I’m Curious —-Why a Fox?

[LAFF]

Honestly I am curious as to why the Fox is so popular with you guys to rebuild.
I come to mine because my daughter, and Son in Law wanted my Harley.
They offered the Fox and $ 3000 for it.
Barb made me take it as she wanted to make them happy.
I planned on selling the 83. Had my 1996 F150 4x4, and she had her 2015 GT Premium. Didn’t need anything else.
She encouraged me to keep it, and fix it up. Was’nt going to do it.
After she fell over a baby gate that screwed up her hip her Mustang was uncomfortable for her to drive, so we traded it in for a 2018 Explorer.
7 months later she passed away.
So I am looking at this Explorer that I don’t have any use for, and I’m looking at the little Mustang and I thought “ Why not build the Mustang and sell the Explorer.
The Explorer sold in less than two weeks.
Only had 5,000 miles on it.
My build began.
Want you to know that it was about 4 months before I decided to sell her ride.
It’s been about 3 years so please no condolences. I’m good.
Just curious as to why the Fox.
Never was a fan until 2019 and owned one, and started visiting this Forum.

 

[Potomus Pete]

Why the Fox? Your 83 came out a year out of high school. It / was all about the sound.

 

[ThinBlue502]

I graduated in 2000 and back in high school, they were one of THE hottest cars to have. I had 3 different friends just in my social circle that had fox bodies. I wasn’t so lucky, I didn’t get my first car until my senior year and it was a half black, half primer Honda CRX.
Fast forward 22 years and when my buddy’s family approached me about buying Ron’s car, I knew it had be prearranged by cosmic destiny. So even though I had always lusted after a fox body, this car kind of found me.

 

[LAFF]

I graduated in 2000 and back in high school, they were one of THE hottest cars to have. I had 3 different friends just in my social circle that had fox bodies. I wasn’t so lucky, I didn’t get my first car until my senior year and it was a half black, half primer Honda CRX.
Fast forward 22 years and when my buddy’s family approached me about buying Ron’s car, I knew it had be prearranged by cosmic destiny. So even though I had always lusted after a fox body, this car kind of found me.

Ya—that is very understandable, and great reason why.
Like I said—was just curious.

 

[91AOD5.0LX]

The sound, the speed, and the look is what did it for me. I had a 72 Torino, 79 Berlinetta, then an 86 camaro during the early 1980s into the early 90s. When the 87 Fox came out and I heard that Flowmaster rumble and saw them eating the camaros and anyone else that got near them, I knew I had to have one. We use to race every weekend night on a specific street where I grew up and the 87-93 Fox was getting more and more popular. Everywhere I looked, different colors and styles, GT, LX, replica Saleens, etc. The polished tips of the LX always caught my eye but like Pete said, the sound, wow!!!! I tossed the Camaros and ended up with an 89 and a 90 Fox in the early 1990s. One died in an accident and the other was sold when I started working in Manhattan and decided a 5 speed was no good for NYC daily driving. I always loved those cars so In Aug 2020 a few things in my life changed and I figured this would be the time again to relive those days. I searched and found my 91 LX in December 2020. First thing I did was install Flowmasters of course. Anyway, why a Fox, well thats my story in a nut shell.

 

[hoopty5.0]

It's all I've ever been able to afford as far as a performance car is concerned. Which is a bit misleading - I'm now on my 7th (?) fox and after the tens of thousands I've wasted, I could have had a really nice 69/70 mach 1 that I have always had an eye on. Maybe one day.

 

[Ryuk]

I wanted a Camaro in 1989, but the cheapest V8 option was a base IROC with an anemic 305 that cost more than a loaded 5.0 LX. I bought the LX and never looked back.

 

[LAFF]

The sound, the speed, and the look is what did it for me. I had a 72 Torino, 79 Berlinetta, then an 86 camaro during the early 1980s into the early 90s. When the 87 Fox came out and I heard that Flowmaster rumble and saw them eating the camaros and anyone else that got near them, I knew I had to have one. We use to race every weekend night on a specific street where I grew up and the 87-93 Fox was getting more and more popular. Everywhere I looked, different colors and styles, GT, LX, replica Saleens, etc. The polished tips of the LX always caught my eye but like Pete said, the sound, wow!!!! I tossed the Camaros and ended up with an 89 and a 90 Fox in the early 1990s. One died in an accident and the other was sold when I started working in Manhattan and decided a 5 speed was no good for NYC daily driving. I always loved those cars so In Aug 2020 a few things in my life changed and I figured this would be the time again to relive those days. I searched and found my 91 LX in December 2020. First thing I did was install Flowmasters of course. Anyway, why a Fox, well thats my story in a nut shell.

