A single, simple mistake can often have deeper consequences than we could first imagine. Take this 1989 Ford Mustang GT as a perfect example. Its second owner made a minor error when registering the car, entering the odometer as 149,172 miles, when the “1” at the front should never have been there. Therefore, even though the car now shows 54,000 miles on the clock, the title reflects a figure that is 100,000 miles higher. That will undoubtedly cloud the perception of some potential buyers, although the car’s overall condition should remove any lingering doubts. The GT spent years in storage but is a turnkey proposition that is ready to head to a new home. The seller has listed the Mustang here on eBay in Chester, New York. Bidding sits below the reserve at $6,600, with over a week remaining for interested parties to stake their claim.
Ford’s Fox-Body Mustang range enjoyed a far longer production life than the company originally envisaged. It was scheduled for replacement in the mid-1980s, but buyer backlash at the prospect of the iconic badge finding its way onto a front-wheel-drive vehicle prompted Ford to give the Mustang a stay of execution. Instead, it embarked on a significant cosmetic and mechanical upgrade program that saw the Fox-Body soldier on until 1993. The first owner ordered this 1989 GT Hatchback in Dark Gray and Silver Metallic. The listing suggests it is a survivor, and the condition is extremely tidy for a vehicle of this vintage. Its cause was aided by a repaint, but many years have passed since the work was performed. There are no significant cosmetic imperfections, with a general lack of patchiness and matte issues often found with this paint shade. The underside shots reveal a couple of areas of dry surface corrosion, but there is no evidence of penetrating rust. The plastic and glass are in good order, the distinctive 15″ wheels are free from damage, and this car’s desirability is enhanced by the first owner’s decision to order it with the optional factory Moon Roof.
I typically treat claims of low mileage cautiously unless the seller can produce compelling evidence. However, some cars carry enough positive character traits to make the concept plausible. That is undoubtedly the case with this Mustang. The first owner trimmed the interior in Gray cloth and vinyl, a shade that is prone to stains and marks. This car has avoided those issues, and there is no appreciable wear on the prone outer seat edges. The carpet is slightly marked, but that is as close as we can come to criticizing the overall condition. The factory stereo has made way for a modern CD player as the only visible aftermarket addition. The seller admits that the air conditioning may need a recharge since it only blows cool. They don’t mention any other functional shortcoming with an interior that features power windows, power locks, power mirrors, power front seat lumbar adjustment, cruise control, and a tilt wheel.
The seller doesn’t supply any engine photos in their listing, so I screenshot one from this YouTube video that is included in their listing. The GT features Ford’s 5.0-liter fuel-injected V8 that is bolted to a four-speed automatic transmission. American manufacturers spent the early part of The Malaise Era carefully avoiding quoting engine power and torque figures, focusing on capacity and possible technical innovations. However, Ford’s 1989 Sales Brochure lists figures of 225hp and 300 ft/lbs, giving the GT pretty peppy performance. The seller purchased the Mustang from the second owner after it had spent years in storage. They worked through a revival process to return it to a roadworthy state. It runs and drives extremely well and is a turnkey proposition for potential buyers.
The Fox-Body Mustang has been one of the star performers in the classic market for a few years, but values have softened during the past twelve months. However, I would still expect the bidding to comfortably top $15,000 for this car, based on its overall condition. It has only attracted fourteen bids, which is a lower tally than I would typically expect, especially given the listing view tally of over 280. Do you think the clerical error on the odometer reading could be a factor, or are there other issues at play?
Looks a well appointed GT in battleship grey.
sad that it is battleship grey
Did the original owner have a beef with the buyer? That’s a terrible mistake with the mileage. Definitely will affect the selling price. Too bad because this is a nice, sanitary GT.
1989 was no longer the malaise era in my opinion and many others. That period was usually considered 1974-82ish.1982-83 saw such cars battling with the F bodies as the horsepower wars began once again. By 1989 we had cars like the 20th anniversary Trans Am, 350 Formulas and Irocs, Turbo Dodge Chargers etc. Ps 225hp in1989 was about 275 hp gross in 1970 ratings. On another note it always amazes me how many 5.0s were auto at that time,sadly
Horsepower on the 5.0 HO seems to be the primary focus but key engine driveability upgrades from ’87 made the engine response much better and tuning flexibility wide open.
Carried over into ’88 and ’89, the new engine control module, EEC IV, plus improved heads, bigger throttle body and reworked exhaust improved throttle response. Also the big change in ’89 to Mass Air Flow gave tuners a near unlimited range to tinker and modify while self correcting to high altitude, etc. – fix many changes that may hurt performance.
These upgrades complimented LXs and GTs non-malaise, 0-60 runs in the low 6 sec range with the 5 speed.
This one looks nice, even with the moonroof, with T-tops DQd in ’89. At the time my pals and I drove LXs and did not appreciate the GT trim and called them “hovercrafts”.
I think it is so hysterical when a seller outright lies about something that is so easy to corroborate, especially when they do the research for you.
Looking at the Vehicle History Report -that the seller provides, no less – this car had over 100K on it way before they claim this “mistake” was made. I am probably giving the seller too much credit, they may have been gullible enough to believe what the previous seller told them.