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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