That is a great story.
I can understand your passion now.

 

[LAFF]

It's all I've ever been able to afford as far as a performance car is concerned. Which is a bit misleading - I'm now on my 7th (?) fox and after the tens of thousands I've wasted, I could have had a really nice 69/70 mach 1 that I have always had an eye on. Maybe one day.

I understand.
Until I had this Fox on my hands I always thought about the 65 to 69 Mustang.

 

[Ryuk]

I understand.
Until I had this Fox on my hands I always thought about the 65 to 69 Mustang.

I just sold a 70 Mach 1. I'd wanted one forever and it turned out to be more of a project than I'd planned. I'll gladly take factory fuel injection every single day.

 

[hoopty5.0]

I just sold a 70 Mach 1. I'd wanted one forever and it turned out to be more of a project than I'd planned. I'll gladly take factory fuel injection every single day.

I remember you mentioning you had one in some dark corner of my memory. How bad of shape was it in, and what did you get for it, if you dont mind me asking?

 

[LAFF]

I wanted a Camaro in 1989, but the cheapest V8 option was a base IROC with an anemic 305 that cost more than a loaded 5.0 LX. I bought the LX and never looked back.

Don’t miss understand me—just never paid much attention to Mustangs or any HP car after I got married and had children.

 

[Ryuk]

I remember you mentioning you had one in some dark corner of my memory. How bad of shape was it in, and what did you get for it, if you dont mind me asking?

I got it years ago and it was 95% complete. The big problem was that the wiring harness was toast, but just operational enough for testing purposes. Little things like the electric fuel pump being wirted to constantly be on and having a giant hole cut in the AC/heater box that wasn't visible. It left here for $25k.

 

[Ryuk]

Don’t miss understand me—just never paid much attention to Mustangs or any HP car after I got married and had children.

I had twins two years after getting the 89 Mustang. I kept it for 12 years. I had/have a minivan for the kids. I have a 2017 DD now and a fresh set of kids in their teens. I've always had a sports car or a truck. If I find myself without either, I get a wandering eye.

 

[Mustang5L5]

When i was 14, a buddy took me for a ride in a 1986 GT. Off-road H-pipe, 5-spd, 3.73's. Probably a slow turd, but it would light up the tires in 3 gears and get the rear sideways at 40MPH. Was fun.

When i was 17 and could finally buy a car (had been working and saving since i was 14), i really wanted a Chrome Yellow 1998 Cobra convertible. They were brand new on the lot at the time (this was late 1997) but there was no way I could afford that $28Kish for them. So i bought my fox for $4500 with about ~43,000 miles on it.

Ever since then, i've been hooked on them. I did buy a 2003 GT brand new later on, but the fox just seems to be what i cut my teeth on and what i know the best, so depite my desire for "more advanced" vehicles, i still love modifying a simple fox.


I did "take a break" from cars for some time in my 20's. I think i even left the site for a period of time. I bought a 2003 GT brand new, kept it mostly stock and drove it for 5 years. Then i sold that and bought a 4-door family car. I kept the fox squirreled away though. After marriage, some kids and kicking off a solid career, i found myself with the means to modify my car the way I wanted to when I was 17 but couldn't afford to.

 

[LILCBRA]

I've always been into the IIs, but liked the Fox cars. I think it was around 89 when I saw a black 82 GT at the local dealer that they got in on trade. I really wanted that car but just couldn't afford it since I was still in high school. Fast forward a few years and my brother come home on leave in a black 84-1/2 GT with T-tops. I loved that car after driving it, up until the point the hood flew up on me. About a year later my mom bought herself a red 85 GT. It drove completely different compared to the 84 - it had more power, cornered better, and just felt more solid. I ran against my girlfriend in her 85 Trans Am and just walked away from her - it was no contest. Fast forward to the 2010s and I found an 84 convertible that was being sold as a project. I swapped the 3.8 V6 for a 5.0 and drove that around for a while before selling it to move to Georgia. My ex missed the convertible so I ended up keeping another project convertible, this time an 87 GT. The ex is long gone (thankfully!), but the Mustang is still sitting on my garage pad waiting for me to get to work on it. I think the draw, at least for me, is part nostalgic, part financial. These cars are/were fairly cheap to play with compared to so many other cars and parts are plentiful. Take my II for example, parts for that aren't near as easy to come by and would generally be more expensive compared to the GT. Honestly, I think the Fox Mustangs are the Tri-Five Chevys of our generation.

