Thoughts On The Sn95

arena314

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Sep 15, 2015
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So we all know the 94-98 sn95 is kinda a dying breed. What do you guys think it's going to be like in the future? Is it going to get really popular and desirable like the foxbody or just be the old mustang noone wants just like the mustang ll. I for one love the styling as I own one and chose it over a fox but what's everyone else think? Lmk
 
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I looked for three straight months for my sn95. And chose it over all other body styles. I think it'll be sought after. My o2.

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That's what I think too but its crazy how you see these foxbodies going for so much more then the 94-98's. Don't get me wrong I really love the fox but it almost seems as if the 94-98's are throw away mustangs like the mustang ll
 
Careful about that II comment ;) Those are coming into their own right, but certainly not as popular as their predecessor or the Fox-bodied variant.

I think the Fox-body may be seen more by the muscle/race car crowds as plentiful and cheap horsepower. Let's face it, that generation Mustang really did a lot to bring an aftermarket to the Mustang name, due to the "5-Oh." And, lots of engine interchangeability could be had if you wanted to build something really nasty.

The SN95s were an improvement over the Fox in many respects with the new chassis, and again, we saw a few different engine configurations available in these. Particularly with the '94-'98s. And even the New Edge, to a degree...but you certainly don't see as many big-block swaps in the SN95s as the previous generation.

Not to mention their production lifespan. You basically had 15 years worth of the Fox-bodies, and a combined 10 years of the SN95s...5 years for each '94-'98 and '99-'04. So take that into consideration as well.

When the 1994 model came out, I had just turned 16. I was in the process of getting my license so it was the first new Mustang I got to see when I started driving. I thought that thing looked so awesome...of course I wanted one! In 1999, my initial impression of them was "meh." But with a few tweaks on the '01, it looked better...in '03, I bought a new Sonic Blue GT and still have it. Still see a lot of New Edges on the road too. And unfortunately, as time wore on for the '94-'98s, I personally started thinking the design looked a little bland.

I was never crazy about the Fox-bodies though. They're just too boxy looking and about the only Mustang design cue they have in them is the long hood/short deck proportions. No horse on the grille (save for the '93 Cobra), no side scallops, and the tri-element taillights are mostly non-existent. In my opinion, I feel the Fox (at least in appearance) is less of a Mustang than the Mustang II.

I can't say what the future holds for the early SN95s. But hopefully people don't forget them, or any part of the Mustang history, and keep up on them with some fine examples. I've been to shows and certainly see some nice clean rides there from that era...so hopefully those that have them, hang on to them. We're starting to get into the timeframe that that generation can start being considered "Historic!" :)
 
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I like the looks of the new edge more then the early sn95's in my opinion there still very modern looking from the outside and there's many more of them on the road then the early sn95. It's just most of the time I see an 94-98 there beat up and neglected looking. Every once in a while you'll see a real sharp looking one though and they look great. Mine is one of the nicer ones you'd see on the road. The sn95 has a special place in my heart because its basically what kept the mustang in production every single year since 64. I love both the sn95 models and like them or not there an important part of the mustang as they kept it in production for 10 years while the camaro went out a few years and the challenger was long gone at the time
 
Agreed...that seems to be one thing Mustang fans have over other models...a good, loyal following. We wont let our beloved pony car die! When Ford "threatened" to turn it into a FWD car, boy did the fans let 'em have it.

The SN95 also seemed to be the last of the "original" designs that didn't lean on a retro look. The S550 is certainly a new look overall but there still seems to be a touch of retro to it...but far less than the S197s presented.
 
I think how people will see these cars -- 94 all the way to 04 and perhaps a few years beyond -- will depend on what happens to Mustangs and muscle cars in general in the next few years. There's an honest simplicity to these cars that's entirely lost in the new ones. The new cars are all about technology for technology's sake. Yeah, they're fast and full of whiz-bang tech but there's something missing about them and they're kind of, well, ugly. I don't want one. For a "muscle car" I'd rather have a simple and honest Fox notch or even my 02 GT than a new GT. Perhaps this is how the previous generations felt when their carbs gave way to fuel injection. Once in a while I find myself surfing autotrader for the car of my youth, the car that inspired me to get my GT over 12 years ago: a 1966 Chevelle SS. As I age I pine once again for simpler times...

And so it may be with generations hence. They may look at the relatively simple GTs of the 90s and early-oughts and desire them over the hyper-complex, over-engineered, over-nannied cars of the near future...
 
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You have to take it all in context I think. I also think you have to separate between 94-5 and 96-98. 94-5s still had the 5.0, and a lot of the same mods carried over. 96-98s came out, and thirty years of aftermarket turned into 0 overnight. When these cars were new, nobody really modified them because there was nothing out there to do it with. No cams available, no aftermarket heads, etc. The big mods were throttle bodies and those goofy external timing adjusters that nobody uses anymore. Back when the 99s came out, it was all about the PI heads. "Those cars are junk, the heads are boat anchors, etc" We've proven over the years that was all a bunch of malarkey, but the mindset remains. Stock for stock yes these cars don't have the same power, but there's a lot more available now than there was in 96-98. Some people rag on the style, but I really don't think it's the looks, I think it's this mindset that the 99-04s are faster. That's like a lot of people will always opt for a Fox over a 94-5. They're lighter, yes, but I own a fox and a 96 gt, and the chassis feels so much more solid on the 96. I know the sn95s were heavier, but the overall quality I think improved a bunch. Daily driving the 96 is more comfortable too. I think in the long run, these cars will appreciate in value, but unfortunately I suspect we'll see a lot of them go through junk yards before people start to figure it out.

Tom
 
My favorite body style. I've had a 66, 78 Cobra II, an 82, a 96 GT and an 03 Saleen. My son has a 98 Cobra and my dad owns an 07 GT500. I still think the 94-98 body style is better than anything after that.
 
I was in the process of bringing my sn95 back to all in order. Looks like it'll be back seat as baby on the way. I really like the look and the 5.0
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Yeah I choose the 96 over a fox because I feel it would be a much better daily. It is really the last mustang that felt like it carried that mustang soul. My brother has an 06 gt and yeah it has the retro looks with the dash and front end and all but even that doesn't have that old classic feel to it. It just feels like a new car to me. I like driving his car because its so easy and feels newer and all but I just feel happier driving my sn95 because it has that original feel to it. Mines all modded and his is stock so it's just as fast when we race anyway
 
I just hope people come to realize the importance of the sn95 and start to notice how its carried the mustang culture and kept it going when it was at its worse before its to late and there all in the junk yard
 
I think SN95 will be the next generation of easy cheap fixer upper project cars. Like the foxes were. Then when they start getting too clapped out and scrapped, they'll be those of us searching for the few clean remaining examples. The price for them will get out of hand. Again, like the foxes.

They are great looking cars. Especially the cobras. All mustangs seem to go thru this cycle.

I have a 15 GT but still have a lingering desire for an 03 04 Mach 1. That's the car I wanted after graduating college. Like them better than terminators. There's someone that will get nostalgic for every generation of mustang. Camaro, corvette, etc. followers are all the same way.
 
Great choice with the 15 5.0. Unbelievable power out of that thing and the new interiors on them are incredible for the price of the car. The sn95 is always going to be sought after to me because its my first mustang and I love it. I just get the people saying you should of gotten a fox or you should trade it for a fox then i get people saying i Made a good choice with it. I chose my sn95 because its a better looking car inside and out and it really is just a better car all around even though I do love the foxbody's.