It’s been decades since the unveiling of the Indianapolis 500 pace car has been an exciting event, because it’s invariably been a Chevrolet performance car such as a Corvette or a Camaro. But for the majority of the 500’s history, the pace car could have been provided by any manufacturer, and it often coincided with a new model. Such was the case in 1979, when the all-new Mustang was introduced. Rick Mears won the race (and the pace car with its Roush-specification 302), but the public was able to take home a facsimile, and over 11,000 buyers took advantage. A fair number of those pace cars were maintained in near-showroom condition, including this one-owner example in the Chicago area. It’s currently for sale through a dealer on craigslist.
Few would name 1979 as an exciting year for automobiles, but the Mustang was one of a few highlights. There were two “performance” engines available, this 140-horsepower 302 and a new turbocharged 2300 Lima four. I’ve seen pace car replicas with both, but I’d be happier with the V8 these days. This one is backed by a four-speed manual (with overdrive top gear), so it’s bound to be about as fun-to-drive as it got in 1979.
Perhaps less inspiring today is the TRX handling package that came with the pace car, solely because you’re stuck trying to find those metric tires or upgrading to the aftermarket versions in a modern size.
The interior was all-new for 1979 as well, and pace car replicas got a special pair of Recaro buckets up front with their own snazzy upholstery. One thing that didn’t last very long was the low-mounted interior door handle. I had a friend in high school who drove an old ’79 hatchback, and those handles were not a decision that took ergonomic considerations into account. But aside from that and the decidedly Fairmont-like dashboard, it’s pretty sporty in here. I like the steering wheel; it vaguely recalls the original 1965 model.
Here’s a blast from the past for you: This Mustang was undercoated at Rusty Jones when it was new. Remember them? It was apparently all for naught, because this 43,000-mile, one-owner Mustang has not seen snow. As a side note, my dad had his ’88 Mustang GT undercoated when he bought it in 1990, and it looks better underneath today than a salt-belt car has a right to. My mom did have a short commute, which might have helped.
I miss the yearly excitement of finding out what the Indy pace car would be, but we can still look back with fond memories. It will take $29,900 to relive them in person by taking this one home; that’s a lot, but it looks like a nice car with original paint and graphics. Thanks again to Barn Finds’ friend T.J. for keeping those finds coming.
Looks like a well-preserved example of an eye-catching, reasonably well-done Pace Car model. Has the preferred drivetrain.
The 1979 Mustang was a breath of fresh air. Little did we know the basic car would be in production for 15 years, and how popular they would be today.
I always did like the paint scheme on these, they just had IMO, that cool factor. Regarding the sunroofs, I read that they came standard equipment on the approximately 10,000+ 1979 Mustang Pace Car replicas and that the frames for the sunroofs were “part of the cars” and could not be removed. So I would presume they were all done in house at Ford and installed during production.
Bought one in 79 for $7500 or so. 302 with a 4 speed. Think list was around 9K. Not a brisk seller at that price as they probably made more replicas than the market could absorb. The car was a light at the end of the dark 70s tunnel that did herald better performance days ahead. And even though the ’79 turbo version was not too desirable, it also pointed to the future.
Fast-forward to 2024 and I have another one. It’s in the paint shop with the hope it’ll look as good as the one offered in this post.
30K buys a lot of great classic cars, so you will have to be absolutely in love with a ’79 Pace Car to want to buy this one.
You are absolutely right. It may be in great condition, but these didn’t get much respect, especially after 86 when the 5.0 fox bodies received a good fuel injection set up on top of the 5spd, stronger rear end and quad shock. There are much better Fox bodies for less, not to mention all of the other makes and models it will be competing with at that price level.
Steve R
This car was just bought off facebook for 22k or less. There are nicer pace cars out there for 25k. They don’t pull 30k…..yet.
Flip-tastic!
Good luck with that.
The metric tires gave the Fox body cars European handling and it’s worth keeping the package. Michelin still makes the TRX tire and there’s a list of dealers on michelinman.com
Love those wheels, but the metric size is a pain today. I hear them make replicas that mimic them
The Michelin TRX metric tires are available at TireRack. The metric tire/wheel combination also had a different suspension. The TRX tire flexes differently and the look alike wheels with standard tires leads to a noticeable compromise in handling.
My cousin had a new one but his was a turbo 4 cylinder . IT wasn’t very fast but l loved the optics very much.
Sweet recaro seats!! I put these wheels and tires on my 1980 capri It did help the handling a lot.