Affordable Ford Muscle Cars - Fast For Under 10K

SN-95 Mustang
OK, you knew an SN-95 Mustang was going to be part of this list, but instead of the obvious Fox-body models ('79 to '93), we are going to recommend building an early SN-95 car, specifically one of the '96 to '98 models with the 4.6L engine. When introduced, that curvy sheetmetal was polarizing, even repulsive in the eyes of a few of us here. However, that quality can be advantageous now to buyers looking for a newer car to build. Because they are less desirable than the later New Edge SN-95s ('99 to '04), they sell for less. The other piece of good news is that this body style just needs a couple of things to completely transform the car from ugly duckling to badass street machine: 1) lowering the springs, and 2) installing the widest wheel and tire combination you can fit in the wheelwells.

Just those two changes get you 70 percent of the way to an awesome car. Though we must admit that the more aggressive-looking, foglight-equipped Cobra front bumper helps a lot, too. If yours is powered by a SOHC 4.6, use your remaining cash to top it with Trick Flow's top-end kit. That $2,800 investment will net you at least 100 more horsepower at the wheels. Those heads love boost, by the way.

If you can afford to spend a little more initially, buy a Cobra. Those came from the factory with a forged-crank, 32-valve 4.6 that made an easy 305 hp. Do some intake and exhaust tweaks, or scour eBay for an Eaton supercharger from an '03 to '04 Cobra.

If suspension and handling are your thing, the aftermarket has you covered. In fact, you could probably build an entire SN-95 Mustang solely with parts from the performance aftermarket. Chassis parts, suspension, big brakes, road race, drag race, whatever—it's almost too easy.

We challenge even the most fervent Ford hater to find fault with the looks of Eddie Zapata's '98 Mustang. He bought it for just $1,700 and built it with used parts from other people's projects. His big score was the 32-valve 4.6 from an '03 Mach 1 that now sits under his hood. Conveniently, the 2V 4.6 engine harness needed only minor reworking to fit the 4V engine. This Mustang is his daily driver and obviously his autocross and track-day warrior as well. Eddie works for Ricardo Topete at GTR High Performance in Rancho Cucamonga, California, so he has an inside track to lots of used parts but has paid for everything himself. So far, he's sunk a grand total of $8,445 in the whole build.

Tech Notes
Who: Eddie Zapata
'98 Mustang GT: $1,700

LTD/Fairmont
We're surprised we don't see more people building these cars. You can buy them for next to nothing, and most of the Fox-body Mustang performance parts will bolt on. Scott Chamberlain's '85 LTD LX is a perfect example of what we'd do to this body style if we had one. Scott's car has the drivetrain of a '93 Mustang Cobra—a fuel-injected 5.0L engine, T5 transmission, and a Traction-Lok–equipped 8.8 rear axle. He also did the five-lug conversion, popular among the 5.0 Mustang guys, which opens the door to wheel options. Next, Scott upgraded to SN-95 Mustang front control arms, Ford Racing upper rear trailing arms, and a host of Maximum Motorsports parts: front coilers, caster/camber plates, strut tower brace, Panhard bar, and adjustable lower rear trailing arms. Other cool tricks include a quick-ratio steering rack from an '04 Mustang Cobra, 13-inch front rotors from a '94 Cobra, Lincoln Mark VII rear discs, a Town Car master cylinder, and taillights from a Mercury Marquis. The '05 Mustang GT wheels look like they were made for the car.

"I'm from Australia, where hot sedans are popular. This is my homage." His homage is also a street-legal, California BAR-approved engine swap car that always passes its biannual tailpipe tests. At just under 3,300 pounds, it is only slightly heavier than a Fox Mustang, so this LTD's performance is close to a similarly built Mustang. Scott is a regular participant at NASA track days and local autocrosses.

"This is the fifth Fox LTD I've owned —I am sick." Scott Chamberlain.

Tech Notes
Who: Scott Chamberlain
'85 LTD LX: $5,000 (Cobra 5.0 engine and trans included)

Lincoln Mark VIII
Yes, you read that right. We're telling you to build a Lincoln. Hear us out. The '93 to '98 Mark VIIIs were a technological tour-de-force. With a 285hp DOHC 4.6 engine, rear drive, and independent rear suspension, they were ahead of their time in the American personal luxury car market. Clearly, Lincoln was targeting Mercedes and BMW buyers rather than those considering a Cadillac, who had, by then, switched nearly their entire model lineup to front- wheel drive.

While cooking up the idea for this article, we did some shopping online. According to Kelley Blue Book, about the best a Mark VIII could hope to sell for today would be about $4,200. That represents a grim depreciation rate to an original owner, considering these models sold for upwards of $40,000 when new. But that is great for us crafty car builders today.

We also found a surprising amount of performance parts available for the Mark (check out SuperCoupe Performance.com). Bill Evanoff says his core buyers are Thunderbird and Cougar owners, but he's moved enough Mark VIII parts in the 12 years he's owned the company that it is still worth his while to stock them. He sells headers, performance ECM calibration chips, MAF sensors, and hard-to-find parts like suspension bushings and new upholstery. For all these models—the Mark, the Thunderbird, and the Cougar—Evanoff recommends 3.73:1 or 4.10:1 gears, a 3,000-stall converter, and cold-air intakes and exhaust upgrades.

If you're not on a Lincoln budget, buy a Thunderbird or Cougar, either the '83 to '88 Fox body–based cars or the '89 to '97 cars built on the MN12 chassis, the basis for the Mark VIII's FM10 chassis. The price of entry is lower, but the potential is nearly the same. Throw in a manual trans, lower it on wide tires, and channel Bill Elliot as you tear up freeway ramps.

Tech Notes
The Lincoln you should build: $7,526

Prices quoted from SuperCoupePerformance.com

Fast Mopar
It would be tougher to build a Chrysler product for less than $10K. We're not biased, it's just a fact. For whatever reason, sellers ask more money for a Dodge or Plymouth, and the parts are more expensive. Still, creative types can still get their Mopar fix without going broke.