1987-93 Mustang LX 5.0 “ Notchback ”
Think about this for a moment . The Fox-body Mustang that was the foundation of the influential 5.0-liter industry was introduced in 1979 , only 15 years after the original Mustang debuted . Those 15 previous years saw three significant body style changes and ran the gamut from the Boss 429 and Shelbys to the Mustang II . The Fox body Mustang lasted 15 model years by itself and lent more than a little DNA to the SN95 generation from 1994-2004 . That ’ s a heck of a production legacy .
There are seemingly dozens of standard- and special-edition Fox Mustangs , from the 1982 GT model that launched the iconic “ 5.0 ” badges to the 1993 Cobras , but it is the base-model LX 5.0 and the formal ( and lighter weight ) “ notchback ” body style that epitomized the 5.0-liter Mustang movement . Its low-frills / high-thrills ratio reenergized the performance industry and immersed a new generation into drag racing and working on its own cars .
And while at one time the streets and staging lanes used to be thick with 5.0-liter “ notches ,” their supply is diminishing – especially the virgin examples . The heavier GT models were made in far greater numbers , and it ’ s almost impossible to find a 5.0-liter Mustang that hasn ’ t had at least some modifications made to it . So an unmolested , wellkept 5.0-liter notchback is a rare find and is likely to be worth more in the future . Rust in the door bottoms and trunk lid is common , as are seats that show wear . Common maladies include door lock actuators that fail , a console ash tray lid that refuses to close and , like most Fords of the era , radio lights that burn out .
If you really want to sell the car quickly down the road – and get the most for it – spend the time to seek out one with a five-speed transmission . Automatics and 5.0-liters are not a popular combination , and if you prefer an automatic car , check whether the transmission has been rebuilt . The AOD four-speeds in those cars come in two versions : has been rebuilt or needs to be rebuilt .
1983-88 Chevrolet Monte
Carlo SS / Aerocoupe
Production cars remained pretty brick-like in appearance until the introduction of the 1983 Ford Thunderbird , which ushered in the modern age of aerodynamically-influenced styling that is largely still with us today . It was a sleek car that cut through the wind like a bullet , especially on NASCAR ’ s fast ovals . In contrast , GM ’ s intermediate coupes cut through the atmosphere like the box the bullets came in .
Chevrolet quickly responded to the “ aero ” T-birds with a sloped fascia on the blunt nose of the Monte Carlo . It was the inception of the Monte Carlo SS production model , which debuted in 1983 – albeit with a weak , 169hp 305 engine . The sleek styling helped a bit on the racetrack , but launched a very popular street car that has the makings of one of the few true collector cars from the 1980s .
The Monte Carlos SS is an icon of its era , looking no better than in black . Curiously , black wasn ’ t originally an SS color . White and blue were the only choices in 1983 and 1984 , with 1984 models introducing the perkier , 180hp 305 that would last the duration of the model ’ s production . Black was added in 1985 . The Monte Carlo SS was popular from the get-go , with more than 4,700 sold in 1983 and a huge
jump to more than 24,000 sales in 1985 . More than 41,000 were sold in 1986 , the model ’ s peak year .
While the styling of the Monte Carlo SS was a hit , it was still missing something on the racetrack . The sharp , vertical cut-off behind the C-pillar and long rear deck caused airflow turbulence at high speed , including unwanted lift . It just wasn ’ t competitive with the T-bird . The solution came in the form of a sloping , fastback-style rear window that effectively replaced the rear deck lid , giving the car greater stability and about a 5-mph boost in top speed . A scant 200 production examples were built in 1986 , and 6,052 were built in 1987 .
All Monte Carlo SSs suffer from typically-GM quality of the day , which means thin lacquer paint that didn ’ t hold up well , easily worn interiors ( including door pulls that are notoriously prone to breaking ) and valve seals that wear out around the 60,000-mile mark , causing that characteristic blue-smoke puff on cold starts . The best hedge against those problems is finding a low-mile , unmodified example . Some buyers will try to persuade you their 350 engine swap makes the car more powerful and , therefore , more desirable , but the collector status of Monte Carlo SS and Aerocoupe models lie in their originality .
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