A few years ago, my husband purchased a 1989 Ford Mustang 4-cylinder coupe to use as his ‘daily driver’ to get back and forth to work. Last summer, I purchased a 1989 Ford Mustang GT convertible. My ‘daily driver’ is an SVT Focus, and I was looking for a little convertible to play with on the weekends. After several years of owning Mustangs that are at both ends of the Mustang spectrum, I feel qualified to write a review.
The Ford Mustang was the brainchild of Lee Iacocca, and was created during his short career at Ford, before he went on to rescue Chrysler from its financial troubles in the late 1970s. The Mustang began production in 1964, and is the longest running vehicle in the Ford line. The FOX body Mustangs were the most popular and, some would argue, most visually-appealing Mustangs produced. The FOX body was in production from 1979 to 1993. OEM parts and modifications for this pony are still abundant, even 16 years after the car ended its production run. 1989 was a special year for the Mustang, as it had been in production for a quarter of a century.
The 1989 Mustang came with two different engine options – the 2.3L 4-cylinder engine, and the 302 V-8. This Mustang also came with two different trim packages – the LX option, or the GT option. The LX could be purchased with either engine, but the GT was strictly a V8 car. You could get the ’89 Mustang in a convertible or coupe, in either trim package.
There is absolutely nothing that I don’t like about the 1989 Mustang. In my GT, the 302 V8 engine is powerful, and even at the age of 20, can still give most cars a run for their money. The trade-off is the low fuel economy – I get about 16 mpg in town, and 20 mpg on the highway. The stock exhaust was pretty weak, even back in 1989, so I replaced it with Dynomax exhaust. For about $150, I got nice pipes that sound great and are loud enough to get attention, but not loud enough to be obnoxious. In our ’89 coupe, the 4-cylinder is not something that would win any races on Friday night at the drag strip, but it still pulls down 30 miles per gallon on the highway, and is very fuel-efficient.
The fuel economy is not the only difference between the two cars. The coupe offers a better ride than the convertible. My husband did some welding on the convertible’s frame to stiffen up the ride, but you can definitely tell a difference.The sound system is also better in the coupe. Even with the exact same head unit, speakers and subs, my husband car still sounds better. The coupe has better acoustics with the hard top, and bigger trunk. I prefer to ride around in my GT with the top down at all times, and the folded-down top definitely muffles the sound of the sub from the trunk.
If you buy a FOX body Mustang, there are several things that you should check. The ashtrays in these Mustangs always break. Always. It’s written in the Mustang law. If you are a smoker with no plans to quit, you’ll want to find an aftermarket parts dealer online and pick up a new ashtray. If you are like me and don’t smoke, you can get an aftermarket cupholder for about $50 that fits in the ashtray slot.
You should also check the exhaust, as I mentioned above, and if you are purchasing a V8 model, check for cracking under the seats, and in the rear control arms. This will tell you how hard the car was driven, and if the previous owner took care of the vehicle. You will also want to change the rear end gear ratio, especially if you purchase a V8 model. The 1989 Mustang didn’t have the best gearing, and it definitely affects the car’s performance. For about $75, you can have your gears done, and you will definitely notice a difference.All things considered, the 1989 Mustang was one of Ford’s proudest moments, and this car still offers something for everyone, even 20 years after it was produced.
