In 1985 the GT was rated at 210 horsepower (a significant jump upwards from the 165 hp 5.0L of 1984). The following year horsepower increased to 225 hp, an this represented the highwater mark for the entire Fox era. As we all know, the 5.0L is the most celebrated and thoroughly explored powermill in Ford history. It helped the Mustang win the Ford vs. GM ponycar wars, and launched an aftermarket segment the likes of which we've never seen before. With choice bolt-on components and intelligent tuning strategies, that 225 hp V-8 served as the foundation for some of the fastest gasoline-powered cars in history. With that in mind, consider also the current V-6 Mustang. Displacement is a scant 0.6 liters less than its V-8 counterpart, and the current base Mustang is rated at 210 horsepower. Folks, that's right on par with the most famed Mustang GT engine of all time. Knock the 2005 V-6 for its power output and you're simultaneously slamming the lauded 5.0L. Herein lies hypocrisy. I say all of this as a preface to a prediction: The dawn of the V-6 performance Mustang is nigh. Today this engine stands on a platform high enough that it can jump into the WOW! realm rather quickly. Already I've talked to a few aftermarket manufacturers who are eyeballing the V-6 pony for development of not only choice speed parts, but also comprehensive performance packages. And the whispered word amongst these forward thinkers is "turbocharger". Why not? In fact, how could the aftermarket not afford not to look in this direction? Mustangs are flying off of dealer lots. New enthusiasts are being made daily with the flourish of pen on payment contract, and it's not only GTs which are selling. As of this writing the V-6 coupe is $5,925 under the cost of a base GT coupe. Then there is the massive insurance differential between the two cars, which is of significant importance for younger buyers. In two to three years there will be scads of pre-owned fifth-gen V-6 ponies for sale, and all with strong engines primed for a few performance mods. The companies who develop high-performance parts for these cars today will reap the rewards, and V-6 owners will also win - particularly those of the younger generation who may otherwise be attracted to the price and performance packages found in many of today's import models. The V-8 will always be king of the horsepower realm, but the NEW PRINCE OF PERFORMANCE is about to have its day. Remember, you heard it here first."
That article convinced me that this is the new "5.0" and I wanted to be on this new wave. Before I purchased my new steed I looked at it real closely. I looked at the new GT. I found out that this new little thoroughbred would be easy to work on (unlike its new modular V8 brethren) and would allow me to change spark plugs, install headers, new heads and intake without so much as a whimper. I could perform just about every mod I could think of (minus the rear gears) without having to take it in to be worked on. I thought the masses (and aftermarket) would really be crazy not to give this potential sleeper a try and for me this Prince will be King!
This mustang-head is convinced that this 4.0 has unlimited potential and will be the new mustang performance motor, even if we will hear cries from the V8 crowd about how we are not worthy, it only gives me more reason to prove them wrong! Thanks for hearing me rant and hope I didn't go on too long as I almost feel like preaching, but I know here it would be to the choir eh? (LOL)
This is my first post to this forum and wanted to say hey to everyone! I am very excited to be living in these days of the dawn of the 4.0 V6 performance mustang. I have been reading the posts that have been coming out of here for a while now and I am really geeked about the potential that my (our) '05+ V6 Stangs are capable of !!!!!
I have been a mustang fanatic since about 1991 when I acquired my first steed (a '91 Titanium 5.0 LX AOD) in which I put on Cobra GT40 heads, Cobra Intake, 65-mm TB, 1.7 roller rockers, C&L MAS, B&M shift kit, Flowmaster 3-chamber and a 3.73. Needless to say it rocked my world and was hooked!
I have since owned an '89 blue-silver GT 5-spd convert. and currently own an '88 Silver hardtop LX 5.0 5-spd (about 375 hp) which I am currently redoing as it was rough when I picked it up and Ebay keeps me smiling.
My recent acquisition is this here '05 Redfire V6 Mustang that I have absolutely fallen in love with so much that it makes my wife jealous (LOL).
I know I am getting exhaustive here (LOL) but because this is my first post I want you all to know why I had decided to trade in my '01 black GT 5-spd (which romped) for the new S197 V6.
One day recently I was reading a new magazine (Mustang Enthusiast) I had picked up and I read an article by the Editorial Director by the name of Rob Reaser about how he felt that the new '05+ V6's were going to be the 'new prince of performance'.
If you will allow me please let me quote what he said that totally blew me out of the water:
"Unfortunately, too many enthusiasts have looked upon the six-cylinder Mustangs as "useful idiots" - a car that was necessary to keep the nameplate going, "but, please, don't be hanging around us or pretend to be an equal". Snobbery at its finest. Now, let's consider something. In 1985 the GT was rated at 210 horsepower (a significant jump upwards from the 165 hp 5.0L of 1984). The following year horsepower increased to 225 hp, an this represented the highwater mark for the entire Fox era. As we all know, the 5.0L is the most celebrated and thoroughly explored powermill in Ford history. It helped the Mustang win the Ford vs. GM ponycar wars, and launched an aftermarket segment the likes of which we've never seen before. With choice bolt-on components and intelligent tuning strategies, that 225 hp V-8 served as the foundation for some of the fastest gasoline-powered cars in history. With that in mind, consider also the current V-6 Mustang. Displacement is a scant 0.6 liters less than its V-8 counterpart, and the current base Mustang is rated at 210 horsepower. Folks, that's right on par with the most famed Mustang GT engine of all time. Knock the 2005 V-6 for its power output and you're simultaneously slamming the lauded 5.0L. Herein lies hypocrisy. I say all of this as a preface to a prediction: The dawn of the V-6 performance Mustang is nigh. Today this engine stands on a platform high enough that it can jump into the WOW! realm rather quickly. Already I've talked to a few aftermarket manufacturers who are eyeballing the V-6 pony for development of not only choice speed parts, but also comprehensive performance packages. And the whispered word amongst these forward thinkers is "turbocharger". Why not? In fact, how could the aftermarket not afford not to look in this direction? Mustangs are flying off of dealer lots. New enthusiasts are being made daily with the flourish of pen on payment contract, and it's not only GTs which are selling. As of this writing the V-6 coupe is $5,925 under the cost of a base GT coupe. Then there is the massive insurance differential between the two cars, which is of significant importance for younger buyers. In two to three years there will be scads of pre-owned fifth-gen V-6 ponies for sale, and all with strong engines primed for a few performance mods. The companies who develop high-performance parts for these cars today will reap the rewards, and V-6 owners will also win - particularly those of the younger generation who may otherwise be attracted to the price and performance packages found in many of today's import models. The V-8 will always be king of the horsepower realm, but the NEW PRINCE OF PERFORMANCE is about to have its day. Remember, you heard it here first."
That article convinced me that this is the new "5.0" and I wanted to be on this new wave. Before I purchased my new steed I looked at it real closely. I looked at the new GT. I found out that this new little thoroughbred would be easy to work on (unlike its new modular V8 brethren) and would allow me to change spark plugs, install headers, new heads and intake without so much as a whimper. I could perform just about every mod I could think of (minus the rear gears) without having to take it in to be worked on. I thought the masses (and aftermarket) would really be crazy not to give this potential sleeper a try and for me this Prince will be King!
This mustang-head is convinced that this 4.0 has unlimited potential and will be the new mustang performance motor, even if we will hear cries from the V8 crowd about how we are not worthy, it only gives me more reason to prove them wrong! Thanks for hearing me rant and hope I didn't go on too long as I almost feel like preaching, but I know here it would be to the choir eh? (LOL)
