Ford wants you to give the gift of "some assembly required" for Father's Day

Father's Day lands this weekend, and if you're anything like us, you're doing your best to put off trying to find a gift. Ford has an idea for those of us too lazy to pull up dad's Amazon list and click purchase. The automaker says it takes roughly two years for a hobbyist to complete a classic vehicle restoration from the ground up over nights and weekends. That means that a project Mustang started this summer will be ready just in time for the car's 50th anniversary in a couple of years.

How's that for clever? The company says roughly 95 percent of all Mustang parts are available brand new as reproductions right now through FordRestorationParts.com, including full body shells like the one seen above.

Father's Day Is the Perfect Time to Kick off Restoration of America's Favorite Classic, the 1964-66 Ford Mustang

• Mustang restorations started this summer should be ready in time for the car's 50th anniversary in April 2014

• Ford-licensed restoration parts for classic 1960s Mustangs can improve quality, lower costs and shorten restoration time


DEARBORN, Mich., June 12, 2012 – With the 50th anniversary of the Ford Mustang less than two years away, this summer is the time to begin restoring your classic pony car so that it can be ready for one of the most important milestones in American automotive history.

"Working nights and weekends, and as your budget allows, it takes roughly two years to do a complete wheels-up classic car restoration," says Brian Martin, director of automotive restoration development at McPherson College in Kansas. McPherson is the only school in North America that offers a four-year bachelor's degree in automobile restoration.

Martin says with careful project planning and outsourcing of some specialized jobs such as painting and transmission rebuilding, a father and son following a detailed plan can easily restore a first-generation Mustang in a good-sized home garage. What's needed are basic hand tools, proper manuals, good mechanical skills and a realistic budget.

Restoring a classic Mustang is a great father and son project, and this Sunday, June 17, is Father's Day – a great day to kick off a Mustang restoration with the goal of having the car ready for its 50th anniversary on April 17, 2014.

Jonathan Brand and his dad have restored three classic Mustangs in their home garage, a '65 coupe and two '69 models. It was an experience Brand says he will never forget.

"My dad and I weren't as close before we restored the Mustangs," says Brand, an artist who now lives in New Haven, Conn. "It definitely brought us closer together, all those hours working on the cars. He taught me a lot about cars, and we had a lot of fun."

Brand's advice: Have patience, manage the budget and use Ford-licensed restoration parts, especially for the sheet metal repairs.

"We tried using panels from junkyards, but when you consider the time it takes to get them off and then to get them to fit properly on your car, it just isn't worth it. We found the new parts fit really well," Brand says.

95 percent of classic Mustang parts available
America's love affair with the original Mustang is still going strong after nearly 50 years. Debuting in April 1964, the original Mustang sold more than 1.2 million units – including more than 174,000 convertibles – before its first redesign in 1967.

The original Mustang has long been America's most popular classic car of the postwar era and is usually No. 1 or 2 on the list of most popular cars Hagerty Classic Car Insurance of Traverse City, Mich., insures.

Ford Motor Company aggressively supports the original Mustang with thousands of high-quality, officially licensed reproduction parts available at www.fordrestorationparts.com. These replacement parts look, fit and perform exactly as the originals. Many Ford restoration parts are actually made from the original Ford tools that have been preserved for the restoration market. About 95 percent of all the parts needed to build a "new" classic '64 to '66 Mustang are available today.

"We offer everything from a door handle to a complete Mustang body," says Dennis Mondrach, Ford Restoration Parts licensing manager. "We just recently launched a 1965 Mustang convertible body – the complete assembly, all the sheet metal from the hood to the trunk. It is designed to enable fans of the original Mustang to build the classic of their dreams using a body that is stronger than the original."

Reproduction Mustang bodies are available in every classic model year from 1965 to 1970 along with the ever-popular 1965 and 1967 convertibles. All cars feature modern welding and assembly techniques and are made from high-strength, modern automotive-grade steel. Officially licensed fenders, bumpers, door skins and other body parts for project cars that have restorable bodies are available to replace parts susceptible to rust or damaged in accidents.

