1985 Mustang GT 5.0 5 speed 29 K original mile Survivor in Light Regatta Blue

1985 Ford Mustang GT 5.0, Well Preserved / Excellent Driver and Show Winner with less than 29k original miles.

This is a very unique Mustang GT. It has two previous owners besides myself. I purchased the car from the second owner in Colorado. He owned the vehicle since 1990 and purchased it from a friend for his wife. The original owner retained the car for less than 5 years and drove it sparingly. The second owner purchased the vehicle with about 10,000 miles. The second owner also drove the car sparingly for next 27 years accumulating less than 17k miles over that period.

This 5.0 has been garage kept all of its life and it shows. Both owners were older and did not have the bug to modify the all stock GT as was the norm during the cars hey day during the "Cassette Era”. The only items that have been replaced on the car were maintenance items like fluids, spark plugs and serpentine belt and tires. I changed the spark plug wires to the correct Motorcraft wires and the serpentine belt. The original belt was cracked and needed to be replaced. The mild Denver climate was kind to this car. All the rubber moulding, hoses and Goodyear Gatorback tires are in great condition with no dry rot is present.

This GT is loaded with every factory option with the exception of the 3.08 optional rear gear. It is equipped with 2.73 highway gears. At 80 mph the 5.0 is turning 2000 rpm in 5th gear. The car still wears most of the original Light Regatta Blue paint which is the rarest of the 8 available colors on the '85 GT(2399 out 36,879 GT's). The Charcoal Grey interior is still in near perfect condition, with so few miles and garage storage it is in excellent condition. The reason it has minimal wear is that the previous owners had seat covers on the front seats since new. The pictures don't lie it is hard to find this nice of an interior on a driven car.

The 1985 GT styling was a milestone for the Fox platform and was the best looking of that generation Mustang as compared to the previous Fox platforms with the old school front grill. The Ford styling guys really hit it out of the park when coming up with the new for '85 Charcoal graphics as they contrasted well with all the available exterior colors.

The '85 was the most developed 5.0L engine with a four barrel 600 CFM Holley carburetor on top of an aluminum low rise intake manifold. This would be the last year a Mustang would be equipped with a carburetor making it another important milestone in Ford performance. The new for '85 hydraulic roller cam was also specific to the manual transmission models this was another first for a high volume production V8. The roller lifters allowed more aggressive valve opening relative to the duration hence the significant improvement in mid-range and top end performance over the 84 GT. The cam had 0.444" lift and 266 degree of duration. The overlap was 36 degrees allowing for a smooth idle at 600-700 rpm. Couple that with new for 85 tubular exhaust manifolds and this pony was making 210 Hp. This was a 35 Hp increase over the 84 GT. This was the equivalent net Hp rating that the fabled 289 HiPo gross rated 271 Hp had.

By the mid 80's, performance was back in a big way. But by today's standards a V6 will easily make that number, but post the automotive apocalypse of the '70's this was as good as it got performance wise in the mid 80's from the Big Three. This was the most powerful pony car with a manual trans this side of the pre smog era muscle car. Granted the Tuned Port Injected LB9 Camaro made 5 more Hp at 215, but in 1985 GM was only equipping these IROC's with an automatic transmission. The manual trans HO IROC's were only producing 190 Hp. Score one for the Mustang. The LB9 equipped Camaro also weighed about 200 lbs. more than the Mustang GT. So 0-60 and the ¼ mile times were definitely in favor of the Mustang.

The 85 GT exhaust system is also unique in the form of having actual dual mufflers and dual exhaust tips which were less restrictive than the previous years single muffler arrangement. The 85 GT was equipped with a single cat so it wasn't the most ideal arrangement for ultimate performance. It wasn't until 1986 that the GT was equipped with a true dual exhaust and dual cats.

This was pretty serious performance at that time, if you recall a 1985 Vette with a L98 350 made 230 Hp and a 911 Carrera was producing 207 Hp, while the top of the line 911 Turbo was good for 296 Hp.

This level of power would propel the stock GT to low 15's to high 14's quarter mile times. I can vouch for this performance. At LA County Raceway which was 2700 ft. above sea level these cars were capable of running consistent 14.3's-14.5's uncorrected with mild modifications like a timing bump to 13-14 degrees BTDC and a set of under drive pulleys.

The new for '85 drive train was also upgraded, this included a Borg Warner T5 World Class trans with tapered roller bearings for durability and phosphate coated gears and better synchros with a 3.35 first gear for improved torque multiplication. A closer ratio shifter was also included in the package.

