Pumpkin carving is one thing, but corner carving in a pumpkin is a whole other story.
By: Scott Jackson
September 2005

This was the first time I’ve had the pleasure to get behind the wheel of a 2004 Ford Mustang Mach 1. Owner of the car is a very gracious Evil_Capri on TheMustangSource.com. Normally a mustang owner isn’t up to handing over the keys to his baby, especially when it has barely cracked 10,000 miles, but for some reason Jason thought I knew what I was doing.

Looking over the car externally, it seems menacing while sitting on 18 inch black chrome Mach 1 wheels, with a lowered stance provided by Vogtland springs. As the car sits there idling, I notice the burble from the Borla exhaust and the slight movement of the shaker hood. Ford went back to the Mustangs roots and brought the famous shaker hood scoop back for this model. Some people question the level of its functionality, but whether it works or not as an air intake, the movement of the piece functions quite well to show the muscle car DNA that flows through this ride.

Now, drop into the driver’s seat and expect more nostalgic reflections from Ford. Retro style gauges, classic looking seats, shifter ring and a metal shift **** all feel like I am behind the wheel of a 1970 Boss 302, but there is no mistaking that this is a very modern version of the best parts of the ‘70s. The seats are in fact very comfortable and supportive. Plus the addition of a 6-disc in-dash CD changer with the Mach460 sound system that runs circles around an old Philco.

Now for the driving part.

Starting off, the RPM’s stay low as I cruise along at the speed limit, making for a very comfortable ride. Just tapping on the throttle gives a nice little jerk letting you know that from 1500 RPM and beyond, the car is not lacking in the torque department. Ford did their home work with the mach1’s tumble port heads and cam profiles, producing a car that performs well from idle to redline, and especially in the mid-range. They get an A+ on this assignment.

Once we get to our preferred course, starting out at the foot of a nice hill and going through the next 5 miles of undulating curves (some being completely blind), Jason is somewhat nervous about what is about to take place. The car wants to power through anything I put it up against. I can tell it is a tad soft when it comes to its stock strut/shock combination, although they are Tokico Premiums branded for Ford. Powering through 2nd gear in a curve can quickly bring the back end around, something to be careful of. With the stock 3.55 gearing, on a low speed road I can take most of the turns in 2nd, shifting to 3rd for the straights. Shorter gears would make 3rd more useable in this particular situation, but it is no less exhilarating! The car tracks well through the turns with some, but not overwhelming body roll. It does dive to the front some when you hit the brakes hard, but again it is not excessive. The biggest thing this car has in its favor is the power on tap to be at almost any RPM, then go full throttle as it claws its way through a turn.

Straight line acceleration is where this car really shines. Coming out of a turn and flooring it through 3rd and into 4th, you can get to 80mph in a heartbeat. It does not want to wander the least little bit on the road when traveling at a high rate of speed. Luckily Ford did include the 13” dual piston brake system on the front, so slowing this bullet down before the next turn is a lot easier to do than in your mom’s Caravan, and more fun as well. Jason so far has bested a 13.6@102 MPH on the 18 inch street tires at his local drag strip back home in Ohio.

Overall, the performance you get from this car in stock form is phenomenal. Modify it with a few key suspension and power components, and you have an amazing street car that can do whatever you ask it to. A road trip, a drag strip, kicking it through some corners, or whatever you wish, the Ford Mach1 is up to the challenge.

Thanks for the experience Jason.