dominated in the 80's eh? Not by this chart I found on a Mustang website.
http://home.pon.net/hunnicutt/history_mustVScam.htm

 

Neat info on the Mustang vs Camaro HP chart but I think he got 1983 wrong. The L69 (190hp) 5.0 HO package was available in 83. However, from my experience growing up in the mid 80's the Mustangs were always quicker than the 5.0 in the f-body. It took the 5.7 in 1987 to edge out the Stang.

 

The third gens were considerably heavier than their contemporary Mustang competition, which meant that in most instances, excluding the L98 cars, 3rd gen Camaros were outperformed by Fox Mustangs with lower power ratings.

In '93, when the LT1 came out, the title went to Camaro and stayed there till production stopped in '02.

 

agreed that the 5.0 was much lighter, which led to its better numbers, but not until 87 when the L98's came out did the Camaro really start sticking it to the 5.0 mustangs. By 92, the L98s faster.

 

I agree with this. The speed-crazed junkies are never satisfied with the cars as they come from the factory anyway. Make them happy by making the car easy to work on and modify for speed. For instance:

Leave enough room for a decent set of headers to fit, giving clearance to the body, engine and components, and allowing for plug changes in a short time. Is it too much to leave some provisions for a decent exhaust as well?

Make sure the PCM is easily programmable.

Leave some room for forced induction options.

LS1-style cam swaps without removing the intake are great.

A rear (whether it's IRS or not) that can handle some serious power, or can be upgraded to without spending $2500 on replacing the whole thing.

That'd be a good start. Plan for the mods to happen. They will.

 

Scroll down to the actual acceleration times on your link

1982: Z28=17.1, Mustang 5.0=16.7
1987: IROCZ= 15.2, Mustang GT= 15.1
(keep in mind that '87 IROC is basically a 350 from the Corvette of that year)

Don't look at just the horsepower figures. Mustang were significantly lighter than Camaros of the day.

Pretty much every comparison you'll find of the Z28/ IROC Z vs Mustang GT/ LX 5.0 will show the Mustang beating the Camaro by various margins depending on the year (a couple pretty badly), while the Camaro will always end up a better handler, but cost as much as a couple of thousand $$$ MORE than the Mustang.

Trivia: In the 80s, the "mid grade" Camaro RS V8 ran about the same price as the Mustang GT, though the GT would flatten it.

Like the 4th gen base Z28 at 23K and the more expensive loaded Z28s, Camaro SSs, or even the 4th gen RS, back then the idea of looking fast vs being fast won out. RSs were frequently the best selling Camaro (not the Zs or base coupes), while top drawer Mustang GTs outsold the hilariously cheap, and even quicker running Mustang LX 5.0 coupes.

Go figure.

 

You know what's even funnier? 90% of that chart is wrong not in specs but 1/4 mile times. (lets not forget that the Camaro also had more TQ) They are using MT specs after all which adds to it. Many of those 87 L98 cars ran a full second faster than a 15.2 and pretty much the same can be said for some 5.0's. I think it's safe to say that the Camaro did dominate the M*stang mostly (and in all areas of performance especially) if you really go by what each cars had, did, times, etc. in those 35 years. GM cars in general usually had more power, even Mopar did. This is why Camaro guys don't wanna be behind now. And the only years I can recall the Firebird being clearly ahead was in the mid 70's, otherwise it was the Camaro.

 

OKAY, in the 80's the Mustang GT and L98 F-bod's were neck and neck in the quarter mile, but the 3rd gen fbody blew the mustang away around the curves. Not to mention they looked cooler, I always thought the 5.0 Mustangs looked like a tarted up econobox.
As far as saying the 70's Mustang II owned the Camaro, you are smoking some serious crack. You ever here of anybody restoring a Mustang II? When was the last time you saw a Mustang II? People are still turning wrenches and restoring 2nd Gen Fbod's. All of the Mustang II's probobly died in a blaze when somebody rear-ended them.

 

One more note, if Ford makes a 500 HP Cobra that costs $40-$60K, they are on crack if they think it will sell as well as the Vette. I would not pay $50,000 for a Mustang that looks like the other 300,000 $20K V-6 Stangs Ford will sell.
Mustang will never have enough exclusivity or snob appeal to sell for $50K. Vette and BMW guys are not going to go buy a $50K Mustang.

