Tony, the mustangs and Cars Illustrated were responsible for the west coast magazines changing their attitudes, killing the Pro Street fairgrounds cruiser movement and began to do stories on realistic cars that actually ran.
So acknowledge, Ford played a part in your passion Fox body’s arguably started the aftermarket revolution which all car enthusiast should acknowledge They weren’t the quickest cars, but they had much potential and that potential is what drove the second muscle car era.
And this is why I watch your channel there’s still people that are grounded like you showing the everyday blue collar person how to have fun with cars without killing your wallet I commend you my friend 👏🏽
That's how it was for many of us that just didn't have money - the 'credit card kids' had the latest, name brand shiny, and those of us that had feels and no money worked hard, spent time finding out what worked and how to do it in the garage Friday night. Used parts helped out too, I had a mentor who lived a couple blocks over that showed me quite a few tips, and sold or gave me his retired parts. I did far better than average out on the street, some nights being the quickest car out - and this was long brfore the 5.0 Mustang had been born - back when there were NO performance parts for Fords. So the original premise of 'Mission Impossible' really had my interest.
I still have those 80's Cars Illustrated magazines. Valid then, valid now. Tony 'get's it' and I am glad he's sticking to his principles. Any schmuck with a checkbook can buy go-fast parts and bolt them on, especially these days. To blueprint factory parts and tweak the most performance from each to work as a whole takes talent and intelligence, which is why we enjoy this channel so much. 42-year retired mechanic here, and Uncle Tony is right, IMO, about 99.9% of the time. Keep up the great work, Sir!
MuscleMustangs&FastFords was my car bible . I couldn't wait for every new issue to come out. My '91 AOD hatch(later converted to 5sp) and "89 5sp notch were my labors of love.
I still have my copy of that issue. I was 17 when it came out and used it to convince my mother to buy a 1989 LX 5.0 in the same year as she had bought a 1965 289 mustang brand new in late 1964 and drove it til 1975. She had well over 250K miles on that LX when she sold it and bought a 2001GT Mustang. Her favorite car was that 1989 5.0 LX.
Cars Illustrated is the best automotive magazine of all time. I was still in school in '87, but bought a brand-new black 5.0 5-speed notch as soon as I could save up the money. Tony and Neil were 100% responsible. Ford should have paid them a commission.
Bought an 89 lx coupe 5.0 5-speed when I was in college working on my undergrad. Added Trickflow heads, stage 1 cam, track heat intake, 3.73 gear, and all the bolt-ons. Ran 13.40s @ 107 spinning through first on drag radials. Still the most fun car I’ve ever owned, which includes a 2015 Challenger Scat Pack with 8-speed auto. A late model Mustang with o/r H-pipe and 2 chamber Flowmasters is still my favorite sounding exhaust of all time. You could hear it from blocks away and it was so distinct, you knew exactly what it was. I really miss that. There’s just something about those cars that Ford got right, which you would be hard pressed to say about any of their vehicles today.
My '89 GT is *finally* coming back out this Spring after a 3 year hibernation and I'm going nuts with anticipation. The Foxbody is my all time favorite Mustang and no Mustang will ever be cooler to me than my 89. Granted, it was my grandfather's so that plays a big role in my love (obsession) with it.
@@JRC99 I know the feeling. I have my dad's 66 Coronet that he bought new. Every time I turn a wrench on it, drive it, or just see it in the garage, I think of him.
@@mariocooldude9092 Don't care, didn't ask. I've driven brand new Scat Packs, CT5 Vs, and even a couple Coyote cars. Fuck 'em all, that little Foxbody is the most fun car I've ever driven.
I learned from experience and being a cars illustrated junkie .. my wining moment wasn't the street Races i won with my junk used parts camaro but the street races where the fastest car in my area refused to race me.. He said he never accepted a race he knew he couldnt win .. That was my biggest victory. That was also in 1987. Pretty epic moment for me who was a 17 year old kid who did all his own builds . .grest days . Uncle Tony youre contribution to cars illustrated changed my future for the better.. This 53 year old man who's still that 17 year old kid at heart couldn't thank you enough Uncle Tony.
The most fun I ever had with a 5.0 Mustang was running a 12.95 using Bob Cosby's 12 Second recipe. It felt like I'd won the damn US Nationals! My car setup like that was SOOOOO MUCH FUN. It was faster when it ran 10.60s a few years later but, honestly, it wasn't as much fun.
This is the reason I am a long time fan. The Philosophy of Hot Rodding in essence of working with what you already have and improving it. It's not even about certain topic but all and how you approach them. Not about taking 100 pounds off from one spot but taking a few pounds off here and there where it isn't needed will add up. Minus weight equals running faster. The little differences keep adding up. Whatever it is. To knock over a half a second off an E.T. is pretty significant in the end.
I was a senior in High School just a few miles from Deer Park Avenue on Long Island in 1987 and still have every car magazine Tony wrote for. I spent every weekend cruising DPA and Hempstead Turnpike. Great times. The best days of my life. I have the issues preserved in plastic and they were my Bible back then. We love you Tony!
I'd still love to see the 318 be built. Definitely mission improbable using stock parts. Joe Sherman did it to a 302 and got 400 hp. Thank you CarCraft!!!
I bought an '89 GT with a manual. Great car, and had a 3.08 gear. Had it a few years but wanted a more sleeper looking Mustang. Then got an LX with a manual. It came with a 2.73 gear, LOUSY. No low down torque. At the time the magazines were coming out with all kinds of parts and mod ideas. I had the local dealer put in a 3.55 gear, It was still under warranty and wanted it done right with Ford parts. Wow what a difference. Made it a whole different car to drive. Seemed the 2.73 gears was wasting the low end torque. I also snatched out the airbox silencer, which did give a you a little more engine noise, and went with the K&N air filter that made a difference. Fun cars to play with.
