Ford Fox Body Mustang - The History, All the Models & Features

Performance returns to the forefront at Ford with the release of the Foxbody Mustang. We cover GT’s, Cobra’s, Pace Cars, LX 5.0’s, Convertibles, Special Editions plus more in this video. Also all the drive lines, engine, and transmission options, For a full history of these cars check out this video

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[g.c.brooks]

The 1983 Mustang GT commercial is 🔥🔥🔥🔥 it's so 1980s I love it!

[komradkolonel]

The Fox chassis Mustang saved the car. If sales had tanked in 1979 Ford was going to do away with it. The biggest thing about the Mustang is that the GT could deliver performance very close to the Corvette for less than half the price.

[davidristau]

I had a used 79 Cobra at the end of High School with the rare 5.0 and 4 speed manual (3+overdrive). It also had the sunroof. I still have dreams sometimes that I found somewhere and was able to buy it back. I think I’m young again in those dreams as well.

[ManuaLiberty]

The 4 eye notchbacks with T-tops will always rank high for me. I hadn’t learned up until about a year of how many special edition foxes were out there. Incredible video!

[scottbrown]

A friend of mine and I were invited in building 79 to 86 Mustangs for scca club racing in the early 90’s. We were really excited about how much we could do with factory parts using the updat/ backdate rules. The 79 and 80 Mustang could be bought with manual brakes and manual steering rack. Turbo Mustang was built with aluminum bumper reinforcement beams which were very lightweight. A crafty builder could easily assemble a very lightweight roadrace car just using stock parts. We had lots of fun and it was a great experience for young guys who wanted to build something to use for club racing.

[OtisSpringerpilot]

Great video Tony...such amazing detail. 1979-1993 were my formative years, from 7th grade thru college and the Fox bodied Mustangs were a BIG part of it...from wanting a 5.0 GT for a decade, to owning the '86 GT 5-speed that I bought in the Air Force, to lusting after my older brother's 87 GT AND 88 GT. SO much fun to drive these torquey cars. Your knowledge of these cars and their development is really amazing, thanks for putting this video together. Now off to blast around in the 2023 Mach1 that I just got in May. THANK YOU Ford engineers for keeping our Mustangs alive and kicking!

[Herecomesthethruth]

The 87 through 1993, such great bang for the buck.such a well designed motor, the 1993 said 225 horse's, when you drove it, it didn't feel like it.the 5 speed had so much power right off the showroom floor.not a Ford guy, but you have to give credit where credit is due on these years

[kregskorner]

Always loved the 87 GT commercial doing the drive by

[Aggiedave]

Now we’re talking. Great video Tony! This brings back so many great memories. An Oxford White ‘79 with the inline 6 was my first car in ‘87 and I loved it, until I got a Medium Canyon Red ‘85 GT 5-sp with t-tops and the Holley 4-barrel two years later. That was my fun college car. Then I had a ‘93 Probe GT for a couple of years before returning to the Mustang stable with a Race Red ‘94 Cobra. Didn’t care much for the Mustangs that followed, so I dabbled in Corvettes and Acuras for a while, until Ford got serious again with the DOHC VCT Coyote V8, so I picked up a Race Red ‘12 GT 6-sp. Now I’m in automotive heaven with my Oxford White ‘22 Mach 1 just like yours Tony. I always did want an ‘87-‘93 GT though, but that was an itch I never was able to scratch.

[lafedean]

Appreciate all your time and energy put into this video!

[elliottbutts]

Thanks for the Fox history. As a kid, being 14 years old, when the refresh came in 87 I absolutely loved the car. The GT always looked the best too and IMO was the car to have back in the day.

[chrisbianchi]

As always, I love the informational value, coupled with the nostalgic ads and schematics. I often learn facts about ford that augments my work acumen. Thanks so much Tony, please keep making great content. Can't wait to see more SVO!!!

[riyhcey]

85 and 86 GT's were the greatest / hottest ever built imo. I still think the 85's horse was understated because of the temperamental carb. What a great era - hope to find one in mint shape someday! Thank you for the GREAT video!

[GorillaCookies]

I bought a 1987 Ex CHP Pursuit Mustang with the 5.0 and a 5 speed manual at auction for $800 in 1991. It only had 88 k miles on it . It was a bunch quicker than the hp rating would have suggested it would be. I drove it until 2003. Had a lot of fun in that little car.

[aldoparise]

I LOVE the 1985-1986 Mustang GT. Beautiful car. The 1987 GT is also very nice.

My sister and brother in law bought a new 1987 Mustang GT in black (just like in your video). They bought it right after they got married in April of that year.

[owlnswan]

We, Dad and I, have had our '91 Titanium Frost GT hatchback since new, getting it on August 30, 1991, Labor Day Weekend that year. I was 13, and learned to drive on it. The car went unused for many years in the garage, and needed to be towed out. I got choked up just steering it out from the garage as it was pulled by the tow truck. After it was sent to the mechanic for essentially just changing fluids, it worked out that it was finished on Friday of Labor Day weekend in 2022.

