Stock No More

[Stroked408]

I keep viewing all these posts with the words "stock" and 13's in the same sentence,let me just get opinions when is it not stock anymore and what do you really consider stock,as you can see stock is a very touchy word with me,because I doubt there are any truly stock 87-93 5.0 Mustang out there,I hope I do not get flamed but let's talk about stock for a minute

[PKRWUD]

Well, in my opinion, it's pretty cut and dry. I consider a "stock" vehicle as one in which the mechanical parts in the driveline, from the fan to the axles, are either original, or have been replaced with parts that equal those that came originally. If you install hotter spark plugs, don't tell me it's stock. If you install a K&N drop in, don't tell me it's stock. If you install pullies, or a coil, or different rear gears, don't tell me it's stock. I could care less about cosmetic items, like rims or valve covers, but when mechanical parts are changed, it's not stock.

Keep in mind that I do driveline repair, so I need to know what does not meet the original specs. It can alter the diagnosis if there are parts installed that exceed the original specs, and I'm not informed.

So, if I say something is stock, or if you tell me something is stock, we should both mean that the mechanical parts in the driveline are either original, or just like the original.

Take care,
-Chris

[Stroked408]

Finally just when I was about to give up someone comes along and I find out there is still sanity in the world,I am total agreement with everything you said about the word "stock" because some people have have zero clue as to what is "stock"

[Mr 5 0]

I agree with Chris's definition of the term 'stock' but you'll also see some disagreement about the word 'mods'.

Some hard-core guys get annoyed when a newbie adds a K&N or upgraded plug wires and calls them a 'mod' (modification).

I hold the opinion that anything other than stock is a 'mod', including a K&N, plug wires, even synthetic oil.

As for stock 5.0's running 13's; it can be done but not with the car in factory condition. This requires lots of tricks like an iced intake, advanced timing, etc and killer driving skills in cool air.

Heres some interesting background on 13-second Mustang 5.0's:

A guy named Tony DeFeo did it with a new LX in January 1987 at EnglishTown in N.J.

He had a (then) new '87 Mustang (his personal car - not a factory loaner) stripped (radio delete, no A/C) with a 5-speed and the 3.08 rear. The car magazine he worked for (Cars Illustrated - now Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords) paid for four hours of track time in the dead of winter - in New Jersey.

Tony - a long-time hard-core street racer - went with a photo crew to Englishtown with 600 miles on the new 'Stang. Pumped up the front tires, advanced the timing, removed the air cleaner then made about 20 runs down the 1320. His best et was a 13.7.

Lots of witnesses and photos of the board as well as timeslips to prove it. No con.
In 1987, a 13.7 was a 'Vette-killer et and this from a factory stock Mustang.

Point is that a stock SD 5.0 could see a 13-second et in 'stock' form under the right conditions and with the right driver. That article sold me on the Mustang 5.0 and I bought a new one three years later.

[Stang Runner]

I had a Friend with a Bone Stock 87 as of Last year
he now Has my old H-pipe (OffRoad) and put a Flexalite Fan on it as wellhe Has ONE Stock muffer and One OEM replace ment one. when it was stock And had about 80K on it was I would Say A Very Close to a 13 it is a coupe as well well any how there is ALL most NO Stock 87-88 cars left MOST have At the very least new Muffers... I think that his car if it was striped down would be able to get in the high 13 with the stock H-pipe and Fan back on it as well is the 3.08 gears did not Have a A/C on it But was added to it. It still Suprizes alot of people what A Stock Car (very Close) can do. with 155K on it still runing strong.

[Stroked408]

geez Mr 5.0 you are old school,I still got that issue where Tony DeFeo went 13.90 with that stripper hatchback LX,it made me get rid of my 86 GT(what a great car too) and get me a GT hatch,I have the issue also where he mounted I think the tires are called "Dirt Bozz" and he went 13.43@100 with the air filter housing left open,14 degrees of timing,and 3.08 gears,pretty much the guys from the Northeast: Lee Rutter,Nitrous Pete,LaRocca(still around by the way) and Joe Lonardo put the Mustang 5.0 on the map as far as bolt-on parts goes,wow Tony Defeo is a name I have not heard in awhile

[mongo]

I personally do not think that there are many stock 87-93 mustangs left. They are to easy to modify to leave them stock. My car was stock 6 years ago, and a lot of money later, I've got a 12.7 sec. 1/4 mile car. I really enjoy my car. It's still a lot of fun to drive.

[Lethal5Oh]

Only up until recently one of my freinds had an 88 gt that was completly Factory stock. About the only thing that had been changed on the car was the usuals, oil, coolant, trans fluid. I think even the spark plugs were factory original. Even the battery, which is still in the car. He just added a msd coil, wires, and a flowmaster exhaust and upgraded the radio.

[Mr 5 0]

Stroked408:

I was buying car magazines from the time I was 13 and could afford them.

Tony DeFeo came back to the track and pulled a 13.7 from the '87 LX a few weeks later, eventually I read he got it down to the 13.4 you mentioned.

He didn't have the Mustang very long. I read later that he couldn't afford the payments, which is possible as he was just a free-lancer for the magazine, not a pro. Tony eventually went back to his first love, Mopars. Still, Tony DeFeo opened up some peoples eyes to the potential of the 5.0. A high 13-second car in '87 would equate to a high 12-second car, now, from a totally stock Mustang with a factory warranty and for a bargain price. ($10,000. in 1987).

Glad to refresh some memories of the early days of the Mustang 5.0's fame.

[Stroked408]

Very well put Mr 5.0 but there seems to be some on these internet chat boards that think they are cat's meow when it comes to the little 5.0 Mustangs. I am in no way one of these experts, I just go to the track, listen to the guys that are going fast, talk to someone in the class like their rival and then try to wade through the BS they both are putting out. LOL, you can learn a lot at the track or you can come away feeling stupid, sometimes a little of both but I'm thoroughly impressed with the NMRA Factory Stock class that have guys running high 11's and real low 12's with just GT40 intakes, heads and out of this world tune I know right now Steve Collison is looking down at us from heaven, smiling, saying "Well, they finally got it".