If its DHG, has better suspension/braking bits over a GT, and is 310-315HP, I'm fine w/that. I like the idea that it may be more tuned for road courses over a drag strip (especially since I live about an hour's drive from VIR ).

I just hope there's truth to the rumors about getting the exhaust note as close to the original's (in the movie) as possible.

Plus, the best part (as others have already stated) means chances of ADMs diminish if HP is kept to what is being speculated (fingers crossed).

 

Read my post on the previous page >> #13

 

I read somewhere that the original 390 had 335 horsepower. Can anyone verify this?

 

325 according to this.

 

I would agree. The Bullitt is not a "Shelby" and is not "big horsepower," so ADMs will be a tough sell.

Let's just hope that Ford gets what they DO do right!

 

Huh?

There is no such thing as a 1968 Bullitt Mustang model.

The car in the movie was an aftermarket modified Mustang NOT a factory job. And the movie car(s) had a lot more HP than a standard 390GT as the engines were worked on to try to get the movie Mustangs to keep up with the Charger. Even with the Mods, the movie Charger smoked the Mustang.

 

The Charger's professional driver had a little to do with that.

 

The Mustangs engines, brakes and suspensions were highly modified for the chase by veteran car racer Max Balchowsky. The Dodge Chargers were bought outright from GlendaleDodge and were left unmodified. Though it is widely believed that Steve McQueen, who was a great race car driver, did the bulk of the driving stunt work, the stunt coordinator, Cary Loftin, had famed stuntman and motorcycle racer Bud Ekins do most of the risky stunts in the Mustang.

 

Max did add structural reinforcement to the Chargers front end as they didn't think it wasn't strong enough to handle the flying jumps off the streets of SF during the film.

 

I wasn't saying there was a 68 Bullitt Mustang model. True, the cars for the movie were modified. My point was that in the movie, it was just a green 68 GT with aftermarket wheels (i.e. there was no discussion in the movie about this being a modified car)

 

Uh, Steve Mcqueen drove in professional car races including the 24 hours of LeManns.

In any case Bullitt2597 is absolyutely correct, stunt drivers drove both cars.

As '2597 said, famed race car builder Max Balchowski was responsible for tuning the Mustangs. In an Autoweek article in 2001 when the last Bullitt was introduced Max recounted his efforts to try to get the movie Bullitt Mustangs to run with the Chargers and the lack of success in making them as fast. The sad fact was the modified 390 Mustangs couldn't keep up with the essentually bone stock 440 Chargers used in the movie. Max drove both the Mustangs and the Chargers and recounted how much faster the Chargers were.

BTW I owned a 1967 390 Mustang GT that had a lot of mods, headers, traction bars, Edlebrock ignition, cam, CJ heads, manifold, double pumper 750 Holly etc. It was fast for a Ford, but there were far to many Chevys and Mopars that were faster.

 

I am familiar with Steve McQueen's resume. I also know the Charger was not bone stock. The Mustangs did have drivetrain mods where the Chargers didn't, in an effort to improve on their 50 hp deficit.

 

A guy over on SSPMustang.org who owns a dealership in NH just got back from Detroit and they previewed alot of stuff up to 2010 and he states that the Bullitt is a go in '08 with 325HP.

 

Plus, if you read the column about the movie in that issue of Motor Trend, they were talking about the special edition DVD, with a bunch of neat insightful bits of info. The sound the Mustang made during that chase, wasn't from the car. They dubbed over that with the sound of a GT40 from LeMans on the Mulsanne Straight at WOT!! Very interesting!!

 

I have to agree on this. I never expected them to give the Bullitt more hp than the Shelby GT, Boss or Mach 1. It has mostly been an appearance package, a very nice one usually too. The performance you can add as long as it looks good already. There are plenty of S/C that don't void the warranty now so if it has exclusive looks you have most beat right away. The wheels I would like to see now.

 

I remain reserved about the cosmetics for the moment. Not sure the front will be very interesting, and there is a strong likelihood that Ford will cheap out (again) and throw one of those fake scoops on for good measure. I hope I'm wrong - the car needs vents like the '68 GT390 - but knowing that the bean counters still run everything, I'm betting on the CT/CS faux scoop.

Who offers a supercharger that doesn't automatically void Ford's factory warranty?

 

I know Roush does, and I'll bet that there is a Paxton hookup with ol' Shel. His company would never pass up that sort of hitchen'.

 

This was in Automotive News last week:

Last week Ford announced an $18 billion financing package, most of it secured by assets such as plants, brands and trademarks. And nearly half of Ford's U.S. production workers signed up for buyouts.

The money - a bigger borrowing than many analysts expected - allays near-term concerns of a Ford bankruptcy and buys time.

Ford is in a big cash crunch right now. They are considering selling off Jaguar and Land Rover. So I seriously doubt they are going to spend a lot of money on a low-production Mustang variant. Based on that, and the info that 05stangkc has passed on, I wouldn't expect huge things out of the Bullitt. Maybe some cosmetic upgrades to a GT, a few trinkets thrown in, and a small horsepower and handling upgrade. I don't look for big things to happen until 2009 when the Boss engine comes on board.

Actually, I would prefer that the Bullitt be a minimalist car. With the money I save, I can do the mods I want to do, not the ones Ford shoves down my throat. Give me some Bullitt bling, add DHG paint, black leather, and no frills. I can handle the rest.

 

Is the warranty valid in Canada, too?

I'm guessing, fully installed, the Roush would set us back about $8K or more. Then, of course, you'd have to upgrade the brakes, too. More $$$.

Would make a helluva Bullitt, though, wouldn't it? 450 HP or so.

 

Roush is in Canada also, and yes the 3 year 60,000 warranty
Depending on what the dealer is.. but probably between 7500-8500