this is not so much a post as it is an article, due to it's length, so strap in.
1967 Firebird - project not running
1968 Mustang - future project, not running
1989 Mustang LX 5.0 - nice, but transmission is out
1989 Firebird Formula 350 T-Top - future project, not running
1989 Firebird Formula 350 Hardtop - nice, like new in fact with < 30,000 mi, but needs engine work.
1996 Camaro Z28 - nice, runs, many mods.
1998 Durango 4x4 - daily driver (wife)
1999 Sierra Z71 - daily driver (me)
That's how many cars i have! right now, only three of them run. i'm so sick and tired of having so many project cars. i have a three car garage, and it's a very big garage, but has only three bays, and the third bay is a gym. two vehicles - the two unstarted projects (68 Mustang and 89 T-top) are kept in storage. two are kept in the garage (67 Firebird and 96 Camaro) and, theoretically two are parked in front of the garage (89 Mustang and 89 Formula hardtop, which currently stays at the shop). the daily driven trucks dont count, and are parked in front of the house.
the problem: having this many cars is too unmanagable. i could have probably built one or two a couple of times over by now, if it werent for always
"investing" in another must-have-dream-car. even if i did get them all fixed up, then i would have to insure them all. and keep them all. and i dont have a big ass barn to keep 6 or 8 cars in.
the plan: sell off everything but the 67 Firebird and get a 2011 Mustang GT with Brembo package.
the parameters: the 67 Firebird stays. the two daily driven trucks stay, dont count, and arent a part of this equation.
the new Mustang: 
the first thing that got my attention about the 2010-11 Mustang (besides the F-ING UGLY rear end) is how nice the leather interior is. nicer than a lot of supposed luxery cars. but it wasnt until the new Coyote 5.0 that i have been able to ovelook the ugly back 1/10th of the car. and the rest of the car looks great (that is, of course other than the fact that Ford STILL uses
sucky-ass-too-narrow tires on even their hottest car). so, aside from wanting to, in a sense,
"knock over the chessboard" and end the madness, i am also 35 years old now, and wanting to graduate from the chinsy plastic interior offered in these types of cars at least since the eighties, and step up into something with black leather and nice fit and finish. not to mention the fact that, for the money (in performance dollars) the 2011 Mustang GT is the best thing going, even blowing the Shelby 500's out of the water. so, i am willing to sell everything except the '67 in order to get a big enough down payment to make the car payments on a $40,000 machine somewhat less than absurd.
so, what's the dilema?: well, nobody is buying my cars. i had my Camaro up on eBay, and didnt even get a serious bid, and that thing is nice
and i think the top bid was like $500! the tranny is still down on my 5.0. my 89 Formula 350 hardtop (which has less than 30k on the odometer) needs engine work. that's right. my Formula 350 from 1989 has less than 30000 original miles and needs engine work. long story short - never buy a car sight unseen. turns out the reason for the extraordinarilly low mileage was that the car hadnt been driven in a couple of decades. then there's the other two unstarted projects which i apparently cant even give away.
and now i'm having second thoughts: the white 89 Mustang is sitting in front of my garage. and she's looking pretty good. the only thing wrong with it is that the transmission went out, so $1200, and she'll be on the road again. aside from that the car is super solid. replace the carpet and the interior is as good as new. and that's not even saying that the carped is bad. she's got some nice fat little 265/50's out back and brand new stainless pipes from the Flowmaster cat-back which is mated to a BBK off-road H-pipe, which is mated to BBK equal length shorty headers. the uglyness of the faded stock lenses, and the night driving visibility problems of the Ultra smoked lenses was cured by the Ultra clear headlight lenses which give her a clean look. she's got some other cool mods (like 3.55 gears and four wheel disc brakes, and a nice sounding stereo system, just to name a few). and one thing that this little car has over most newer cars is what it lacks. a whole bunch of plastic body parts. front and rear bumpers, yes, but not a bunch of plastic overhangs, like on the new Camaro, and to a lesser extent (much lesser) the new Mustangs. this is a solid, tough little car - and it dont weigh very much.
sworn enemies make a cool team:
these are my 1989 Mustang LX Sport Hatchback and my 1989 Firebird Formula 350. get it? they're both '89's. and they're both the stripped-down, lighter, no-nonsense, FASTER, and in a lot of people's opinion, cleaner and better looking version of the more expensive, purportedly more luxerious Mustang GT and Trans Am GTA respectively.