I mentioned it a few years ago in one of your videos’ comment section, but this is 100% truth. I picked up that issue of Cars Illustrated after being set on buying a 350 IROC. The Mustang hadn’t completely flown under my radar but I had every intention of buying the Camaro. That issue, and your brand of automotive journalism made me question my decision. I read it over and over again, and I began to dig that little bomb, lol. I think by May I was looking for any excuse to buy the Mustang. In mid-May I got it. The local Chevrolet dealer still had not gotten a 350 in yet. As luck would have it, the usual two or three salesmen I bs’d with weren’t there. I was greeted by an older salesman that questioned why I kept coming there looking for something I couldn’t afford, and wasting everyone’s time. I was blown away. 30 years of my family owning GM vehicles ended right there. Now we didn’t own Fords but we happened to have a long time family friend that owned a Ford dealership. I drove straight home from the Chevy dealer and called him and told him exactly what I wanted to order. Two weeks before I graduated high school I ordered Black LX hatch with the 5.0. The only think they botched was forgetting the 3.08s. The car arrived the first week of August. I got a ticket for racing the first night I had it 🤭 I became much more careful and managed to keep my drivers license. In August 1987, 5 Liter Mustangs were still not that common in small town Florida. There were a few GTs but only a handful of LXs. I did all your tricks because at 18 all my money was going into car payments, gas and Dairy Queen specials. I am so glad mods weren’t readily available. It taught me how to get the most out of what I had. The car became a local legend. Everyone wanted to take their chance against it. By mid-89 Mustangs were coming out of the woodwork here. I would say I was responsible for at least twenty of them. You were responsible for thousands!
I love Mission Impossible. The project may have strayed from Tony's vision, but I think it's really cool and follow it closely. I also was aware of Tony back in his Mustang days, but really didn't follow that closely due to the fact that I was working with a 1982 5.0 Capri with a carb on it. Strangely enough, I had a buddy with a Buick Grand National who followed the adventures of Tony, Steve and Neil. I remember my friend showing me a magazine that had either Tony or Neil on the cover pulling one front wheel off of the ground with a nearly stock Mustang. Those guys were no joke. And there were no aftermarket parts for EFI Mustangs in those days, just as Tony says. I think it was 1990 or '91 before any heads or intakes became available. Those were the days though. As far as street racing went, nobody knew what 5.0 meant, and that was a good thing. God, I had fun.
I haven't been this eager to see something be revealed in years! Yogi Berra wasn't lying when he said "the future ain't what it used to be." So when something like this comes up, it reminds me that I'm really not dead yet.
Not exactly true! I'm unsubsibed to unity motor sports and Visard now. I don't follow concepts that are boring or unoriginal. My time means something to me. Uncle Tony attempted a serious hand out and some wise mentorship that Andy and David I don't think even realized to be honest! Facts are facts! There viewership will reflect it no matter how sweet your words are
@@campnoutdoors1621 Casper is profoundly rare content all by itself! And I personally would have argued against M. I. for Andy's channel. You'll be missed. You'll be replaced. All the channels involved produce good gearhead content. At the end of the day, I suppose that's all that matters. I'd like to add that you viewers are also great to hear from. Your comments and opinions are interesting and educated. ☮️👍
@@outlawbillionairez9780 each viewer lost is not a viewer replaced. Not how this works. I agree there are some things that unity motorsports offers that can't be found anywhere else. If it wasn't a mile of boring content to get to the golden nugget I'd invest. Regardless I do wish him the very best and you as well friend
I'm so glad you decided to use the "boomer chair" for repeated episodes. Maybe the other generations will learn something (No offense. We're all in this together and we can *all* learn something. Love, people. That's all that matters in the end. Love.)
I owned that magazine and I might even still have it in a box somewhere. I remember reading the 12.99 for $1299. If I remember correctly it came out of a junkyard.
@mostlyoldparts yes yes I did. Both epic builds/articles. Glad they are remembered. You still hotrodding, mostlyoldparts? I'm driving around a 71 vega panel. Built in 80's hotrod style.
I bought a brand new 89 5.0 LX Hatch 5 speed. The first year the LX's had the GT upgraded seats and the last year of the Fox body with tilt wheel. I am so sorry that I ever sold it at 12K miles, I was getting into Harleys and the wife at the time convinced me that I did not need the Stang. I really think this is why the 1989 5.0 was the best year of the Foxes.
Great Stang story! Can't wait to see what you bought (not an SHO is it?) I actually had a 1990 SHO I bought in 1991. My kids were getting too big to fit in the back seat of my 87 Iroc convertible and I needed to find something bigger for them. What a fun sleeper! Loved it! I got pulled over many times but back in the day I was a young hot thing so cops gave me verbal and written warnings. I drove the SHO for 10 yrs, the Yamaha engine and Mazda trans were wonderful, the Ford part not so much. I gave it to one of my sons and I bought a 2001 Trans Am WS6 6sp since my boys were grown and didn't need to fit in the back of an f-body.
I remember a guy back in early 90s with a 5.0 coupe no options 5sp. On a set of M&H slicks running 8.10s .He did a lot of what you did and also took off the belts. He never tore into engine . Couldn't figure out how this guy was beating my 66 Malibu with a hot 350/turbo400 3.73 posi on slicks. I WAS running 8.30s.HaHa. I'm a Chevy guy but I've always had a love for those cars. Thanks Uncle Tony!
I like the ramble, I don't have enough true gearheads in my life these days, when you ramble I get to go back to the 80's when all my friends were total gearheads. Keep up the good work.
I remember sitting in Jr. High and Highschool with Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords tucked inside my school books, so I could study while I was "studying" :D Too bad I threw aways boxes of those magazines in the early 2000's. Wish I had held on to them now.
quickest i seen Mustangs get down to was 12.2s before heavy modifications at Captitol raceway back in late 1980s . each Mustang owner would gather together and discuss what little things they did to their cars to get quicker. last big mod was people would take off Bumper and remove a crash bar or something and put back on to race. also plenty of seats would be sitting in the pits
Late 80's no internet no big national parts stores, we were all flying by the seat of our pants, mixing junkyard parts, trying to go just a little bit faster. The muscle car era was behind us, the ugly cars were in the car lots, we bought old Plymouths and Studebakers and hot rodded the heck out of them. It was a time..JC Whitney was the go to, but it took weeks to get parts.
