Vehicle Description
Packing strong-running carbureted 5.0 V8s, the Ford Mustang GT
convertible was easily the biggest bang for the buck in 1985 if you
were looking for open-air fun. Clean styling makes it still one of
the best-looking of the Fox-platform Mustangs, and this one is a
striking white-on-gray car that hasn't been abused or raced, but
rather pampered during the minimal 62,581 miles it has spent on the
road.
Ford got the package exactly right in 1985, combining the hottest
5.0L HO V8 with the newer convertible body style that was
reintroduced in 1983 (featuring a restyled front fascia with a
grille-less nose and horizontal air intake slot for '85), then
making it so affordable that it was the biggest performance bargain
in more than two decades. The biggest aftermarket performance
revolution in American since the heyday of the small-block Chevy
made these cars targets for drag racers and customizers, and as a
result, it's extremely rare to find a largely original example like
this. The paint is original, and it's not easy to believe that it's
coming up on 35 years old. The blackout treatment on the hood isn't
clogged with old wax or fading, and the car fits together so
tightly you'll know instantly that it hasn't been thrashed or left
out to bake in the sun. Black rub strips around the perimeter of
the body make it look long and lean, much of the weather-stripping
around the car has been replaced as needed so it looks great, and
the light houses and bumpers show incredibly well too. For a
Mustang convertible of this vintage to be in such great shape is
almost unheard-of.
The ultra-supportive cloth buckets were some of the best you could
buy in 1985 and featured grippy fabric inserts framed by red piping
to give it a truly racy look. There's only very modest wear, even
on the side bolsters, and the original carpets don't tell you much
about the car's age, either. The gauges are all fully functional
with crisp, clear markings, and the stuff that's always broken on
these cars (the console lid and ashtray) are still present and
accounted for. The same goes for the original AM/FM/cassette stereo
head unit, which remains in the center of the dash and sounds
great. Other options include A/C (blows cold!), tilt steering,
cruise control, power windows, and power locks, making it a car
that you could live with every day. The convertible Mustang
returned in 1983 after a 9-year hiatus, and in 1985, the top was
power actuated and stows neatly under a taut vinyl boot. The
Mustang also offers a decent-sized trunk that's very nicely
preserved with original carpets, and has plenty of room for a set
of golf clubs or some car show goodies.
The 5.0 HO V8 evolved each year, and 1985 brought yet another
horsepower increase. With 210 base horsepower on the carbureted
5-speed manual transmission models, it was the most powerful of the
pre-Aero Foxbody cars (1979-1986), and there's nothing quite like
the sound of all four barrels snapping open and barking through the
throaty, original dual exhaust system. Once again, with
modifications being so easy on a Mustang, it's amazing that this
one has not been significantly upgraded. The engine has never been
opened, the original air cleaner is still in place, and it's still
exhaling through stock manifolds. Maintenance records show gasket
replacements, HVAC work, and various suspension updates, but
everything was done correctly with an eye towards originality, only
strengthening the car, not changing its factory spirit. Factory A/C
is a nice addition, since a lot of these were built for the track,
and it's extremely clean throughout the engine bay, ready to be
shown off at the cruise-in. This one also packs the highly
desirable 5-speed manual transmission feeding the original 7.5-inch
Trak-Lok rear end. Stock 15-inch alloy wheels are exactly what
belong on this car and carry 205/65/15 blackwall performance
radials all around.
This is a very clean example of the last of the carbureted
Mustangs; a very low mileage droptop that comes documented with all
of its original owner's manuals, maintenance records, and even a
few OEM spare parts. Don't miss this chance to get ahold of this
rare Fox and call today!