1994-1998 Ford MustangFourth Generation (SN95)

Year-by-year changes

The SN95 redesign and the end of the pushrod 5.0L

The 1994 Mustang introduced the SN95 platform, a heavily revised version of the Fox chassis used since 1979. Ford widened the track, stiffened the structure, and restyled the body, but retained the basic Fox floorpan, the front MacPherson-strut suspension, and a solid rear axle located by links. The 1994 redesign dropped the three-door hatchback that had been a Mustang staple, leaving a coupe (notchback) and a convertible. The base engine was the 3.8L (232 cu in) Essex V6. The 1994 and 1995 GT used the pushrod 5.0L (302 cu in) Windsor V8 rated at 215 hp net and 285 lb-ft of torque, the final two model years for that engine family in the Mustang. A small run of 1995 Cobra R cars used a 5.8L (351 cu in) Windsor V8 for racing homologation.

The modular 4.6L arrives, 1996

For 1996 Ford replaced the pushrod 5.0L with the overhead-cam modular 4.6L (281 cu in) V8. The 1996 GT used the single-overhead-cam (SOHC) two-valve-per-cylinder 4.6L rated at 215 hp net, the same headline figure as the outgoing 5.0L but with different torque characteristics and a higher redline. The 1996 SVT Cobra used the dual-overhead-cam (DOHC) four-valve 4.6L rated at 305 hp net, hand-assembled at Ford's Romeo engine plant. V8 cars used the Ford 8.8-inch live rear axle, and from 1996 the V8 manual cars used the Borg-Warner T-45 five-speed in place of the earlier T-5. The 1998 GT's 4.6L SOHC was raised to 225 hp net. The modular V8 and its aluminum-head DOHC variant defined the SN95 cars and the New Edge cars that followed.

The SVT Cobra flagship

The 1996 SVT Cobra opened the modular-engine Cobra line on the SN95 platform, using the DOHC four-valve 4.6L rated at 305 hp net. Ford's Special Vehicle Team kept the Cobra at 305 hp net through 1998, pairing it with upgraded brakes, suspension, and unique trim over the GT. These 1996-1998 Cobras retained the 8.8-inch live rear axle; the independent rear suspension did not arrive until the 1999 New Edge Cobra. The 1995 Cobra R, built on the earlier pushrod hardware, was a separate low-volume homologation car and predated the modular Cobra.

Known weak points

On the 1994-1998 SN95 Mustang, the T-45 five-speed manual behind the 4.6L is prone to worn synchros and input-shaft bearing noise with hard use. The 4.6L two-valve SOHC engines can suffer spark plugs seizing and intake-manifold coolant crossover cracking on earlier composite manifolds. The solid 8.8-inch rear axle on GT cars wheel-hops under hard launches, a trait Ford did not address until the independent rear suspension arrived on the 1999 Cobra. The 1994-1995 pushrod 5.0L cars share the well-documented Windsor maintenance profile of earlier Fox-body Mustangs.

Frequently asked questions

What engine did the 1994-1995 Mustang GT use?

The 1994 and 1995 Mustang GT used the pushrod 5.0L (302 cu in) Windsor V8 rated at 215 hp net and 285 lb-ft of torque. These were the last two model years for the pushrod 5.0L in the Mustang before Ford switched the 1996 GT to the overhead-cam modular 4.6L V8.

When did the Mustang get the modular 4.6L V8?

The 1996 Mustang introduced the modular 4.6L (281 cu in) V8. The 1996 GT used the SOHC two-valve version rated at 215 hp net and the 1996 SVT Cobra used the DOHC four-valve version rated at 305 hp net, replacing the pushrod 5.0L.

What changed in the 1994 SN95 redesign?

The 1994 Mustang moved to the SN95 platform, a reengineered Fox chassis with a widened track and restyled body. The 1994 redesign dropped the three-door hatchback, leaving only a coupe (notchback) and a convertible, and it kept the 3.8L Essex V6 as the base engine with the pushrod 5.0L V8 in the GT.

Did the 1994-1998 SVT Cobra have independent rear suspension?

No. The 1996, 1997, and 1998 SVT Cobra used the Ford 8.8-inch live rear axle like the rest of the SN95 V8 cars. Independent rear suspension did not reach the Mustang until the 1999 New Edge SVT Cobra.

What was the last year of the original SN95 styling?

The 1998 model year was the last to wear the original SN95 styling. For 1999 Ford applied the New Edge restyle to the same platform, with sharper character lines and larger wheel openings.

Sources

• Ford Motor Company model-year brochures and press materials for 1994-1998
• Ford SVT (Special Vehicle Team) specifications for the 1996-1998 Cobra and the 1995 Cobra R
• Factory service literature for the 5.0L Windsor and 4.6L modular engine families
• Enthusiast reference compilations of SN95 production data and option codes
• Period road-test reports