Mondrach says it is nearly impossible to pluck a restorable 1964-66 Mustang or such parts as fenders, bumpers and grilles from scrapyards. Most have been wrecked, or rusted, and Mustangs with any parts good enough to be reused were long ago picked clean by restorers.

Classic Mustang restoration: Easier than you might think
Because the original Mustang uses technology that was state-of-the-art for mass-produced cars in the 1960s, the car is extremely easy to work on compared with today's vehicles. Also, the Mustang's mechanical components have always been easy to find and affordable, further adding to the car's appeal among collectors. In addition, the car can easily be modified with better suspension, performance and safety options that were unavailable at the time.

Ford Racing, for example, offers many optional crate engines and performance options to meet the needs of every Mustang enthusiast.

Mondrach suggests starting a restoration with a Mustang whose body is sound and not in need of major rust, welding or accident repairs. "The costs add up quickly when you are cutting out and replacing damaged body panels. It may be more cost effective to start with a complete new body and use the engine, transmission, suspension and major trim from a donor car," he says.

Martin, of McPherson College, recommends refurbishing the drivetrain, suspension and other mechanical components before the body and paintwork. He says a reasonable budget for a complete restoration is between $30,000 and $50,000, but that would include a new or rebuilt performance engine, transmission, rear axle, brakes, suspension, cooling and electrical systems, as well as all the trim, paint and interior parts to be as good as new.

Before starting a restoration, experts say, knowledge is the first and most important thing to attain. "Join a club. Buy the original Ford-issued repair manuals," Martin says. "Ford service manuals from that time were really good. They were designed to speak to mechanics with a high school education, not like today's repair manuals that assume you have an engineering degree."

Other tips for restoring a classic Mustang
• Decide how you will use the car when it is done. This will influence the cost of the restoration. Building a 100-point show car is far more expensive and time consuming than building a very clean weekend cruiser
• Keep track of all the money you spend on parts, service and supplies, says Jonathan Klinger of Hagerty Insurance. You will need to document your costs to prove to the insurance company what you have invested, and receipts will be required when registering a custom-built "assembled vehicle" for title
• Join the local Mustang club, a good source for used parts and knowledgeable members

Via: Ford

You have read this article Cars Classis / Etc. / ford / Ford Classis / ford mustang / News with the title ford mustang. You can bookmark this page URL http://rouserworks.blogspot.com/2012/06/ford-wants-you-to-give-gift-of-assembly.html. Thanks!

Spyshots: 2015 Ford Mustang

After months of endless speculation, Ford has begun work on the 2013 Mustang, a car that will make a clear departure from what we’ve come to know in the pony car world it belongs to.

This is only a test mule, based on the current car’s underpinnings. However, there are several clues towards what has changed on the ‘Stang.

First off, Ford engineers have glued a gaouge pod on the A-pillar o the car in front of the driver. This likely indicates the mule is powered by a Ford Ecoboost engine, as this is a turbo boost gouge. Moving down the side, the gas cap filler is covered up, which is clear indication of chassis developments. The next Mustang is said to offer more modern styling that’s less inspired by the lines of the original. Overhangs and possibly even the wheelbase will be shorter.

But the biggest change of them all is the fact that the car is clearly using independent rear suspension, which means we may finally say goodbye to the sold rear axle that has seen many Mustangs eating the grass off the side of the road.

The next generation Mustang will first be shown as a concept car in about a year, after which it will reach the market in 2014 as a 2015 model year.

via: autoevolution

You have read this article 2013 Ford Mustang / 2015 Ford / ford / ford mustang / Spyshots with the title ford mustang. You can bookmark this page URL http://rouserworks.blogspot.com/2012/06/spyshots-2015-ford-mustang.html. Thanks!

