This gorgeous turbocharged Ford Mustang SVO is a desirable later production model, fitted with the flush headlights and a more powerful 2.3L four-cylinder engine. Despite having higher mileage of almost 70,000, it still presents quite well and the seller claims it’s a multiple-time show winner. The paint looks quite nice, as does the interior, and the seller claims it has been dealer serviced while in his care. The Mustang will come with an Elite Marti Report and is listed here on eBay with a Buy-It-Now of $16,500 and the option to submit a best offer.
The interior is in far better condition than I’d expect for a car with this sort of mileage, and there are no rips or tears. The steering wheel in the SVO was one of my all-time favorites in a Mustang, both for its simplicity and functionality – every performance car should have a three-spoke steering wheel. The seller claims the dash and all leather and cloth surfaces are in good shape, and there’s nothing in the photos that should deter you from thinking otherwise. In general, the SVO cockpit is pretty durable, with nothing so luxurious or high-grade that it looks decrepit if it’s used as a driver; fortunately, this example is definitely better than that.
The SVO used a 2.3L turbocharged four-cylinder engine, originally derived from the Pinto. In 1985.5, adjustments were made the yielded a more powerful engine. The first run of the SVO with the less aerodynamic nose produced a respectable 175 b.h.p.; after 1985, power rose to 200 b.h.p., thanks to a new water-cooling system and other performance tweaks. The seller doesn’t detail any specific maintenance he’s tackled in his four years of ownership, other than noting the SVO visited its local Ford dealership with some regularity. The good news is there’s no indication that the SVO was ever modified or had the boost levels messed with.
The color is an attractive shade known as Medium Canyon Red Metallic, which I can’t say I’ve seen a ton of SVOs wearing. Black, white, and the more traditional “cherry” red, yes, but not as much for Ford’s version of maroon. The polished wheels still shine up nicely, and the Mustang retains its factory exhaust. The SVO is certainly an appreciating classic, part of the emerging class of collector cars that GenXers and those enthusiasts right behind them would love to put in their garage. I’m a sucker for these, but never sure whether I’d choose this or a notchback with the venerable 5.0L V8 under the hood. Which would you choose?
Very nice SVO. One can’t see all the details from pics but based on what we can see it can pass for a lower mileage car. Price is probably not far off. A good alternative to the more common GT of similar vintage. But you would have to be content not having that V8 rumble.
Notchback 5.0 for me. This SVO is nice though.
Annnnnd…..sold.
“This listing was ended by the seller because the item is no longer available.”
We’ll never know if it sold or not, but I doubt the seller got what they were asking.
I saw one of these on the road the other day – nice to see a Fox body that is not either a GT or a rodded LX.
I knew a person that has one. He ran me at the track against my 87 GTA. That little svo is a steady 14.. second car ! Hard to launch them ! Turbo lag or to much turbo. Being a Ford 2.3, 2, or 2.9 liter your bound to break a timing belt ! And eat some valves !
The power to weight ratio on these made for some serious power drifting if you were skillful enough, (and brave enough!) I couldn’t believe the power Ford got out of the 2.3 upgraded Pinto engine!
I hated working on the 2.0, Cuz the overhead cam could only be removed from the firewall side, necessitating lifting the engine or removing the head. The 2.3 solved that problem be having Removable bearing caps. But it was still in a Pinto, for God’s sake. SVO and Turbo TBird were amazing four cylinder performers, and the lighter front end made for a sweet handling car, unusual for Ford.
I grew up in the days of what I will call real Mustangs to me those ended in 70 but came back again with the fox bodied 5.0. I had a lot of respect for that little fox body, they were fast (with a little work) both on the street and the strip. Once again the SVO seemed in my eyes to be another step back to the slower going for mileage. I never took them seriously.
There always will be the “there’s no replacement for displacement” crowd that will poo poo the idea of turbocharging and supercharging.
In succession, I owned an Omni GLH-T, Merkur XR4Ti, SHO (no turbo there, but a powerful small displacement engine). All of these could hold their own with the V8s of the day.
Different stroke for different folks. I’ve gotten as much enjoyment from these cars as any others that I’ve owned.
Karl, if you ever races against one you would know you better take it seriously ! And you could do more with them, say like 300 ponies. Or newer explorer has one of these and it’s no slouch
Exactly. In the 80’s Ford was back. The Fox 5.0 was king of the street. But you say one thing to your core buyers then say something else with the SVO.
The 4 cyl turbo should have been developed in the Escort/EXP or Probe. Not a Mustang. It was doomed from the start.