We often see cars show up for sale that have been abandoned due to circumstance, such as a relative passing away or an owner running out of patience for a project. This 1984 Ford Mustang SVO doesn’t seem to be either one of those, however, as the seller notes that he had the engine rebuilt before it was parked beginning in 2002 for no obvious reason. The seller notes the rebuilt engine had only about 15,000 miles on it and that there was far more that could be done in terms of upgrades based on the specs of the build. Find the SVO here on eBay with an opening bid of $5,000 and no action yet. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Bubba Balew for the find.
In addition to the years of inactivity, the Mustang was also parked outside, so the paint is plenty weathered. The signs of prolonged weather exposure are also evident with the sagging rear spoiler, which is made of a rubber-type material that will absolutely break down after baking in the sun. The rubber trim on the bumper is also faded. However, I bet that the paint will bounce back nicely, and flat-face wheels would likely also respond well to polishing. The seller notes that he also has a replacement lens for the driver’s side turn signal, which is missing in photos.
The interior is in fair but clearly used shape. The mold on the three-spoke steering wheel is another tell-tale sign of being parked for a prolonged period. We don’t get a clear shot of the front bucket seats, but the back seat appears sound. The Fox body SVO has terrific seats, with generous bolstering and are Recaro-like in appearance. The shift knob is fairly worn and the dash pad is badly cracked; the cabin will need some level of restoration by the next caretaker in order for it to be presentable. Fortunately, even with the somewhat limited production numbers of the SVO, you can still find cars being parted out with decent spares availability.
Let’s talk about the engine build: a ported high flow head with larger valves and roller cam; adjustable cam sprocket; the block bored .030 over with forged pistons, Crower Sportsman rods, and head studs; 3-inch downpipe with dual exhaust; converted to a single in-tank pump; and in the seller’s words, “…way too much to list on the engine.” This was not just a routine servicing or a headgasket job; the intent was to build an engine that could accept more tuning down the line. He correctly notes it would be far more expensive to replicate this build today, so hopefully a bidder out there finds the opening bid acceptable and takes home a worthy project for safely under $7,000.
Grungy car mostly everywhere more than anywhere else. Obviously the word clean doesn’t mean anything to some folks.
Like bobhess says, a grungy SVO. I’m not sure of its future…..
In hindsight, the SVO was an interesting effort at what Ford thought the future performance market might look like. Specifically, more Euro-like, centered on a four-cylinder powerplant with accompanying performance and styling enhancements. Meanwhile, at Ford, the revival V8 performance (“The Boss Is Back”) was also in motion. We know which one won out. But ironically, turbo four powerplants are a staple of new cars today.
Which leaves the SVO in an odd place. It has some nice features (seats, 16″ wheels) but is only mildly collectible. There are nice ones out there, which leaves a scruffy example like this in a difficult place. Maybe spiff up the paint and take care of other needs, and just enjoy it as something different.
I like it. Is that supposed to be brown though? Price is a little high but the lack of rust and straight body panels make it worth a look. The mechanicals are impressive.
One of the 1984 colors was Medium Canyon Red, i.e. maroon. I think that’s it.
Color-wise, the 1986 in Dark Shadow Blue is the one to chase. Less than 100 built.
Strange that the Speedometer goes to 140mph but is only numbered up to 85, sucks to think the 55mph speed limit didn’t start to go away until 1987. Vehicular Abuse that this was left to rot for 20+ years
For a few years, the Feds mandated that speedometers read no higher than 85, to discourage speeding. Didn’t work out, amazingly enough.
Exactly! When a nice State Trooper pulled me over in my 85 C10, he asked me if I knew how fast I was going…. I said “No, the speedo only goes to 85.” He wasn’t impressed with my try at being humorous.
Parked for 22 years, under a nice shady tree. No thanks.
Hurricane survivor????