The world of pace cars has changed dramatically over the years. There was a time when they were wildly valuable, kept in air-tight chambers with delivery miles on them. As motorsports and America’s interest in racing has changed, manufacturers have put less of an emphasis on building these special edition models, which at one time were used to drive foot traffic into showrooms. This 1979 Ford Mustang Pace Cars is one of the more intriguing models ever offered as it came with the option of a turbocharged four-cylinder or the venerable 5.0L V8. Find it here on eBay with bids to $3,600 and no reserve.
The four-eyed Fox body Mustang is a bit unloved in muscle car circles, but that also makes it a bit of a bargain at the moment. Late model Fox bodies in notchback form will set you back $20,000 or more in good shape, so checking out a limited production model like an early pace car seems like a good move. Plus, you get some sweet upgrades from the factory, namely this terrific Recaro interior. I had a set of these that I rescued (thanks in large part to Barn Finds writer Scotty G) from a junked pace car; they were later restored and incredibly comfortable. The matching back seat is a nice touch as well.
You got two engine choices, a turbocharged 2.3L four-cylinder and of course, the 5.0L V8. I feel that the jury is out as to which engine is the better choice as one wasn’t significantly better than the other on paper; however, the turbo mill can be boosted (literally) with upgrades to make it a pretty entertaining driver. However, the 5.0L V8 will always be the enthusiast’s choice, especially with that burble coming from the exhaust that a 4-cylinder can never replicate. The seller notes that his car has just 65,000 miles on the clock and is said to run and drive quite well.
The door graphics denoting this as a pace car aren’t in place, but those were optional and often times left in the car for the first owner to decide what to do with. The TRX wheels are still there, surely riding on metric tires that are expensive to replace. The rest of the decals and graphics look good, and the seller notes most everything still works (though, he can’t test the A/C at the moment.) This pace car is going cheap at the moment with no reserve, and while it will never be worth appreciably more than $8,000 or so without a full-scale restoration (which doesn’t make much sense at this price point), it will make a fun driver that reminds of a time when tribute cars to America’s motorsports culture were a thing.
Good write-up Jeff. These Pace Cars are an eye-catching package. There were lots of them built, and lots of them are still out there. Even the very nice ones don’t bring big bucks. Which in my opinion leaves this car in the position of: just do what you want with it and don’t worry. Drive it as-is; spruce it up (new upholstery?) and drive it; restomod it; restore it.
As far as which engine I’d rather have in this Mustang, I’ll take the V8, because there’s lots of things you can do to wake those 8 pots up, and you won’t blow the thing sky high like you could if you hopped up the turbo-4. I personally don’t care for the slathered graphics and gee-gaws on this car. It accurately defines the old saying, “lipstick on a pig”. I’d rather have just the plain-Jane Pony with the good ole V8 of course.
I liked the looks of these, esp the wheels, though little did we know at the time that they were metric and Michelin would soon say bye-bye to those tires for it. Didn’t mind the seat looks, though a solid color would have been better. The real problem with the Recaros in there was that they were too thin. Kept you in it on a winding road, but not too comfy on the long haul. A wealthy friend had a Porsche 928 with real after market full power Recaros in it. Those rode like a dream, so adjustable, and heated your fanny on a cool day (though not like he drove it in the winter).
FYI The upholstery and tires are both available aftermarket, but they are not cheap. (Nowadays, what is?)
I lived in Indianapolis for years. Love the 500, go every year. The history of the Pace car is interesting and frustrating. The selection process seems to formerly have had an independent bend to it… who doesn’t love a ‘62 Lark? No it’s just corp sponsorship; it’s been a Chevy every year since 2002.
There was a time when the pace car edition was something kind of special. GM seemed to have an outsized role in special editions. Who would think that a Delta 88 would have been 2 years earlier. This car was big deal for Ford breaking away from the Mustang II. The pace version was seemingly everywhere. Nice car and trip down memory lane.
In 79 I installed t tops in the cars as the original supplier ran in to issues, with that said.. I tried to order a v8 in a pace car and every ford dealer in my area could not order one with a v8 the only motor in a pace car was the turbo 4 cyl so I’m very skeptical of the claim that a v8 was available in the pace car if it would have been I’d have owned one or the 14 ford dealers around me were all wrong
I believe Ford was pushing the turbo pretty hard and heavy. Maybe it was supply maybe CAFE. There are times throughout the year when there are restrictions or changes in availability of equipment. That could have contributed but we may never know.
A quick Google search shows 43% of Pace Cars were V8’s.