They obviously designed the 2005 Mustang as both a coupe and convertible from the beginning. So why not a Mustang hardtop? I mean a REAL hardtop - no "B" pillar plus four windows that retract.
Someone recently posted a photoshop of one showing how a hardtop roofline would mimic the convertible's. I thought it was sharp.
I have always loved hardtops but the handful left on the market start near $50K. If there was a Mustang hardtop that would have already pushed me off my fence and she'd be in the garage already!
Am I the only person left who wants an affordable new hardtop, preferably a cool car like a Mustang? (I hope the upcoming G6 coupe isn't a hardtop, I may have to buy one...)

 

I think you mean notchback, vs fastback.....

OR are you reffering to a removable hardtop?

 

If you'd seen the Photoshops done here of how a traditional coupe body would've looked on a 2005 Mustang, you'd know why Ford didn't do it.

 

To clarify - yes, I mean a Mustang notchback. There were attractive Mustang notchbacks all the way up until now, although the last true hardtop was in 1973. TampaBear67 posted a photoshop on Dec. 16th showing a steel roof on a convertible, showed promise if you ask me...

 

Well, I guess I can see why they haven't built a real hardtop in years...

 

Ford did 150 Cobra verts with removable hardtops in 1995. It's a shame they stopped after that, and amazing no aftermarket company has jumped on it either.

 

Wanna post what the 05 hardtop would look like, I haven't seen the chops yet.

 

me either

 

Well I did a Couple Very Rough Hard Top/Notch Back Pic's this was My Favorite.

 

I like it.

 

It began in 1994, when they compromised ... instead of carring on with a Hatchback and a Coupe they blended the 2 styles eliminating the Hatch.

 

Why would you want a sporty car that looked like that though?

I mean lets face the reality, they got ugly in 1969 and before that eveyone wanted the fastbacks anyway.

Heck the 71-73 notches where cars that only a mother could love, not that the fastbacks were all that much more beautifull either


Don't waste your time flaming me, I used to own a 71 USS Mustang fastback battlecruser, and that walk from one side of the car to the other seemed to take hours

Don't let me get started on the pinto mustangs

 

Mandatory Shoulder-type Seat Belts are what probably killed the open 4-window "Hardtop" type body style in the mid-70's and probably had something to do with the Convertible disapearing around the same time.

A Hardtop body-style today would require the compromised seat belt retractor arangement that the convertibles use. Don't know if this is a compromise in safety, but without the upper swivel anchor like on a coupe, front seat passengers must undue their seat belt to let rear passengers in & out of car. The other option would be to put the retractor mechanism in the seat back, as some auto manufacturers do.

The other issue with the Hardtop design is the seal between the front & back glass. On my '69 Mustang Hardtop, this seal was worthless even with new rubber. A switch to the '70 design helped (seal much beefier and moved from door glass to quarter glass), but still not perfect. Ford has much improved this area over the years (I.E. '94-04 Mustang Convertibles), but I am sure it is still more problematic than the coupe side window arrangement.

 

I never particularly liked the notchback style on the Stang, too sedanish for my tastes.

However, for a new Mustang-based Cougar....maybe Ford's saving that style for Mercury (dream, dream)???

 

I'm not an engineer, but my guess is cost/structural integrity/rollover protection. An pillarless hardtop is little more than a covertible from that standpoint. A convertible takes more bracing than a pillared sedan or coupe to prevent body flex and this adds to cost and reduces rollover safety.

 

'05 notchback.....



if there was a smiley face with uncontrollable diarrhea, I'd use that one too

 

I don't think that the window seals had anything to do with it really.

My 69 Fastback stinks too, not that I mind as its only a problem when I wash the car, it doesn't get wet otherwise

 

ewww that looks ugly as heck..reminds me of a crown vic body...i do like the vics alot...but not when its part mustang lol