Love hearing of your experiences! Have to admit, you had my undivided attention. I was and am still racing Pontiacs. Back in the late 80s I picked up a Dodge Omni GLHS that was a toy. I tweaked that thing while keeping it as stock looking as possible. The camero and mustang boys didn’t know what to think when I was actually contending with and beating them with a 2.2 turbo four cylinder four door hatchback. Yes, I De badged it so it looked innocent.
I remember you also spoke to going fast in that Mustang was also about being willing to speed shift. You were talking about being on the order of half a second quicker with speed shifting. I put that to the test when running down a mid-80's Mustang convertible in a '85 300zx turbo. Every time he granny shifted, I gained ground, and when I ripped a gear she just kept on pullin'. By 3rd gear I'd passed him and he was flashing his lights demanding to know what chip I was running to make it do that. He refused to believe it was stock, but it was.
In '71 I had a "65 Plymouth Belvedere 1. Bought it at a government auction for $386.00. It had over 99,000 miles, slant 6, automatic, posi rear end. I raced it OFTEN ! Took home some trophies in U stock, and some running the E T brackets. That winter, after reading an article in Hot Rod magazine, I went to a junk yard and bought the turbo assembly off a Olds Rocket, I got that car down to an ET of 10.38. MAN THAT WAS A FUN CAR! A real sleeper as it was my daily driver. Neet to get that much speed for a total price around $75 and a lot of my time.
I miss those days, with elbow grease, determination, stubbornness, creativity, and willpower. you could put/fit almost anything into those 80 & 90s cars. I even remember guys port & polishing 4 barrel carbs just to squeeze out a little bit more power, just to gain to few milliseconds.
I absolutely love this stuff... Tony, please document this stuff for the old throwbacks like myself. I'd love to see a well put together documentary on the 5.0 movement, especially now that they are exploding in popularity. I remember as a teen hanging on every world you, Steve and Evan would crank out (as well as David Freiberger) what a time to be alive.
It also killed the GM f-body that had nothing to offer than a lame 305, or the 350 with only an automatic... The dumb LT-1 did'nt do anything ( took just5 years to get rid of it !), and the LS1 came too late on an questionnable looking 4th gen !!
The foxbody was meant to be a place holder in anticipation for the new Mustang. It replaced the MustangPinto II, and Ford planned to introduce The Probe (not making this up) as the Mustang replacement!! There was such an uproar from Blue Oval guys that they scrapped those ridiculous plans. When you say 'Ford' today, most likely, people think 'Mustang'!! We did that! 👍💪👍
The mission impossible 318 inspired me to research what could be done with my 70 Dodge W200 on a budget. I settled on KB pistons, 302 casting head's, early bottom end. I have 4 intake manifolds to test on it. Single plane 2 barrel, dual plane 2 barrel. Thermoquad 4 barrel with adapter and AVS2 Edelbrock carb and finally a TR5 tunnel ram with 2 AVS2 carbs on top.
I love those types of stories! Another excellent video Uncle Tony. I’m Australian and back in 2009 I started drag racing for the first time and got hooked. I had a 1994 Commodore Ute with the injected 5l (304ci) Holden V8. One of the best sounding V8’s in my opinion but it’s a bit of a wheezer as it only produced 220hp with a breathtaking 8.5:1 cr from the factory. When I started it was running high 15’s almost 16’s. I never touched the engine bar for a good set of headers and exhaust system, had the 4l60e rebuilt because it lost reverse gear, mini spool after the crown wheel wanted a divorce from the pinion gear. I enjoyed the challenge of getting it down to a best of 14.6’s with a low compression, worn out 210,000 mile car and engine. Oh and it still had 3.08 rear end ratio too. Looking for to Mission Improbable…. Love this channel 👍
I know exactly the feeling you're talking about. Beating insanely huge budgets and experts on a shoestring is priceless. My first experience with getting canceled.
The foxbody is an addicting car. My first car was an 86 GT convertible. That car literally made me a Ford guy after growing up in a Chevy house. All of my car guy friends know that I always find a way to bring Foxbodies into the car conversation somehow.
My Aunt bought a new 1965 Dodge Dart GT two door 318 automatic on the floor center console blue paint all the chrome trim. I did not get it but it is still in the family. That is the style car you should get and relive 1987 all over again. I’m a Ford guy but I’ve had a 440 ‘70 Barracuda Grande Coupe & a 1972 Dodge Charger SE 440
Tony, this is why I love your channel. There is and always has been this idea of throwing parts and or cubic dollars at a vehicle as being the only way to go fast. NO testing is done. People toss parts on and assume they are fast. Not all of us have cubic dollars to throw at a vehicle. Some of us struggle to just keep a project car on the road, let alone make improvements. You show how this is possible to the average person. Your video about why and when you would use a Quadrajet or a Thermo quad and all the messing around with Slant sixes is a prime example of this.
Its funny i found Tony's channel when i was searching up information on rebuilding engines. So i could use that information to rebuild my first engine, a 5.0 302 from an exploror. Thanks again for importing knowledge for the coming generations.
Great story. I enjoy trying to wring the most out of my old junk without buying performance parts. For me that's the fun part. I can go out and buy aluminum heads, stroker kits etc. but doing my own research and putting in the time to make things better is the reward when I hit the loud pedal.
This is the same concept I’m applying to my 81 Malibu, I bought the car to do the lemons rally this year and due to time constraints I wasn’t able to. So I decided to just get it running as best I can with what’s in it all while fighting my friends on not doing an LS swap. They just can’t seem to take a project back to our roots when we were young and didn’t have a lot of money.
I know this is an older video. If you and I had met 45 years ago, we'd be buds. Even though I'm a Ford guy and you're a Mopar guy. You do things today that we've been doing all our lives. No lifts, no exotic tools. You're truly a car guy. I saw a video you did years ago,at a pick a part yard. But YOU NEED TO EMPHASIZE, close the door,hood, etc and don't destroy other parts while you're getting what you "want" The next person might need something that you messed up to get what you got. In other words, be mindful of the next person. Every part has value to the next person.