2013 Ford Mustang GT Convertible

Shortly after I turned 16, my father set out to acquire a new car for himself. Dad knew a guy who knew a guy who ran one of those quasi-legal used car lots that specialized in deals-too-good-to-be-true, so, armed with the protection of the referral, he drove off to the wrong side of town to see what might replace the 1980 Ford Fiesta that was about to become my hand-me-down.

When dad came home in a barely used 1987 Mustang GT, my mind was blown. I pestered him to let me drive it the moment he set foot through the door of the house, but was told that I was not allowed, as he had not actually purchased the vehicle, but merely borrowed it for the night. Dad wasn't sure that it was the right car for him, he said, explaining that what drew him to it was that, like the Fiesta, it was a hatchback.

The absurdity of this statement was not lost on me. The Mustang met 110 percent of my automotive fantasies at the time, and even at my young age, I could sense that giving a newly ordained driver access to such a car would be eclipsed in the Pantheon Of Bad Parenting only by introducing your child to hookers and blow. This just made me more furtive and desperate. 

I had no idea how to convince my dad to keep the Mustang, but knew I must. So when mom said we needed milk for dinner, I volunteered to accompany my father on a run to the store. I had no plan, but if I was in the car with him, I reasoned, he might be distracted from finding something wrong with it. The errand also provided an opportunity to actually go for a ride in the Mustang, an experience that an hour earlier had existed only in the realm of my wildest fantasies. But I had already discounted merely riding in the car, so quickly does the adolescent mind move from one desire to another. Even getting behind the wheel had been subverted by my quest to possess the Mustang, like some teenaged Gollum. But dad improbably tossed me the keys, breaking his own rule and unknowingly providing me with a lifetime of animus against Ford's venerable pony car.

Although I managed to keep my cool for the two minutes it took us to exit our subdivision, when I pulled out onto the road that led to the grocery store, my foot crammed the accelerator to the floor and I got to hear that 5.0 sing all the way up to redline. Alas, it was a sad song of goodbye, as by 60 mph, the loudest sound in the Mustang was not the exhaust, but my father screaming at me to slow down.

The next day, dad returned from work late, behind the wheel of a 1986 Ford Tempo.

At least until the all-new Mustang on the horizon for 2015 bows, this one is the ne plus ultra.

I have spent the last two-and-a-half decades trying to work through my feelings about the Mustang. But as each successive generation has improved, the awe and delight that initially accompanied those cars has given way to the bitterness of my first encounter. It has been just too easy to find fault with subsequent Mustangs, which have always been too ugly, too cheap, too underpowered, or too impractical. But now, just months shy of my 40th birthday, a week spent driving a 2013 Mustang GT Convertible seems to have erased the psychological trauma of my childhood. That my tester was a lavishly outfitted Premium model with a sticker price of $47,305 – which included over $7,000 worth of options like Brembo brakes ($1,695) and a navigation package ($2,340) – certainly helped, but beneath all the extras I found a pretty amazing car.

The 2013 Mustang is the final step in the multi-year redesign of the then-revolutionary 2005 'Stang. The first Mustang in the model's long history to be given its own platform, the S197 was a good car saddled with a crummy interior and a dated powertrain lineup, complaints that have now been addressed. Ford began the process in the 2010 model, fixing the interior along with an exterior restyling that effectively pulled the Mustang's lines just a little more taut. Two stellar new engines debuted for 2011, including the GT's 5.0-liter V8 and a 305-horsepower 3.7-liter V6. Adjustable settings were introduced to the electric power steering system in the 2012 model, and the 2013 model features new front and rear fascia designs that further separate the current Mustang from those 2005-2009 models. At least until the all-new Mustang on the horizon for 2015 bows, this one is the ne plus ultra.

It's the first modern Mustang I've driven that looks and feels like a complete package, a car that's exciting enough to make me once again covet a Mustang like I did at age 16. Explaining how I've come to this way of thinking might best be left to the therapy chair, but it starts with a simple question: What else is left for Ford to do?.

