4-Speed 5.0: 1979 Ford Mustang Cobra

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After 4 years of high inflation and only one true muscle car (Pontiac Trans Am) left on the market, Ford decided that it had had enough and introduced the Fox Body Mustang in 1979. Gone were days of the Mustang II. The Mustang’s new body style was introduced with several options that could be ordered together – a special TRX suspension, 4 speed manual transmission and a 5.0 liter V8 engine that could make this car respectable again. Here is a very nice example of the first year of the Fox Body Mustang that is listed for sale here on Craigslist for $12,500. The Mustang is located near New Brunswick, New Jersey. We appreciate Russell Glantz for bringing us this car to review.

The engine compartment is clean but not very pretty with wires and hoses going everywhere. The 5.0 liter V8 generated 140 horsepower which paled in comparison to the 1979 Trans Am that offered an optional W72 6.6 liter V8 engine that was rated at 220 horsepower. However, the gearing of the 4 speed transmission and rear end made the car respectable on the street. My older brother, Mark, ordered a bronze Mustang in 1979 with the 4 speed and 5.0 liter V8 engine. It was really a three speed manual with 4th gear being an overdrive.

The black interior looks all stock with its rectangular dash and black bucket seats. My brother’s car had leather interior but with the repairs to the driver seat, I think this one is vinyl. This Mustang has the factory 8 track, sunroof and air conditioning. The car is said to run and drive well. The original red paint on the driver’s side is bubbly in places but  you can’t tell based on the pictures provided. The seller states that the car was treated with Ziebart rust protection when new.

I never cared for the faux scoop on Mustangs. The rear facing hood bulge looked better. This car has been lowered 1.5 inches with aftermarket springs. It also has KYB gas shocks. Ford sold over 370,000 units in 1979. Say what you want about quality and under performance but Ford made cars that sold in large numbers and just about every model was popular with the buying public.

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Comments

  1. Mitchell GildeaMember

    Clean it up and take it to Radwood

    Like 2
  2. Bob_in_TN Bob_in_TNMember

    Nice early Fox Body Cobra. Well-equipped, not high miles, has had good care. The “Boss is Back” didn’t arrive until 1982, but this could be considered the prelude. And the foundation for the run of super-popular Fox Body Mustangs.

    Cobras weren’t particularly rare in their day, but seldom seen today. 1979 Pace Cars are common at shows, but not these. It’s hard to find one in good shape.

    I like it, but I’ll admit I’m partial, as I have a 1979 Mustang.

    Like 12
    • Al_Bundy Al_BundyMember

      Yes sir… Fairly quick in this configuration, but a mild cam, holley 600 and duals even with the cast exhaust… Go go go… Bob, I have a nice 89 i’ll trade for a ’79 ?

      Like 4
      • Bob_in_TN Bob_in_TNMember

        No thanks Al. Bought it new, don’t intend to sell it.

        Like 19
    • Jaydawg7 Jaydawg7

      Nice Ride Bob! I once had an opportunity to buy a used 79 pace car with the 5.0 in it. In 1989 or 90 heard from a kid in school that his dad was selling his for $1500. I couldn’t get out of school & to his house fast enough. Because it was sold before I could get there. One of the great heartbreaks of my life.

      Like 7
    • Mike

      I thought all 79 cobras came with the 2.3 turbo?

      Like 0
      • Mikefromthehammer

        You had your choice (same price) of the 2.3 turbo or the 5.0 V8. The smart money was on the 302.

        Like 0
  3. Al_Bundy Al_BundyMember

    Absolutely love these ! Had a beautiful ’79 Capri 5.0 slushbox when I was 16. Grey/black interior with the sunroof. Didn’t come with a passenger door mirror as they were optional then.

    Expect this to appear on e bay in a week or so at 20k with photos taken on the trailer…

    Like 7
    • Skorzeny

      Al, I agree with you. I like the styling on these really early Fox bodies the best. So the quality wasn’t the greatest, this was a great platform and served Ford really well for years. I for one love the look of that hood scoop… Unfortunately my only experience with a ‘79 was a 4 cyl with an automatic, a shop loaner where I worked, and it was horrifically bad…

      Like 4
  4. Curt Lemay

    Yes, I loved them too when they came out. Was that the fall of 78? Don’t remember, but I do remember seeing the Mustang 2s new next to these on a small town Ford lot. The Foxes seemed so modern at the time. Never did buy one, but my brother in law bought a Capri. beautiful car, it was a white four speed. Alas, it was the 2.3, but even that was wonderful in that great body. Kind of like a pretty women with killer blue eyes and high check bones but a small bosom. Not optimal, but still awesome to have and hold.

    Like 12
  5. JoeNYWF64

    I don’t see in ’79(compared to the ’78) losing the frameless side glass, gaining a much higher roof, & a loss of curves & racing mirrors as modern steps at all. I think its a bunch of steps backwards, if you ask me.
    Surprised this doesn’t have the Mustang II’s sport steering wheel, carried over to some Fox stangs.
    I don’t feel “Cobra” is a fitting name to use with such a low horsepower V8, regardless of gearing.
    Surprised ford didn’t call it Cobra III which would sequentially follow the Charlie’s Angel Cobra II.