So much respect Tony !! You are the real deal Loved the story about ford guys being pissed off because you were doing better than them !!! Must have made you proud… Old school racers did that Pushed boundaries that were considered impossible … That is the total concept that hot rodding is all about !!!
Love hearing old stories about the beginning of the 5.0 craze. That was the car of my generation graduating HS in ‘91. Would love to hear more stories. I found your channel years ago by watching Rev Evan.
Its all true, and i lived through those times. There were no aftermarket parts then. I worked in a sports car shop just blocks away from Kenny Browns shop in Omaha Nebraska, this was like 1985-90 ? Watched many 5.0 Mustangs blast by, they all had the cats off and big loud exhaust. Many were cutting the stock intake manifolds apart to hog them out, and weld them back. Then people starting using modified truck intakes. They had to do these things, because the aftermarket for these cars didnt come on til 88, 89 ?. Like Tony said, the B303 cam came out, and the tube GT40 intakes. Ford came out with those, then the aftermaket parts starting coming out fast and many... Uncle Tony, you are my brother from another mother !
I loved all my 5.0 mustangs. Had 5 or 6 of them when they were dirt, dirt cheap. I did the ten minute tune up on all of them. Plus Gutted cats. Drop the tailpipes off. Gears in a couple of them. They ran good. Some were notable faster than others. I think some left the factory quite a bit faster than others.
Man. The times people did not care what others thought, and took it as empowerment. Tour an inspiration how to handle that guy who did not beleive your cars times. I was 7 in 1987
Tony, I have in my hand 2 issues of Street & Strip Supercar and 1 of Hot Street & Strip Cars you were Editor of. I thought your magazines blew away Hot Rod and all the others. Your mix of old school cars and modern tech cars was perfect. Even Buick Grand National stuff which helped me get my 98% stock GN down to 11.90's on slicks and race gas. I foamed at the mouth for new issues and searched all the stores here in Tulsa but they disappeared. You were the best.
Reminds me of the old days in the 60s, but not what is remembered these days. Dragging my Mother's 1965 4 door 289 2 barrel against my friend's Mother's 6 cylinder 4 door ChevyII. I mean, you could have lunch in the ET times, but we had fun, no we had a ball. Later on we got faster cars of our own, but not what anyone would consider a true hot car. I forget the class, but it was not even near the top of the alphabet and the last to run. BUT WE HAD FUN with what we had. Most every weekend during the summers, WE HAD FUN!!!
1987 88 i was playing with a turbo charged 6 cylinder buick t type which was beating up grand nationals i had my chevelle collection in its infancy at the time as well then i started doing all sorts of swaps a caddillac 500 in a vw bug , a small block in a chevy chevette, those were care free fun days then my uncle took me out around the country match racing
That was the issue I was introduced to you, instantly became my favorite magazine. 12.99 for $1299 was awesome I love the enthusiasm when you talk about that mustang, being a die hard Mopar guy
This is why I watch. It's not how fast you go, it's how you go fast.
Amen
Think your fast isn't as fast
@@Joebauers2505 🤣
Love how you worded that
@@jcathell100 I can't take credit for it, it's on the Uncle Tony Stickers. It is a great line. I live by that saying
Tony, the mustangs and Cars Illustrated were responsible for the west coast magazines changing their attitudes, killing the Pro Street fairgrounds cruiser movement and began to do stories on realistic cars that actually ran.
Great Observation- So True!!!
So acknowledge, Ford played a part in your passion
Fox body’s arguably started the aftermarket revolution which all car enthusiast should acknowledge
They weren’t the quickest cars, but they had much potential and that potential is what drove the second muscle car era.
The BOOMER Chair 👍👍
And this is why I watch your channel there’s still people that are grounded like you showing the everyday blue collar person how to have fun with cars without killing your wallet I commend you my friend 👏🏽
Ditto,
Keep American
Dreams alive😊
When Uncle Tony brings out the boomer chair, you sit down and listen because you know its going to be good
Did anybody else think the work David Vizard was doing on the rods and crank was something beautiful ❤️? 😢
He is very good
Rebuilt my chevelle 350 following his magazine
1983
Art.
@@YolbosunHaving my big block bearing clearance set to his specs
@@Yolbosun I am setting the bearing clearances on my big block to Vizards specs.
It is going in to project MISSION IMPOSSIBLE FOXBODY.
The way of the gearhead monk
87 was still a speed density total pain to drive at low speed. The mass air cars really made them ok to play with.
That's how it was for many of us that just didn't have money - the 'credit card kids' had the latest, name brand shiny, and those of us that had feels and no money worked hard, spent time finding out what worked and how to do it in the garage Friday night. Used parts helped out too, I had a mentor who lived a couple blocks over that showed me quite a few tips, and sold or gave me his retired parts.
I did far better than average out on the street, some nights being the quickest car out - and this was long brfore the 5.0 Mustang had been born - back when there were NO performance parts for Fords.
So the original premise of 'Mission Impossible' really had my interest.
I stand with Uncle Tony and his automotive experiments
Bravo Tony! I'm loving hearing about a snobby guy complaining about how well you go fast!
Tony was the King of the hill!
Beating engineers at there own game.
Satisfaction to it's core.
IT'S NOT HOW FAST YOU GO
IT'S HOW YOU GO FASSSSSSTER!
I still have those 80's Cars Illustrated magazines. Valid then, valid now. Tony 'get's it' and I am glad he's sticking to his principles. Any schmuck with a checkbook can buy go-fast parts and bolt them on, especially these days. To blueprint factory parts and tweak the most performance from each to work as a whole takes talent and intelligence, which is why we enjoy this channel so much. 42-year retired mechanic here, and Uncle Tony is right, IMO, about 99.9% of the time. Keep up the great work, Sir!
MuscleMustangs&FastFords was my car bible . I couldn't wait for every new issue to come out. My '91 AOD hatch(later converted to 5sp) and "89 5sp notch were my labors of love.
