re: cheap mustang parts
Meh. I guess tacky is in the eye of the beholder. I've gotten nothing but compliments on the interior. I personally think that it looks especially good at night, with the interior trim lights on.
Oh, and that first pic is showing up as a Red X death, Slush.
As far as picking it over the Mustang? Because performance isn't everything. If that were the case, don't you think I would have kept my C6 instead? Aesthetically, I think the Gen 5 Camaro looks better than the S197 body style, which is getting a bit tired in my humble opinion. Needs a revamp to revitalize it.
Regardless, I could say the same to you, and probably get some similar reasoning, as to, "why on earth would you pick a WRX over a 5.0 Mustang?", because it outperforms your pick too.
If I get the need to do anything to it, it's nothing a set of KW V3 coilovers, some Pfadt sways and bushings, and some R comp tires won't fix.