I have a question. Is the Mustang so popular because of it's large aftermarket, or is it's aftermarket large because Mustang is so popular?

 

I know that college kids around going to buy $25k cars. I just get a vibe on this site sometimes that many people on here seem to think that 4th gens are primarly driven by older people, which in my findings in the real world have been completely opposite.

 

Depending on what kind of ballpark. I still see LS1 f-bodies run consistenly faster than 05 GTs. To me it is a no-brainer

Mustang: 3450lb curb weight 260-270rwhp

LS1 F-Body 3450lb curb weight 300-310rwhp

Take the race out long enough, and it is all F-body.

 

I just realized I can get a 2002 corvette coupe between 20k and 25k. Hello momma!

Insurance is only 50 bucks more on the half too (then an 02Z). *drools*

 

Whats weird is, I am 23, and when I have checked insurance for a z28 and a vette of the same year, the insurance is cheaper on the vette, at least for me.

 

I couldn't agree with you more, but I think it was the third-gen that got me "hooked", the fourth-gen was just the icing on the cake.

 

I said that in deference to the '03/'04 SVT Cobra. (doesn't that have a nicer ring than GT500?)

 

i'm one of those hoping for a STRONG aftermarket for the 5th gen. Mustangs and there aftermarket are directly related. i'm 26 (as of tonight at midnight...WOOOHOOO!!!) and i WILL be buying a 5th gen no matter the price point as long as it is appealing to me and there is an aftermarket to support it. Mustangs around here are popular because of the aftermarket and the aftermarket is popular because of the popularity of the car and so on. they feed off each other. we need that with the 5th gen. think of the pony car formula. personalization was one of the key things GM strived for with the 1st gen. we seriously need that back in a bad way.

 

I hardly doubt the aftermarket popularity is gonna be an issue with a 5th gen . The dead 4th gen's aftermarket is as vast as a 5.0 stangs and it continues to grow . And the 3rd gen is finally hopping on the 4th gens coat tails . There is some absolutely killer stuff that has recently came out for the 3 gens . Can you say adjustable coil over's for the front utilizing the stock struts , coil over adjustable rear shocks that use stock mounting points , LS1 swap tubular k-members , LS1 plug and play swap harnesses ect ect ect .

F-body aftermarket is not hurting or lacking in anyway shape or form . Body kits were mentioned , but neither the 3rd gen or 4th gen , short of hoods and spoilers lent itself well to body mods . They are sexy as is

 

So, what I'm getting here is that Chevy should bring the 5th gen out in a manner that is similiar to, lets say, the Scion Tc?

I can understand what some of you all are saying about personalization and customization and how it makes you feel about the car. When I look at my 240sx and my truck, all I see is basic performance mods (i/h/e) and then on to the visual work (NOT rice with regards to the Nissan, just clean and low).

When I look at my Camaro, all I think about is what performance part I'm going to buy next and whether I should go h/c or FI or both.

But isn't that what you want in a performance car though? I don't want to be thinking about what the newest thing out of JC Whitney is going to be, I want to be thinking about how to turn harder and accelerate faster. I mean, the vette doesn't have that many body kits, and I'll be damned if I've ever seen a vetter that had one on that looked nice. I don't see any complaints coming out of them.

Like what Kris said, the Fbods (especially the SS and Ws6/ Firehawk models) already looked damn good from the factory. Other then the RK Sport basic kit I put on my car, I can't think of anything that would make it look better. Same with the Ws6's. These cars don't need body kits to look mean. The Stang does. Stock, it doesn't look impressive at all to me. The kits that are out there just make it look how it should have from the start.

That's all from the visual point of view. If you guys are talking performance, then I don't know what more you could want. Since the basic chassis design's so old, there's a bunch of parts out there for whatever application you need, and they're still making new ones. Just look at UMI's new Torque Arm set-up or that De-coupling Torque Arm I get all hot and bothered over. The car's been dead for 3 years and brand new parts are still being developed. Engine-wise, there's something new coming out for the gen3 engine every week it seems.

I think the major problem is not customization, it's that it was too hard core of a car for most people. That's a much harder problem to solve though, because personally I would gladly make those trade-offs in comfort, but I know the "Everyman/woman" wouldn't, and they're what counts.

 

you guys made great points, but you both pointed out one thing. the aftermarket NOW is booming, what about when they were out from the dealers??? parts 3 years ago weren't that cheap. i would love to see well developed parts come out at a good price 2 months after the car is released, not 3 years after it dies. the Scion idea isn't that bad either. alot of people won't go out of their way to get aftermarket parts, people like Joe and Jane Anybody. it would be nice to walk into a Chevy dealer, pick out your color and interior, and then have the salesman say, "let me show you our options booklet, this way you can make yours unique to your likings." this would definetley attract some buyers that would never have looked at a Camaro before. i'm an enthusiast, so i want the thing fast and agile out of the box, but i don't want to wait 2 years to get some well engineered parts to come out so i can improve power, acceleration, cornering, braking, etc.

 

A big aftermarket is great as far as performance oriented stuff is concerned, but the Scion-rice-from-factory is just pure "bling". Who cares how many bodykits are available for a car, bodykits are retarded anyway. As long as the 5th gen at least has the LS2 for a base engine then that should be enough. Hopefully there will be a 45k LS7 equipped car to rape the new Cobra. Not likely though since they build so few

 

A handful of great points were made in this thread. I fully understand GM needs to find the "Magic" Ford has with the Mustang, box it up, and put a bowtie on the grill. The car won't survive, and will be killed again if they aren't able to sell it.

With that said.... [flame suit on] To those that said the Camaro better beat the Mustang in performance, handling, braking, build quality, materials, etc.... IT BETTER. It will end up coming to the market atleast 4 YEARS after the 2005 Mustang. I would hope GM can make a superior car with that much extra time on their hands. [/flame suit]

If they can't make a better car than the other guy, when they are last to the market, they need to close shop and look for another way to make money. This isn't just a general thought about the Camaro, it goes for all markets, and all categories they cover.

 

damn you and your chicken or egg logic! I think the aftermarket is large because it was so popular to mod them,

der rigour mustang equipment;
A. K&N filter
B. 180 thermostat
C. Off-road pipe
D. 3.73 gear
E. Underdrive pullies
F. Flowmaster mufflers
G. Supercharger

 

I have no doubt the Z28 or whatever trim Camaro will stomp the GT, as I can't see them doing anything that didn't at least match the LS1's output. My question is will they offer up anything to even come cloes to fighting the Cobra. I'm kinda thinking they'll ignore that market w/ Camaro since they have the Vette and just figure if you want to spend $45kish you might as well get a Vette...

I've never been one for body kits, but I do find it interesting that there are zero body kits for the 3rd or 4thgen that don't look like total *** to me. I mean, total garbage... There weren't alot but I've at least seen some previous gen Stang setups that looked fairly good, and I really really like some of the newest 05 Stang kits I've seen. Just about got to be something to do w/ the original shape of the car, more squarish traditional proportioned Stang must work better w/ body kits or something.