20th Jun 2010, 13:18
On customized (even mildly customized) Mustangs it is impossible to look at the car and tell what engine is in the car unless the hoods are up (and they often aren't). The last show I attended featured a gorgeous V-6 Mustang with 19" custom wheels, no badging of any kind, and 2" dual pipes out the back fascia. In talking with the owner, I discovered it was a stock 3.8, and even the dual pipes were fake. It was one of the most popular cars in the show.
19th Jun 2010, 13:15
Muscle car shows are for "muscle cars". Mustang shows are for Mustangs... ALL Mustangs. If all people attending Mustang shows cared about was the engine, touring a dealer's lot would be just as good (and BORING) as looking at a bunch of showroom stock GT's and GT500's parked at a show. I always totally ignore the showroom stocks at shows, simply because you can see dozens of them on the road driving to and from the show. I seek out the cars that owners have modified to stand out from the crowd.
The last Mustang show I attended featured a really beautiful, highly modified 2002 Mustang with fantastic body work and custom paint. It was shown by a local body shop specializing in custom work and special paint jobs. It looked sleek, fast and was definitely a stand-out in the show. The hood was closed, and when I asked the owner what powered it, his reply was "Oh, it's just a stock 3.8. No one cares about the engines." I tend to agree.