There’s a big difference between buying a total project and buying a car that just needs buttoning up. The latter is a great place to start, as you may get away with not paying top dollar but still get a car that’s pretty close to being street-ready; heck, it may already be drive-able but just be in need of some fine-tuning. This 1991 Ford Mustang GT definitely falls into the “almost there” category with a long list of recent improvements and only some minor areas of concern for the next owner to address. It’s listed here on craigslist for $10,500 and thanks goes to Barn Finds reader Mitchell G. for the find.
The Fox body Mustang is obviously a great starting point for a modern day classic, and the hatchback GT is undoubtedly the most recognized of the entire product line. Factor in the teal color and you essentially have the picture of the Mustang that you see in the dictionary when looking up “1990s muscle car.” The notchback is the one to have, in my opinion, but also carries a price premium due to the perceived exclusivity; the seller’s car could be made to have more eyeball appeal if brought back closer to stock condition, but that’s obviously one man’s opinion. I’d delete the hood stripe and the induction-style engine cover in favor of stock appearances on both counts.
The interior is in nice shape for a driver, although that driver’s seat cushion has definitely seen better days. The standard buckets were great factory seats when introduced and this Mustang thankfully has the preferred manual transmission. The 5-speed adds very real value to this platform, especially since three pedals weren’t a given in the Fox body. The seller notes the headliner has been replaced and that the car will come with some new interior trim bezels that are still new in the box. The aftermarket gauges are a take-it-or-leave-it affair, but I can live with those; I’d rather see that driver’s seat reinforced with new foam to make the interior more presentable.
The big deal here is that the paint looks good and the seller reports that the vulnerable shock towers are free of rust. The aftermarket wheels are ho-hum; again, I’d go back to stock or find an OEM+ option from the Saleen catalog. The listing notes lots of new engine parts including a water pump, ARP head studs, a McLeod clutch, a steering rack, lifters, rocker arms, and aluminum heads, in addition to other improvements. The only outstanding concerns detailed by the seller include the need for new brakes, tires, an alignment, and a tune to make it into a turnkey driver. Still, for the money, it looks pretty close to being buttoned up.
Nice Fox body GT. The Induction hood is a common modification and it’s functional. I would keep it. The stripe and wheels are a little over the top but I’ve seen worse. You could finish this over a weekend and be cruising for burgers. I like how Fox body owners are a community. We give each other the thumbs up whenever we pass one another. I was driving one day and noticed what looked like a late eighties or early nineties Mustang in my rear view. It was hard to tell because it was red and yellow like it was bolted together from two different cars. I gave him the hi sign and when the light changed he passed me engine roaring like the wrath of God. I was in my Buick though so I didn’t challenge. Probably a good thing I didn’t have my Mustang.
Couple points. The majority of Fox body Mustangs were equipped with manual transmissions, according to the Interweb.
Out here in the sticks, we call that color “Blue”.
“Deleting” a painted stripe and hood scoop in the real world takes money and effort. I point that out in particular, because this is not a high dollar concours vehicle. To the probable buyer of this vehicle it would be a considerable undertaking. It would be for me.
Here in the city, we also call that color “Blue”.
Here in the suburbs, we also call that color Blue. Allegedly
The mileage is unknown, unless I missed it. It looks like a lot of GT’s looked back in the day after they’d traded hands a couple of times and gotten modified with different paint, a few Cobra pieces, and GT40 intake and heads (not sure that’s what this one has, but it was common). It’s got a dash mounted tach, apparently in addition to the factory in dash tach.. which is kind of telling. I figure it’s seen it’s fair share of being ridden hard. Personally, I think I’d rather spend $20k on an unmolested one than $10k on the one here. Folks have had their hands all over it (engine, paint, even the gauges have aftermarket white faces), and there’s no telling how well the work was done, how many times it’s been wrecked, etc. If I hopped in it and the AC blew cold and it went through the gears without a lot of sloppy shifting, I might change my tune. But I doubt that would happen. The industrial looking background in the pictures with the plow truck, trailers, and the shipping containers doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence either… And some parts to a Mustang GEEE TEEE! Merry Christmas, yall.
Craigslist shows the mileage at 10,000,000
I find this would be a start for a bracket car
Looks great for !0,000,000 miles as noted on Craigslist…
Looks great for 10,000,000 miles as noted on Craigslist…