Vehicle Description
3041 original miles (not a typo). 5.0 with 5-speed. Awesome
first-year Mustang GT convertible that's beautifully preserved.
Recently serviced, runs and drives extremely well. This legendary
5.0 is ready to enjoy this summer!This is the car that started it
all?the Mustang 5.0. Ford reintroduced performance with the Mustang
GT and the 5.0 became the '80s version of the small block Chevy.
Easy to modify, insanely fast, and extremely durable. The Fox body
Mustang was light and agile, making it a fantastic combination if
you love to drive. And the only way the Mustang GT could be better
is by cutting off the roof, which is exactly what happened in 1983.
Ford used an outside contractor, ASC, to create these first-year
ragtops so they're a little different than the later cars and
that's all part of the appeal. This particular 1983 Mustang GT was
obviously something special to someone, because he (or she)
squirreled it away with just 3041 miles on the clock (and no,
that's not a misprint). It remained in storage, protected and warm
for 27 years until it was disinterred in 2023 and brought back to
light. The factory Bright Red paint was buffed and looks fantastic,
especially with the satin black hood accent which gives the Mustang
an old school muscle car look. You'll note that the nose is a
slightly different color, which wasn't unusual since the urethane
bumpers and the body were painted at different times in different
factories. We love the clean lines, especially the trunk, which
does without the clumsy trunk rack and third brake light of the
later cars. It presents like a low-mileage car: the doors close
with a satisfying click, the door handles operate with a crispness
that you've probably forgotten, and there's no evidence that it has
ever been hit or wrecked and certainly it's never been rusty. This
is as close to 1983 as you can get today. The interior is where the
Fox Mustangs show their superiority over their competition. Sure,
it's a bit more upright but there's great visibility and those
sport seats are as comfortable as they look. The upholstery is in
fantastic condition and the seats remain firm and comfortable, and
the cloth is a cooler choice than leather or vinyl in a
convertible. This particular GT is pretty well optioned, including
power windows and locks, cruise control, A/C, a tilt steering
column, and a decent-sounding AM/FM/cassette stereo. A full set of
gauges was standard equipment in the GT, as was the information
center at the base of the center console, which tells you when
light bulbs have burned out, fluids are getting low, and stuff like
that. Since the convertible was outsourced, it has a curious
combination of power front windows and manual crank rear windows
(another 1983-only feature), but once they're all down and the
power convertible top is stowed, it delivers an awesome open-air
experience. That's the original convertible top and it's in
fantastic condition and the factory boot is included, although
it'll need a few hours in the sun to stretch out enough to be
installed. The trunk is modest but includes the original spare
that's never been used. But the real reason you buy a Mustang is
for the torque factory living under the hood: the legendary 5.0. In
1983, it was topped by a good old 4-barrel carburetor and looks and
acts like the great engines of the '60s. Thanks to a freshly
rebuilt carb, a new fuel pump, and a full tune-up of the ignition
system, it starts quickly and easily and idles with a bit of a lope
that says this isn't a gentle 4-cylinder model. The engine bay is
super clean and totally stock, with details like the hose clamps
and plug wires being correct FoMoCo parts. Obviously it has never
been wrecked or rusty and the inner panels are in fantastic shape
with all the factory markings still visible. It's backed by a
slick-shifting T5 5-speed manual gearbox (another first for 1983,
replacing the hated SROD 4-speed) and feeds 3.27 gears out back,
which give it plenty of punch. You'll note that the floors are
unmarked and most of the factory markings and stickers are still
visible and even the exhaust is still OEM. There's some surface
scale on the heavy metal parts, some of which is the result of
factory 'pickling' and it's worth noting that the gas tank was
removed and cleaned. Experts will spot the 16-inch SN-95 Mustang
wheels, which are 5-lug, and yes, this car has been converted to
5-lug hubs, but the original TRX wheels and Michelin tires are
included. That's the lone modification and it's really not a bad
one. Survivors are special. They feel different and this Mustang is
no exception. There's a crispness to the controls?you've never felt
such sharp detents in the climate control as you will on this car.
There are no squeaks and rattles, even for a convertible. The
steering is silky smooth. And all that is impossible to restore
back into a car. And for Fox Mustang fans, 1983 was a special year
with a lot of firsts?as if Ford decided to get serious about
performance all at once. This is a very cool car with lots of fun
yet to enjoy. Call today!Harwood Motors always recommends and
welcomes personal or professional inspections of any vehicle in our
inventory prior to purchase.
