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1987-93 Ford Mustang 5.0

1987-93 Ford Mustang 5.0

It's no surprise that the Mustang 5.0 offers a lot of ponies for just a few pennies. Just ask the hundreds of thousands of high school hotrodders, weekend drag-racers, and general power-hungry American drivers who have enjoyed these cultural icons for decades. Camaro and Firebird aside, there's no cheaper way to attain V8 power in a sporty, two-door shell.

Though a 302 cubic-inch Mustang's been available almost continuously since 1968, it's the Fox-chassis Mustang 5.0s of 1979-93 that are the most affordable and plentiful. Of these, the 1987-93 models are significantly nicer than the earlier cars, as they have the most power, a far better interior, and more modern styling. Three body styles were available; sedan, hatchback and convertible, and each could be had in both LX and GT trim, with the exception of the LX-only sedan. (There was a limited-edition Cobra hatchback for 1993 with a tweaked 235 hp version of the 5.0, but it remains collectable and is priced accordingly.) Despite only cosmetic differences, there are devout followers of both the stealthy, Plain Jane LX and the boy racer GT, with its ground effects package, louvered taillights and circular fog lamps.

No matter how Ford dressed up these Mustangs, the heart of the package stayed the same: a 4942cc (rounded up to 5.0 liters) pushrod V8 with a healthy 225 hp and 300 lb/ft of torque mated to either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic. There were slight changes to the camshaft profile and a switch from a speed density to a mass flow air sensor in 1989, but power output stayed the same until 1993, when horsepower and torque figures were both reduced slightly.

The chassis was just as simple. A solid rear axle with trailing arms put all that power down, helped by the use of four rear shocks (Quadra-Shock in Ford-speak). Around corners, most of the grip could be attributed to the 15-inch Goodyear Eagles, upgraded to 16-inchers for 1991. Slowing power was just as rudimentary, with smallish rear drum brakes and no ABS.

Today, as little as $2500-3000 will buy a late '80s 5.0 sedan or hatchback, with convertibles and early '90s models available for not much more. Aside from a driver's side airbag from 1990-on, there were few significant annual changes to these Mustangs, save for variations in paint and upholstery colors and the choice of audio systems. There's plenty of cars around to choose from, so it pays to look for the best-kept example that meets your budget, rather than seeking out a specific model year.

With so many unsophisticated, well-proven parts, it's not surprising that very little goes wrong with a 5.0. Motors run well into the six figures with no trouble, and the gearboxes will take tons of thrashing. Still, 5.0s tend to have hard driving owners, so it's always a good idea to take the advice of Mustang guru Jim Campisano and check for signs of abuse, like cracks in and around the torque boxes and/or a crunchy third gear syncro. Also, he recommends avoiding any car with the factory T-tops, as they leak and rattle even more than the convertibles, which are by no means shining examples of structural rigidity either. Luckily, dozens of aftermarket companies offer subframe connectors that stiffen things up for under $100.

Sure, the V8 Mustang may not be sophisticated or refined, but they sound great, pull hard, and are about as honest a machine as has yet been invented. Campisano calls them "the '55 Chevy of the '9Os," and there's plenty of similarities between the two. But, straight out of the box at least, the bowtie can't touch the pony when it comes to bang for the buck.

- Alexander Palevsky

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