While many of us wish that every vintage car could be saved, some of them are simply too far gone to warrant rescuing. The Fox body Mustang is certainly coming into its own as a collector car, with minty examples fetching very real money at the moment. Preservation-grade Cobras have especially taken off, trading hands oftentimes for $50,000 or better. That said, while a rising tide lifts all boats, it doesn’t necessarily mean every Fox body is destined to be saved. This 1984 Ford Mustang GT is the desirable 5.0L spec with T-tops and a manual transmission, but rust in the floors and strut towers may render it a parts car. Find it here on eBay with bids to $630 and no reserve.

The seller knows as well as we do that the future prospects of this rusty Mustang are dim. You can see some rust forming around the edges of the T-tops, which makes me wonder if the roof panels developed a leak at some point that spent years going undetected, eventually working its way into the floors. We’ve seen this happen more than once, as T-tops – much like the landau roof – can cause more problems than they’re worth in short order. The Mustang has lived in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, so it’s also possible that just regular daily use in the Northeast caused the floors and strut towers to perish. It’s a shame because the Mustang otherwise appears to be wholly decent.

The 5.0L V8 is the preferred drivetrain if you’re on the hunt for a Fox body, and while it isn’t exactly overly detailed, the engine bay at least shows a bone-stock mill under the hood. There’s nothing wrong with modifying a Fox body, but when you’re buying one as a project, it’s easier to start with a car that hasn’t been messed with. The engine clearly hasn’t been touched for a while, as everything – from the hoses to the ignition wires – looks plenty old. The seller hasn’t driven it nor made any attempt to start the Mustang, so the next owner will have to roll the dice that they haven’t purchased a boat anchor.

Sadly, we can’t see just how good or bad the interior is with those seat covers present. The GT models usually got some nicely bolstered bucket seats, but I’m guessing the cloth upholstery is all torn up, hence why the trashy seat covers were left in place. The door panels look rough in this picture, at least on the passenger side, with evidence of it being bent up and/or warped from moisture damage. The Mustang otherwise appears to be very original inside, and even comes with the hard-to-find-tires-for TRX wheels. The fact the wheels remained with the car tells me someone cared enough to keep those pieces with the GT for decades as opposed to turning them into hose reels or selling them for scrap.  While floor rust is manageable, strut tower rust is a major repair – and may spell the end of this Mustang’s road-going career. What do you think its fate should be?