There’s a hard-to-define quality that some cars have which can seemingly justify a high asking price. The seller of this 1986 Ford Mustang LX 5.0 “notchback” coupe is looking for $27,900 for his clean four-eyed ‘Stang, which is a decent amount of scratch. However, it is incredibly clean and has just under 66,000 original miles on the clock. It’s listed here on eBay with the listing ending today at 1:00 p.m.
A couple of things right out of the gate: this is perhaps the most desirable coupe-body configuration, featuring the rigid roof line of a notch combined with the 5.0L V8. It’s an LX trim which gives it a little bit of that “poverty-spec” vibe, and on top of that, it’s bright red. Mix it together with the early-style nose and its four headlight pods and you have a trim arrangement that we simply don’t see all that often in the world of Fox bodies.
Oh, and did we mention it’s a manual transmission model? That just pushes it over the top in terms of checking every body an enthusiast could want. This is a barebones model, right down to having crank windows! There’s the obvious weight savings benefits but also the sheer lack of things that will eventually break inside. Obviously, this Mustang has been carefully looked after, as the interior is mint. This is a commuter car more than anything else, so it hasn’t been wantonly abused like a high-performance muscle car.
Super clean under the hood with nicely matched paint inside the fenders and engine bay, it almost looks too good in these inner cavities. Regardless, it’s refreshing to see a 5.0 engine bay without an aftermarket cold air intake or headers poking through, and the listing notes that this example has factory air conditioning with a “..rear frost delete” which is a curious detail. Overall, this four-eyed coupe is in gorgeous shape, and I believe the seller’s claim that it is one of just 216 examples configured this way.
Looks like a very nice Four-Eye Fox Mustang. It illustrates how the low-spec LX coupe with minimal options is a desired combination (as opposed to most collector cars, where the high-level trim with many options is the preferred combination). I would like to have seen the Marti Report for the details. Good pics. Asking big bucks but these sure have appreciated in recent years.
Good article Jeff, and good comments Bob. Love these, best looking of all the sedans, due to the front end rake. For me, always enjoyed the tall gears ⚙️ in these foxes, many swapped for a shorter final drive.
It’s nice to see an original ’86 that hasn’t been thrashed and hacked up. But man, that’s a lot of cash for a Fox body with a fair amount of miles on her.
E-BAY shows it SOLD
It shows “ended.”
Four eyed Fox is the best Fox.
One of the most desirable cars I’ve seen on here in a while. What a beauty!
People have gone mad paying these prices for cars that were $5k 10 yrs ago.
Within reason, I hope the price does stay high. They were once dime a dozen, but now a clean example is rare. I don’t want them to be unaffordable, but if the price is too low they won’t be preserved. I have an 82 GT that is patiently waiting to be restored. Properly done I’m hoping it will be worth 25k. It is the only way to justify the time and money. If it is an all day 5k car there is no point doing anything to it. Just drive it until it falls apart and get another. Nostalgia is one thing but few people will spend the graft without an end game. In Canada at least the junk yards are mainly late models. It is hard to find anything good for an older car. Better to start with a clean car. Hope it goes to a good home. Now if it had t-tops……
Actually the early Fox body hardtop coupes did briefly offer t-tops on those. Those are pretty hard to find.
Hardtop T top coupes were produced from 1981 to 1986 and are notoriously difficult to find. Their low production numbers virtually guarantee a high asking price that’s well deserved.
I have an 1986 GT Convertible with a lot of detail, new top, went white to black, (top) cars red! I did some trading with my old boss to clean up the old interior, instead of just swapping the covers he wanted to do a custom interior!! It’s been at the shop for a few years and over the time he’s had it we did, he did, a badass stereo system as it is a custom stereo shop and it’s coming along amazing!!!! From the new top, carpet, seat covers(Leather outer and suede inner) and the hidden system it’s frickin amazing!!!! I sure hope I get it back before the end of summer ❣️❣️❣️
I don’t want to put it up for sale right away but being a broken old concrete guy with no income or SS ( 🤬🤬🤬) I just might have to let her go……..😶 After he’s done I still have some extra stuff to possibly put on!! H&R springs, mass air, throttle body, wheel and tires 17” Silver Cobras, has phone dials on now, and some other stuff………🤷🏻♂️ Very KOOL Car!!!!!!
What I do not understand is why the 5 speeds are worth so much more than the AT’s. My Dad years ago had an absolutely mint pristine 85 GT Red with an AT that he bought new and had NEVER seen Rain or Snow with 10K miles it took him a while to sell it but he did get $10K for it I think the buyer got a great deal it was still a new car. My Brother who works for a car dealer said if it was a 5 speed it would have been gone right away. But at least he probably got back what it cost new. The other weird thing is why do Street Racers by these and drop in a Chevy Engine. I would never buy a Camaro and drop in a 351C
B Wallace: These cars are so much fun to drive as a manual is most likely the main reason they are worth more.
I drove a GT manual one time – an ’86 – and it was a complete blast.
Ummmmm, I would definitely put a 351 Cleveland into a Camaro, or better yet a Corvette……… problem is, then I would have to drive it….. Just kidding, I prefer to keep them in the family. As far as an automatic 85 GT, they got Fords Central Fuel Injection . Basically a 2bbl throttle body. I believe they only had 180hp. My sister had an 85 notch with that combo. My stock 84 RS Capri 5.0 was quicker and faster with 175hp. The fuel Injection/automatic combo makes a nice cruiser but in 86 on you could have a port injected 5.0 with the same power as a 5 speed.
1985 automatic Mustang GT is not very desirable. It has a low output, throttle body injected, non-roller 5.0. (i.e. doorstop.) and a peanut brittle 7.5 rear axle.
1985 automatic = great looks, terrible drivetrain
2010 Mustang GT= new body, grandma’s 4.6
two terrible combinations, that affect values.
IDK even though an AT would not have been as fast as a 5 speed it still could beat plenty of Camaros or Firebirds of that era. If my Mother did not have to drive it every now and then he probably would have bought a 5 speed. My former father in Law has an absolutely mint low mile Mazda RX7 sitting in his garage that he bought for his wife brand new. However she had absolutely no desire about having to learn how to drive it. My ex wife was the same way it is the ultimate anti theft device. When I was 19 I had to learn on a full size Dump Truck after practicing in the yard for 3 Hours then I was taken to the DMV to get an upgraded liscense.
I’m always surprised when I hear the stories about a vehicle being bought for someone else who doesn’t like it and so it sits unused for decades, taking up space and deteriorating.
The surprising part is that the vehicle in question isn’t just sold off or otherwise disposed of.
I’m surprised nobody mentioned that this car sold on BaT last last year for high teens, then was immediately relisted on Auto Trader by the new owner for high twenty’s, and throughout winter had no takers because everyone who follows these cars or the classifieds knew the car recently sold on BaT for high teens, then the seller was forced to keep lowering the price until now.