I carried that magazine into high school every day for my senior year
I still have my copy of that issue. I was 17 when it came out and used it to convince my mother to buy a 1989 LX 5.0 in the same year as she had bought a 1965 289 mustang brand new in late 1964 and drove it til 1975. She had well over 250K miles on that LX when she sold it and bought a 2001GT Mustang. Her favorite car was that 1989 5.0 LX.
I have that issue also. I bought the magazine on the way to work where I parked cars. A few years later I bought a used '89 LX 5.0 Hatchback...
I’m looking forward to this build. Please do not let outsiders take control. Do it yourself. Loved the nostalgia. Thanks Tony.
Cars Illustrated is the best automotive magazine of all time. I was still in school in '87, but bought a brand-new black 5.0 5-speed notch as soon as I could save up the money. Tony and Neil were 100% responsible. Ford should have paid them a commission.
Car Craft, Hot Rod Magazine, Popular Hot Rodding. Shit I bought them all. Those were the best days, my friend.
Bought an 89 lx coupe 5.0 5-speed when I was in college working on my undergrad. Added Trickflow heads, stage 1 cam, track heat intake, 3.73 gear, and all the bolt-ons. Ran 13.40s @ 107 spinning through first on drag radials. Still the most fun car I’ve ever owned, which includes a 2015 Challenger Scat Pack with 8-speed auto. A late model Mustang with o/r H-pipe and 2 chamber Flowmasters is still my favorite sounding exhaust of all time. You could hear it from blocks away and it was so distinct, you knew exactly what it was. I really miss that. There’s just something about those cars that Ford got right, which you would be hard pressed to say about any of their vehicles today.
My '89 GT is *finally* coming back out this Spring after a 3 year hibernation and I'm going nuts with anticipation.
The Foxbody is my all time favorite Mustang and no Mustang will ever be cooler to me than my 89. Granted, it was my grandfather's so that plays a big role in my love (obsession) with it.
Good for you. Gramps must have been cool to hang with.
@@LongIslandMopars He was the best and I miss him every day.
@@JRC99 I know the feeling. I have my dad's 66 Coronet that he bought new. Every time I turn a wrench on it, drive it, or just see it in the garage, I think of him.
Cheesey interior and all huh 😂 they look cool on RUclips doing burnouts but In person...nope plasticy little econobox
@@mariocooldude9092
Don't care, didn't ask. I've driven brand new Scat Packs, CT5 Vs, and even a couple Coyote cars. Fuck 'em all, that little Foxbody is the most fun car I've ever driven.
I learned from experience and being a cars illustrated junkie ..
my wining moment wasn't the street Races i won with my junk used parts camaro but the street races where the fastest car in my area refused to race me..
He said he never accepted a race he knew he couldnt win ..
That was my biggest victory. That was also in 1987. Pretty epic moment for me who was a 17 year old kid who did all his own builds . .grest days .
Uncle Tony youre contribution to cars illustrated changed my future for the better.. This 53 year old man who's still that 17 year old kid at heart couldn't thank you enough Uncle Tony.
The most fun I ever had with a 5.0 Mustang was running a 12.95 using Bob Cosby's 12 Second recipe. It felt like I'd won the damn US Nationals!
My car setup like that was SOOOOO MUCH FUN.
It was faster when it ran 10.60s a few years later but, honestly, it wasn't as much fun.
12.99 for $12.99 was/ is still one of my favorites. RIP Cars Illustrated.
I have followed you for years I have that magazine in my collection
Great work man keep it up
The fox cars got hotrodders into fuel injection too. Basically the first one you could build and tune.
This is the reason I am a long time fan. The Philosophy of Hot Rodding in essence of working with what you already have and improving it. It's not even about certain topic but all and how you approach them. Not about taking 100 pounds off from one spot but taking a few pounds off here and there where it isn't needed will add up. Minus weight equals running faster. The little differences keep adding up. Whatever it is. To knock over a half a second off an E.T. is pretty significant in the end.
Your philosophy speaks to me in a foundational way. Grew up with a Dad who built & raced stock cars.
I was a senior in High School just a few miles from Deer Park Avenue on Long Island in 1987 and still have every car magazine Tony wrote for. I spent every weekend cruising DPA and Hempstead Turnpike. Great times. The best days of my life. I have the issues preserved in plastic and they were my Bible back then. We love you Tony!
I'd still love to see the 318 be built. Definitely mission improbable using stock parts. Joe Sherman did it to a 302 and got 400 hp. Thank you CarCraft!!!
I bought an '89 GT with a manual. Great car, and had a 3.08 gear. Had it a few years but wanted a more sleeper looking Mustang. Then got an LX with a manual. It came with a 2.73 gear, LOUSY. No low down torque. At the time the magazines were coming out with all kinds of parts and mod ideas. I had the local dealer put in a 3.55 gear, It was still under warranty and wanted it done right with Ford parts. Wow what a difference. Made it a whole different car to drive. Seemed the 2.73 gears was wasting the low end torque. I also snatched out the airbox silencer, which did give a you a little more engine noise, and went with the K&N air filter that made a difference. Fun cars to play with.
You weren't selling the new parts which is what Ford wanted.
Bingo
See what a mustang factory hood costs ?😢😮
One of the Most Satisfying videos I’ve watched! I graduated high school in 1994 and had a 1987 Mustang, what a fun car at the time.
I mentioned it a few years ago in one of your videos’ comment section, but this is 100% truth. I picked up that issue of Cars Illustrated after being set on buying a 350 IROC. The Mustang hadn’t completely flown under my radar but I had every intention of buying the Camaro. That issue, and your brand of automotive journalism made me question my decision. I read it over and over again, and I began to dig that little bomb, lol.
I think by May I was looking for any excuse to buy the Mustang. In mid-May I got it. The local Chevrolet dealer still had not gotten a 350 in yet. As luck would have it, the usual two or three salesmen I bs’d with weren’t there. I was greeted by an older salesman that questioned why I kept coming there looking for something I couldn’t afford, and wasting everyone’s time. I was blown away. 30 years of my family owning GM vehicles ended right there.
