Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 69

My First Car Page 3G Auto News Page 3G Classified ads Pages 2-8G Other Views Page 2G Car Clinic Page 2G HArK hot' Hi Detroit 4firee Vtcoo Arresting advice for car consumers in the Motor City Antibck brakes bring coofidence on the road The 1994 Ford Mustang borrows heavily from the original Mustang, below, with galloping pony grille emblem. The fifth-generation pony car goes on sale today in Thursday, Dec. 9, 1993 JOHN COLUERDetroit Free Press side scoops, three-bar tail lamps and dealer showrooms. should have bombed but was a runaway hit. and is on display at Greenfield Village.

Father of the Mustang. Iacocca wound up on the covers of Time and Newsweek, space that traditionally had been reserved for national figures. Decades later, Ford officials would argue that Iacocca should have been named stepfather of the car. His main role was in neither the car's design nor development. Rather, Iacocca's job was to convince Henry Ford II, holder of the purse strings, to OK funds for the car's production.

While parentage always has been a matter of debate, the public didn't care who sired the machine. A million copies were sold within two years. By comparison, it took Chevy 30 years to sell its millionth Corvette. Those first Mustangs started at $2,368, or just about $1 a pound. The 1964 Vi Mustang was built on a 108-inch wheelbase, was 181.6 inches long and weighed just under 2,500 pounds.

Three body styles were offered convertible, hardtop and fastback. By comparison, the 1994 is built on a 101.3-inch wheelbase, is 181.5 inches long and tips the scales at 3,000 to 3,400 pounds depending on model base, GT coupe or convertible. The '64V2 was powered by a 170-cubic-inch, 101-horsepower six-cylinder engine teamed with a floor-mounted three-speed manual transmission. A 164-horsepower, 260-cubic-inch, two-barrel V8 and a 271-horsepower, 289-cubic-inch four-barrel V8 were optional for even more performance. Youth wanted bucket seats, floor-mounted stick shift and high-performance engines and Ford gave them all of those in Mustang.

Less than 10 percent of the cars sold at or near the base price. Most buyers brought the typical out-the- see Mustang, Page 3G The first Mustang, the 1964'2 model, This is the very first one off the line, 30 years on the trail with the pony car The first time I tested a car with an antilock brake system (ABS), I was a little apprehensive. "What if this ABS thing doesn't I wondered. But then I figured, "Oh, well. It's not my car, and the only thing I can hit are those orange cones marking the course." Well, the ABS not only worked, bringing me to a straight, safe stop, but the exercise also was so much fun that I and others in my group went through the course again and again, experiencing how ABS gives you control over the car while braking in a straight line or while making a turn.

What ABS does The heart of ABS is computer-controlled sensors on the wheels that detect slippage during braking. The system then automatically "pumps" that brake many times a second to prevent the wheels from locking up. This action is similar to what experienced drivers do by pumping brakes rapidly. But ABS not only can do this much faster; it applies the right amount of braking action to each wheel, which allows you to stop quicker on most surfaces. More importantly, you maintain steering control, and can either keep the vehicle traveling in a straight line or turn to avoid hitting another car or other obstacle.

What to expect from ABS When ABS comes into play, it can be disconcerting if you don't know what to expect. First, expect "feedback" a pulsation of the brake pedal that lets you know the ABS has been activated. In some systems, this pulsation is quite noticeable almost jarring; in others, it's subtle or virtually undetectable. The trend is to the subtle side. Manufacturers found that drivers didn't like the harsh vibration and, indeed, took their foot off the pedal because they thought something was wrong.

How much do replacement parts cost door crumpled? Consider this for a 'S3 Ford Taurus sedan. Retail price: Ah If you tried to rebuild a Taurus by purchasing all of its original equipment parts THE PRICE OF SOME TYPICAL PARTS: 1 in steering column a and wheel Back glass, seal and molding Four alloy wheels with caps, locks, nuts 4 Exhaust system Source: The Alliance of American Insurers Ann Arnott let the or A mAt New model puts the kick back into the famous muscle car Mt took Ford Motor Co. 15 years to create a new Mustang, but now the wait is over: The 1994 Mustang goes on sale today in dealer showrooms. This is the fifth-generation pony car, and Mustang lovers, who were involved closely in its design, say it comes closest to the original. Ford borrowed heavily from the 1964 Mustang to design the retro look of today's version.

