When the original batch of Fox body Ford Mustangs received the Saleen treatment, it wasn’t to make them into fire-breathing street rods. In fact, it was quite the opposite, and that’s what I love about examples like this 1986 Saleen Mustang. Recognizing that under-the-hood modifications would make EPA compliance tricky and void factory warranties, Steve Saleen set about making the cars better in every other way, and in doing so, he created a raw sports car that could take to the track as easily as it could rule the streets. Check out this 1986 example here on Facebook Marketplace for $32,000.

When I was younger, there was a racing series at Lime Rock Park (and other tracks) called the Neon Challenge. It pitted drivers, some of them famous, against their peers in equally-spec’d Dodge Neons. No horsepower advantages, no tricks up the pit crew’s sleeves, and largely identical across the pack. It made for great entertainment, but also a very clear assessment of the driver’s talents. After all, no one had an advantage beyond their own natural ability. In a way, the initial Saleen Mustangs demonstrated the same concept, as the cars didn’t get one tweak under the hood but did benefit from a bevy of suspension and aerodynamic upgrades.

Saleen and his team were highly accomplished track racers themselves, taking home numerous high-profile SCCA wins over the years. It was on the track that Saleen realized what a Fox body with some robust suspension modifications could do, and we officially kicked off production of his limited-production Saleen Mustangs, they all got extra-firm Racecraft suspensions, wider wheels, sticky tires, and a variety of aerodynamic enhancements. He would eventually add FloFit seats, four wheel disc brakes, and five-lug wheels. These were all very strategic in nature, designed to make the chassis as responsive as possible without disturbing the engine compartment, and thus maintaining emissions and warranty compliance.

Nestled within all this is the realization that the 5.0L V8 was a very solid engine. If guys like Saleen saw to its virtues, it stands to reason the rest of us don’t need to rush out and modify every Fox body we can get our hands on. As it relates to Saleen cars, this 1986 model sports the earlier four-lug wheels, but it also has the cool Saleen-installed plexiglass covers over the headlights and the three-piece front air dam (you can see it basically comes together in sections – an insignificant detail, but worth noting. Overall, these early Saleen cars remain surprisingly affordable, but the question is – for how much longer?