Saleen History
The First Saleen
The first Saleen was built in 1984 by Steve Saleen, following on concepts, ideas, and experiences he had obtained during his racing career. Steve Saleen used his experience racing Mustangs to vastly improve the handling characteristics of the Mustang over what was available from Ford. To further spruce up the car, a custom package of aerodynamic enhancements was drawn up to further distinguish this car from the ordinary Mustang from Ford. The interior received a Saleen instrument cluster, custom floor mats, upgraded seats, and a custom stereo. The cars quickly took off, with Saleen building 128 cars in 1985, 199 in 1986, and 278 in 1987. Production grew further in the late 80s, but then tapered off in the early 1990s as the company restructured. The low point was 1992 when a mere 17 cars were built. The 1992s are very rare and quite valuable.
Saleens have always been about handling first and foremost. The earlier cars were major improvements over the stock handling offered by Ford, but at a price in ride quality. You got race car handling, but you got the race car ride to go with it! More recent examples produce very acceptable ride quality but still hang onto to the knife-edge handling that the car is known for.
Earlier models of Saleens were ordered as Mustang LX hatchbacks or LX convertibles. A few LX Coupes have been built over the years, but are very rare (including a few that were built from Special Service equipped cars). SN95s (i.e. 94 and up cars) are ordered as either Mustang GTs or as SVT Cobras for the S281s. S351s start life as a V6!
The cars are dropped-shipped from Ford straight to Saleen, and converted. Springs, struts, and shocks all go, replaced with Saleen's trademark suspension. Bigger wheels and tires are added. The 87-93 cars used either 16" or 17" combos, the SN95s use 18" with tire as large as P265ZR18 in the front and P295ZR18 in the rear!
Body work is also added, consisting of ground-effects, front/rear bumpers, and spoiler. A windshield banner is standard. Interior options vary over the years, and have included anything from Flofits to leather Recaros (many cars retain the Ford factory interior). The pre-94 cars also received a stereo upgrade, mostly Pioneer and Kenwood equipment.
The big gorilla is the S351. Introduced with the SN95 body style in 1994, this is the car many Mustang freaks think Ford should have produced all along. Of course it isn't cheap. S351s start life usually as V6 cars, In addition to the usual suspension, cosmetic, and interior mod's, the entire drive train is trashed. In its place goes a 5.8 Liter, 351-cubic inch with all the performance bells and goodies you could wish for. Rated from to 484 to 507HP.
How do you tell a real Saleen from a fake?Saleen parts, especially the body work, are very popular in the aftermarket, so just because a Mustang "looks" like a Saleen, doesn't mean it is one. There are a few key ways to tell, should you run across a Mustang that you want to buy and it claims to be one. Be wary, there are a lot of VERY good fakes out there, and unfortunately some people will try and sell a fake one as a real one. So if you want to buy one, do your homework.
Some key things to look for:
Bumper Number: The first thing to look for is the bumper number. All Saleens have their serial number on the left front bumper. This is a common and easy thing to duplicate, so don't stop here. One note: No Saleen has every been produced with a serial number of "06". If you see "06" it is a sure fire fake.
Dash Plaque: All Saleen's have a dash plaque with its Saleen Serial number on the center console. This plague should match the number of the bumper and the number on the plate under the hood.
Under-hood Plate: Saleens also have a metal plate under the hood with the Saleen serial number, and the date of production riveted under the hood. On early cars, it was on the left fender. On later cars (post 1987) it is on the firewall. Modern ones are always on the left, but some of the older ones have it on the right. These are hard (but not impossible) to duplicate.
"Hidden": Saleen has also hidden the serial number in a secret location on the car. The exact location varies over the years. A common place to find it, is stamped on the K-member.
The best way: Call Saleen Performance. They can verify a cars authenticity if you give them the car's VIN number. They can also verify for you the options/equipment that the car was original built with, so you can tell if the car is original or has been modified. You can also email them at techline@saleen.com
Thinking about buying one?