Its side scoops, three-bar tail lamps and famous galloping pony grille emblem give it a distinctive look that invokes the same spirit that captured a generation. Ford hopes to sell 100,000 of the muscle cars in the 1994 model year, and 145,000 a year after that. At $13,365, the base Mustang is about $500 less than its archrival, the Chevrolet Camaro. It comes with two air bags, power four-wheel disc brakes, AMFM stereo, power steering and a power driver's seat as standard equipment. But in the popular convertible body style, the V6 Mustang is $20,160 about $1,400 more expensive than the V6 Camaro convertible.

Mustang's base engine has been upgraded from a 2.3-liter four-cylinder to a 3.8-liter V6, producing 145 horsepower. GT models are equipped with the familiar 5.0-liter V8, which delivers 215 horsepower. Next year, a Cobra version debuts with a high-output 5.0-liter V8 that produces 240 horsepower. The new models can be fitted with a five-speed manual transmission or an electronic four-speed automatic. In addition to the bigger engine, the GT gets larger 16-inch cast-aluminum wheels with all-season performance radial tires, as well as a rear spoiler, fog lamps, sport bucket seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

Suspension and steering have been upgraded from the previous generation, and antilock brakes cost extra. Critics generally have given high marks to the Mustang, saying it's much more refined than the previous version and can compete with the recently redesigned Camaro. But in a head-to-head comparison, this month's Car and Driver magazine gives the edge to the Camaro. "Against a commendably smooth and refined new Mustang, the Camaro more than holds its own. In fact, it kicks ponytail.

In nearly every performance measurement we take, the Camaro Z28 runs all over the Mustang GT," wrote Car and Driver Joann Muller Detroit Free Press That brings up the second difference in using ABS: Forget about pumping the brakes. Instead, you must apply the brakes firmly (but you needn't and don't up until the car is stopped or the emergency has passed. "Test driving" your ABS It's important to be comfortable with how ABS on your car reacts and before you need it fa a panic situation. My advice: Find a deserted, open parking lot that's wet icy and practice braking firmly at various speeds. Try steering around an imaginary obstacle while you apply the brakes.

And find a road where you can practice braking with one or more wheels off the pavement. These exercises will not only make you a more confident driver, but they're also fun! Ann Arnott has written about consumer issues for more than 20 years. She's now specializing in autos and driving as a contributing editor for Woman 's Day magazine. Write her co the Detroit Free Press, PO Box 2022, Detroit 48231. when a fender gets dented or a Detroit Free Press i :) 1 I i Am I By Jim Mateja Chicago Tribune Youth was properly Kmf served in 1964.

First the Beatles arrived in the United Stales. Then, two months later, after folks had caught their breath, Ford brought the Mustang on stage. That first Mustang, introduced at the New York World's Fair on April 17, 1964, as a 1964 Vi model, should have bombed. It was, after all, no more than a compact Ford Falcon hurriedly converted to a sports coupe and convertible to woo the millions of teenaged baby boomers who were just beginning to drive. But the Mustang's rear-wheel-drive chassis and high-performance, V8 engines came to define the American muscle car in the eyes of many enthusiasts.

The car's instant and enduring popularity through 30 years and four different designs is why there's been so much excitement about the fifth generation of Mustangs that goes on sale today. The day the first Mustang went on sale in 1964, dealers took orders for 22,000. Ford had boldly forecast sales of 100,000 Mustangs in its first year, but that mark was topped in four months. By the end of 1964, in a little more than eight months, Ford sold 263,434 Mustangs. In its first 12 months on the market, 418,000 were sold.

Ford had to expand output to three plants to meet demand. In calendar year 1965, Mustang sold 518,252 units and, in 1966, reached its peak of 607,568. Added competition held sales to 472,121 in 1967, and by 1968 sales had come down to 317,404 units. The car catapulted little-known Ford executive Lee Iacocca into national prominence when the media dubbed him.