The suspension was also more refined and equipped with high rate dampers and special over ride rear shocks to help eliminate axle tramp under hard acceleration. The springs were variable rate front and rear with 425-530 fronts and 200-300 in the rear. The front bar was 1.3" and the rear bar was 0.83”. There was a significant improvement in roll stiffness over the '84 GT. This suspension package was carried over pretty much unchanged until the last Fox body rolled of the assembly line in 1993.

The 1985 GT came equipped with front disc and rear drum brakes. The brakes work as they should, but certainly are not as good as current generation brake systems on modern cars. The car rides on the original 10 hole 15x7" wheels and 225-60-15 Goodyear Gatorback which was the largest tires put on a factory Mustang up to that time with the exception of the 1984 SVO which came with 225-50-16 Gatorbacks. The tires are vintage and should only be used for shows. However, they still ride fine, but I would recommend replacing them with current tires if you plan to log on the miles to and from events.

Bottom line the1985 MustangGT was the most refinedMustang up until that time.

Power Train & Drive Train:

The engine is all original with less than 29000 miles and has never been apart. Save for a tune up with plugs and new Motorcraft plug wires, the rest is FOMOCO original. The timing has been bumped a couple of degrees and I recommend that you run a minimum of 89 Octane. The bump in timing makes the throttle far more responsive.

The factory specific exhaust system is still intact. There are no major issues with corrosion except for the typical surface rust accumulated over the past 33 years. But the original mufflers are in good shape and the car still has the factory tone and rumble.The driver's side muffler does have some dings and scrapes though.

There are no odd noises or knocking sounds whatsoever when driving the car. This engine runs smooth. The engine runs cool as the original radiator is in great shape. The temp gauge runs about the middle to ¾ during the hot Houston summers.

The car can cruise at high speeds with no problems. The transmission shifts great and the clutch is light and easy to manage in traffic. There is no clutch chatter and the take-up during clutch release is smooth. All gearing going up or down provides for effortless shifts. There is no grinding and you can manage down-shifts with heel and toe for proper rev matching. If you have not mastered the art of properly driving a5 speed then push it into gear and the synchros will do their job. This is a smooth shifting T5.

The rear differential works fine and the traction lock still has good lock up. The 2.73 gears are great for highway cruising, but set of 3.08 or a 3.27 gears would be an ideal swap if performance is more your thing.

Suspension:

The steeringrack is unique to the GT with 15:1 fast ratio and about 3.5 turns lock to lock. This was another upgrade for 1985 vs. 1984. The power steering pump does not have the typical whine when turning the wheel at parking lot speeds. Again, I attribute this to the vehicles low mileage. There is no shimmy while driving just the typical light effort that is common on Fox Mustangs. The overall suspension is in great condition as it has less than 29,000 miles.

Tires / Wheels:

The car has the unidirectional 15" Goodyear Gatorback VR performance tires They are in drivershape with less than 1/3 tread depth and should be used for shows only and displays.

The factory 10 hole 15x7" aluminum wheels are in good overall shape. There are some small dings on couple of wheels; however the rears are in excellent shape, the clear coat is beginning to wear in some small spots. So a restoration might be in order to maintain the car at the highest level of appearance.

The rear spare has never hit the ground nor removed for any use. The factory jack and lug wrench are included.

Brakes:

The brakes were recentlyinspected and bled. The front and rear brake linings have about 2/3 of life as well as the rotors. The brake linings are original to the car. The relatively low mileage of the car proves that.

Body / Chassis:

The body is ingood overallshape with no rust present the benefit of being a dry CO car most of its life. It was a winter stored car, it now resides in TX in a climate controlled garage. There is no history of a major collision. However, the car did have an impact with a deer around 1990. The hood and drivers side fender were damaged but repaired and repainted. Since the paint is metallic it does not match perfectly. This is the only flaw in the paint work. The roof also has a couple of small dings and is another minor flaw in the body work. There are also some minor dings and scratches, but they are not noticeable at more than 10 ft. away.

The doors and trunk line up perfectly and close properly. The electric door locks work fine. However, the trunk release in the glove box just stopped working so you have to use the key to open the trunk. All date codes are present on the major body parts.

The chassis is very clean with no rust present except for some bare metal items that have surface rust. The pictures show there are no jacking marks or impacts to the chassis. The floors are in great shape.

Exterior:

The paint is mostly original and in very good shape with the exception for a few dings and scratches. About 60% of the car appears to have the original paint.

I would consider the paint to be 7 out of 10. If you want perfect show paint sorry you'll have to strip her down and start over. However, they are original only once. When polished she shines beautifully. There is one thin spot from over buffing on the passenger side rear fender lip, see the pic.