Now before the collected enthusiast community – minus the Mustang fans – all shouts "independent rear suspension" in unison, I'll preempt that by saying that I just don't care. If my test car had a rear axle made out of Legos and a suspension designed around the viscous properties of marshmallow fluff, it would not matter in the least to me if it still did the things it does as well as it does them. (And to the greenies who point to the GT's EPA fuel economy rating of 18 miles per gallon city and 25 highway, might I direct you to the V6 Mustang.) What matters are three things: Looks, fun and value – and the new Mustang delivers on all three.

The redesigned front fascia and vented hood that's exclusive to the GT give the '13 models an aggression that just wasn't there last year. The upgrade also includes HID headlights and body-colored rocker panels. While I really liked the way the old grille sat hidden underneath the horizontal overhang of the hood, the new front end emphasizes the vertical, giving the Mustang more of a fuselage look. Out back, the new LED taillights are less of a big deal, but they do give the rear end a cleaner look. The 2013 is the first of the post-2005 Mustangs that seems to have tilted the scales far enough away from retro to look fresh, without evolving into a 21st Century Ford Probe like some expect to see in the next-generation design.

The interior in the Mustang is nothing special, but neither is it deficient. It hasn't been reworked aside from the addition of a new, optional 4.2-inch LCD display in the center between the speedometer and tachometer, necessary to accommodate the Track Apps feature, which we'll get to shortly. The seats in my test car looked like a million bucks done up in red leather with white stripes, but they felt flat and uncomfortable after a few hours behind the wheel, with no lumbar support and Ford's odd half-power, half-manual adjustment. Having a steering wheel that didn't telescope didn't help, but the optional Recaros seem like they might. While some of the switches and finishes inside the 2013 Mustang aren't quite as nice as in some other Ford vehicles (the Taurus SHO comes to mind), the utility of the interior controls is undeniable. The Mustang has never been a form-over-function kind of car, and though the 2013 may flirt with self-indulgence a bit – the side mirrors do display the Mustang logo in a puddle of light at night – this is a car that delivers everything it promises.

This is mostly thanks to the GT's 420-horsepower 5.0-liter V8, which has received an additional eight horsepower for 2013. No, the two-percent improvement isn't something you're going to notice, but the addition of SelectShift to the six-speed automatic transmission is significant. It allows for manual control of the transmission by means of a shifter-mounted button, and while it doesn't make the Mustang's automatic sporting in the way of a real manual, it certainly doesn't hurt, allowing you to choose your own gear and, more importantly, keep the tranny from upshifting. SelectShift's usefulness is somewhat limited, however, as the manual shifting action is not all that quick, and compared to a better solution like paddles, the rocker button is unsatisfying.

While I'm not one to shy away from a good manual transmission, mashing that gas pedal and feeling the rocket launch of the V8 uncomplicated by a third pedal, is as enjoyable as it ever was. Maybe this seems adolescent and unsophisticated, but once you convince the throttle to open up, the 2013 Mustang will make you say "Ahh!" While my GT's six-speed automatic did seem to poison the performance of the big V8 a bit, particularly when I left the transmission alone to choose an inevitably higher gear than ideal, the car is still extremely quick. Nimble too: When you adjust the electric power steering to the sport position, the steering feels really good, weighty, but quick and direct. On the comfort setting it's noticeably softer and more appropriate for a long freeway slog. The optional Brembo brakes on my test car produced phenomenal stopping power and were easily modulated, with excellent pedal feel. For a convertible, the Mustang feels stiff and solid, and with the top up it's surprisingly quiet.

One new feature for 2013 is the aforementioned Track Apps, which will measure a number of performance stats while you drive. It's similar to systems found in other performance cars, like the Dodge Challenger SRT8, with an acceleration timer, a g meter, and a braking timer. It's thanks to this nifty piece of tech that I know the Mustang GT Convertible can pull over 0.9 g's on its street tires. All the Track Apps information is displayed on that nice looking little LCD in the center of the instrument panel, but amongst all the menus and options (this is the first car I've ever driven that will let you display cylinder head temperature) there's no digital speed display, which would certainly help mitigate the barely legible speedometer.

