The 1984 model year marked the 20th Anniversary of the launch of the mighty Ford Mustang. The company decided to celebrate the fact by releasing a limited-edition vehicle that carried unique paint and trim and GT350 graphics. It amounted to an appearance package fitted to an unmodified Mustang GT. Eventually, 5,260 buyers chose to order one, although how many remain on our roads today is hard to guess. Our feature Mustang is a two-owner vehicle with a documented history dating back to Day One. It has a genuine 83,000 miles on the clock, and it appears that its next planned journey could be to the home of a new owner. If an affordable V8 Fox-Body is appealing, you will find this one located in Elk Grove, California, and listed for sale here on craigslist. The owner has set the sale price at $8,500. I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder rex m for using his well-trained radar to spot this excellent classic for us.

In typical limited-edition fashion, buyers who ordered the GT350 could have it in whatever color they chose, as long as it was Oxford White. The company offset this with contrasting red stripes and GT350 decals. Our feature car has spent its life in drier climes, but it hasn’t suffered unduly from exposure to harsh UV rays. The paint retains a healthy shine, with no evidence of cracks, checking, or patchiness. Some of the plastic pieces like the nose have discolored slightly, but this was a common occurrence in an era when manufacturers were still coming to grips with consistent aging across various painted steel and plastic components. The stripes are crisp and clean, with no evidence of shrinkage or deterioration. The panels are in excellent condition, and not only are there no apparent dings or dents, but a life spent indoors when not in use means that there is no rust. The wheels look spotlessly clean, and the glass is in a similar state. Overall, this Mustang makes a positive first impression.

The GT350’s interior followed the exterior’s theme because Ford offered a single trim color. If you weren’t a fan of Canyon Red cloth, you were right out of luck. Mustangs from this era were like many other cars and were prone to interior deterioration issues. Cloth trim would often fade, while plastics would become brittle and crumble. None of these issues have afflicted this Mustang because its interior looks to be pretty remarkable. There is wear on the driver’s seat, which is particularly noticeable on the heavy edge bolsters. Otherwise, the remaining upholstered surfaces look good, the dash and console are spotless, and the carpet shows no undue wear or stains. For those who like their comfort touches, they can climb aboard a classic that features air conditioning, power windows, power locks, cruise control, a leather-wrapped wheel, and an AM/FM radio and cassette player.

From a drivetrain perspective, nothing sets a GT350 apart from other vehicles within the Mustang range, but that doesn’t mean this car lacks in a 1984 context. The engine bay contains its original 5.0-liter “HO” V8 that should be producing 175hp. The rest of the mechanical package includes a desirable five-speed manual transmission, power steering, and power front disc brakes. Cars like this Mustang demonstrate that while Ford hadn’t managed to recapture the performance of the early Mustang’s glory days, they were beginning to head in the right direction. This GT350 should be capable of covering the ¼ mile in 16 seconds, which wasn’t a bad number at the time. It seems that our feature car has led a pampered life, and its owner has recently installed a new clutch. It has a genuine 83,000 miles on the odometer, and the collection of documentation that the seller holds dating back to Day One suggests that he can support the claim. He says that the vehicle runs and drives perfectly and is ready to be driven home today.

If considered purely as a clean and tidy Fox-Body Mustang GT, our feature car has many positive attributes. Its drivetrain combination was about as good as you’d find in that model year, while its odometer reading is below average. Its overall condition is impressive, and it comes with a known ownership experience. Later Fox-Bodies are reaching the point where they are slipping beyond the reach of mere mortals, but these earlier cars remain affordable. How much longer this will stay the case is difficult to estimate, but market trends suggest that history is set to repeat itself. The price on this one looks pretty competitive, so it might be worth serious consideration if a Fox-Body is on your Wish List.