In the world of the Fox body Mustang, you have quite a few choices as it relates to which configuration you want. The LX, GT, Saleen, Cobra; the hardtop or the convertible; the notchback or the hatchback. The smart money these days seems to be on any Fox body ‘Stang you can find in respectable condition, and if it’s bone-stock, even better. The notchback, however, seems to consistently stand slightly apart from the rest of the lineup in terms of desirability, and this driver-quality example listed here on eBay could be a smart buy if the reserve is somewhere below $7,000.
The current bid is sitting at $4,300 with the reserve unmet. This Mustang is appealing in a few different ways beyond being a notchback. First, it was clearly used as a driver by the longtime previous owner. No obvious modifications are present, and the condition suggests it was used for normal daily duties. Mileage is sitting at just under 65,000, which is low enough to consider this car a bit of a survivor in that regard. However, it’s still a bit tired cosmetically and there are some areas of surface rust present. It’s not a time-warp car by any means and will need some re-conditioning to present as well as it could. The OEM five-spoke wheels are such a great look for these.
The interior is quite clean and certainly better than the outside might suggest. The Mustang is equipped with the optional automatic transmission, which will likely hold the bids back a bit. A notchback with the 5.0L V8 and three pedals is the one to buy, and those cars seem to routinely command $10,000 or better when they come up for sale, regardless of condition. This car is also equipped with the base-spec four-cylinder engine, another ding against the final price. The Fox body interior was never anything to write home about, but the seats, dash, and carpets all indicate that the previous caretaker was cautious when exiting and entering and the sunshade likely helped keep the dash from cracking.
Look, I will never say you can’t find joy in a car with the base engine offering, but this one is going to be a tough sell for top dollar with the four-cylinder under the hood. I can see getting a clean Fox-body convertible with this engine and not having it be a detriment, but it’s harder to justify a lofty sale price when found in a hardtop two-door. I wonder if this Mustang has appeal as a swap candidate given it’s pretty clean and appears to not have been abused. What do you think – should the seller be happy with a $5,000 sale price for a notchback four-cylinder or is it worth more regardless of the engine choice?
It’s interesting that this is the unusual case where the base model (LX notchback) is the more desired model. As Jeff points out, this car is a bit of a dilemma. Besides the cosmetic issues, what do you want from your Fox Body notchback? If you like the basic, simple, no-frills look (which is part of their charm) and don’t mind that it is a four-cylinder, it’s fine as is. If not, an engine transplant? At that point, maybe it is simpler to look for a stock V8? Or maybe at that point you are headed to restomod territory?
Auto 4 banger Fox body Mustang…….thats like being married to Marilyn Monroe but never having Sex! 😆
I don’t think this will be hard to sell. I’d rather cut this up for racing, because the drivetrain is going to upgraded anyway, how radical is dependent on straight line or twisty roads…
Well, that was disappointing. First, the automatic. Then, the 4-cylinder.
But those things can be fixed. For the $20-25K those are going for, you could build quite the hot rod out of this.
5.0s and T-5s are cheap, as are horsepower and suspension upgrades. And with the exception of a couple of crossmembers, they would bolt right into this. Think of this as a blank canvas. Folks spend a lot more for a lot less ready restomod fodder.
This thing would be a real snore to drive as-is. A body of mine had a 1985 notchback with the 4 banger and, yeah. It was a rusty ugly wretched thing.
I mean, sure, you could drop a V-8 in it and upgrade the suspension and all that, and join the other million hot rod Fox body Mustangs out there. Or do something cool like a modern EcoBoost 2.3 liter four.
Well I’d rather pay 4-5k for a auto 4banger than 10-15k for a 5.0 LX OR A GT..I HAD A BLUE LX notch back and loved it, bought brand new in 1989..
If your going to swap the drive train anyway then sell the 4cyl for 2-300 bucks ,and then use the money you saved 10k to buy a whole used drive train like a coyote or an LS..granted if your planning on driving the LX for a few yrs then doing a build, then the 5.0 would be fun
This is a joke right?
Remember not everyone thinks alike & I met many nice college girls that were hotter than this car & drove mustangs like this & they seemed to be happy as could be waving as they drove by!
Is that the same differential used in the pinto & mustang II, or can it tolerate a v8?
I wonder how this body style would have sold if it was introduced in 1969 or 1971.
Well I was interested until I learned it is a Florida car that means rust and sure enough in the pictures there is rust and lots of it, if I recall Ford didn’t upgrade the mustang odometer until later meaning it’s possible still the 5 digit and possibly rolled over $2500 is best but I wouldn’t do it, of course I’m looking for one to drive not a garage queen
I’m waiting for the Mister Wizard’s out there to suggest turning it into an EV.
That trend is idiotic IMHO.
Personally I think except for 69 and 70, mustangs were ugly until 2005 with the Fox bodies being the ugliest. To each their own.
I almost ordered a stripper 1991 5.0 5-speed notch new when I graduated college, but then I found out that the insurance was going to cost more per month than buying the car.
When I see a Mexican Mustang for sale I don’t need to ask what engine it has. Mexican Mustangs always came with a V8, ever since 1964 1/2.
The first 6 cylinder Mustang was sold in 2008 I think.
Ended at $5,150. Now re-listed.
These became the car to run when race tracks started to run 4 cyl divisions. When the first 4cyl races started at my local track, there were all makes and model cars, but the Fox body Mustang proved to be the car to run, and the notchbacks were preferred because of the structure in the rear of the body the fastbacks didnt have . Like the tri fives, the Chevelles and the Colonnade Montes , they quickly disappeared as more and more race cars were being built, and existing cars needing parts to keep the racing. They are very hard to find now ; the 4 cyl division Mustangs racing today use only the floor pan and engine cradle as they are using aftermarket bodies and square tube front and rear frame rails
Lots of negative comments due to the drivetrain. Body conditions aside, I like it except for the auto trans. Many of us drive 4 cyl cars in daily life, this one would fit that bill and not be my wife’s hatchback FWD Focus.
IMHO, these are like ’64 Fairlanes of which hard to find a non Thunderbolt clone. Many of these Fox notch were 4 cyl versions and worked well for sporty economical transpo.
I know, I know, cut it up and put a (X) motor in it. Buy it and do as you want, but if it were a manual I’d drive it as is.
Put a turbocharger in it. Clean it up and have fun. It only has 60+k miles on it. You may not outrun a coyote motored one, but you won’t go broke either. Just an idea. Good luck. Nice article by the way!
Gutless 4 bangers couldn’t even get out of their own way.My boss sold a bunch off his used lot.A stick shift pinto wagon was quicker than these.Then a 5.0 showed up.(84).It was a scary fast and fun little Stang.Sold within a few weeks.Someone bought a good one.A standard Isuzu 1 Mark deisel could beat 4 cyl. Mustangs, even VW bugs.
My stepfather bought a brand new 87 SVO mustang with this engine and a 5 speed stick. The SVO had the turbo and intercooler making 5 horsepower less than the 87 5.0 mustang. Posi traction rear end and well balanced chassis, this car was awesome stock. First and last time I jumped on it at a slow roll on a corner, the car did a smoke the tires 180. Caught me completely off guard not expecting this car to come unglued. Find an 87 Turbo T Bird and pull the engine package and you have an instant do it yourself SVO. Great gas mileage, great handling, and V8. Power. You could always turbo and intercooler what is in this car currently, but I don’t know how well the internals would hold up. I believe the crank and rods in an SVO mustang, or turbo t bird engine were upgraded to stand up to the pressurized engine. Any way you look at it you could have a sleeper here or at least a good daily dependable driver that is affordable to buy and operate.