 

The 2013 Mustang GT Convertible is fun to drive and be seen in, and it is such an all-around performance car that it's hard to resist its allure. It may not be the best at everything, as there are certainly other competitors that are flashier, more powerful and more exotic, but there are few other performance cars easier to justify owning. The backseat of the convertible is large enough to be useful, and so is the trunk. I can imagine a Mustang GT Convertible working out quite capably as an everyday driver and family conveyance while serving equally as well as a hobbyist project and weekend toy. With a starting MSRP of $37,290, I just don't think you can find an enthusiast's car that can do more for less.

You certainly aren't going to find many other performance cars with the unique history of the Mustang, and that certainly counts for something. That GT I drove in back in 1988 was the second coming of Ford's pony car, a performance bargain to reignite the enthusiasm of those Baby Boomers who had come of age during the Mustang's original heyday in the late '60s. That today's Mustang GT is once again wearing the 5.0 badge is significant, as it's now my generation that's looking back at the Mustang of their youth and seeing it reincarnated, for the better. 

via: autoblog

You have read this article 2013 Ford / 2013 Ford Mustang / 2013 Ford Mustang GT / ford / ford mustang / News with the title ford mustang. You can bookmark this page URL http://rouserworks.blogspot.com/2012/06/2013-ford-mustang-gt-convertible.html. Thanks!

Roush RS Visual Package Turns V6 Mustang into Mustang GT

Ladies and Gentlemen drivers, we are going to talk about Roush’s latest development, but we have to warn you that this is pretty unusual, as we are talking about a set of visual upgrades meant to make the V6 Mustang look like the V8-powered GT model.

Dubbed the Roush Six, or RS, the kit includes a front lip spoiler, a hood scoop (this is optional) rear quarter elements, as well as RS side and hood decals. You also get a set of 19-inch rims that come straight from the GT model.

Climbing aboard, we find branded floor mates, a Roush badge, which sits on the center console, new pedals, as well as a multitude of optional goodies, such as illuminated door entry sills, a suede-finished steering wheel, a new shifter, as well as GT or Roush sport seats.

Unfortunately, the 3.7-liter engine doesn’t receive any attention at all. However, the suspension brings the car closer to the road, with the handling being further boosted by the aforementioned set of rims.

You have read this article ford / ford mustang / Mustang / News with the title ford mustang. You can bookmark this page URL http://rouserworks.blogspot.com/2012/06/roush-rs-visual-package-turns-v6.html. Thanks!

"High Gear" Mustang chosen to be SEMA's first all-female build

Ford designer Jennifer Seely's "High Gear" Mustang concept will debut at the 2012 SEMA show this fall after collecting the most online votes out of three female-created Mustang concepts.

The SEMA Mustang Build Powered by Women, a partnership between Ford Motor Co. and the Specialty Equipment Market Association, will begin transforming a 2013 Ford Mustang GT into the High Gear concept with an all-female team.

The car features rosegold trim, satin black body, quilted suede seats and will arrive with additional modifications to the engine, suspension, drive train and sound system. Seely also added "angel eyes" to her concept, which are the horizontial lights across the headlamps to give it a distinctive daytime appearance.

The build begins in July by a group of aftermarket specialists. After the car is shown at the SEMA show, it will be auctioned off on eBay to raise money for the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund.

'High Gear' Chosen as Concept for First-Ever SEMA Mustang Build Powered by Women
DEARBORN, Mich., June 6, 2012 – Thousands of fans voted for a satin-black, luxury Ford Mustang concept in the first-ever SEMA Mustang Build Powered by Women. The project – a collaboration between Ford Motor Company and the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) – invited the public to view three concepts online and vote for the one they would like to see built by a group of women volunteers.

