MustangWorks.com : Ford Forums - View Single Post - What was the first Ford that caught your eye?

Mr 5 0 · 01-16-2002, 07:50 PM

When I was a kid there were still a lot of '49, '50' and '51 Fords around and they were the real hot-rodders choice. Most had little more than loud dual exhaust and Oldsmobile 'spinner' wheel covers with a pair of fuzzy dice hanging off the mirror but to a car-crazy kid on a bike watching one roar by, they seemed like a Ferrari.

Then there were the '55-'56 Fords with the 292 or 312 V-8's that were also popular but they were overshadowed (and beaten on street) by the ubiquitous '55 Chevys.

As Rev mentioned, the '64 GTO (a Pontiac Tempest with a potent 389 engine out of the full-sized Pontiac lineup) was probably the first real 'Muscle Car'; a vehicle manufactured for the sole reason of going fast. Great car.

Of course the 348 cu. in. tri-power (3 2bbl. carbs) 1958 Chevy he mentioned, along with the '57 FI Pontiac Bonneville and even the 413-powered Chrysler 300 all were powerful cars in their time but sold in very small numbers. That trend continued with the 1963 409 Chevys and the '63 427/425 HP full-sized Ford.

I had an opportunity to drive a '63 427 Galaxie some years ago and although it's quarter-mile et was probably not much better than my near-stock '90 5.0, that was an experience I'll never forget. Just the sensation of the huge size and weight of the '63 Galaxie being propelled forward by the giant 427 cu. in. V-8 sucking air through two huge 4 bbl. carbs and a low-restriction air cleaner is an unforgettable driving experience.

The 1964 1/2 Mustang changed things forever and with the 271 HP 289 V-8 the Pony Car was born.
As we all know, the HP wars continued through the '60's and the Camaro was introduced in '67 to (successfully) compete with the hot-selling and ever more powerful Mustang. Things died out in the '70's but revived in the eighties with the advent of the 5.0 'Stang and the rest, as they say, is history.
I've got my piece of it with my '90 LX 5.0.

Some days, as I wind through the gears and hear the sweet sound of my Dynomax exhaust sing to me of power just waiting to be freed by my right foot, I think back on when I was just a little kid on a bike, watching the college-age guys roar by my house in their '50 Fords with the GlasPak mufflers and I think that, in a way, we kind of have something in common, and that's a loud, quick and fun-to-drive V-8 Ford. Some things never change.

01-16-2002, 07:50 PM	#16
Mr 5 0 Conservative Individualist Join Date: May 1997 Location: Wherever I need to be Posts: 7,487	First Ford awareness When I was a kid there were still a lot of '49, '50' and '51 Fords around and they were the real hot-rodders choice. Most had little more than loud dual exhaust and Oldsmobile 'spinner' wheel covers with a pair of fuzzy dice hanging off the mirror but to a car-crazy kid on a bike watching one roar by, they seemed like a Ferrari. Then there were the '55-'56 Fords with the 292 or 312 V-8's that were also popular but they were overshadowed (and beaten on street) by the ubiquitous '55 Chevys. As Rev mentioned, the '64 GTO (a Pontiac Tempest with a potent 389 engine out of the full-sized Pontiac lineup) was probably the first real 'Muscle Car'; a vehicle manufactured for the sole reason of going fast. Great car. Of course the 348 cu. in. tri-power (3 2bbl. carbs) 1958 Chevy he mentioned, along with the '57 FI Pontiac Bonneville and even the 413-powered Chrysler 300 all were powerful cars in their time but sold in very small numbers. That trend continued with the 1963 409 Chevys and the '63 427/425 HP full-sized Ford. I had an opportunity to drive a '63 427 Galaxie some years ago and although it's quarter-mile et was probably not much better than my near-stock '90 5.0, that was an experience I'll never forget. Just the sensation of the huge size and weight of the '63 Galaxie being propelled forward by the giant 427 cu. in. V-8 sucking air through two huge 4 bbl. carbs and a low-restriction air cleaner is an unforgettable driving experience. The 1964 1/2 Mustang changed things forever and with the 271 HP 289 V-8 the Pony Car was born. As we all know, the HP wars continued through the '60's and the Camaro was introduced in '67 to (successfully) compete with the hot-selling and ever more powerful Mustang. Things died out in the '70's but revived in the eighties with the advent of the 5.0 'Stang and the rest, as they say, is history. I've got my piece of it with my '90 LX 5.0. Some days, as I wind through the gears and hear the sweet sound of my Dynomax exhaust sing to me of power just waiting to be freed by my right foot, I think back on when I was just a little kid on a bike, watching the college-age guys roar by my house in their '50 Fords with the GlasPak mufflers and I think that, in a way, we kind of have something in common, and that's a loud, quick and fun-to-drive V-8 Ford. Some things never change.