When a classic car experiences growth in popularity, inevitably, values will also begin to climb. That has been the case with the Fox-Body Mustang. They remain affordable at present, but the impressive increases in recent times may see them eventually slip out of the reach of the average enthusiast. That’s what makes examples like this 1988 Mustang GT worth a closer look. The seller doesn’t make outrageous claims about its mileage or condition, but he suggests that it is a tidy driver that is ready to be enjoyed by a lucky new owner. If you feel that today could be your lucky day, you will find the Mustang located in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, and listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has been sedate to this point and has only pushed the price to $8,100 in this No Reserve auction.
I’ve never hidden my love for Fox-Body Mustangs, especially in Hatchback form. That is why I quite like this example. The original owner ordered it in Cabernet Red and Light Gray, and it still presents well despite having thirty-three years and 100,000 miles under its belt. The paint holds a good shine, with no evidence of significant flaws or defects. I suspect that the front spoiler may have received some touch-up work, but given the quality of the photos, I’m unwilling to bet the farm on that one. The panels are straight and seem to support the seller’s claim that the vehicle has never suffered accident damage. One of the most impressive aspects of this exterior is the lack of deterioration in the plastic components. UV rays can exact a high toll on these parts, but none of those problems are evident in this case. If I were going to be fussy with this car, I would suggest that the original alloy wheels might benefit from some cleaning and detailing. There’s nothing radically wrong, but I believe that getting them back to a factory-fresh state would lift the exterior presentation by a notch or two. The glass is in excellent condition, and the original owner’s decision to order the ‘Stang with a glass sunroof should increase the driving pleasure on sunny days.
Opening this Mustang’s doors reveals one of the few modifications that this car has received. A previous owner swapped the original shifter for one from the good people at Hurst. However, the original is included for future owners wishing for a more stock appearance. The interior is a sea of red trim and upholstery, and its overall condition is extremely good for its age. It looks like there might be a small rip in the driver’s seat outer bolster, but since it hasn’t progressed too far, a competent upholsterer might be able to blind patch the fault. If perfection is the goal, finding a set of covers in the right material and color is easy, and the buyer will be looking at around $720 for a pair of front covers. Otherwise, the plastic is in good order, there are no issues with the remaining upholstered surfaces, while the dash appears faultless. Creature comforts include air conditioning, power windows, power mirrors, cruise control, and an AM/FM radio and cassette player.
After a pretty miserable 1970s and early 1980s for American performance car enthusiasts, manufacturers were beginning to rediscover horsepower when our feature Mustang rolled off the production line. Thanks to fuel injection and other electronic black magic, this car’s 5.0-liter “HO” V8 should be pumping out 225hp. Bolted to the small-block is a five-speed manual transmission, while this classic also benefits from power steering and power brakes. While the 15-second ¼-mile ET might not look that impressive by today’s standards, it was a figure that had many people in 1988 rejoicing as they had vivid memories of the same journey taking closer to 17-seconds only a few years before. The seller indicates that a previous owner swapped an underdrive pulley system onto this engine a few years ago, but he includes the original in the sale. He states that the car has recently clocked 100,000 miles, but that figure will continue to increase because he drives the Mustang regularly. It runs and drives well and is a turn-key classic that is waiting for its new owner.
By 1988, it was apparent that Ford was recovering much of the ground lost during The Malaise Era. Cars like this Mustang GT were proof positive that American manufacturers were using technologies like fuel injection and electronic engine management to build engines that pumped out respectable power figures without also churning out unacceptable pollution levels. This classic benefits from that new philosophy, and while its odometer reading has crept into the six-digit territory, it should still offer its next owner years of reliable and rewarding motoring. I would expect to see the bidding climb towards $15,000 before the hammer falls on this auction. If it sells for less, somebody may have scored themselves a classic at a bargain price. Are you tempted to monitor this auction and possibly drop in a bid if it remains affordable? If you do, I’d like to wish you luck.
When this car was new, the credit union across the hall held the lien on one just like it, a couple of years earlier model. That car was repo’d, and I was asked to give it a look.
I still shake my head when I think of a car that had been so misused, abused, and generally treated like a worthless piece of crap. Which is pretty much what it was after just two years from new. Sad, very sad.
This one looks nice, and at 100K definitely a car to drive and enjoy. I’d be tempted to daily it.
There is a possible red flag with this car. (It might be my natural suspicious nature though). There have been 2 owners this year. I believe it is better to buy from a long term owner only because they likely loved and babied the car. Buying from flippers sometimes ends badly.