Given my recent crack about backwards-ballcap-types driving Fox-body Mustangs, I figured the proper act of contrition would be to feature one. After all, there has to be something good in a car if it has such massive appeal. I also have to admit there’s something fun which I’ve never explored in having a common classic, for which there are a plethora of aftermarket parts to create your own version. And hey, I’ve never owned a V8-powered car – some people would say I haven’t really lived yet.
As I was looking through Mustangs, I found the best deals were available on the earlier cars. You might assume this is because in the early 1980s, the new smog rules and the recent fuel crisis were still having pretty serious impacts on cars’ power outputs. However, by 1982, Ford had already reinstated the 302 ci V8 in the Mustang, producing 157hp (competitive with, say, an Alfa GTV6). Using the aforementioned aftermarket parts, or simply upgrades from later models, you shouldn’t have a hard time going beyond this if you want. And you get to have the clean, square simplicity of the earlier Fox-body cars, before the redesign made it look like a microwaved stick of butter. Find today’s car in Omaha, NE for $3500.
Rusty But Trusty 