32K Mile Survivor: 1991 Ford Mustang LX 5.0 Convertible

I owned this car! Well, not exactly, mine was a ’92 with a five-speed manual transmission but it was practically the same car. OK, I didn’t actually own this subject car but it is similar enough to mine that it warrants a close look. This 1991 Mustang LX 5.0 convertible is located in Hamel, Minnesota and is available, here on eBay for a current bid of $8,600, 60(!) bids tendered as of this writing.

By 1987, the Fox-body Mustang came essentially in two flavors, a four-cylinder LX version or a 5.0 liter V8 GT model. But wait, there was one option that straddled the two and that was the 5.0 liter LX. It possessed the powertrain, wheels and suspension of the GT but wore the more restrained look of the LX without the spoilers, flares, louvers and other styling cues that caused some critics of the time to refer to the GT as the “Melted Mustang”.

The seller is advertising this Mustang as a 32K mile, one-owner example. No doubt about it, it looks good and as the seller states, it is in “like-new condition”. The body is straight, the white finish is deep and the convertible top is perfect. This vintage Mustang has a tiny trunk as space is reserved for the folded top. That being the case, there is a luggage rack present and attached to the top of the trunk lid. I tried using the rack on mine once and lost a soft bag on I-75 somewhere in South Florida, it didn’t work too well. Of note are the “star” alloy wheels, 1991 was the first year for these 16 inchers. The only other difference between ’91 and ’92 are the rubber bump strips encircling the car, in ’92 they became body-colored.  And the ones attached to this Mustang’s flanks look good, no fade or wrinkle.

The interior is a nice environment but if you look around you can see some evidence of where a Mustang notchback lost its roof to become a convertible. Hard plastic prevails but as I recall the workmanship was pretty good and the condition of this Mustang’s upholstery looks fine, it is not exhibiting the “blasted-worn” look that is common with a convertible that has seen a lot of top-down action. That said,  some of the red is starting to look a bit orange but that could be the lighting too. The only other nuance that I recall is that in ’91 there were power-window switches for the rear quarter windows located in the rear speaker grilles; ’92 saw their elimination. Anyway that you cut it, red always looks great with a white exterior.

There are no images of the 225 net HP, 5.0-liter V8 engine and there is no word as to how this example runs. The accompanying Carfax report from 8/26/2020 shows that the last mileage reported was 29,020 but it doesn’t state the date that the mileage was actually reported. Nevertheless, the mileage is believable (though I’d really like a glimpse of the engine!). And if that’s the case, obviously this Mustang should still be a good runner.  My five-speed manual edition was fun, it had enough oomph to be enjoyable and the engine had an authoritative rumble to it. It wasn’t a race-car though. Before I purchased the manual gearbox car, I drove an automatic transmission-equipped version and found its performance to be lacking, especially on the low end. Another beguiling issue was the ride, rock hard with plenty of cowl-shake. That’s not a specific assessment of this example but it is reasonable to assume that it would be similar.

These are nice looking and fun cars to own. It is especially encouraging to find a Fox-body Mustang that is original and non molested. If you are looking for a fun, top-down cruiser with an impressive sound and decent road manners, this LX would be a good choice. If it is up-and-at-it Mustang performance that you crave, I’d keep looking.