In the world of Fox body Mustangs that aren’t the elusive Cobra or Saleen editions, finding a well-preserved GT offered for sale by the original owner is exceedingly hard to dig up. This 1987 Ford Mustang GT was ordered new by the seller with the standard mix of GT equipment, dark gray metallic paint with a “Lower Titanium” two-tone with blue stripe, handling package, and removable roof panels. It’s offered here on eBay with no reserve and bids to $6,950.
The seller is the kind of owner you want to buy one of these from, as the level of detail that he presents into the car’s maintenance history suggests he is nothing short of detail-oriented. He’s the kind of guy who records his fuel fill-ups in a neat little notebook, to say nothing of how religious he’s been about addressing the big-ticket items. The Mustang has been repainted, losing the lower cladding two-tone effect and the blue decal stripe in favor of one solid color. The GT-specific turbine-style wheels are in great shape and look the part here.
The listing is a a lot to read through, but it’s worth the time if you’re looking for a real-deal one-owner Fox body, of which there cannot be many left. The seller reports on several big-ticket maintenance items, including a full engine tear-down and rebuild at 150,000 miles when the engine began consuming oil. At the same time, the transmission was overhauled. So, while the body and rear end have 202,000 miles on them, the engine and transmission have around 52,000. I mean, this guy talks about building his own idle air bypass spacer to reduce carbon fouling – that’s not something most casual owners would do.
Flaws are fairly minor, from tires that haven’t racked up many miles but could stand replacing; air conditioning that does not blow cold; a non-functional washer fluid pump; and the overhead map light fell apart, among other simple service issues. The Mustang has some warts for sure but it’s near impossible to find one with the original owner that has been looked after as well as this GT seemingly has. The next owner will have a high bar to clear in terms of fastidious DIY upkeep.
The seller has an outstanding (and lengthy!!) description of the car, going into extensive detail on what has been done over the years and what isn’t right for the car. (Contrast this listing with those five-word Craigslist descriptions). What struck me is the description of things that wear out or quit working right over the life of a 36 year old, 202k mile daily driver–it’s a long list.
This is a good opportunity to get into the Fox Body world for not much money, and to do some upgrades as desired.
I sold my 88 about 15 yrs ago, with 187 K on the clock (it was identical to this minus the sunroof…black as well).
I replaced brake pads, one set of rear U-joints, the (plastic) clutch self adjuster assembly under warranty and tires. I left the 100% broken ash tray cover broken as it was meant to be :-)
That was it for 187K. I bought it used with 10K on it.
Sounds like a neat guy. No mention of gear ratio so assume the 2.73 not the opt 3.08. T-tops are pretty rare on the foxes.
Looks beautiful . And a bargain at $7000 with a rebuilt engine, repaint and extensive maintenance records. Id be asking a bit more. Closer to $10k as these cars are becoming rarer.
Am I seeing it wrong, or is that paint peeling off the hood like it was a GM?
The seller is not asking for 7K, it’s an auction, so the sky is the proverbial limit.
This one is calling my name. Subdued color on a first run, flush headlight, GT with turbine wheels. I like the T-tops also, I think they were gone after 87 or 88
Those turbine wheels were impossible to keep clean .
These were really fund cars with the 5 speed. In town it was torquey enough to do 1-2-4 shifts in traffic .
Fox Bodied 5.0’s were some of the best cars of the 80’s. I detailed cars overnight at a Ford Dealer for a long time. 87 and 88 had speed density set-ups. 89 was first year of Mass -Air and 140 speedo. Once people discovered them, they sold quickly. Mine was an 89 LX Notch in a one year only color called Tropical Yelllow. 5 speed . 2:73 gears. Not long in, it received 3:55 gears and a Paxton Supercharger. It could move well, got great gas mileage, and didn’t ever have an issue. Great cars. Yes , T-tops were only in 87/88. Most people wanted a convertible instead. At present, a nice, low mileage example, can be a bit on the expensive side, and harder to find. These, Grand Nationals, GNX’s, and the rare 89 turbo Trans -Am, were the fastest rides of the decade.Mustangs were built well and the cheapest to get into new. Mine was $13k on the window sticker. People were paying more for Ford Taurus’ and the like. Everyone who had one always seemed to like it👍👍
My Dad bought a 90 GT brand new, it was strawberry red with the lower gray two tone paint and a 25th anniversary edition with the little badge on the dash. He ordered it loaded with every option but T-tops, gray leather power everything only draw back was it was a automatic. I bought it from him in 2003 and put in 3:73 rear gears, new TB and EGR valve, and upgraded the front brakes. It was a beautiful car and fun to cruise in, but the automatic just let it down. I tried Autocrossing it, but that transmission just wasn’t working, I thought of swapping in a 5 speed but the car was to clean to justify changing it. I sold it for $5k back in 2008 and bought a clean 240sx 5spd for $1500 and that car still sits in my garage.