With the introduction of the brand new Fox-platform Mustang for the 1979 mannequin yr, the Pinto-derived Mustang II was proven the door and a brand new period of Mustang efficiency started. Mustangs with ever-more-powerful V8s and turbocharged four-bangers hit the streets, rappers sang their praises and hot-rodded Ford ponies took over the drag strips. The factor is, we regularly overlook that the Mustang additionally remained trustworthy to its origins as a sporty-looking but economical commuter automotive through the Fox period, which signifies that a lot have been bought with gas-sipping base engines and penny-pinching value tags. Here is a type of automobiles, present in a North Carolina self-service knacker’s yard not too long ago.
In 1987, the Mustang was obtainable as a notchback two-door sedan, as a convertible and as a three-door hatchback. Aside from 1979 and 1980, the hatchback at all times outsold the notchback through the 1979-1993 Fox period (wherein greater than 2.5 million Mustangs have been bought).
The bottom engine within the 1987 Mustang LX was the two.3-liter “Pinto” four-cylinder, rated at 90 horsepower and 130 pound-feet, and that is what we now have right here.
The 1987 Mustang GT got here with a 5.0-liter V8 making 225 horses and 300 pound-feet. These wishing to get a light-weight sleeper Mustang that yr may purchase the LX notchback and order it with the V8 and affiliated parts, which added $1,885 ($5,294 in 2024 {dollars}) to the automotive’s $8,043 sticker value ($22,591 after inflation).
The LX hatchback value a bit greater than the trunk-equipped ’87 Mustang, with an MSRP of $8,474 ($23,801 in at present’s cash). However this automotive has some expensive choices that pushed the worth fairly a bit larger, as we’ll see.
First, there’s the four-speed computerized transmission with overdrive, which added $515 to the out-the-door value ($1,447 now). There’s additionally air con, which added between $788 and $1,028 relying on the package deal ($2,213 to $2,887 at present).
This automotive additionally has the good solid aluminum wheels, which got here with the V8 engine package deal and do not appear to have been a manufacturing unit possibility for two.3-equipped automobiles. We are able to assume that these have been swapped on after buy.
The middle caps have been inside.
It is in fairly good situation for a 37-year-old automotive, significantly better than the vast majority of Fox Mustangs I discover throughout my junkyard travels. Stuffing a Windsor V8 and handbook transmission into certainly one of these automobiles is a simple and comparatively low cost undertaking, however no person intercepted this automotive throughout its path to the crusher. I feel a hot-rodded Fox LTD or Cougar can be extra enjoyable, personally.
1987 was the mannequin yr for the Fox Mustang’s large facelift, which removed the previous sealed-beam “four-eyes” headlights and added a grille very similar to those on Tauruses and Thunderbirds. The ultimate yr for the Fox Mustang was 1993, except you contemplate the Fox-derived 1994-2004 SN95 Mustangs to be real Foxes.
Ford did not trouble to make many TV commercials pitching the Mustang LX, as an alternative specializing in the flashier GT. I used to be a broke school pupil in 1987 and a brand new Mustang was far out of my attain, however at the very least I owned a sporty Ford fastback with Windsor V8 and screaming Competitors Orange paint on the time.