Thetrim work could use attention on the window frames the rubber is in good overall condition, but not perfect. The plastic body panels are in good shape and not warped and the charcoal trim around the car is holding up well. Another sign the car was garaged most of its life. The center rub strip has its share of dings a few have even been touched up. Overall I would consider it driver grade.

The original Ford Carlite tinted glass is in great shape. The windshield is slightly peppered but there are no rock chips. It could use a polish, but not really necessary unless you desire crystal clear glass when the sun is setting. The side view mirrors are fully functional and can be manually adjusted inside the car.

Interior:

It is in excellent original condition. The seats are in excellent shape with minimal wear. The driver's seat has some minimal signs of wear, but otherwise it is perfect. There are no rips or tears. The rear seats are also in mint condition as are the seat belts. The dash pad is in great shape with no cracks and it is still pliable. The door panels are perfect even the drivers map pocket is near perfect and not sagging from excess use. The carpet is in excellent condition as well. The floor mats are original style Ford the driver's side matt has some slight soil stain.

The center console is completely intact with no cracks present and is fully functional, all the indicator lights work and function properly. The cigarette lighter works, but was never used as it is a non smoker's car. The head liner is near perfect with no sags as is the carpet in the rear cargo area.

The HVAC system works great, the AC blows ice cold as most R12 systems do from that era. The heaters blows hot when set to high. All 3 fan speeds work.

The factory sun roof is also in excellent shaped all the seals are intact with no leaks present during a normal car wash. The glass panel can be removed completely and stored in the back in the factory storage bag or flipped up for partial open air motoring. There are no squeaks or rattles in the open or closed position.

The only minor flaw in the interior is the driver's side rear panel has a small crack where the screw was installed incorrectly at the factory. This can be repaired with plastic cement.

Electrical:

The electronicsare in excellent condition. The wiring is original and all the wiring is intact. The original radio works properly for a 80's vintage Premium Factory AM / FMradio cassette player. The speakers in the dash and the rear package tray sound fine for their vintage. There is no popping or crackle from the speakers when the radio is turned up. The LCD display works fine. The premium sound system was the best available from Ford at that time. The system included Dolby and CrO2 noise cancelling system.

The gauge cluster is in excellent condition. The gauges work perfectly and all indicator lights illuminate properly.

The head light high and low beams work.The Marshall driving lamp are in great shape as the covers were on most of the time. All turn signals, running and tail lights work and the turn single cancel works. The interval wipers work as well. All the switches work properly.

The vehicle is equipped with an aftermarket alarm and the solenoid does not work to activate the rear trunk release.

Overview:

I would feel comfortable driving this car on long trips. If you want to fly in and drive it home that should be not be an issue. However, I would recommend a new set of tires. I would not hesitate driving it anywhere or cross country. I drove the car from CO to TX without any issues and I did this on the stock Gatorback tires. I have driven the car about 2100 miles since my ownership.

If you are really interested in the car I recommend having the vehicle inspected by an appointed professional or yourself. As you can see this car is not easy to let go so it is not going for cheap. Good cars never do and with the current condition, it will only maintain and increase in value.

If you want the perfect concourse garage queen this is not your car. But it is show worthy as a survivor.

FEATURES AND OPTION INFORMATION
Body Trim Tag Codes:

Date: 11/84

DSO: 76

Paint: 3V

Body: 61B, MLDG, Int.Trim:PA, R: 6, S: C, TR: 2BBBB

AX: M

I have attempted to describe the vehicle as accurately as possible. The overall vehicle condition is an excellent driver in need of some minor cosmetics, but can be fully enjoyed while taking care of the minor exterior issues. On a scale of 1-5 this is a 2+ car. With a proper detail it could easily win MCA silver or possibly Gold in the survivor category.
SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL 713-471-2121.

The vehicle is located in Houston, and is available for inspection. The car is also for sale locally and if sold, the auction will be canceled.
Please remember, this is a 33 year old car.
I am representing it as accurately as possible based on my knowledge
and have tried to give as much information as possible.
It is being sold without warranty and as is where is...
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This vehicle is sold as/is where is. The information may include inaccuracies or typographical errors. All such information is provided "AS-IS" without warranty of any kind. I hereby disclaim all warranties and conditions with regard to this information, including all implied warranties and conditions of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title and non-infringement. In no event shall I be liable for any direct, indirect, punitive, incidental, special or consequential damages arising out of or in any connected with the use of this web site or with any delay or inability to use this website, or for any information obtained through this website, or otherwise arising out of the use of this web site, whether based on contract, tort, strict liability or otherwise.

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If you desire you can arrange for a freight forwarder to pick up the vehicle in the North West Houston area, however, the vehicle and title will only be released if payment is paid in full and all funds have cleared the bank.