As are many of you, I’m all for old Mustangs. Heck, I’ve even come around to the point of view that the Mustang II cars of the 1970s (1974-78 model years, to be exact) have a historical place that needs preservation. That’s why, when I saw this 1990 Mustang Coupe for sale here on ebay, I did a double-take. Might this be a preservation candidate worthy of attention? Why not, it begs us to say. Maybe one reason might be the price, which climbed quickly to just past $40 grand, but has stalled at $40,100 with a few days to go. So far, nearly 40 bids have been received on the car, which is being preserved in Houston, Texas while someone, maybe you, decides what your final number is.
No, wait. Maybe my double-take isn’t for the car so much as the price. The draw here is that this is a nearly new car, with only 1,900 miles on the clock. But that’s not exactly “delivery miles” like on cars you see at auctions that go home with a new owner at eight miles, or 11. This car is still ultra-low miles, but not “just out of the wrapper” new. The condition, however, does suggest careful use from when it went home with someone three and a half decades ago. Note that the model, an LX Coupe, is probably amongst the more pedestrian of that year, if you compare it to convertibles and GTs. But with that 5.0-litre engine, can you go wrong? Credit the seller for presenting the car precisely as it is—no “one of one” claims are made. Maybe you can drum up a rarity story, though, if you run a report on it that parses out all the options, color, and so forth.
Would you be doing the Mustang hobby a solid by being the next owner of this car? You would. Someday, there won’t be any more of these left, and this one will still look showroom new, if the next person takes his or her preservation task seriously. At this price, that’s probably what has to happen, because we’re over what is reasonable to recover should a person drive the car a bunch and then decide to sell it as a collectible.
On the other hand, if this is the one that got away from you, the car you should have bought back in the day, or kept after using one like it as your college ride (for instance), then this is a rare opportunity to drive a car that suits your own personal Mustang legend.
Very, very nice. Even looks detailed underhood, and the undercarriage appears nice also. Obviously has had great care; just sitting around (which this car obviously has) cars can get grungy.
If there was any doubt about the collectability of low-mileage Fox Bodies, here you go. Who would have thought a rather plain LX coupe would someday fetch prices like this.
In the interest of completeness, I would like to see a Marti Report. And the write-up has nothing for the car’s history; wouldn’t you like to know how it came to this point in time?
Thanks Brian K, nice job.
I do recall, not too very long ago- how desirable a factory black on black 5.0 notchback with a manual was to most everyone in the Mustang hobby. I believe this combo has been the “holy grail” of the fox body generation since probably about the late 90’s. It seems like it took several years after the fox body wrapped up in ‘93 before there was a well established and agreed upon favorite for most enthusiasts looking to buy and modify a fox body Mustang- and this was it!
And here I was thinking what a dull color it is and how it’s a shame it wasn’t bright early-’90s teal or that “Strawberry Metallic” Ford was putting on just about everything back then…
They want Hellcat money ( used of course) but still 79.500.
What you talking bout Willis
Hmmm. Says it comes with a clean Carfax yet they opt not to provide one in the listing for an extra $10. Nor do they provide a Marti report. This is on a car they last listed for $79,500 on their website. Usually people keep the plastic, window sticker, and paperwork when they are intentionally squirrel a car away for an investment and there is none presented. Undercarriage shot of the back of the car and not the front. Seems odd
How many laptops now, puking on the keyboard when these come up? Relax, you know, some folks like them, and really, to each their own. My PERSONAL experience, it was the worst car I ever had, and I’ve had a few. No need to continually bash the car, like I say, some liked it. Heck, I’d have taken a Mustang ll over this. I replaced this car with a ’95, V6, 5 speed, not without its problems as well, but still, TEN times the car this was. Funny, a Mustang hate-love relationship in just a few years. I say this everytime as a stern warning, pray the heater core doesn’t leak.
Yes. Had a girlfriend that had one, heater core leaked. Her farmer brother-in-law ended up fixing this, I believe he had to move the 3.8 V6 from the motor mount on the passenger side for access. Messy .
I have to agree with you. These screamed “cheap” even louder than the Mustang 2 did. And if you got the boy racer GT you got “cheap” with a bunch of cladding slathered on top and a bright paint job. Personally, my favorite Mustangs were the 64 through 70 styles, and the 2005 through 2014’s. And the “Mock E” is not a Mustang.
