From: David Lyons Newsgroups: rec.autos.makers.ford.mustang Subject: rec.autos.makers.ford.mustang FAQ Date: Mon, 02 Mar 1998 12:36:26 -0500 The rec.autos.makers.ford.mustang FAQ TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Purpose of this FAQ 2. Welcome to rec.autos.makers.ford.mustang 3. Netiquette 4. Structure 5. Mustang History 6. Glossary 7. Resources 1. Purpose This the the "official" (because it's the only one) rec.autos.makers.ford.mustang USENET newsgroup FAQ. In this document you will find: 1) guidelines for participation in the newsgroup, 2) general and technical information relating to mustangs, 3) mustang-related resources. 2. Welcome to rec.autos.makers.ford.mustang This is a place where Mustang owners come to seek and give information about Mustangs, as well as a little bullshitting. Some of the regulars have been around here for a while and usually provide useful answers to questions. You will also find an occasional Mustang hater who will troll the newsgroup with Mustang & V8-bashing, probably the result of once or more of the following: 1) They consistently getting beat by Mustangs in street races, and since it's easier to bash them in cyberspace than to beat them in real life, they come here. 2) They are insecure/unsure about themselves, so to compensate for some other "shortcoming" in their lives, they pass themselves off as a big shot in cyberspace, but in reality, they're losers. 3) A major character flaw or just plain hasn't grown up yet. Most of the good patrons who regularly frequent this newsgroup are not F-body haters, import haters, or Brand X haters. They just "prefer" their Mustangs over anything else. And although this newgroup is not dedicated to any particular generation, it seems most of the regulars here are 3rd & 4th guys. So if you're new to the newsgroup and plan on sticking around for a while, why not post an introduction so everybody can get to know you? Now, come on in and join the fun! 3. Netiquette Thankfully, the First Amendment is still in effect on this newsgroup, but that will only last until the governemnt starts regulating it. Until then, remember that with freedom comes responsibility. If you're a newbie to USENET, then here are some basic guidelines: *Please do not write in ALL CAPS. It is considered shouting and rude, and people think you're a bonehead *When replying to a post, be sure to quote relevant parts so other readers will know what you're talking about *Delete irrelevant parts of a post you're replying to to keep it readable and compact *You can emphasize words by putting *asterisks* around then. This is equivalent to *boldface* *Read followups in a particular thread before posting your own to avoid repitition *Unless specifically asked for, do not send email to the author of a post you're responding to *If an unrelated debate gets cross-posted to rec.autos.makers.ford.mustang and you reply to it asking for rec.autos.makers.ford.mustang to be trimmed from the list, be sure to trim it yourself first *Posting binaries ticks off some people and they'll give you some BS about "wasting bandwidth", so don't make a habit of it *There's more to life than how fast your car will go *You do not have the quickest car on the street *You are not *the* shit, relax Off-Topic Posts: Occasionally a thread will start and take a few twists and turns and mutate into a discussion having nothing to do with Mustangs. This isn't neccissarily "good" netiquette, but neither is flaming the posters for their off-topic discussion. It happens. Just ride it out and it'll eventually dissappear. Remember, this newsgroup is about Mustangs -- that means Mustang-related discussion is *primary*, not exclusive. So don't get your panties in a wad if you see an off-topic post. Cross-Posts: If this newsgroup is involved in an off-topic cross-posted thread, and you respond to it asking them to trim out the inappropriate newsgroups, make sure you do one thing before you hit the "send" botton: remove rec.autos.makers.ford.mustang from the newsgroups list! 4. Structure This FAQ is a multi-part FAQ, broken into separate files for each generation, plus a separate file for generic info pertaining to all generations. 5. Mustang History Generations The Mustang is currently divided into 4 generations, depending on their model year. These are as follows: 1st Generation: 1964½ to 1973 2nd Generation: 1974 to 1978 3rd Generation: 1979 to 1993 4th Generation: 1994 to current year Ford formally introduced the Mustang to the public on April 17, 1964 at the New York World's Fair. It was available as a coupe or convertible. Every model had bucket seats, vinyl trim, wheel covers and carpeting as standard features. But there were numerous options to choose from. Mustangs produced during March 9, 1964 and ended August 17, 1964 were 1964½ models. However, regarding the 1964½ to 1965 model-year changeover, MrFomoco writes: The August changeover date is hogwash. While there are several reliable methods for determining early vs late 1965 production, that's not one of them. Best to look for the production number, as each plant changed their series to a new starting point for the switch. Also, all 1965 engines used alternators, rather than the generators used in early cars. 6. Glossary 7. Resources A. Websites Mustang Circuit Homepage http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/4644/ The Mustang WebSite http://www.isit.com/mustang/ B. Newsgroups this one - rec.autos.makers.ford.mustang