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Ford Mustang LX 5.0L Convertible - Howl!

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Created on July 5, 2024

Text:

Paul Krüger

Photos:

Bruno von Rotz

38

Archiv

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Bruno von Rotz

38

Archiv

22

Not very lyrical: the black paint color was simply called "Black"

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A late example of the third Mustang generation now known as the "Fox Body". What is often overlooked: The Mustang IV was also based on the Fox architecture

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Compact sports car: at 4.56 m long, the 1990 Convertible is five centimeters shorter than the original 1964 model

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From the rear, the 1987 facelift can be recognized by the tinted indicators. The brake lights are no longer split horizontally

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A tarpaulin actually belongs over the soft top. But it's so fiddly that we decided to leave it off

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The trunk lid also serves as a luggage rack. Practical: lashing eyes are incorporated into the plastic strips

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Long-running success: the 15-inch alloy wheels in gully lid design remained in the range from 1985 to 1993

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With the facelift in 1987, the blinker moved from the bumper next to the headlights. The parking light glass already looked slightly yellowed ex works

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Unlike in America, the brake light is not also the turn signal. It sits next to it on the inside

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Just like in the sixties: galloping horse in front of an American tricolor on the mudguard

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Plum instead of horse: the Mustang has had the blue ellipse in the radiator grille since 1983

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Brake light cleverly integrated into the end bracket of the luggage rack

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Interior air intake as an extension of the hood. Details such as the windshield wipers standing freely in the airstream reveal the age of the design

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Not very colorful: If black in the interior was too dull for you, blue, red, white and gray metallic were also available as equipment colors

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Sporty: Gear lever of the Tremec five-speed gearbox cranked towards the steering wheel

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"Fingertip Speed Control" in the steering wheel has been available from the start. New for 1990 is the airbag as standard

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Scales of joy: Gone are the days of 85-mph speedometers and lazy low-compression engines

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Control satellites: The lower switch operates the electric soft top

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The air conditioning was installed ex works. The radio and additional instruments came later. From right to left: Boost pressure, on-board voltage and (concealed by the gearshift) air/fuel ratio

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Control center in the driver's door: four power windows and electric central locking. The mirror adjustment is located on the center console

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A plaque on the dashboard honors the 25th anniversary of the Mustang in 1990. Officially, the very first examples from 1964 were also considered model year 1965

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Unusual for the USA: the leather is real - but just as slippery as vinyl

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Surprisingly, the seats are completely mechanically adjustable. Only the lumbar support can be adjusted electrically

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Hardly anything of the five-liter V8 can be seen under the supercharger ensemble

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The twin screw loader from Kenne Bell increases power from 225 to around 330 hp

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In addition to Kenne Bell, Paxton, Vortech and ProCharger also offered mechanical chargers for the Fox Body Mustang

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The drive shaft of the loader runs in the black tube, which in turn is driven by the V-belt

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With 225 hp as standard, a Ford Mustang LX 5.0 Convertible can reach 100 km/h in seven seconds and a maximum speed of 227 km/h

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A massive horse: when 330 hp and 550 Nm get going, even the photographer can't keep up

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Casual strolling: the Mustang can do that too. It's still an American

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The long front overhang looks like front-wheel drive and makes the Mustang III look less sporty than it is

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The bend must not get much tighter. The maximum steering angle is remarkably low

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This is how inconspicuous 330 hp looks from behind. Only the twin exhaust timidly hints at the V8

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Huge headlights, tiny radiator grille: 20 years ago it was the other way around

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With 225 tires and a wider track, the Fox-body Mustang has a much stockier appearance in its later years than at its debut

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In 1989, the Cabriolet had its best year with 40,518. A total of around 280,000 Fox-body convertibles were produced

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Small-series advantage: in the Bivouac conversion, the soft top disappeared completely into the bodywork

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Ford Mustang Cobra (1979) - at the European premiere of the new Mustang at the 1978 Paris Motor Show

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Ford Mustang Cobra (1979) - sports model with turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine and 132 hp

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Ford Mustang Cobra 5.0 (1979) - also available in Europe with the five-liter V8

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Ford Mustang Cobra (1979) - The three-door model with the practical tailgate was sold as a "fastback" in Europe

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Ford Mustang Ghia 2-Door (1979) - Luxury model with more chrome and wheel covers in turbine look

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Ford Mustang Ghia 5.0L 2-Door (1979) - In Europe, the two-door was sold as a "hardtop", although it had a fixed B-pillar

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Ford Mustang 2-Door (1979) - The Mercedes-Benz SLC was the model for the gills in the C-pillar and the strongly curved rear window

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Ford Mustang Ghia 5.0 Fastback (1979) - Swiss version with Ford Taunus alloy wheels

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Ford Mustang Cobra (1979) - in front of a much more restrained Mustang Ghia 2-Door

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Ford Mustang (1979) - The three available engines: 2.8-liter V6, 2.3-liter turbo four-cylinder and five-liter V8 (from left)

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Ford Mustang 2-Door (1980) - from 1986 the notchback was called "Sedan"

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Ford Mustang Ghia 3-Door (1981) - the T-roof remains closed in winter

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Ford Mustang GLX Convertible (1983) - Return of the Mustang convertible at the Geneva Motor Show

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Ford Mustang SVO (1985) - initially with 175 hp, from the middle of the model year as "1985 1/2" with 205 hp

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Ford Mustang SVO (1985) - The front anticipates the Mustang facelift for 1987 with the "Aero-headlamps"

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Ford Mustang GT 3-Door (1985) - sporty V8 top model, with 210 hp significantly more powerful than the SVO

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Ford Mustang Cobra GT Convertible (1987) - The sports model had blinded tail lights in the style of the time

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Ford Mustang Cobra GT 2-Door Hatchback (1987) - with 225 hp the most powerful passenger car in the Ford range

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Ford Mustang LX 5.0 2-Door Hatchback (1987) - If the V8 engine was chosen, the alloy wheels with ten semi-circular holes were standard

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Ford Mustang Cobra GT Convertible (1987) - Distinctive aprons and a front without radiator grille characterize the sports model

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Ford Mustang LX 5.0L Convertible (1992) - The LX 5.0L combines the technology of the GT with the body of the LX

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Ford Mustang GT 2-Door Hatchback (1992) - top model of recent years with 225 hp

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Summary

With the third generation of the Mustang, Ford left the dark seventies behind. The wheelbase grew, the bodywork smoothed out and the engine power slowly rose back to pre-oil crisis levels. With the right accessories, the 225 hp of the most powerful production model was by no means the end of the line. Drive in a V8 convertible with retrofitted supercharger.

This article contains the following chapters

Role model from Germany
A Fox for all occasions
The return of driving pleasure
Wire spokes or steam hammer?
Optical illusion

Estimated reading time: 6min

Preview (beginning of the article)

The clutch is hard to depress. The pedal resists being depressed with vehement spring pressure. But the left foot is stronger, albeit not by much. First gear engages dryly. Increase the revs, let the clutch in slowly and ... it stalls. So it's all over again: start up, depress the clutch pedal and now pull back the left leg with a little more throttle and better dosed counter-pressure. Take a quick look at the cover photo. It clearly shows an angular eighties American and not an Italian GT from the sixties. Accidentally mixed up the illustrations of the articles? Not at all. In fact, a late Ford Mustang of the third generation is much more tangible than you might think or want to admit as an admirer of southern German sports convertibles. Yet it entered service at the end of 1978 during the least fun-to-drive period of the American car industry.

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