    Like 3
    • Bob_in_TN Bob_in_TNMember

      If the car was equipped with a tilt wheel or cruise control, as this car is, it came with this four-spoke steering wheel instead of the three-spoke sport steering wheel.

      Like 3
  6. MTLieb

    Mine was yellow, 3speed w/od, 4.9 V-8, installed a sun roof, headers and dual exhaust. First one that showed up at the Ford dealer in town bought it in Late January 1979. Had to dismantle the instrument cluster to eliminate a squak at 112 miles the dealer wasn’t very interested in fixing that. Drove it 2 years and sold it to a kid who totaled it in about 15 minutes. Didn’t let my wife smoke in it.

    Like 3
  7. MarveH

    The 1979’s are the only year that had the interior door handles at the bottom of the doors and the circle around the window winders. My brother drove a turbo 79 on a test drive in 1983. My dad warned him off it, saying a turbo would be just too troublesome. This is the same guy who bought a Peugeot 504 wagon that spent more time on the dealer’s rack than the road.
    My brother bought a 1981 Capri 2.3 and 4-speed instead. Beautiful car but slow. I learned to drive a stick in that car when I was 15. I have had manuals ever since.

    Like 4
    • JoeNYWF64

      Looks like a new corvette or for that matter most new vehicles these days (except for the 3 pony cars & some expensive german cars) are NOT in your future – mostly all automatics now. It’s tuff to shift a manual & use the phone at the same time.

      Like 3
  8. Desert Rat

    Ok, I’m old now but I sure thought the 79 Cobras came with a turbo 4 cylinder with wild Cobra flame look graphics on the hood, never with a v8. I just don’t think this is a factory Cobra.

    Like 3
    • Skywalker6

      You could get the Cobra with the turbo 4 or with the 5.0 V8. Yes, it looks like the decal was removed during a repaint. Or perhaps there was a delete option. The decal was pretty hideous. A cobra snake surrounded by graphics. I think they were trying to imitate a Trans Am, but it didn’t work. I had a white 79 Cobra 5.0. The decal was not my favorite part of the car. But I enjoyed it overall.

      Like 1
    • GTiDave

      ’79 Cobra’s did come as turbo 4 cyl, a friend had one new. My friend worked at Roush in engine development at the time, and he got a lot of extra ponies out of it. I didn’t know a V8 was an option…

      Like 2
    • Bob_in_TN Bob_in_TNMember

      Cobras were also available with the 5.0. In fact because of the under-engineered and problematic turbo 4, the 5.0’s are the preferred model today. The Cobra package included black engine-turned instrument trim, Cobra emblem, distinctive door trim, the door decal, suspension upgrades, and other upgrades. Most have the hood graphics, but they were optional. This car has the markings of a Cobra, of course a Marti Report would give the details. For that matter, doing a “clone” seems unlikely; after all, it isn’t like it is a Shelby Mustang.

      Like 6
  9. Mikefromthehammer

    Looks good. With the TRX package though the wheels (and Michelin tires) are all metric. It would not be easy to find replacement rubber. You might have to go with new wheels. The current are between 14 and 15 inches (in metric). https://lmr.com/products/mustang-trx-wheels

    Like 3
    • Mikefromthehammer

      oops. It looks like the wheels are 15.3 inches in diameter.

      Like 3
      • Kevin

        The Michelin TRX tires were absolutely treacherous on wet pavement.

        Like 1
    • PRA4SNW

      Coker makes new TRX tires. It looks like they also stock NOS, but it says those are for display only, no road use.

      https://www.cokertire.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=trx

      Like 3
      • Mikefromthehammer

        I think it is because of the age of the rubber. It would likely be very stiff and unsafe to drive on.

        In the link in my original post it looks like you can buy new tires, but you also have to buy the wheels as well. The wheels are not metric sized and are 16″ in diameter (as opposed to the original 15.35″, which would throw off the speedometer and odometer. The question would be by how much?)

        Like 0
  10. Bmac777

    You might be able to offset the speedo problem with a 16″ tire that has the right sidewall height to make it the same diameter as the metric rim/tire

    Like 3
    • Bob_in_TN Bob_in_TNMember

      I’m assuming the available tire/wheel package with the 16″ TRX-style wheels ends up being close to the same diameter, but I don’t know that for sure. I do know that these replica wheels are very well done. I’ve seen them on several cars and they look good. Though it surprises me that one can tell they are a little bigger (well, I usually can, anyhow).

      Like 2
    • PRA4SNW

      I haven’t used this website in a long time, but you can use it for all sorts of alternative tire / wheel options that will come close to the correct original size.
      https://tiresize.com/

      Like 2
  11. Slingerman

    Price has been increased to $14500. 🙁 I was interested at 12500, but not so much now.

    Like 0
  12. Gsuffa GsuffaMember

    FYI – My first car was a 3-year-old 1980 Mustang Cobra with a 255 CID v8 and automatic. 2.25 rear gears and still got bad gas mileage. It was from Washington state and had no AC but had an air-brushed cobra on the black hood bulge.

    Like 0

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