Heater core is no big deal. You pull the dash and open the box top and replace the core. No different than any newer car. It’s time to give the played out toon a rest.
They complain about the heater core on the fox Mustang. I think the heater valve on a Taurus would send them into the stratosphere….lol
The LX was always the more tastefully styled of those cars. The GT had a lot of extra boy racer **** slapped on that was more looks than function. Either is a matter of taste, but plenty of us wannabes still think the LX is the better looking car.
Definitely, Jim. I wholeheartedly agree. The LX looks a bit more refined, if you will. A less is more kind of thing I suppose but I’ve always thought, and probably why I owned two, that the LX has a much more ‘clean’ styling than the GT.
Fox body LX Mustangs are still a common sight in my area, however, you hardly ever see a GT. Ford figured that out with subsequent generation by ditching all of the added ground effects and cleaning up its lines.
Steve R
I think the ’85 – ’86 GT look even better than the LX
I had a ’90 LX 5.0 hatchback. Loved that car. One of the best I’ve ever owned. Sold it cuz I needed a decent pickup truck. I street raced it a little. But wanted the hatch for carrying more than the 3 small items you could squash into that trunk in the coupe.
5 digit odometer, pictures taken in such a way its hard to read the odometer on my mobile device the car predates auto check and carfax was just starting to expand outside of Missouri so for that kind of money you should inspect it in person
i am starting to think my “new” attitude towards “old” cars might have some validity. Basing my new outlook on life on this car and the $59,900 Chevelle convertible recently posted, plus a few $25,000 C3 Corvettes, I have concluded there is an age where one realizes there are too many better options to spend crazy money on if one is interested in maybe one last high-performance vehicle before that pre-packaged horizontal ride in the back of a Cadillac.I am thinking age 68-70 when you start thinking “Here is my $75,000, hand me the keys to that 2018 C7 Grand Sport coupe.”
I’ve owned a few Fox body Mustangs. The first was a 79 Cobra hatch with TRX suspension and wheels, 2.3 turbo 4. Wonderful cars all of them. $40,000 plus seems extreme, but low miles according to the seller. As someone else has commented a Carfax and Marti Report are a must.
If this is one that “got away from me”, it can stay gotten away from me. I never liked these early Fox bodies as they’re called now. The Mustang became a Mustang again once the 2005 retro style came out.
Yes give me a flat plane crank any day over a 1990 LX ! I don’t get pricing for nostalgia sake as there are way better mustang that go cheaper ! If you got to drive a slow Trans Am or whatever to make you feel young knock your self out but not me!
Great cars, but someone was hanging with the big guys son on party night, hitting that pipe quite hard, while coming up with the price!
Owned a bunch. $40k is insane for this one.
Coincidentally his son drove a 1985 Mustang GT convertible in high school.
Bidding is up to $42600. Although the seller’s reviews are positive, he gives no descriptions of the car other than the mileage and what the car has. It’s got all the right stuff but a little more info about the history and whether this guy is the original owner would be appreciated. Definitely the last of a breed: a Mustang V8 that’s not a GT, and this one will appreciate faster than a comparable GT.
Maybe this Fox body is not worth almost mid five figures, but it’s in darn fine shape. Mint condition. The black and notch back roof give it a minimalist vibe. But, who buys a car like this and doesn’t drive it? And it’s a stick yet. I detect a lot of sour grapes in the comments. I have a 91 LX convertible and I have to say, once I got it sorted out it’s been a fun ride. A generation one car is going to lack a lot of the modern amenities and a new Mustang would be hard to work on, the Fox is the perfect balance. IMHOP
I have had an 89 LX 5.0 5 speed convertible 24 years now. I have never had an issue. At 140,000 miles the car runs and performs great. Like any fast thing and I have a few, one must understand their limitations. Wet roads and other environments can deal a death blow to an idiot. I love mine it sleeps most of the time now. install battery, turn key and it comes to life like it was turned off yesterday. The coupes had the hardest life as many ended up at the dragstrip or being dragged off a tree or pole. My complaint is the cheap seat frames, otherwise I have none.