 

[02 281 GT]

Unfortunately, I haven't owned a Fox since about 2006. The one and only Fox I ever owned was a 1986 GT hatchback. Gray sport bucket interior with the red piping and the almost-as-good-as-Recaro seats, 5-speed, sunroof, and a whole lotta mechanical and wiring problems. I loved that car. It was a blast to drive, and the aforementioned issues meant that I learned a great deal during the time I owned it. I sold it because my Dad offered me a nice deal on his babied 2002 GT coupe (sold that in 2010). I still regret selling the '86 to this day.

It's my (humble) opinion that, as far as Mustangs go, the Fox was the last true muscle car Ford ever offered. Affordable, easily modified, better than average handling and power for street and track fun, and a raw, visceral feel that you just don't get from anything that came after it.

I also quickly put Flowmasters on my Fox. A lot of people complain about Flowmasters these days (blowmasters, and other assorted epithets, etc.). However, there is a reason they were so popular. That Mustang sound wasn't just distinctive and iconic, it was downright aesthetically pleasing.

 

[LAFF]

Unfortunately, I haven't owned a Fox since about 2006. The one and only Fox I ever owned was a 1986 GT hatchback. Gray sport bucket interior with the red piping and the almost-as-good-as-Recaro seats, 5-speed, sunroof, and a whole lotta mechanical and wiring problems. I loved that car. It was a blast to drive, and the aforementioned issues meant that I learned a great deal during the time I owned it. I sold it because my Dad offered me a nice deal on his babied 2002 GT coupe (sold that in 2010). I still regret selling the '86 to this day.

It's my (humble) opinion that, as far as Mustangs go, the Fox was the last true muscle car Ford ever offered. Affordable, easily modified, better than average handling and power for street and track fun, and a raw, visceral feel that you just don't get from anything that came after it.

I also quickly put Flowmasters on my Fox. A lot of people complain about Flowmasters these days (blowmasters, and other assorted epithets, etc.). However, there is a reason they were so popular. That Mustang sound wasn't just distinctive and iconic, it was downright aesthetically pleasing.

That is so true.
I have nothing but headers, and FlowMasters behind that engine.
Love to hear that Cam lope when it is idling.

 

[General karthief]

Here's my story.
I grew up in a family that were Ford people, my grandparents had Ford/Mercury vehicles and my dad had ford trucks and Chrysler cars, I tried the Dodge/Chrysler road but soon found they were expensive to modify, all the kids around me had brand x cars.
The mustang side of the story started when working with my uncle around the body shop, at the time the 65-66 mustangs were just beginning to catch on, personally I preferred the 67 and 69 models, the first gen mustangs were everywhere, marriage and time/kids and priorities stifled my car choices, fast forward to my fox body love affair, I borrowed a friends stock lx 5.0 5 speed vert, and I had to have one,
Now as far as the mustang popularity in general, it was as advertised, fun, relatively fast and mostly affordable, the fox mustangs allowed you to get into a sporty car that was less money that a Dodge or Chevy and lighter too. Easy to modify and again there was a mustang around every corner.
Ford kept the 'cheap fun American sports' car segment going, the camaro priced itself into oblivion and dodge was busy building mini vans.
I'm a push rod V8 stick shift Ford guy till I die.

 

[7991LXnSHO]

@LAFF It did not take long for children to be out of the car seat and even outgrow the boosters. Then, unlike the newer Mustangs and most other sporty cars, the back seat is useable without amputating two passengers’ legs below the knee.
(I have not spent much time with a SN-95, but even sitting behind a very tall driver with your knees around the back of the front seat is better than no foot and lower leg room.)
Besides nostalgia, the fox’s fit me, are nimble, are fun with less than 700 Hp and a huge car payment, and the hatch and fold down rear seat are —— practical. Try hauling a tuba and stands or a trap set in a Monster Miata.