Restomods and vehicle dynamics

[Jlaa]

I ran across this article about a guy doing very well done 1960s Mustang restomods. The guy is the former head of Ford SVT.

I like his thoughts about manufacturability, repeatability, and consistency in small scale volume production. Mustangs like Singers for 1/4 the price.

As well, his comments on vehicle dynamics needing to be as good as early 90s and above I think speaks to why we are so enamored of our 1990s W124s as well.

https://www.hotrod.com/reviews/revology-cars-1968-ford-mustang-gt-cobra-jet-restomod

 

[gsxr]

Great story. I love this part:

"I've always loved classic cars. My first car was a '65 Mustang fastback. I sold it when I went to college. I learned a lot about working on cars from that car because everything was wrong with it. Like, literally the first time I drove it, it caught on fire. ​

​

Ten years later, I was working, I had some money, I thought I would really like to get another old Mustang. It was a lot of fun. So, I bought a '66 Mustang, this time a convertible. I was kind of shocked at how poorly it drove. What I realized was, the Mustang hadn't changed, but I had changed."​

And yes, driving dynamics are why we are enamored with the 124. MB was a decade or more ahead of its time when they designed this in the early 80's. Moving up to a 20-teens or 2020's vehicle mostly just adds more LCD displays, eliminates buttons, while not necessarily driving much better. (Lots more horsepowers are more easily available today, though - but those don't come cheap.)

 

[Bogeyman]

(Lots more horsepowers are more easily available today, though - but those don't come cheap.)

or last long...

 

[ArauzMotoring]

I’ve just always had a love for cars growing up.

As a kid, I devoured car magazines—Car and Driver, Road & Track—and especially in my teenage years, I was heavily influenced by my brother-in-law, who had a deep love for MkIII and MkIV Toyota Supras. I started off reading Super Street, Sport Compact Car, Honda Tuning, and Modified Magazine, and that’s where the obsession really took root.

After high school, I got my first car—a Mazda Miata—and dove right into learning how to service and modify it. That’s when I really started to understand that cutting corners often means spending twice as much in the long run.

But once life got busy with work and responsibilities, I gradually stopped caring about new cars. It felt like manufacturers had stopped caring too—about quality, about consistency. Model names changed constantly, and not many of the newer cars held my attention.

I still remember when my 500E was first dropped off by the tow truck, dusty and rough from the trip out of California. At first, I thought I’d made a mistake. But after cleaning it up and finally getting to experience it properly, I knew I’d made the right call. It’s a truly special car—refined, low NVH, with a tactile, connected driving feel that modern cars just can’t replicate. And without today’s bloated safety design, like the massive A-pillars, it feels so much more alive.

When everything is working right, it’s incredibly rewarding. And even though my family still wonders why I’m drawn to something this old and needy—I know exactly why.