5k: 1989 Ford Mustang LX 5.0

The “Fox body” replaced the ill-conceived and short lived Pinto-based Mustang II in 1979 to much fanfare and thanks from performance enthusiasts everywhere.  The new Mustang was better looking, better constructed and more spacious on the inside – but it took many years of development before the engines gave it the performance to start to be able to match the ’60s Mustangs.  This 1989 Mustang LX is for sale in Caldwell, ID via craigslist for $3900 – and it recently failed to meet its reserve on ebay.

Of the Fox body Mustangs the later ones are the best looking and, aside from the Cobra, this is one of the ‘sportier’ Foxes available.  We do like the shine on this original paint, and the color (we think it is paint code 9G: midnight currant red pearl metallic). While we wouldn’t put fancy newer style headlights on one ourselves – these do look nice, not too ‘pimp my ride’ and probably replaced some original lamps that had yellowed beyond repair.

This Fox is powered by the venerable ‘5-point-Oh’ power-plant (the referenced subject in Vanilla Ice’s “hit” single “Rollin’ in My 5.0”) – a 5.0 liter iron-block, fuel-injected, push-rod V8 making 225 horsepower and 300 ft-lbs of torque.  This 5.0 has a few bolt-on upgrade parts (headers, exhaust) and should make a few more ponies – but nothing mind blowing.  It does have a T5 manual transmission along with an aftermarket clutch and should be a hoot to drive around.  Not super fast – but enough power and torque to make the rear drive chassis tail happy in the curves.

Inside, this ‘stang is remarkably clean for a 23 year old car and we like that it has cloth seats with a cool retro-pattern instead of worn out cracked leather.  Leather looks really nice on the showroom floor, but ages so quickly compared to a good cloth or vinyl material.  Leather can also cause burns on your cheeks on a hot day – but only if you aren’t wearing pants.

Photos can be deceiving and some of the Craigslist photos show some paint flaws in the rear black bumper trim – but overall we are impressed with the condition of the paint on a car that has driven 140k miles.  A close inspection for signs of a respray is essential before purchasing this car (check seals around door trim and latch area for signs of non-factory overspray). 

Will you put this Foxy lady in your garage or call out the hounds?  Email us here: tips@dailyturismo.com