Foxbody Mustang (1987)

[ProTouring442]

Up until a couple years ago, my driver car was the family sedan while my wife's was some sort of sports car, usually a convertible.



The reason for this has to do with how we met. Kristy and I met on a singles motorcycle ride put on by a friend through The Single Volunteers of Washington DC list serv. She rode with me for 100 miles that day. Six months later we were engaged, and five months after that we were married (August 2001). Through the first several years of marriage we continued to enjoy motorcycle rides, with Kristy even getting us a noce Harely Davidson Dyna Glade T-Sport.

But Kristy has Multiple Sclerosis. When an MS Exacerbation caused her to no longer be able to ride with me, I sold the Harley and bought her a Miata with an automatic. The Miata became our "motorcycle" for our rides in the country. I did buy another motorcycle (cheaper) for me, but one which was a bit less expensive.

Kristy went through a series of cool little sports cars, including a Z32 300ZX, a Mercedes SLK230, and an SL320. A couple years ago, I noticed she was having a lot of difficulty getting in and out of the little sports cars. So I "rearranged the fleet." I sold my BMW 540i/6 and her SL and bought her a '98 Mercedes E320 and an '03 Miata 6-speed for me.



This seemed a great idea, except...

Except my mom has a Parkinsonism called Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and, after she broke her hip due to a fall, it seems I have and will continue to make many more trips to Florida (from our home in Tennessee)to help my dad take care of her, and the Miata just isn't a very comfortable "travel" car.

I needed something we could use for our rides, but also something I could drive to Florida, something with a bit more room, but also with a manual transmission and the ability to handle.

Meet the new semi-project, a 1987 Mustang LX w/T-tops



Originally born with a 4-cylinder, it's been upgraded with the 5.0, 5-speed, and differential from an '89 5.0. Engine runs strong (B303 cam), but the past owner fancied himself a drag racer, so he put big-n-littles on it, along with drag shocks. The paint is good (a repaint at some point), and the interior is, at least for the moment, serviceable).



Upon buying it (and, I'm sure, paying too much for it), I purchased a bunch of stuff to get it up to my preferences, spending something akin to the national debt in the process.

It will e getting an SN-95 5-lug upgrade with Cobra front brakes, Bilstein shocks and struts, a new rack and pinion from Flaming River, Global West lower front control arms (and lower rears to replace the solid bushing drag lowers), 1-inch lowering springs, 17-inch "Saleen" style wheels, Dakota Digital VHX cluster, Pypes 2.5-inch exhaust, a bunch of seals and weather stripping, etc.

It currently has 3.73s in it.

One question, for a fun street car, which would be better, a torque arm, or the SN95 IRS?

[arcane73]

Good looking car! My first fox body was an 86.
I have to say though.....it's SO weird seeing 'vintage vehicle' tags on a 2 headlight fox!

[andrewb70]

Looking forward to this build. I had a 1989 LX 5.0 that I bought new in 1989.

Andrew

[CSG]

I wouldn’t do the IRS. Those early setups weren’t that great and the wheel offset needed to work on a fox looks bad imo. I would just do a MM TA. Works well and is an easy upgrade.

[ProTouring442]

I wouldn’t do the IRS. Those early setups weren’t that great and the wheel offset needed to work on a fox looks bad imo. I would just do a MM TA. Works well and is an easy upgrade.

Thanks!