Known as "High Gear," the winning concept was designed by Jennifer Seely of Ford.

Inspired by international products in categories such as jewelry, couture clothing and architecture, High Gear is meant to stimulate the senses by fusing luxury and power. Highlights include rose-gold chrome accents throughout the exterior and interior; satin-black body; plush, quilted suede seats and a leather-wrapped interior. Modifications will also be made to the engine, undercarriage, drivetrain and sound system.

"We appreciate our readers and fans helping us determine which concept will be used for this very exciting project," said Doug Evans, executive vice president of Source Interlink Media (SIM). SIM, a partner in the project, hosted the voting on several of its websites and will also host the physical build at its El Segundo, Calif., headquarters.

"The concept selected by everyone who voted is amazing," Evans added. "It will be very exciting to see the vehicle transformed in just eight short weeks by this dedicated group of women. The drive and talent this collaboration of women from the SEMA Business Network (SBN), Ford and Source Interlink Media brings to this project is nothing short of phenomenal."

As title sponsor of the project, Ford donated a 2013 Ford Mustang GT. Women members of SBN will perform the hands-on modifications from July to August. The finished car will debut at the 2012 SEMA show in Las Vegas, then be auctioned on eBay to raise money for the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund. The fund is dedicated to fostering the next generation of automotive aftermarket leaders and innovators.

The SBN Vehicle Build Task Force is comprised of Task Force Chair Rose Kawasaki (Exports International), Project Vehicle Coordinator Sherry Kollien (Ford), Assembly Coordinator Kellie Colf (eTool Developers), PR/Media Coordinator Camee Edelbrock (Schiefer Media Inc.) and Product Coordinator Susan Carpenter (JR Products). Advisors include Mike Spagnola (Street Scene), Joel Ayres (Bedslide) and Marla Moore (Hypertech).

To learn more about the SEMA Mustang Build Powered by Women, visit www.sema.org/SEMAMustangBuild.

Via: Ford

You have read this article ford / ford mustang / News / sema with the title ford mustang. You can bookmark this page URL http://rouserworks.blogspot.com/2012/06/gear-mustang-chosen-to-be-sema-first.html. Thanks!

Prior Design Ford Mustang

Prior Design released a few extra images of their Ford Mustang kit today. It features an aerodynamic kit that can be fitted to all C5 pre-2009 Ford Mustang’s.

The kit comes complete with front bumper, side skirts, rear bumper, mounting materials and a TÜV parts certificate. Together, this costs 1,087 euros.

Prior design also offer wheels and exhaust solutions for the Ford Mustang.

You have read this article ford / ford mustang / News / Photography with the title ford mustang. You can bookmark this page URL http://rouserworks.blogspot.com/2012/05/prior-design-ford-mustang.html. Thanks!

SEMA 2010: Ford 2011 Mustang

We've seen Explorers, Fiestas and even an F-Series Super Duty, but of course, the car with the biggest showing on Ford's SEMA stand is the Mustang. In fact, the automaker is displaying nine examples of its pony car, showing a wide range of customization options.

Starting things off in-house, Ford has provided us with a glimpse of what is possible through its Vehicle Personalization program. The VP 'Stang wears wheels, rear window louvers, a rear spoiler and a handful of other items that are all for sale at FordAccessoriesStore.com. Besides the in-house car, Ford handed the Mustang off to Funkmaster Flex and Team Baurtwell, MRT, Creations n' Chrome, Muscle Mustangs and Fast Fords, Mobsteel, Raceskinz, Street Scene Equipment and Tjin Edition.

For information related to auto shipping, visit aaat.com

You have read this article auto news / ford 2011 mustang / ford cars / ford mustang / sema 2010 with the title ford mustang. You can bookmark this page URL http://rouserworks.blogspot.com/2010/11/sema-2010-ford-2011-mustang.html. Thanks!