Immediately being Christmas, the peak of the gift-giving season, we’ll must determine if this Good Value or No Cube Mustang is a correct current or if its worth makes you hope it comes with a return receipt.
Discovering a properly sorted 1985 Mercedes-Benz 300TD for below six figures, as we did yesterday, might not be a sufficiently big deal to be thought of a Hallmark film second, however it was fairly candy nonetheless. Our diesel wagon’s $8,700 asking worth proved completely palatable to 60 p.c of you, incomes the automobile a Good Value win in our vote.
It was as soon as widespread follow within the auto business to make mannequin yr modifications every single yr. The end result was a fall custom of individuals eagerly trying ahead to “seeing what subsequent yr’s vehicles would seem like.” Owing to the associated fee and the necessity to transfer growth monies to emission management and security enhancements over type, by the Eighties, this custom fell out of favor.
That’s to not say that each one vehicles stayed the identical yr after yr till a serious overhaul came about each half-decade or so, and Ford’s Mustang was one mannequin of automobile that noticed vital enchancment and styling updates with every new mannequin yr effectively into the Nineteen Nineties.
This 1983 Ford Mustang LX convertible is a notable mannequin and yr for 3 main causes. The grille might be the least vital however probably the most trivia-worthy of those. This mannequin yr noticed a design change to the nostril, giving the Mustang a narrower grille opening and, extra importantly, a Ford Blue Oval badge in the course of that opening. This was the primary time any manufacturing Mustang had ever carried the blue badge, as earlier years went both brandless or had been merely marked with FORD lettering.
Behind that grille is one other notable replace to debut this mannequin yr, which is the three.8-liter Essex V6. Now, it needs to be famous that this was a clear sheet design named for the manufacturing plant in Essex, Ontario, with no connection to the smaller and older English Essex V6.
Oddly sufficient, for a recent design, Ford went with a 90° Vee angle for the Essex reasonably than a extra appropriate 60°. This required a split-pin crank to function easily. For its Mustang debut, the three.8 breathed by way of a two-barrel carb, making 112 horsepower and 175 lb-ft of torque. On this automobile, that’s mated to an computerized transmission, which could possibly be both the older three-speed C4 or the newer four-cog AOD, relying on the way it was optioned. The automobile is claimed to run and drive like new.
The final main change for the Mustang in 1983 was the reintroduction of the convertible mannequin. This got here after a nine-year hiatus, completely skipping the prior Mustang II technology. These had been constructed as a partnership between Ford, which did the key structural reengineering of the Fox platform, and Vehicles & Ideas in Brighton, Michigan, which did the highest engineering and set up. Many of the convertibles in-built 1983 had been fitted with the three.8/computerized drivetrain, making this automobile par for the course.
What’s uncommon about this explicit Mustang is its again story and resultant situation. In response to the advert, this Mustang’s first proprietor loved driving it for twenty-four,000 miles earlier than passing away in 1999. The automobile was bequeathed to the household, who used it solely sparingly and saved it garaged more often than not. This has resulted in a automobile with simply 25,181 miles on the clock and a near-showroom-fresh look.
Which means it nonetheless has its unique proprietor’s guide and tonneau, in addition to its bizarre Cuisinart-style plastic hubcaps (boy, the ’80s had been funky) protecting every 14-inch wheel. The highest is new, and the vendor reveals it raised, so we will see that it seems to be well-fitting. That matches effectively with the silver metallic paint and black vinyl inside, the latter trying wonderful if ’80s-rental-car low-cost.
The engine compartment is simply as clear, and the three.8 appears to be like a bit misplaced there, which means upkeep needs to be a breeze on the engine. Regardless of being a GLX, which ought to point out that it’s fairly fancy, the automobile lacks niceties like energy home windows and locks or cruise management. Like European Fords of the time, the horn is activated by pushing the flip sign stalk, not the steering wheel heart.
A clear title and accident-free historical past are added incentives for this Mustang’s curiosity, making it an ideal contender for a very last-minute reward. That’s, after all, in case you all approve of the automobile’s $7,900 asking worth.
What do you say? Does that appear like a deal for this outdated and well-preserved Mustang? Or do the milquetoast specs imply this received’t be sitting below an enormous bow this vacation season?
You determine!
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