Now we didn’t own Fords but we happened to have a long time family friend that owned a Ford dealership. I drove straight home from the Chevy dealer and called him and told him exactly what I wanted to order. Two weeks before I graduated high school I ordered Black LX hatch with the 5.0. The only think they botched was forgetting the 3.08s. The car arrived the first week of August. I got a ticket for racing the first night I had it 🤭 I became much more careful and managed to keep my drivers license.
In August 1987, 5 Liter Mustangs were still not that common in small town Florida. There were a few GTs but only a handful of LXs. I did all your tricks because at 18 all my money was going into car payments, gas and Dairy Queen specials. I am so glad mods weren’t readily available. It taught me how to get the most out of what I had. The car became a local legend. Everyone wanted to take their chance against it. By mid-89 Mustangs were coming out of the woodwork here. I would say I was responsible for at least twenty of them. You were responsible for thousands!
I love Mission Impossible. The project may have strayed from Tony's vision, but I think it's really cool and follow it closely. I also was aware of Tony back in his Mustang days, but really didn't follow that closely due to the fact that I was working with a 1982 5.0 Capri with a carb on it. Strangely enough, I had a buddy with a Buick Grand National who followed the adventures of Tony, Steve and Neil. I remember my friend showing me a magazine that had either Tony or Neil on the cover pulling one front wheel off of the ground with a nearly stock Mustang. Those guys were no joke. And there were no aftermarket parts for EFI Mustangs in those days, just as Tony says. I think it was 1990 or '91 before any heads or intakes became available. Those were the days though. As far as street racing went, nobody knew what 5.0 meant, and that was a good thing. God, I had fun.
I liked the ideal of Mission Impossible also.
I am calling my project MISSION IMPOSSIBLE FOXBODY
When we say good old day’s of cars and modifying the stories like these is what we mean. Budget hot rods are special
I haven't been this eager to see something be revealed in years! Yogi Berra wasn't lying when he said "the future ain't what it used to be." So when something like this comes up, it reminds me that I'm really not dead yet.
Me being an old Street stock guy I know about trying to go faster with stock parts. Looking forward to this.
I really, Really get it. This mentality is the essence of hot rodding.... It's fundamental foundation.
Thank you !!
UTG hasn't lost a viewer to Mission Impossible. Neither has David, Charlie and Unity Motorsports. Adversity makes us better.
Not exactly true! I'm unsubsibed to unity motor sports and Visard now. I don't follow concepts that are boring or unoriginal. My time means something to me. Uncle Tony attempted a serious hand out and some wise mentorship that Andy and David I don't think even realized to be honest! Facts are facts! There viewership will reflect it no matter how sweet your words are
I don't really care for unity motorsports. I don't dislike them or have a problem with them. Just not my kind of people, not my kind of content.
@@campnoutdoors1621 Casper is profoundly rare content all by itself! And I personally would have argued against M. I. for Andy's channel.
You'll be missed. You'll be replaced. All the channels involved produce good gearhead content. At the end of the day, I suppose that's all that matters.
I'd like to add that you viewers are also great to hear from. Your comments and opinions are interesting and educated. ☮️👍
Same. I'm following all 4 b/c of M:I and I'm sticking with the other 3 even tho Tony is gone.
@@outlawbillionairez9780 each viewer lost is not a viewer replaced. Not how this works. I agree there are some things that unity motorsports offers that can't be found anywhere else. If it wasn't a mile of boring content to get to the golden nugget I'd invest. Regardless I do wish him the very best and you as well friend
I'm so glad you decided to use the "boomer chair" for repeated episodes. Maybe the other generations will learn something (No offense. We're all in this together and we can *all* learn something. Love, people. That's all that matters in the end. Love.)
The gracious way you bowed out of the hijacked Mission Impossible project shows how much CLASS you have. There are those who could learn from you.
I owned that magazine and I might even still have it in a box somewhere. I remember reading the 12.99 for $1299. If I remember correctly it came out of a junkyard.
Trans mount was a hose clamp to crossmember.
@@PatandDoopypoopy You've got Tony's car confused with the Cheap Thrills Dart that DF and HRM put together.
@mostlyoldparts yes yes I did. Both epic builds/articles. Glad they are remembered. You still hotrodding, mostlyoldparts? I'm driving around a 71 vega panel. Built in 80's hotrod style.
12.99 would probably be 12,999 nowadays. I loved those magazines.
And that is probably for a rusty, stripped out car with no drivetrain.
I remember that mag and 2 years later I got my own 5.0! I dragged it, autocross, track days...everything and it was so fun!
1987 people were afraid of trying to modify an EFI 5.0 Mustang.
I bought a brand new 89 5.0 LX Hatch 5 speed. The first year the LX's had the GT upgraded seats and the last year of the Fox body with tilt wheel. I am so sorry that I ever sold it at 12K miles, I was getting into Harleys and the wife at the time convinced me that I did not need the Stang. I really think this is why the 1989 5.0 was the best year of the Foxes.
This comes down to the butt seat. Dino and gentleman like yourself Mr. Tony. This is why I forever watch your videos the knowledge
Great Stang story! Can't wait to see what you bought (not an SHO is it?)
I actually had a 1990 SHO I bought in 1991. My kids were getting too big to fit in the back seat of my 87 Iroc convertible and I needed to find something bigger for them. What a fun sleeper! Loved it! I got pulled over many times but back in the day I was a young hot thing so cops gave me verbal and written warnings.
I drove the SHO for 10 yrs, the Yamaha engine and Mazda trans were wonderful, the Ford part not so much. I gave it to one of my sons and I bought a 2001 Trans Am WS6 6sp since my boys were grown and didn't need to fit in the back of an f-body.
Tony i can never decide weather im a bigger fan of your history episodes or your mad scientist ideas
Pulling on my heart strings. Still have my 88 lx. 20 years now
Tony, you are the Henry "Smokey" Yunick of Mustangs and Mopars.... keep up the fun!! I hope the "mission improbable" is an AMC of some type.