Aside from wishing the driving position was a little different, it's a joy to drive. Time hasn't dimmed the "fun to drive" thing with these cars whatsoever. It's so nice to see how many people have wonderful memories of theirs, and getting the respect and love they deserve with time. I am extremely fortunate to have mine, and so grateful. It does make it all the more special to me for the car to have been family since it was born.

[roaddawg]

Very nicely done vid, thanks for presenting! I'm a Fox Fanatic having owned 3 coupes ('84, '88 x2 with two of these being SSPs), 2 hatches ('90, '91) and a convertible ('89) plus a couple of later Fox SN-95s ('01 GT coupe and '03 GT 'vert). I still own one of the SSPs, an '88 CHP fully restored - that one is a keeper!

[coloradod]

I bought 1 of the 79’ Pace Cars with the 5.0 V8 in 1982 and had it until the winter of 1985. Was an awesome car!

[Mountain_Valley_Sky]

This vid made us recall our 1979 Cobra 2.3L Turbo/Bright Red. Purchased used, few months after Highschool w/cash frm 1st Full-time job. Well, cash & our favorite European Ultra Lightweight 12ga semi-auto shotgun we'd worked all summer in HS to pay for. It was elegant.
Cobra 4 banger was blown when bought, due to the turbo eatin itself as they often did w/mi on them. We fully rebuilt the eng. Converted to 'solid-cam/lash adjuster' setup for better revs. Used to carry spare hyd lash adjusters & chg on side of road, if I missed 3rd gear. It pop 1 from overrev. Install 2- 2 bbl Side Draft Euro carbs, on an Esslinger Alum intake, & all the other typical bolt on stuff.. Beat on it daily, till blew it up ourselves when doing hard pulls w/ car full of ~700lbs+ of passengers - spinning #3 rod bearing. Only had 1 veh, so it required drivin it to wrk a few days, listenin to #3 forged flat top piston, slap the cyl head. Had to be at wrk to pay for all this nonsense.
(These next details are frm ~40yr ole memory, & may not be 100% correct)
Few cool features I remember being unique about this platform Stang, were its Trac-loc diff in the 7.5" - w/3.43 gear. Better shocks. 1st Stang w/4 link & coils. Rear Anti-Swaybar - that was the size of a coat hanger, yet did help, vs not havin one.
Car cornered better than any previous leaf spring Stang I'd ever been in.. Those TRX Michelin tires, to replace, cost $125+ ea new, over 35+yrs ago. They were odd metric & no other manufact's made um, as I recall. Also, I seem to remember that the rear brake drums on the Cobra were light weight, & aluminum, if memory serves me. I'm sure someone will correct me if I am wrong. Tranny ratios in the manual box were decent, but limited due to being a 4spd. Our car had a pop up manual moon roof, or whatever Ford called it. I assumed it was factory, but as a used car & 35+yrs ago, I could be wrong. I could go on, but nobody cares enough to read what I've already written. Ya hav covered many of our own rides, from the '78 Fairmont Futura 2dr (460 BB) we had, & our new 1991 Ford Probe (here) we bought new bk then. U've also covered our '71 Mach 1 351C 4bbl head car, we loved. & our '89 Stang in this vid as well. Did you do the S550Bullitt yet? and then recently, our GT500 Shelby S550.
You have covered so many of our own Stangs in your vids. 👍 U covered our BB/ Small Blk '69 Torino's, in another vid if memory serves me, yes?
Sold our '70 FB Stang, to fund the GT500 purchase after a yr wait. That car is by far, the heaviest, & the best handling stk Stang we have ever owned.
She's about ~2 1/4 tons of fun, with us in it. Tried to buy a few 2dr Maverick's more than once, over the yrs, but just never put that purchase together. I loved ur videos & road trip w/your Mav. Owned just 1 Pinto after we broke a timing chain in the "Land yacht" '71 Mach 1, to get to wrk in as my 1st bk up car. Glad I don't have to hotrod our DAILY any longer in life.
Lots of long weekends, & trips to the only 24hr parts store within 100+mi from our residents, & did that round trip way to often 😀. Thk gawd for friends Givin ya rides.
Can't say we've seen a vid yet of yours, we didn't enjoy. Thks again !!
Apologies for the ramble.
' Life is but what we remember '

[lancemannion]

I've had nine Mustangs in my life including two fox bodies. I can confidently say up till my first test drive in a buddy's 86 red GT 5 speed, I was a hardcore Ford hater. But one drive in that car instantly converted me and a few months later I had my no option, 88 Regatta blue 5 L 5-speed coupe. I've been hooked and I bleed Ford blue ever since, and of all the Mustangs I've had, I've never been disappointed with any of them. As long as you get a V8 they're great fun and almost bulletproof. Great bang for the buck then and it still holds true now, although the new ones are getting pretty stupidly expensive but that's just the market I guess?