front air dam and the graphics were
actually shipped from the factory in
cardboard boxes in the trunk, the
former to prevent damage during
transit because of low clearance, the
latter for installation at the buyer’s
individual request.
Inside, each Pace Car replica
sported black upholstery with
houndstooth inserts on the front
and rear seats. The front seats were
extra-cost Recaros sporting rake
and lumbar adjustment, as well as
unique Halo headrests with gray
mesh inserts. Other features included
an engine-turned instrument panel;
deep-pile, 18-ounce carpeting; standard center console; leather-wrapped
steering wheel (though curiously the
optional tilt wheel wasn’t leather);
intermittent windshield wipers; AM/
FM Premium sound system, and flipup sunroof.
Mechanically, the Indianapolis
Pace Car replicas were identical to
the ’79 Cobra, fitted with either the
2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder
engine, teamed to a four-speed single-rail Overdrive manual gearbox
(production 5,970), or the venerable
two-barrel 302 V-8 (production
4,508), which could be teamed with
either the four-speed manual gearbox (production 2,402) or threespeed C4 automatic (2,106). In
California, neither the turbocharged
engine nor the four-speed manual
gearbox were available, leaving
buyers with just the V-8/automatic
combination. Options on the Pace
Car replicas included rear/wash
wipe, cruise control, air-conditioning, power door locks and windows,
and tinted glass.
All Pace Car replicas came with
the Cobra’s special suspension
package, which included handsome, three-spoke 390 x 150mm
(15.35 x 5.9-inch) forged aluminum
wheels and Michelin’s patented
60 FOXMustangMagazine.com
Original window sticker
Leather-wrapped steering wheel Standard
302 ci (5.0-liter) V-8 Optional