Behold, the early years of the Fox-platform Ford Mustang. I’ve always been a sucker for the rake of the rear window and how it flows cohesively into the pony’s plastic spoiler, but I suppose the true selling point of the Fox body to a modern buyer is the variety of power options. This particular car came to the dealer floor with a wheezing Pinto motor under its bonnet, but at some point in its life, the seller opted to increase this pony’s gallop.
[Source: Chicago CraigsList]
As you might expect, the seller consulted the CraigsList Style Manual before pounding on the keyboard, although I find the lack of ALL CAPS disturbing.
From the ad:
1981 fox mustang t-top*project car* – $1000 (lowell indiana)
1981 mustang t-top was originally 4cyl 4speed was converted to a fuel injected 3.8 engine out of a 1990 thunderbird with auto trans has complete wire harness and computer did run and drive but been sitting in barn since 1993 will need work to run again still has clutch pedal assembly if u want to convert to stick shift again the engine and trans only has around 35000 miles the interior is missing seats and carpet everything else is there brand new dash pad still in box torque boxes floors and body all good shape very straight body and very minimal rust from 20years of sitting in barn 110000 miles on car clean title great candidate for v8 conversion to cruise with T-tops off asking $1000.00contact chris@219 808-XXXX possible trade for a pre 1973 ford truck to make a rat rod (tags)…fox mustang 4 eyes rat strip street cruise roller project mustang body panels 5.0 clean title
Enter the swapped engine, a slightly odd choice, really. With a relative glut of 5.0-liter Mustang engines floating around, one of this car’s previous owners (perhaps the seller?) opted instead for the fuel-injected 3.8-liter V6 from a Ford Thunderbird. The 1990 version of the V6 put out 140 horsepower, which would be quite a bump over its predecessor, but one must wonder why eschew the V8 here.
I’d hardly call myself a Mustang guy, preferring its more punitive contemporaries, but I find its boxy 1981 styling with four eyes and a box-fan grille oddly appealing.
The T-tops’ status of not being lost or broken is remarkable, given the car’s age.
However, the interior looks a tad disconcerting, although the crapcan team looking for a different approach to the Fox Mustang won’t mind discarding all of it. So would you buy it to race? If so, would you keep the V6 and make it run again? Would you upgrade to the turbocharged SVO powerplant? The 5.0-liter V8? The ever-rare BMW M21 diesel from a Lincoln Mark VII?
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