Vehicle Description
Finding an unmodified Fox-bodied Mustang GT like this 1989 GT
convertible just doesn't happen anymore; after all, they've all
been modified and raced, right? The car that single-handedly
reignited the horsepower wars between Ford and Chevy and created
the world's largest aftermarket parts market is so easy to modify
that even my mother's '93 GT has a set of gears and a K&N
filter bolted on. Nevertheless, this amazingly original 1989 ragtop
is solid, straight, and runs incredibly well, and is bone stock
save for a set of Flowmasters and an upgraded radiator. Nice,
right?
Code 9L Oxford White paint was a rather popular iteration of the
1989 GT with 6,131 convertibles built this year, all of which flew
out of the showrooms. Throw in the Scarlet Red interior and you've
got the quintessential Mustang of my dreams, and I know I wasn't
the only that pictured Cindy Crawford riding shotgun in one of
these with me. The combination is striking, even decades later and
the car remains in excellent shape with just 61,875 original miles.
The finish shows a few VERY minor signs of use here and there, but
certainly nothing major and it's quite obvious that this car was
always treated as a fair-weather toy that slept in a
climate-controlled garage rather than a daily driver. The finish is
still very smooth, and yes, it does look that shiny in person. The
urethane ground effects are in fantastic condition, with no warping
on the rocker panels and a crack-free chin spoiler that's the
result of careful driving and speed-bump avoidance for the last 31
years. Even the aero headlights, which get cloudy almost overnight,
are clear and bright and the red trim, which sees a lot of
sunlight, hasn't turned pink and chalky like so many of this car's
siblings. Out back the louvered taillights are as dynamic as ever
and the luggage rack atop the trunk means Cindy Crawford can bring
along all her designer bags.
Cloth upholstery was standard in the GT, but the 'Articulated
Sport' variation of the Scarlet Red interior in this '89 was very
sought-after, with seats that feature plaid-patterned inserts and
vinyl backing. It's a very high-end look for durable cloth fabric,
and is there anything better than a red interior on a white car?
With snug-fitting buckets that are as comfortable and supportive as
they look, this interior is still highly functional more than three
decades after it was designed. There are no rips or tears in the
seats, and honestly they're not even worn to any significant degree
- same story goes for the plush red carpets, the cloth-and-vinyl
door panels, and the crack-free black and red dash. Factory A/C,
power windows and locks, a tilt wheel, cruise control, and the
original AM/FM/Cassette stereo are all part of the package. There's
also a white power convertible top that stows itself easily
underneath a red vinyl boot cover and it even has a glass rear
window. Out back, the trunk is surprisingly spacious for a
convertible and it's essentially as clean as it was the day this
car rolled off the showroom floor.
The engine powering this droptop is the famous and virtually
indestructible 5.0 liter V8. Smooth and torquey, it makes all the
right muscle car sounds and moves the lightweight hatchback with
authority. The bubbly idle gives way to a powerful roar as you blow
through the gears, and the Mustang seems happier at high RPM than,
say, its Camaro competition. Save for an upgraded SVE radiator and
blue plug wires, the engine in this GT is completely stock, right
down to the air filter, which is flat-out amazing when you consider
how easy and downright tempting it is to augment a Fox-body
Mustang. There's also a set of Flowmaster mufflers underneath to
improve the soundtrack, but the catalytic convertors were retained
so it's emissions test ready and nerdy enthusiast approved. A
5-speed manual transmission is exactly what you want in a Fox-body,
and it cycles through each gear smoothly, allowing the driver to
drop down a gear or two to smash the throttle, making this Mustang
GT a real thrill ride even decades later. The suspension hasn't
been lowered, it's still got 2.73 gears in its 8.8-inch rear end
out back, and it rolls on the original turbine aluminum wheels and
recent 225/60/15 performance radials.
There maybe a couple FoxBody Mustangs with lower mileage out there,
but very few that haven't been modified and abused. This
great-looking convertible represents a clean sheet investment
opportunity, and the entire Mustang performance world is open to
you. Call now!
