MUSTANG SVO - The Machine Speaks for Itself
Fellow SVO Owner or Enthusiast,
The critics have spoken…
Austin Craig: "Congratulations on a superb publication! One that is and will be the definitive study of the SVO Mustang. I have enjoyed reading it. I know you have a lot of blood, sweat and extremely detailed hard work in the publication. Those of us who had the privilege to work with the talented folks at SVO on the program, as well as SVO owners and intenders salute you for a splendid work. Your publication should be in every Mustang enthusiast's library. Congratulations again on a well thought-out and executed publication."
[email protected]
Brian Chomicz: "Finally, a book that covers the COMPLETE Mustang SVO from concept to production."
[email protected]
Mike Fleming: "This book is an excellent read… It details the trials and tribulations of a small, dedicated group of people working inside Ford Motor Company that actually managed to get a limited-production car into dealerships…For anyone yearning to know where the Mustang SVO came from, and how it came about, this book is a must."
[email protected]
Joe Greene: "SVO ENTHUSIAST - here is what we have ALL been waiting for. This book is packed full of facts, details and descriptive developments of the Mustang SVO. It's detailed and is a must for every SVO owner and prospective owner."
[email protected]
Etienne Gregoire: "Just as I thought I knew the SVOs really well, I sure learned a lot more while reading this book."
[email protected]
You are quite welcome to follow up with any of these individuals for further commentary.
David
Fellow SVO Owner or Enthusiast,
Welcome to this section of the club's web site. This section includes excerpts taken directly out of the book that will detail the unique and interesting history of the Mustang SVO. I have included these excerpts in the hopes of drumming up interest prior to the actual publication date of this book. So please advise other enthusiasts to surf over and have a look at the Mustang SVO story. If you want, surf over to the Book Order Form page and fill out an "expression of interest" form. Please return it to me. I will contact you once a publication date is confirmed.
Also, I have included some personal thoughts on the Mustang SVO and of the engineers who labored for some 2-1/2 years over the creation of our pride and joy. Please take a few moments to read through.
Personally for me, as long as the information can get out there to you, the SVO enthusiast, I will have fulfilled my obligation to the engineers of this program and my goal of documenting in detail the unique and interesting history of the Mustang SVO. What will be indelibly etched in my mind, probably till the day I die, are the interviews I did with the engineers of this program. Their collective passion for the program, the product and their desire to share their thoughts relative to the Mustang SVO will never be forgotten. The stuff these guys went through to ensure that the Mustang SVO saw the light of day would have killed lesser folks. Each of these individuals has a story that defines their time with Special Vehicle Operations. This group of individuals cleared the path for other specialty groups within Ford to make their mark. Plain and simple, this is something that will probably never be admitted to by people within Ford.
Take Bob Stelmasczcak for instance, I still remember him talking about the time that he was in a prototype SVO somewhere on one of the Dearborn area freeways. A 300 ZX happened to pass him; the driver of the ZX was totally oblivious to what kind of car he was passing. Had it been me, I would have noticed. In any event, I remember Bob telling me that at that moment he had said to himself that that guy could be driving an SVO instead of a ZX. The reason I tell you this story is because that was Bob's thought process during this whole program. He was always putting himself in the "driver's seat" pretending he was a customer that was going to buy this car when it got out on the street. That was his focus, everything he did was for the customer, he was (is) an absolutely amazing individual, as were all of the engineers.
Take Lou Talamonti and Bob Stone for instance, these engineers had to fight Ford - Body group every step of the way. It was absolutely amazing that they even got their stuff out: the headlamps, taillamps, exterior trim and marker lights. Everything was an absolute battle. They were physically removed and verbally advised to vacate the offices of the above group. I remember them telling me that they would go in after hours (usually just after the offices closed - 5 o'clock in the afternoon) to see their friends so they could get things done. You cannot do a program that way! It does not make sense! But that is what this group was facing most every step of the way. They did what they had to do to get things done, pure and simple.
Take Don Hayward, he was present when Borg-Warner had a difference of opinion with SVO and Hurst for the shifter rod mechanism. Borg-Warner wanted to utilize their own in-house supplier (Midway); Hayward and Negstad would have none of it. They were not satisfied with the performance and feel of the Midway unit. They wanted to use Hurst, and that was it. It got verbal and it got to a point where Hayward and Negstad flew down to the Borg-Warner headquarters for a tete-a-tete. They flew down there in a Hurst-supplied plane. These two individuals did their homework and uncovered test data that Borg-Warner did that indicated that their in-house supplier's product did not make the grade. Once the meeting of these groups started, Don Hayward threw down on the table the test data and asked Borg-Warner about it. After that, they agreed to go with the competition's mechanisms. This is why your Mustang SVO rides so good, steers so good and shifts gears so easily- instances such as these, when extrapolated over the whole program, make the car.
I could go on and on about stories that defined the car; however, once you get to read about the Mustang SVO, you will get to understand and appreciate the car, and why it ended up the way it did. Hopefully this will bring it up a notch or two on the collectibility scale.
As mentioned in previous communiqués to you, this will be my lasting contribution to the Mustang, and specifically the SVO hobby. I do know that, after having sat down with the engineers, I have a really good understanding and appreciation of the vehicle. There are very few parts on that car that I do not know the story behind. If I can educate owners and enthusiasts as to the DNA of a Mustang SVO, then I will have accomplished my goal.
I have included sections from Chapter 9 and Appendix B.
Thank you,
David LaRocque
Copyright 2003, David W. LaRocque, not to be copied, electronically or otherwise.