i already talked about the 5.0, now here's the deal on the Formula: everything on it is like new, but it has several mechanical problems, not the least of which is the need for an engine overhaul, from sitting for LITERALLY almost 20 years, a material fact which was omitted by the eBayer who sold it to me (a long story which i wont be getting into).
aside from that, back in the mid-ninties, i was on the GM side of the Mustang vs. Camaro/Firebird war. over time though, i have gotten over any kind of brand loyalty and can appreciate both cars and both brands. but, truth be told, of the two, the Formula is definitely my favorite. if the Firebird goes, the Mustang definitely goes as well, but i can see keeping the Firebird and not the Mustang, although i like having them both. they're just cool as hell sitting next to each other. i wish that the Firebird was black, like my T-top 89 'bird, but i'll just have to deal, because the Maui Blue paint is just like new. as a matter of fact, the interior is just like new and still has that new car smell. like i said, this car has 29 thousand and some change on the odometer. hell, even the fender wells are still black, as if it's never seen rain or dust. and that is where the debate comes in: for a couple grand in parts and a couple grand in labor, the 5.0, which is already half built, can easilly be a 350 HP car. for a few thousand dollars in parts and labor, probably 10K or so, the Formula can easily be a 350 HP car. a nasty whip indeed. two nasty whips for less than half the price of the new Mustang i've had my eye on.
so that is the debate. if i keep the Formula (and the LX) but mainly the Formula, i'm not going to buy a 2011 GT. in order to buy a 2011 GT, i must sell everything as stated before, including the Formula.
2011 Mustang GT vs. 1989 Firebird Formula 350:
i think that for me, personally,
MOST elements of the equation line up in favor of the Formula 350.
all-out performance, i give the the Mustang.
modern amenities and respectable interior trim goes to the 2011.
the
"look how far i've come in life to have a brand new [awesome sports car] with no one else's stank on it" factor goes to the Mustang.
but, the truth is, there's nothing special about a 2011 Mustang GT unless its MY 2011 Mustang GT or unless it's YOUR 2011 Mustang GT. there's really nothing very special about any brand new car. and the 2011 Mustang GT is just the latest, best thing. now, when was the last time you saw a KILLER late '80s Firebird or Camaro? that is special. IT'S RARE! it's more rare than seeing a beautifully restored or awesomely built classic from the '60s. same can be said for the old 5.0s. most of these cars were just beat to ****. when i see a new Mustang, i think, "hmm, is that a 2010 or a 2011? those 2011's sure are badass. now if only they'd redesign that ugly back end." if i were to see a KILLER '89-ish Formula 350 i would say "HOOOOOOLY SHHHHIIIIIIT!!! so, yeah, the Formula elicites a stronger emotional response from me. i know that for some, these cars only conjur up negative stereotypes (based in reallity) and images of cars that are basically
beaters.
now, what's better - knowing that the guy next to you knows that yours is better than his? or, knowing that the guy next to you thinks that his is better than yours, and knowing that he is wrong?
both are good feelings, but for any true hot rod guy, i dont even need to answer that.
the
"it's paid for" factor, of course, goes to the Firebird.
fit and finish and build quality go to the 2011 Mustang.
styling is close, but IMO, ever so slightly favors the Pontiac built in 1989 to look as if it was made in 2010, over the Ford that was built in 2010 to look like it was made in 1968.
okay, lets face it. there is something that is just "off" with the entire back angle of this car since the 2010 redesign. i dont know what Ford was thinking, but i have never heard anyone say anything good about the design.
i think most of us can agree that from this angle (style wise) the Pontiac takes it.
definitely one FAST mother F-er, and looks very nice from this angle.
http://www.hawksthirdgenparts.com/images/KevinB_1.jpg (broken link)
i dont think that there is such a thing as a sleeker looking car than a black Formula 350.
this is a cool motor.
this is an awesome motor.
so, what's it gonna be?: i still dont know. if i could get a fair price for everything that i wanna sell, including the Formula, i would sell it all and get the 2011 GT. why? because a 2011 Mustang and a 1967 Firebird
will fit in my garage, and i can theoretically leave well enough alone (
yeah like that would happen) and concentrate on building my 67 Firebird. but yeah, no cars in storage, no cars outside under car covers, and it would sure make my wife happy. but since i dont see getting a fair price for anything, i am leaning towards keeping the 67 and the two 89's and trying to sell the rest for what i can get. at least i dont want to keep paying for storage.
so, that's what's been on my mind lately. if you read this article, i hope you enjoyed it. i'd be interested in hearing where others might stand on the 2011 Mustang GT vs. 1989 Firebird Formula 350 debate.
fin.
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