2004 Ford 40th Anniversary Stage 3 Roush Mustang

I'll wager there aren't many people who know how to make a Ford go faster than Jack Roush. For decades, some of the nastiest, most powerful, and most spectacular hardware ever built has come out of the Roush facility in Michigan. His name is legendary at race tracks around the world. So when he puts his name on a line of specially prepared Mustangs for the street, you know they're going to be something special.

How special? How about this 2004 Stage 3 40th Anniversary convertible, one of only 13 built, and the ONLY ONE in Torch Red. It is also stacked with every single option available from Roush that year, including the ultra-rare side exhaust system that was subsequently discontinued. If that's not enough, we also have Jack Roush's signature on the dashboard (and a photo of him putting it there) verifying that this is, indeed, a 1-of-a-kind Stage 3 Roush Mustang.

Externally, the Roush Stage 3 Mustangs received a number of appearance and functional upgrades, including the Roush Aerobody System (side and rear cladding), rear wing, stainless side exhaust system with polished aluminum tips, Roush 18-inch wheels and tires, and a convertible styling bar. Together, they give this Mustang a mean, predatory, race-ready look that is highly functional as well. It also makes the Roush Mustangs impossible to miss on the road, and in Torch Red, you need to be sure you're wearing eye protection.

The body on this 1000-mile Mustang is show-ready. It has been pampered and loved since the day it was new in fact, it sat in a dealer's showroom for 5 years before it found a home. Since then, it has been driven only sparingly on nice days and always stored indoors. The paint is very nice, probably better than the factory could do it simply because it received the ministrations of the Roush crew during its transformation. There has never been any body work of any kind, so there isn't anything to say about fit and finish it is 100% as-new. The Roush panels fit extremely well and integrate into the Mustangs shape like the designers at Dearborn penned the lines. I can't find a scratch or a nick anywhere on the car, not even on that low-hanging front chin spoiler that is just looking for a steep driveway to eat it. Someone clearly LOVED this car.

Mechanically, the 379 horsepower supercharged and intercooled 4.6 liter V8 is exactly the way it was when Jack Roush kissed it goodbye as it left his factory. The engine includes secondary sheave front engine accessory drive, an aluminum flywheel, a high-output fuel system, and a custom OBD-II engine calibration for OEM-like driving manners. Believe me when I tell you that these guys know their stuff even with all that power, the car idles like a stock Mustang, doesn't buck or fight at idle, pulls cleanly from low-RPM speeds, and pretty much goes about its business without any fuss. That's not always easy to do with a supercharged engine, but this one is incredibly docile around town. Open up the throttle, however, and it's an entirely different story, you'd better have a lot of road ahead of you if you want to exploit this cars performance envelope.

Underneath, the car has also been fully massaged by Roush engineers. Upgrades include the Stage 3 suspension package (new springs, lower control arms, shocks and sway bars), some sub-frame connectors for stability, and a set of killer chrome-plated 18-inch forged aluminum wheels sporting BFGoodrich rubber. The chrome wheels were a $981 upgrade, by the way, along with another $60 for the locking lug nuts holding them on. Stopping power is compliments of a massive set of Alcon brakes, with 14-inch 2-piece rotors up front clamped by 4-piston calipers, and 13-inch rear rotors out back. These brakes are a substantial upgrade over the factory binders, and bring this ultra-powerful pony to a stop over and over again without any drama. THESE are the brakes you want with you at the track, lap after lap after lap.

The interior is absolutely spectacular. Check out those seats those are not garden-variety Mustang seats, but gorgeous leather and suede buckets developed specifically for these cars. Its worlds more comfortable than the factory stuff, and even more functional, with the grippy suede holding you in place as you work the suspension to its limits. Jack Roush’s signature is embroidered onto the seatbacks, and on this car, it perfectly matches his signature on the dashboard. From behind the wheel, your right hand falls immediately to the custom-made short-throw shifter which bangs through the gears like the bolt action on a shotgun. Your feet dance on custom machined aluminum pedals that look like race car pieces and provide the right amount of grip for high performance heel-and-toe shifting. Overhead, there's a Roush convertible light bar that gives the car a racy appearance. There are custom Roush floor mats and the door sills are protected by custom vinyl covers, both expensive Roush options. In the trunk, you'll find the trick Roush tool kit fastened under the deck lid probably too nice to actually use, but it's awfully cool.

In fact, this car appears to have every single optional extra Roush could throw at a Stage 3 car, leading to a staggering $60,155 MSRP according to the original window sticker. Sixty grand for a Mustang but oh, what a Mustang!

We also have all the documents on this car, ranging from the Ford and Roush window stickers, to the Ford and Roush owner's manuals, to a Roush Performance parts catalog. There are also all the original delivery documents from the dealer, including the stock tag, roadside assistance card, convertible boot installation guide, Ford Warranty Guide, original owners survey from Bill Collins Ford (the selling dealership), plus all the tax and registration information from day one. In short, everything that has ever been attached to the car is still with the car.

If you're looking for the last of the SN-95 Mustangs, this 40th Anniversary car is the best of the best. It's fast, rare, documented, and still in factory new condition throughout. We've had Saleens, Cobras, Shelby Mustangs, and all the other tuner cars come through here, but somehow none of them speak as loudly as the Roush cars. I think that's because Jack Roush is a racer, and racers don't mess around with pretty stuff. If it makes the car go faster or work better, it goes in. If not, well, you didn't really need it anyway. Add in Roush quality and the fact that this is a 1-of-1 car documented by Jack Roush himself, and it is an investment-ready piece that is sure to appreciate in the coming years. Drive it, enjoy it, race it, but don't ever forget the man who built it is all about speed. That's all you need to know. Call today!