Does anyone recognize this car? You should – we featured it just a few days ago as a craigslist posting where it was listed for $13,400. It was a good buy, with a super clean interior and the preferred (and hard to find in a convertible) 5-speed manual transmission. Well, it didn’t take long for it to make another appearance at the hands of a new owner, who acknowledges he bought it from an older gentleman who had clearly doted on the car. It’s now listed here on eBay with a suggested opening bid of $16,000 and no reserve. Sure enough, to put any lingering doubts to rest, it’s simply moved down the road from Connecticut to Southampton, Mass.
Now, I really have no issue with flipping. In fact, I give the seller credit for taking the time to inspect what looked like a very good car in person, especially since it was photographed poorly in the original listing. Now seeing it with some decent photography shot, there’s little doubt to me that it was worth more than it was originally listed for. The soft top looks to be in fantastic condition and the ten-hole alloy wheels still shine nicely. The body, of course, looked good in the original photos, but this listing just serves to confirm that even with bad photos, clean examples of a four-eyed Fox body are hard to ignore. The seller confirms there is no evidence of paintwork or rust of any kind.
The interior is mint, with factory bucket seats with red piping show next to no signs of wear and tear. The dash also doesn’t appear to be cracked, and again, these are the type of photos the original seller didn’t include. This is a workshop on how to list a car, as the flipper didn’t even go to any great lengths to stage the Mustang, but by simply taking clean, focused photos, he completely changed how well this car presents. The seller also includes more information that helps confirm this Fox body is truly a survivor, noting the car comes with its 1985 Mustang dealers brochure, warranty card, both sets of original keys with the original key tags from 1985, and the owner’s manuals as well as the original title. Photos of the backseat show that it was likely never used.
The engine bay is as nicely detailed as it was a few weeks ago, which leads me to believe the seller simply grabbed this car and parked it, knowing full well he could sell it for more money within a few weeks. It’s a stock driver with the rare combination of the early-model nose with a droptop, a V8, and a manual transmission. While I’m never sure if the flip is worth it once you factor in your own time getting it home or paying to have it delivered, it’s too tantalizing for some enthusiasts to ignore, especially if they get to drive the car for a few weeks in the process of re-marketing it. This Mustang GT looked like it was a winner and hopefully, the previous owner to the current seller won’t find a picture of his pride and joy in the local classifieds.
This is the perfect example of why you need a Barn Finds membership! Members get early access to all our finds so it might give you the edge you need to snag a good deal on your next classic!
Nice buy! Good on the flipper for recognizing the potential..
On another note I’d say the BF authors need to build a Virtual Corral for the sudden influx of Broncos and Mustangs-you may need to bring in a (Ford) Vaquero or two for the roundup..
Great corral reference. Broncos and mustangs can be wild.
He may have picked the wrong year Mustang to try and flip. The carbureted 4 headlight models don’t have the same following as those equipped with EFI. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Steve R
There are still enough of us dinosaurs roaming the earth that grew up on 4 barrel carburetors that the seller will still make a bit of money on the deal.
Every one of my friends that was in to the late-80’s early-90’s Mustangs was only interested in the 87 and later 5.0’s. The earlier carbureted versions didn’t even register with them. That interest will be repeated as these cars move into the collectors market. This is a pattern that has been repeated for decades and isn’t about to change now. There will be some people that prefer the earlier carbureted cars, but not enough to drive prices to a similar level. Much of the interest in the earlier cars will be from buyers chasing inexpensive cars based on condition or those that don’t know enough to realize the differences with the more popular later model cars.
Steve R
My friends are probably a bit older Steve. My daily driver is turbocharged and fuel injected. We prefer our collector cars naturally aspirated and carbureted just like when we were growing up.
1986 was fuel injected
JCA, 1987 is when Ford switched to the flush mounted headlight doing away with the quad sealed beams.
Steve R
Steve R, you stated that all of your friends are only interested in ’87 and later fuel injected cars, not anything carburated. 1986 is fuel injected and not carburated.
However – – It’s a convertible – – top goes down Price goes UP – – – a rule without exception – – (almost)
You just can’t beat the sound of a four barrel in full song..beautiful car and good luck with the sale
I guess the rear luggage rack was an option for ’85 converts? Looks a little plain without it…
The luggage rack came in with the ’86s and the fed-mandated third brake light mounted on the deck lid. The ’85s didn’t have it.
Ok, that makes sense. I’ve also seen the racks on later year notchbacks which looked like factory so I figured it was option. I didn’t notice if they eliminated the interior 3rd brake light. Maybe it was a dealer installed option?
I like the smooth look & screw the 3rd brake lamp!
The peak of four barrel performance in the 5.0 is right there., actually the most powerful 302 Ford ever sold outside of the screamin’ Boss 302.
Not that Ford ever pushed the 302 as a performance engine.
Don’t care for convertibles but this one clean ride for sure, upgrades can be done to make it quicker but just like the injected ones it’s a combination of things just not one single mod.
What gets me on this one is how nice the interior looks,,,,1985 was thirty five years ago believe it or not!
Not the most powerful 4 barrel 302 that Ford produced outside of the Boss 302.
In 1968 Ford produced a 302-4V with 10 to 1 compression that was rated at 230 HP. The engine code was ‘J’. It required premium fuel and came standard with dual exhaust.
That was the motor that was in my first car; a 1968 Mercury Cougar XR7.
210 Net horsepower in ’85, 230 gross horsepower in ’68. I don’t know what the numbers would be if the roles were switched but I believe the ’85 would be much higher with a gross rating, plus that’s advertised horsepower. The ’85 GT’s were capable of high 14’s very low fifteens. I don’t see your Cougar pulling that off stock. Nice first car by the way!
Do those side rear windows retract all the way down? – does not seem to be room in the qtr panel to do it. It would be strange if they were fixed/stayed up all the time with the roof down!
That carpet is like off white – would seem to me to be very tuff to keep clean! Was not black carpet available? To me, that’s a no brainer choice.
I bet the guys who own ’86 & later EFI mustangs aint too happy when their EXPENSIVE non sealed beam headlite covers start clouding up & yellowing.
& you don’t need EFI to go fast. The sd-455 did not even have a holley carb like this stang – & it had ancient pts & condenser too. lol
They go all the way down. I own an 86 example.
They go all the way down. 87 and up had flush headlights. 86 and up were fuel injected
And the SD 455 dies after ’74, a victim of stricter and stricter emissions regulations.No, they needed fuel injection to continue going fast…….and improve gas mileage, pass strict emissions regulations…all that other stuff. Electronic fuel injection took the fox to a new level.
In principle, I would never buy from a flipper.
LS Swap. worth at least 50k.
haha…..the NEW BUYER should issue a “W-9” income tax form….
This article goes to show the value of a good listing. With plenty of good pictures. I look at so many craigslist ads and I wonder why they even bother. But on the other hand, it pays to look at a car that is poorly presented. The seller obviously doesn’t know what he’s doing and if he is selling too cheap then that’s the time to buy.
My mom’s last car was an 85 GT convertible, white, black top, same gray interior. It did have EFI, as that was an option with the 4 speed automatic. Always garaged, when she passed away 10 years ago, it had 85k miles. The EFI had a terrible cold start issue where it would rev very high until the engine warmed up and only then would it let you kick the throttle down to normal revs. If you dared to put in gear without the brakes on full it would take off like a banshee