History of the MPC Fox Body Mustang

[FoxFordCatGuy12]

On 8/6/2024 at 3:26 PM, Mopeyguy said:

302 was defiantly available in 1979. Worked on one thro my first job after graduating high school in 1982,  had the usual broken pistons of a 302 back in the day. Almost bought the car for $2,800 and was going to do a hopped up rebuild except i couldn't get over the ugly Brown paint color.  

Didn't say it wasn't. I said the 4.2/255 was the only V8 available in '80-'81 & the 5.0 returned in '82 (with manual transmission only. '82 automatic trans cars still got the 4.2).

[FoxFordCatGuy12]

On 8/7/2024 at 2:19 AM, sfhess said:

In 1984 I test drove an 83 Mustang GT that had a 4-speed transmission.  Next day I purchased an 83 GT from a different dealership with a T-5.

Yes, T-5 5-speed became the standard manual in mid-'83. But the 4-speed was still available & came with a $124 credit.

[FoxFordCatGuy12]

On 8/7/2024 at 1:44 PM, sfhess said:

The 4-speed car had standard seats, while the 5-speed car had the Recaro-ish "sport" seats.

Transmission type had no bearing on which seats the car could be ordered with.

[FoxFordCatGuy12]

On 9/11/2023 at 11:17 PM, Dave Darby said:

The 255 was only available in 1980 and 81. They never referred to it as a 5.0. The 5.0 (as a designation) came out in 1982.

Wrong, the part number for famous chrome 5.0 fender starts w/ "D9ZZ". In Ford speak "D9" indicates 1979 - the 1st year it was used. (D=1970s, E=1980s, C=1970s, etc. D + the following number [9] = 1979.)

As I said, it was first referred to as a "5.0" during the Mustang II years. The "HO" designation started in '82, but "5.0" was around years before. '82 HO was the 1st year the 5.0 used the 351W firing order (1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8) b/c it used an early '70s 351W camshaft. Non-HO '82 & up 5.0 still used the old 289/302 firing order (1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8). '82 & up 5.0HO used the 351W firing order. That is a key reason for the HO designation, to diffentiate it from the base 5.0 which had a different firing order. [IIRC at some point in the '90s even base (non-HO) 5.0 got the 351W firing order. My '92 5.0 F150 is still old 289/302 firing order.]

[sfhess]

12 hours ago, FoxFordCatGuy12 said:

Transmission type had no bearing on which seats the car could be ordered with.

I know/knew that.  I was just describing how each car was equipped.

[mikos]

19 hours ago, FoxFordCatGuy12 said:

The 5.0 in the '82 Mustang GT was rated at 157HP w/ a 2V carburetor. Quicker than the '82 Camaro which had a 4V & was rated at 145HP.

The base 5.0L LG4 was rated at 145HP.  You could upgrade to the Cross-Fire Injection LU5 which came with 20hp more at 165HP (automatic only).  The Mustang was quicker until ‘83 when the mid-year release of the 190HP L69 H.O came out significantly improving the performance on the Camaro.

Edited March 21 by mikos

[RIXprints]

I have the body in 1/12 scale with interior and chassis. The Coyote engine, wheels and tires are available too.

 

[RIXprints]

The above picture is the 1/14 resin version.