With interest in Fox body Mustangs appearing to be on the rise, these cars seem like they’re becoming good investments, especially when a Limited Edition example such as this 7-Up 1990 Mustang LX here on Craigslist shows up in the marketplace. This may not be the most exciting variant out there, but considering it’s a 5.0-equipped convertible, the price of $7,000 seems like a potential bargain at first, at least from the passenger-side viewpoint. A bit of bad news follows, but if you’ve got some moderate body skills it may still be worth considering, so head over to Blackwood, New Jersey, to check this pony out in person and see if this one’s right for you.
Mitchell G., thanks for your fun tip here! The inspiration behind this idea was the NCAA finals back in ’90, with 7-Up preparing to be one of the well-known sponsors. It stands to reason that giving away 30 cars during the game would be a great way to generate long-lasting brand recognition, so the team at 7-Up went to work coming up with a Mustang in the same colors as their soda can, including a green body with a white canvas top. However, the event never happened, but since the design had already been paid for and implemented, Ford went ahead with it anyway, ultimately producing more than 4,000 of these cars.
Unfortunately, this one took a turn for the worse at some point, as the driver’s side front end and fender had a very close encounter with some hard object. The cowl-type hood is an aftermarket item, so maybe a factory component would be preferable since there’s a good chance it’s going to need replacing. The seller mentions that the damage here is cosmetic only, and he assures us the car is still mechanically sound.
The Mustang appears to remain in good shape inside, with a couple of non-factory additions including a roll bar in the rear and a gauge of some sort mounted on the A-Pillar. I’m also thankful to spot the 5-speed shifter, with the owner’s number checking out that of the 4,103 made, his car is indeed one of the 1,360 produced with a manual transmission. The other 2,743 were automatics.
According to the ad, the car’s mileage is listed at 40,000, but the seller clarifies that the 302 got a rebuild and that’s how far it’s been driven since this time. The impact was severe enough to separate the top of the exterior panel from the fenderwell, so there’s the possibility some metal on the driver’s side in the engine compartment could use a little straightening as well. All things considered, is $7,000 a reasonable price for this 1990 Limited Edition 7-Up Mustang LX?
It has all of the earmarks of being beat to death earlier in its life. It would be wise if interested to run a CARFAX and check the current status of its title, making sure the seller is listed as owner and to see if it isn’t salvaged.
The market is rising for really nice low mileage 5.0 LX’s, potential buyers shouldn’t confuse this with a car that falls into that category. As for being a 7-Up edition, I wouldn’t place any additional value on that.
Steve R
I’m shocked how clean the interior appears. Did they just crash it and store it?
That horse was rode hard and put away wet. The interior is a bright spot, but it needs a repaint and the original alloys to make it look like its original 7-up self.
I went out with a girl in college just so I might get the chance to drive her 7-up convertible. That’s how awesome these cars were back in the day.
Doesn’t look green to me.
My wife had one with 312K miles on it when we sold it and was in better condition than this one at point of sale. I can’t imagine why it needed a rebuild unless someone didn’t change the oil. Her’s would go through a cooling system every 85K miles or so. The components failing one by one over a few thousand miles but the motor would still let you steer with the rear wheels (the 7up’s came with limited slip) on a mountain road. There are so many great examples out there. I saw a 7up with 14K miles on it always garaged for $20K not long ago. I can’t see any reason to take this project on.
It looks like it’ll need a total investment of $20-25K to bring it to a high #3-low #2 car. Fox Body 5.0 Mustangs are getting respect in the collectible marketplace so this is a car worth restoring.
I like the 7-UP Editions and this one is a 5-speed. That damage isn’t as bad as some I’ve seen, including my 91 Midnight Blue Pearl one. I was amazed the insurance repaired that car, might have been due to the whining I did. It was smacked bad.
I do wonder what is hiding under that crunched fender. It is pushed back some. I see some time on a frame rack, maybe not a lot, but some.
Where are the original Turbine Wheels? I don’t really like the wheels. I agree this car looks run hard and put away wet. The hood should be tossed and replaced. I’m going to think about this one, I do miss my 91 5.0 LX Convertible. Had it 29 years, Wisconsin Winters caught up with it.