Show Car: 1990 Ford Mustang LX
Cars like this 1990 Ford Mustang LX demonstrated to the buying public that The Malaise Era was fast becoming a distant memory. This car will provide a new owner with excellent performance, while a recent cosmetic refresh has left it presenting exceptionally well. The seller uses it for car shows, so why not take a close look and see if you would continue that trend?
The 1990 Mustang is a car that almost didn’t exist. Falling sales during the early 1980s resulted in Ford releasing a statement that they would retire the badge, replacing it with the front-wheel drive Probe. The public backlash was unprecedented and the rest, as they say, is history. The first owner ordered this LX in Oxford White, and it presents extremely well following a recent repaint. The seller indicates it isn’t perfect, but they still consider it good enough to enter onto the show circuit. There is no evidence of rust, and with this Mustang spending its life in a dry climate, that is unsurprising. The tinted glass is free from significant cracks and marks, while the trim and plastic haven’t succumbed to UV exposure. With its original 15″ alloy wheels intact, this Mustang is a conservative-looking classic that promises very respectable performance.
The LX Coupe has become one of the stars of the Fox-Body Mustang range. It features greater torsional rigidity and a lower curb weight than the Convertible or Hatchback variants, resulting in performance gains over both. This LX features the 5.0-liter “HO” V8 that is teamed with a five-speed manual transmission. With 225hp and 300 ft/lbs on tap, it should cover the ¼-mile in 14.8 seconds. The Hatchback would complete the same journey in 14.9 seconds, with the Convertible languishing in third on 15.2 seconds. I know the gaps are pretty small, but a win is a win! The seller confirms that apart from a few minor exhaust updates, this Mustang is as it left the factory. The engine’s good health is demonstrated by the claim that it uses no oil between services. Therefore, the winning bidder could fly in and build a relationship with their new toy as they drive it home.
The seller’s TLC didn’t end with fresh paint, because this Mustang’s interior received similar attention. A complete retrim has left it presenting superbly, with the seller identifying a small cut on the driver’s door trim as the only significant fault. Nothing else warrants criticism, and I admire the seller’s drive for originality. It is common for these cars to feature aftermarket stereos. However, this Mustang retains its factory radio/cassette player. The seller treated that to a rebuild to ensure it works perfectly. Other creature comforts include air conditioning, power windows, power locks, power mirrors, and cruise control.
While the classic scene has traditionally focused on vehicles from the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s, some more modern cars have a strong following. The Fox-Body Mustang is one, and this 1990 LX graphically demonstrates this. Thirty-one bids have pushed the price to $15,200 since the seller listed it here on eBay in Fort Worth, Texas. That figure is below the reserve, but there is a BIN of $21,900 for those viewing it as an automotive “must-have.” The action has been energetic, and I expect that trend to continue. I won’t be surprised if someone hits the button if the bidding gets close to the BIN figure. Will you?
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Comments
Sharp Fox. Paint and interior refurbishing make it look (almost) like new. Popular notchback body style. So many have been modded it is refreshing to see one kept stock. Many prefer its manual transmission; it would be fun to take it on a run through the gears and listen to that addictive 5.0 growl.
Lots to like here. But they aren’t cheap anymore.
And then, the kicker for early morn, a Mustang LX post, AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH. It’s okay, I’ve been trained for this with my years of trucking,,,meh. One of the few cars I hated. Once again, pray the heater core is sound, and 90% of Fords crappy heater cores weren’t. Why do I make such a big deal out of that? Because, I worked on everything and this was the very 1st time, I was told the dash had to come out. Yeah, well, they don’t know who my old man was, thankfully, and me and Mr. Sawzall made short work of that.. Dad would have been proud.
When I sold my last house, I had a funky old round fiberglass hot tub to get rid of. I told the junk hauler guy to bring a helper, as it was heavy and needed to be rolled up a steep hill. When he showed up, I asked where his helper was. He chuckled, holding up a battery powered Sawzall and proceeded to cut the hot tub into quarters in a cloud of fiberglass dust. He carted the pieces to his truck and drove off. Total elapsed time was under twenty minutes. I would have probably done the stupid thing, rolling it up the hill and winding up in the ER or worse.
Nice notch back and thankfully was respected to be mostly stock. Wish there were more pics, interior and underside.
Interesting note by Seller on the “silencer” on the inside of the fender still in place. This was the first change we would make (and a timing bump) on the ’86 and later Fox 5.0 fuel inj. models was to remove. These cars were a very big deal at the time and we felt the breathing was boosted as a tiny edge over other 5.0’s. That silencer was like a football with a small air inlet, and the sound difference alone was unmistakable and deep when removed.
The dual cool air inlets on the earlier carb 5.0’s had no such restrictions inside the fenders. Owned new the ’82, ’83, ’84 and ’86 mustang LX and GT 5.0 models – all manual shift + the hatchback style for the room. The first change on the early carb models was the easy install of the Edelbrock Performer intake – big improvement.
The price on these today is fascinating – my ’86 GT was $13,636. from Beaudry in Atlanta … and 2 friends went with me when I bought it because we were so excited. That happen anymore ? No!
This is a nice one – buyer might want to take some friends!
Nice Stang, although I don’t remember those wheels being available until the 1991 year Mustang. 90 LX 5.0 stangs came with bullet hole wheels. At least mine did anyway.
I want this Mustang so bad it hurts :).
Nice car.This one deserves to be driven,& I don’t mean
just to car shows.
The seller has done the easy stuff – refurbished the interior and repainted the car.
The next owner gets to have the engine rebuilt. 180K sounds like a LOT of mileage for a car like a 5.0 LX to me.
These are the ones to have. The Notch backs. I never look twice at verta or slants but these, these get me attention.
The sedan looks sharp in white paint.
LX Hatchbacks look best in black.
Great cars. Air intake silencer removal is 1st free mod everybody did. 5 star alloy rims were 91 and newer. They looked fantastic. The 15in phone dial rims were also cool 😎
Reserve not met @ $16,200