COAL #14: ’07 Ford Mustang – A New Classic Version Of America’s Car.

By
– Posted on March 2, 2024

This design looks good from any angle. This is the “Alloy” color. All photos from the web.

 

When I saw the new 2005 Ford Mustang, I thought this was the best looking Mustang since the late 1960s. I had owned a ’66 Mustang and as I reported, I wasn’t that impressed by it. When I was in the eighth grade, a young guy who lived across the street from us owned a new 1969 Mach One. I WAS impressed by that beautiful red fastback. The ’65-’66 fastback, most famed for its use as the basis for the Shelby 350 Mustang, was also a design that I admired. However, I was never a Mustang guy through the ’70s all the way into the 2000s, and these vintage models had gotten more expensive with every passing year. I had given up on the idea of ever owning one. That is until Ford brought out a retro design that paid homage to the ’60s in a most appealing way.

Now, the base coupe was a fastback that resembled the ’65-’66 models. No more notch-back coupe. The front end was similar to the ’69-’70 models. The sides recalled the ’65-’66 cars with an indented side cove, although the fender line lacked the earlier car’s kick-up. Somehow this pastiche of vintage design cues took on a life of its own. In my eyes it was beautiful, and even better, it was affordable. Now everybody could have a fastback!

Later in 2007, my F150 was joined by a new Ford Mustang.

The grille-mounted fog lights are a classic nod.

 

The tail lights echo the past.

 

The base coupe was equipped with a 200 hp. V6. Teamed up with a five speed automatic transmission it provided more than adequate power with good fuel economy. On long freeway trips, I would consistently get over 25 mpg. at a steady cruising speed of 70 mph. I was often rewarded with 27-28 mpg.

The car is bigger than it looks. It has much more interior space than the old SN95. I know, because I have owned a ’96 Mustang for over 13 years! The rear seat is much wider with more legroom. The trunk is also bigger than the older design, and the split folding rear seat gives it a lot of utility for carrying cargo.

Our particular car is a V6 coupe with the Pony package. This consists of grille-mounted fog lamps, 17 inch Torque Thrust style, “Bullitt” wheels, and a low profile deck wing. It also came with leather front seating, and a six disc, in-dash CD with and equalizer and amp. ABS was an option that year on V6 cars, and ours has it.

It is a dark metallic gray, dubbed “Alloy” by Ford, and the car is often mistaken for a GT. This results in a lot of revs being thrown our way by kids in their own “hot” cars!

Not much color here. Our car has an automatic.

 

Six disc in the dash.

 

Even with the optional Pony package that includes leather seating up front, the interior did not exude a luxurious appearance. The door panels are made up of textured, molded plastic. The dash is just an expanse of black plastic. The design however, is attractive and does resemble the classic dashboard designs of the mid-60s. I have seen different color combinations and simulated aluminum trim used in other Mustangs of this vintage. Most likely these are Deluxe models.  I found the ergonomics of the interior to be very good and have spent many high-mileage days behind the wheel.

Pretty roomy for a Mustang, and they fold for access to the trunk.

 

Cup holders are just holes in the plastic, but they don’t break like fold down types.

 

The interior is a bit noisy since road noise does intrude into the cabin. I found that there wasn’t any sound deadening in the trunk or spare tire well. I haven’t looked inside the doors, but I’ll bet that there isn’t much, if any there. The suspension also transmits noise from the tires on rough pavement, though wind noise is low.

After driving a Cadillac Seville and Chrysler Town and Country, I probably was a bit spoiled. I initially wrote the car off as just being a cheaply built vehicle -Ford indeed knows how to squeeze a nickel out of their builds!

It wouldn’t hurt to add some sound deadening like DynaMat to the cabin and trunk to improve the quietness of the cabin. The original Z-rated Pirelli tires were also much quieter than the cheaper Falkans that I replaced them with.

Over time, I came to appreciate the basic honesty of the car. My F150 is even more Spartan than the Mustang, but I quickly came to appreciate and respect that truck. The Mustang is well built, with great body fit and smooth lustrous paint. I think that these V6 Mustangs are overlooked by many people who would enjoy a responsive, fun to drive, economical, and good looking GT car. You can also avoid any insurance surcharges that you’d get with a V8.

A lot of times our attitude towards a car is based upon our first experiences with it. If it is a pleasant or memorable bonding period, then the car will be remembered in a more positive light. Shortly after I bought the Mustang, I used it to take my son and his friend down to their respective college campuses. We dropped his buddy off at his school south of LA first. Then we continued back to Ventura, where my son was attending college.

This was a trip of over 700 miles; we had left early in the morning, and I was going to make the drive back by myself. It was a beautiful full moon-lit night on US 101, which is my favorite highway. Traffic was light, and I varied my speeds from 70 to over 90 mph. The Mustang handled very securely and the large headlights did a great job of lighting the roadway. The car is very comfortable and relaxing to drive, with plenty of power. This was one of the most enjoyable and memorable night drives that I have ever made.

We had put over 150,000 miles on this car, while it served as one of our family cars from 2007 to 2020. These earlier model V6 cars come with a single exhaust system which is quiet and unobtrusive. Many owners will add an aftermarket dual exhaust system. It’s usually loud and has an unpleasant exhaust note, at least to me. This was also my wife’s everyday car; it helped that it had a Shelby-style window in the C pillar, which eliminates a potential blind spot. The leather on the seats has held up well over time.

We have taken many family trips in this car, with my two teenage kids in the back. However, it works out better as a couple’s machine.

Before we gave it to our daughter, I did a bit of work to keep it in good shape. I replaced all the belts and hoses, changed the fluids, the thermostat and housing, coils, plugs, and wires. I also had the fuel filter and fuel pump replaced preemptively. A year into her ownership, the transmission needed to be rebuilt, as well as having the harmonic damper replaced. It also recently received a new battery. My daughter says that she wants to keep the Mustang, and has no intention of buying a newer car.

After all these years it still looks and runs pretty good, though it’s picked up some dents and dings. Mileage is now over 170,000 miles and it hasn’t given us too much trouble over our long ownership. I told my daughter that if she does decide to trade it in on another car, I get the right of first refusal, and I’ll match whatever the dealer might offer.

I really wouldn’t mind getting it back.