Understanding Mustang Curb Weights

When people refer to the weight of a vehicle they may either be referring to the curb weight or the gross vehicle weight.

Curb weight is the weight of a vehicle that is typically published in the technical specifications. It refers to the total weight of a car as it arrives from the factory, without any optional parts, aftermarket products, passengers, or cargo.

Gross vehicle weight refers instead to the total current weight of a vehicle, accounting for all parts as well as passengers. The gross vehicle weight minus the curb weight is referred to as the “payload” weight.

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating

One other weight-related term that’s important is the gross vehicle weight rating, frequently abbreviated to GVWR. The gross vehicle weight rating refers to the max that a vehicle can safely carry. This includes the vehicle’s weight, all components, all passengers, and the maximum cargo for a vehicle.

Understanding the curb weight as well as the GVWR is an important first step to modifications. Depending on what modifications you’re interested in doing, you may be adding substantial weight onto a car, and you’ll need to account for that in your build model. For example, if you’re replacing the engine in an older model Mustang with an Aluminator, the difference in the weight of the engines may throw your build over the gross vehicle weight rating for that model, in which case you would want to look at reinforcing the chassis. Most cars come very close to their GVWR, which you can usually find either in the owner’s manual or else on the tire sticker on the inside of your door.

Curb Weight Accuracy

Curb weight has a reputation for being inaccurate, and there’s some truth to that. Curb weight is the base weight, with no options, including some of the most standard ones.

For example, recently a Mustang enthusiast with a 1989 LX Hatchback weighed their vehicle at a weigh station (always a great piece of information to get). Though this model has a 2,824 lb. reported curb weight, it came in at 3,225 lbs. At first glance, it would seem that the curb weight is inaccurate.

Instead, we should look at the equipment that was added to the hatchback. Naturally, this person had upgraded to the 5.0L engine that was available that year, which added an additional hundred pounds. Adding air conditioning also added thirty pounds, and adding power front seats added an extra twenty-five pounds per a seat.

After a stereo system, power windows, and a rear defroster, it’s easy to see how the total weight of the vehicle became a little heavier than the stated curb weight. It is hard to see some of these as “extra” features considering how necessary many of them seem, but curb weight is based on weight without any add-ons.

The numbers we’ve collected are accurate based on Ford’s stated curb weight, but obviously, optional equipment will add to that.

Mustang Curb Weights

Over time the Mustang has definitely put on some pounds, but not as many as some people think. The lightest Mustang produced was the 1979 Coupe, which had a base curb weight of 2,515 pounds. The heaviest Mustang was the 2007-2010 GT500 Convertible, which came in at a bulky 4,040 pounds. On the whole, the average weight of the Mustang has hovered around 3,500 pounds, a number even first generation Mustangs reached on occasion. Though there are a lot of additional safety components that can be hefty in newer Mustangs, that weight tends to be evened out by advancements in new materials for car parts and greater design efficiency.

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Image Credit: CarScoops, GRAutoGallery, Driving Line, Streetside Classics, Ford