 

Look at the SRT-4 Neon. All an SRT-4 is a Neon with a hot motor, big wing, and different front end. And the Neon is down in the bottom of the barrel with the Cavilier and Kia for basic transportation. That's a pretty basic car and they are selling like hotcakes.
Also, the Z28 doesn't have to sell all that well, its not the volume model. That would be the RS and S/C. Its the car to please all us die-hard, go fast, motor in a box gearheads like me. Its the car GM should build so all the people like me on this board won't b!^ch and moan about the new car.

 

i doubt ford will make the mustang quicker, or just as fast, than the ford gt just to beat the newest/latest vettes. think about it...

 

I think it would be better if ford just stuck to its guns and just kept ahead of the fbody. They would need the 550hp Ford GT motor just to keep up with the Vette. Figure the Mustang GT when loaded will have a curb weight of just over 3500lbs. I belive they listed in some mag as it had 34XX, but by the time they put the production model together, lets say they gain a hundred lbs in options or whatever. So thats a GT, a Cobra with a IRS unit. heavier 6spd trans, bigger supercharged engine, heaver wheels, brakes, etc etc.. lets say 3650.
C6 weighs 31XX and lets say by production its 3200lbs. I feel that with a Z06, they will drop as much weight and possible CF hood and other body pannels. You figure 3000lb or less.
Now if we both go with the assumption that the Cobra and Z06 will get 500hp.
For the Z06, for every hp, it will cary 6lbs (500*6=3000)
For the Cobra, for every hp, it will cary 7.3. (500*7.3=3650)
For the Cobra to keep up with the Z06 in power to weight, it would need 608.3hp(3650/6=608.3). Not to mention the like-a-brick aerodynamics of a Mustang.

So it would be in Fords best interest to stay away from 500 land so not to be laughed at as what happend with such cars like the Cobra R. Was it faster then the Fbodes? yeah. Was it is a stripped down race car that came with NO warrenty? Yeah. Could you get better performance, handling, and IMO looks from a Viper or Z06? Hell yeah.
Added cost of making a 500hp cobra and making sure that nothing goes wrong and that no one brings thee 50k cobra indo the shop every other week because of pining, head gaskets, etc etc. There is a lot more then just slapping on some blower and selling the car. All you ford guys are a little scewed into thinking that the Ford GT motor is going into mroe then one car because Allah himself, John Colleti, said so. He said that because hes scared of how the SRT series is STOMPING a mud whole into his cars. I remember reading an article on the Ford GT, and the only other car in Fords line up that could fit the large GT motor under its hood was a moddified F2/350. No way you are gunna jam all that under the 150's hood.

So now that I got my ranting out for one night, or morning, Im done. In closing, Ford keep to your 400-425hp guns ok? Leave 500hp up to the aftermarket.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think the Camaro ever beat the Firebird in HP during the 2nd gen in top models.

Think about it...

70 - RA IV 370hp
71-72 455HO 335hp
73-74 SD455 310hp net
75-76 455 200hp
77-79 T/A 6.6 200/220hp
80-81 Turbo 4.9 210/200hp

 

the LT1 Z28's from 70-72(???) made 360hp.

 

Everyone is still laughing at the '00 Cobra-R, Ford guys included. But no one's laughing at the '03/'04 Cobra. It outruns a C5 bonestock for 8 grand less. And with about $5K(twin screw SC,tune,injectors) in mods will stomp the current Z06.

You gotta hate Ford seriously to argue against a 500hp low $40K Cobra stang. The 5.4 fits the new stang. The Cobra and Lightning will get the new GT aluminum block with 3V VCT heads and SC. It ain't gonna be a joke. It'll hand the C6 it's *** on platter for less than or equal to the price. And that's it's mission. And better than the current Cobra, it'll come stock with the Lysholm twin screw SC, so all the new Cobra owner has to do is swap a pulley and tune to go stomping on 500hp Vipers and Z06s. That's about $400 to jump to supercar world.

You want a 400hp low 30K stang? The NA 3V 5.4 Mach1 is right up your alley.