I remember a guy back in early 90s with a 5.0 coupe no options 5sp. On a set of M&H slicks running 8.10s .He did a lot of what you did and also took off the belts. He never tore into engine . Couldn't figure out how this guy was beating my 66 Malibu with a hot 350/turbo400 3.73 posi on slicks. I WAS running 8.30s.HaHa. I'm a Chevy guy but I've always had a love for those cars. Thanks Uncle Tony!
I like the ramble, I don't have enough true gearheads in my life these days, when you ramble I get to go back to the 80's when all my friends were total gearheads. Keep up the good work.
I remember sitting in Jr. High and Highschool with Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords tucked inside my school books, so I could study while I was "studying" :D Too bad I threw aways boxes of those magazines in the early 2000's. Wish I had held on to them now.
quickest i seen Mustangs get down to was 12.2s before heavy modifications at Captitol raceway back in late 1980s . each Mustang owner would gather together and discuss what little things they did to their cars to get quicker. last big mod was people would take off Bumper and remove a crash bar or something and put back on to race. also plenty of seats would be sitting in the pits
Late 80's no internet no big national parts stores, we were all flying by the seat of our pants, mixing junkyard parts, trying to go just a little bit faster. The muscle car era was behind us, the ugly cars were in the car lots, we bought old Plymouths and Studebakers and hot rodded the heck out of them. It was a time..JC Whitney was the go to, but it took weeks to get parts.
What? No Super Shops?
Love hearing of your experiences! Have to admit, you had my undivided attention. I was and am still racing Pontiacs. Back in the late 80s I picked up a Dodge Omni GLHS that was a toy. I tweaked that thing while keeping it as stock looking as possible. The camero and mustang boys didn’t know what to think when I was actually contending with and beating them with a 2.2 turbo four cylinder four door hatchback. Yes, I De badged it so it looked innocent.
I remember you also spoke to going fast in that Mustang was also about being willing to speed shift. You were talking about being on the order of half a second quicker with speed shifting. I put that to the test when running down a mid-80's Mustang convertible in a '85 300zx turbo. Every time he granny shifted, I gained ground, and when I ripped a gear she just kept on pullin'. By 3rd gear I'd passed him and he was flashing his lights demanding to know what chip I was running to make it do that. He refused to believe it was stock, but it was.
This is what I love about your channel. Mission improbable . (it's about what I do with my car),not how much money I can throw at it
In '71 I had a "65 Plymouth Belvedere 1. Bought it at a government auction for $386.00. It had over 99,000 miles, slant 6, automatic, posi rear end.
I raced it OFTEN ! Took home some trophies in U stock, and some running the E T brackets. That winter, after reading an article in Hot Rod magazine, I went to a junk yard and bought the turbo assembly off a Olds Rocket, I got that car down to an ET of 10.38. MAN THAT WAS A FUN CAR! A real sleeper as it was my daily driver. Neet to get that much speed for a total price around $75 and a lot of my time.
I miss those days, with elbow grease, determination, stubbornness, creativity, and willpower. you could put/fit almost anything into those 80 & 90s cars. I even remember guys port & polishing 4 barrel carbs just to squeeze out a little bit more power, just to gain to few milliseconds.
Funny you hear more of these type of experiences with the foxbody mustang than with any other car.
The 90's fox body craze was wild.
I absolutely love this stuff... Tony, please document this stuff for the old throwbacks like myself. I'd love to see a well put together documentary on the 5.0 movement, especially now that they are exploding in popularity.
I remember as a teen hanging on every world you, Steve and Evan would crank out (as well as David Freiberger) what a time to be alive.
this is why i have followed you since 87.
The 5.0 single Handley saved the American muscle car.
And now they are drawing crowds for no prep.
It also killed the GM f-body that had nothing to offer than a lame 305, or the 350 with only an automatic... The dumb LT-1 did'nt do anything ( took just5 years to get rid of it !), and the LS1 came too late on an questionnable looking 4th gen !!
Here, here!
Yes it did! I am a diehard Chevy guy, but I’ve owned plenty of ford trucks and a couple mustangs. Loved them all
The foxbody was meant to be a place holder in anticipation for the new Mustang. It replaced the MustangPinto II, and Ford planned to introduce The Probe (not making this up) as the Mustang replacement!! There was such an uproar from Blue Oval guys that they scrapped those ridiculous plans. When you say 'Ford' today, most likely, people think 'Mustang'!!
We did that! 👍💪👍
The mission impossible 318 inspired me to research what could be done with my 70 Dodge W200 on a budget. I settled on KB pistons, 302 casting head's, early bottom end. I have 4 intake manifolds to test on it. Single plane 2 barrel, dual plane 2 barrel. Thermoquad 4 barrel with adapter and AVS2 Edelbrock carb and finally a TR5 tunnel ram with 2 AVS2 carbs on top.
I love those types of stories! Another excellent video Uncle Tony. I’m Australian and back in 2009 I started drag racing for the first time and got hooked. I had a 1994 Commodore Ute with the injected 5l (304ci) Holden V8. One of the best sounding V8’s in my opinion but it’s a bit of a wheezer as it only produced 220hp with a breathtaking 8.5:1 cr from the factory. When I started it was running high 15’s almost 16’s. I never touched the engine bar for a good set of headers and exhaust system, had the 4l60e rebuilt because it lost reverse gear, mini spool after the crown wheel wanted a divorce from the pinion gear. I enjoyed the challenge of getting it down to a best of 14.6’s with a low compression, worn out 210,000 mile car and engine. Oh and it still had 3.08 rear end ratio too.
Looking for to Mission Improbable…. Love this channel 👍
I know exactly the feeling you're talking about. Beating insanely huge budgets and experts on a shoestring is priceless. My first experience with getting canceled.
The foxbody is an addicting car. My first car was an 86 GT convertible. That car literally made me a Ford guy after growing up in a Chevy house. All of my car guy friends know that I always find a way to bring Foxbodies into the car conversation somehow.
Every time I go to Cracker Barrel and see the line of rocking chairs outside, I instantly think of Uncle Tony. Never change, UT.