Fellow SVO Owner or Enthusiast,
The critics have spoken…
Austin Craig: "Congratulations on a superb publication! One that is and will be the definitive study of the SVO Mustang. I have enjoyed reading it. I know you have a lot of blood, sweat and extremely detailed hard work in the publication. Those of us who had the privilege to work with the talented folks at SVO on the program, as well as SVO owners and intenders salute you for a splendid work. Your publication should be in every Mustang enthusiast's library. Congratulations again on a well thought-out and executed publication."
[email protected]
Brian Chomicz: "Finally, a book that covers the COMPLETE Mustang SVO from concept to production."
[email protected]
Mike Fleming: "This book is an excellent read… It details the trials and tribulations of a small, dedicated group of people working inside Ford Motor Company that actually managed to get a limited-production car into dealerships…For anyone yearning to know where the Mustang SVO came from, and how it came about, this book is a must."
[email protected]
Joe Greene: "SVO ENTHUSIAST - here is what we have ALL been waiting for. This book is packed full of facts, details and descriptive developments of the Mustang SVO. It's detailed and is a must for every SVO owner and prospective owner."
[email protected]
Etienne Gregoire: "Just as I thought I knew the SVOs really well, I sure learned a lot more while reading this book."
[email protected]
You are quite welcome to follow up with any of these individuals for further commentary.
David
Fellow SVO Owner or Enthusiast,
Welcome to this section of the club's web site. This section includes excerpts taken directly out of the book that will detail the unique and interesting history of the Mustang SVO. I have included these excerpts in the hopes of drumming up interest prior to the actual publication date of this book. So please advise other enthusiasts to surf over and have a look at the Mustang SVO story. If you want, surf over to the Book Order Form page and fill out an "expression of interest" form. Please return it to me. I will contact you once a publication date is confirmed.
Also, I have included some personal thoughts on the Mustang SVO and of the engineers who labored for some 2-1/2 years over the creation of our pride and joy. Please take a few moments to read through.
Personally for me, as long as the information can get out there to you, the SVO enthusiast, I will have fulfilled my obligation to the engineers of this program and my goal of documenting in detail the unique and interesting history of the Mustang SVO. What will be indelibly etched in my mind, probably till the day I die, are the interviews I did with the engineers of this program. Their collective passion for the program, the product and their desire to share their thoughts relative to the Mustang SVO will never be forgotten. The stuff these guys went through to ensure that the Mustang SVO saw the light of day would have killed lesser folks. Each of these individuals has a story that defines their time with Special Vehicle Operations. This group of individuals cleared the path for other specialty groups within Ford to make their mark. Plain and simple, this is something that will probably never be admitted to by people within Ford.
Take Bob Stelmasczcak for instance, I still remember him talking about the time that he was in a prototype SVO somewhere on one of the Dearborn area freeways. A 300 ZX happened to pass him; the driver of the ZX was totally oblivious to what kind of car he was passing. Had it been me, I would have noticed. In any event, I remember Bob telling me that at that moment he had said to himself that that guy could be driving an SVO instead of a ZX. The reason I tell you this story is because that was Bob's thought process during this whole program. He was always putting himself in the "driver's seat" pretending he was a customer that was going to buy this car when it got out on the street. That was his focus, everything he did was for the customer, he was (is) an absolutely amazing individual, as were all of the engineers.
Take Lou Talamonti and Bob Stone for instance, these engineers had to fight Ford - Body group every step of the way. It was absolutely amazing that they even got their stuff out: the headlamps, taillamps, exterior trim and marker lights. Everything was an absolute battle. They were physically removed and verbally advised to vacate the offices of the above group. I remember them telling me that they would go in after hours (usually just after the offices closed - 5 o'clock in the afternoon) to see their friends so they could get things done. You cannot do a program that way! It does not make sense! But that is what this group was facing most every step of the way. They did what they had to do to get things done, pure and simple.
Take Don Hayward, he was present when Borg-Warner had a difference of opinion with SVO and Hurst for the shifter rod mechanism. Borg-Warner wanted to utilize their own in-house supplier (Midway); Hayward and Negstad would have none of it. They were not satisfied with the performance and feel of the Midway unit. They wanted to use Hurst, and that was it. It got verbal and it got to a point where Hayward and Negstad flew down to the Borg-Warner headquarters for a tete-a-tete. They flew down there in a Hurst-supplied plane. These two individuals did their homework and uncovered test data that Borg-Warner did that indicated that their in-house supplier's product did not make the grade. Once the meeting of these groups started, Don Hayward threw down on the table the test data and asked Borg-Warner about it. After that, they agreed to go with the competition's mechanisms. This is why your Mustang SVO rides so good, steers so good and shifts gears so easily- instances such as these, when extrapolated over the whole program, make the car.
I could go on and on about stories that defined the car; however, once you get to read about the Mustang SVO, you will get to understand and appreciate the car, and why it ended up the way it did. Hopefully this will bring it up a notch or two on the collectibility scale.
As mentioned in previous communiqués to you, this will be my lasting contribution to the Mustang, and specifically the SVO hobby. I do know that, after having sat down with the engineers, I have a really good understanding and appreciation of the vehicle. There are very few parts on that car that I do not know the story behind. If I can educate owners and enthusiasts as to the DNA of a Mustang SVO, then I will have accomplished my goal.
I have included sections from Chapter 9 and Appendix B.
Thank you,
David LaRocque
Copyright 2003, David W. LaRocque, not to be copied, electronically or otherwise.