Mustangs So Fast They Blow Out Their WIndows
Big power and big drag creates big problems for notchback Fox Mustangs, particularly their windows.
We all know the lightest of the Fox Mustangs is the plain-Jane notchback, which is why it is so popular with drag racers. But, that lightweight baked right into the original 1979 design brings with it body flex. Combine a big power launch with sticky tires, Ford’s advanced lightweight design, and the inherent aerodynamic drag of a notchback body style, and you have a problem that really sucks…
…sucks the rear window right out of the car that is. You could chalk it up to poor attention to detail on the part of this car’s builder, but it happens again. At the same dragstrip. With a second Fox notchback…
This car sounds like a turbo, but he doesn’t launch on the boost, so it is less violent. Still, by the time he gets 3/4 of the way down the strip on a sub-8 second pass, there is a giant sucking sound.
The lesson to be learned here is to add a safety strap across your rear window, from top to bottom, especially before you get down into single-digit ETs. You can watch the whole video above, which also includes several other cars losing their hoods.
And it looks like it can happen to GT hatchbacks, too…