Uncle Tony's Car Restorator Gig...oh yeah
..I'm pretty sure we're here for the 'yap'. Bro..TY
My Aunt bought a new 1965 Dodge Dart GT two door 318 automatic on the floor center console blue paint all the chrome trim. I did not get it but it is still in the family. That is the style car you should get and relive 1987 all over again. I’m a Ford guy but I’ve had a 440 ‘70 Barracuda Grande Coupe & a 1972 Dodge Charger SE 440
I Blame you U.T for my obsession with the Foxbody Mustangs. Thank you sir .👈💯
Tony.great petrol head anecdote,please keep them coming. And taking it to the man ! cheers
I have that magazine! That was the BEST time of my magazine life years reading your work ! The street racing Mopars and the new car back then
The BEST UTG story ever. I always wondered about your Mustang days.GREAT story!
Tony, this is why I love your channel. There is and always has been this idea of throwing parts and or cubic dollars at a vehicle as being the only way to go fast. NO testing is done. People toss parts on and assume they are fast. Not all of us have cubic dollars to throw at a vehicle. Some of us struggle to just keep a project car on the road, let alone make improvements. You show how this is possible to the average person. Your video about why and when you would use a Quadrajet or a Thermo quad and all the messing around with Slant sixes is a prime example of this.
All talk in this garage, history lesson
And this is why your channel is one of my favorites. Thanks Tony. :)
Its funny i found Tony's channel when i was searching up information on rebuilding engines. So i could use that information to rebuild my first engine, a 5.0 302 from an exploror. Thanks again for importing knowledge for the coming generations.
Great story. I enjoy trying to wring the most out of my old junk without buying performance parts. For me that's the fun part. I can go out and buy aluminum heads, stroker kits etc. but doing my own research and putting in the time to make things better is the reward when I hit the loud pedal.
This is the same concept I’m applying to my 81 Malibu, I bought the car to do the lemons rally this year and due to time constraints I wasn’t able to. So I decided to just get it running as best I can with what’s in it all while fighting my friends on not doing an LS swap. They just can’t seem to take a project back to our roots when we were young and didn’t have a lot of money.
I know this is an older video.
If you and I had met 45 years ago, we'd be buds. Even though I'm a Ford guy and you're a Mopar guy. You do things today that we've been doing all our lives. No lifts, no exotic tools. You're truly a car guy. I saw a video you did years ago,at a pick a part yard. But YOU NEED TO EMPHASIZE, close the door,hood, etc and don't destroy other parts while you're getting what you "want"
The next person might need something that you messed up to get what you got.
In other words, be mindful of the next person.
Every part has value to the next person.
So much respect Tony !!
You are the real deal
Loved the story about ford guys being pissed off because you were doing better than them !!!
Must have made you proud…
Old school racers did that
Pushed boundaries that were considered impossible …
That is the total concept that hot rodding is all about !!!
Please do more videos like this. This is what it's all about.
Love hearing old stories about the beginning of the 5.0 craze. That was the car of my generation graduating HS in ‘91.
Would love to hear more stories. I found your channel years ago by watching Rev Evan.
Its all true, and i lived through those times. There were no aftermarket parts then. I worked in a sports car shop just blocks away from Kenny Browns shop in Omaha Nebraska, this was like 1985-90 ? Watched many 5.0 Mustangs blast by, they all had the cats off and big loud exhaust. Many were cutting the stock intake manifolds apart to hog them out, and weld them back. Then people starting using modified truck intakes. They had to do these things, because the aftermarket for these cars didnt come on til 88, 89 ?. Like Tony said, the B303 cam came out, and the tube GT40 intakes. Ford came out with those, then the aftermaket parts starting coming out fast and many... Uncle Tony, you are my brother from another mother !
I loved all my 5.0 mustangs.
Had 5 or 6 of them when they were dirt, dirt cheap.
I did the ten minute tune up on all of them.
Plus Gutted cats.
Drop the tailpipes off.
Gears in a couple of them.
They ran good.
Some were notable faster than others.
I think some left the factory quite a bit faster than others.
You three created the 87-93 Mustang movement.
Bloody good stuff mate! Pioneering imho, can't wait to see the new project!
Your 5.0 articles is what turned me into a Mustang 5.0 fan.
Man. The times people did not care what others thought, and took it as empowerment. Tour an inspiration how to handle that guy who did not beleive your cars times. I was 7 in 1987
Tony, I have in my hand 2 issues of Street & Strip Supercar and 1 of Hot Street & Strip Cars you were Editor of. I thought your magazines blew away Hot Rod and all the others. Your mix of old school cars and modern tech cars was perfect. Even Buick Grand National stuff which helped me get my 98% stock GN down to 11.90's on slicks and race gas. I foamed at the mouth for new issues and searched all the stores here in Tulsa but they disappeared. You were the best.
Super ford weekend at maple grove was the bomb…I went for five or six years starting 1990…..but I had pinto w/351cleveland…..lol
Where did that car go? I have three Pintos. 71, 72 & a 73.
Reminds me of the old days in the 60s, but not what is remembered these days. Dragging my Mother's 1965 4 door 289 2 barrel against my friend's Mother's 6 cylinder 4 door ChevyII. I mean, you could have lunch in the ET times, but we had fun, no we had a ball. Later on we got faster cars of our own, but not what anyone would consider a true hot car. I forget the class, but it was not even near the top of the alphabet and the last to run. BUT WE HAD FUN with what we had. Most every weekend during the summers, WE HAD FUN!!!
I remember an article you wrote about Hydrazine. I was laughing my arse off. Then I put some into our fuel funny car.
I really enjoyed this rambling session everything you said was very interesting 87 to 93 5.0 has always been my favorite car.
1987 88 i was playing with a turbo charged 6 cylinder buick t type which was beating up grand nationals i had my chevelle collection in its infancy at the time as well then i started doing all sorts of swaps a caddillac 500 in a vw bug , a small block in a chevy chevette, those were care free fun days then my uncle took me out around the country match racing
Oh I can't WAIT to see this! I love surprises and I know you always have some fun project up your sleeve.
That was the issue I was introduced to you, instantly became my favorite magazine.
12.99 for $1299 was awesome
I love the enthusiasm when you talk about that mustang, being a die hard Mopar guy