The Ford Mustang SVO is one of the rarer ones when it comes to Fox bodies, with fewer than 10,000 examples produced during the car’s short run from 1984 through 1986. With that aggressive hood scoop and snarky front end, many unsuspecting ‘Stang fans probably thought a 5.0 was lurking under the hood back in the day when they saw these cars coming up quickly in their rearview mirror. But that’s not the case, and if you’re in the market for an unusual and well-preserved 4-banger, this may be a great Mustang for you to consider. It’s located in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, a short drive north of Hartford, and can be found here on eBay with the seller aiming for $28,500.
The story goes that Ford created a program called Special Vehicle Operations in the early eighties, whose mission was to create and develop performance parts for the company’s participation in different racing scenarios, with the first production car offering being the 1984 Mustang SVO. The only engine available was the 2.3 liter 4-cylinder, but it was turbocharged and mated to a Borg-Warner T-5 manual transmission borrowed from the Thunderbird Turbo Coupe. Horsepower was a respectable 175, plus the motor weighed nearly 200 pounds less than the V8, so things were lighter in the front end. This combined with some suspension mods made for a good handling and nimble driving experience, and the seller’s car is said to have been meticulously maintained and runs great.
The paint is stated to be all original, with no touch-ups to the finish or the black trim at all, and it sure looks to be nicely preserved from every angle we can see. It’s stored inside and the seller only drives the Mustang occasionally, mostly to car shows, where I’m sure it gets a lot of attention. The only thing that’s been modified is the original wheels, which have been painted on the inside cut-outs to match the body color. Even the tires are stated to be original.
Everything inside is described as being in like-new condition, with no cracks, rips, or stains, and the radio and gauges are all functioning exactly as they should. Those look like some really comfortable and inviting bucket seats, and I’d love to get behind the wheel of this one and engage that turbo. With the car’s exceptional condition, maybe the price tag isn’t all that out of line, but if you’re finding the $28.5k asking price a bit optimistic there’s also the opportunity to make an offer. What are your thoughts on this 1984 Ford Mustang SVO, and what do you think is a reasonable price to pay for the example you’re seeing here?
Interesting that in that pic of the car from the rear there is a different style of wheel on the car, a 5 spoke design. Nice car overall, but the seller is looking for about double what it’s worth.
Metric wheels are hard to find. The ’86 styling was better like the Merkur
The only difference on the ’86 SVO was flush headlights.
The Old Car Price Guide lists a Barrett-Jackson quality 84 SVO at around $17k.
Looks like a real nice SVO. Low miles and good condition. These have a following but have been mostly under the radar compared to a 5.0. But an appropriate example of what the manufacturers were trying to accomplish at the time. I agree, the asking price is optimistic.
Hard to say if price us high now…were in a diff time for sure. I’ve had a bunch of the SVOs including a new very rare 85 1/2 competition prep SVO. They’re fantastic fun cars worth owning
Boy the flush headlights on these, sure made the front end look way better.
As I understand,the later cars with the flush headlights
are more desirable.
They def are. Early 85 had some minor improvements, very limited production late 85 had a lot of improvements, that’s the most desired one. 86 is basically the same as late 85. I had very rare black 85 1/2 competition prep SVO new
Great price for a car that’s in original ..if only Ford would of put the 4 eyed headlights on them..