Hooniverse Asks: What's the Most Desirable Tuner Fox Body Mustang?

saleen-mustang-ssc-main
Last week over on Jalopnik I featured a Saleen SSC with just 661 miles on its Fox Body clock. Now, I’ve never driven one of these tuner ‘Stangs, but I’ve heard tell that they were a pretty good drive back in their day, and that makes me wonder how anyone could have successfully fought the temptation to add to that odo count.
Saleen was just one of the tuner names that saw the Foxstang as a blank canvas for their art and proceeded to make a special edition in their own image. The questions for today are, which one of those do you think was the best, and why?
Image: AutoGuide

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34 responses to “Hooniverse Asks: What's the Most Desirable Tuner Fox Body Mustang?”

  1. tonyola Avatar
    tonyola

    Although the ASC McLaren convertibles were basically mechanically stock, I’d still like one.

      1. Tiberiuswise Avatar

        If I ever built my own custom fox body, I would start with a Capri for the slightly box flared fenders and upright grill.

        1. Tanshanomi Avatar

          I agree. The changes are not drastic, but they do give the Capri a little extra sump’m-sump’m.
          http://momentcar.com/images/mercury-capri-1986-3.jpg

      2. Tiller188 Avatar
        Tiller188

        Especially in that color scheme, that actually looks more than a little Ur-Quattro-ish to me. Not a bad thing.

        1. JayP Avatar
          JayP

          It has blister flares… very UrQ.

    1. Vairship Avatar
      Vairship

      Plus then you can claim that you drive a McLaren!

  2. BigRedCaveTroll Avatar
    BigRedCaveTroll

    If we’re just talking about Mustangs (and not the Capri), I’d start with one of the later ones that don’t have the four eyes and I’d use a notch, not a hatch. I think the hatchbacks are ugly, although I could go for a four-eyed hatch.

    1. JayP Avatar
      JayP

      I came across a low-mile LX 5.0 hatch… had it been a notch, I would have really considered it.

      1. BigRedCaveTroll Avatar
        BigRedCaveTroll

        When I was 17 I had a guy offer to trade me a really clean 351-swapped notch with a 5 speed for my ’88 Camaro and I think like a grand. I should’ve taken him up on it.

      2. The Real Number_Six Avatar
        The Real Number_Six

        I sold my 1989 LX 5.0 notchback back in 1996 and it still stings. It drove like an out of control shopping cart because I upgraded the motor and nothing else.

  3. Tanshanomi Avatar

    None of them. For me, the most attractive aspect of Fox bodies is their affordability, huge number of aftermarket mods, and widespread availability. A high-end, period tuner edition pretty much runs counter to all of those.

  4. The Real Number_Six Avatar
    The Real Number_Six

    In the 1980s and 90s a Canadian engineer named Derek Hanson developed his own suspension and brake upgrades for Fox-body and SN95s, and named the package DECH Mustang. They were sold from Ford dealers and came with a full warranty like a stock factory car. He bought some body kits from Saleen, which made people think the cars were Saleen knockoffs, but that was not the case. By all accounts they were superb to drive and they did well in SCCA events across North America. DECH’s team also served as pit crew for Saleen when he came racing at Mosport in Ontario. I’d give the proverbial left one for a nicely-maintained DECH but they seem to have vanished. http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/4/567/769/38915384001_large.jpg

    1. BigRedCaveTroll Avatar
      BigRedCaveTroll

      Was the suspension particularly forgiving? (Sorry)

      1. The Real Number_Six Avatar
        The Real Number_Six

        No need to apologize – it’s my fault for being Canadian and not writing as follows:
        Also: golf clap

    2. Maymar Avatar
      Maymar

      I swear you still see the occasional one around, but it’s only on the odd nice weekend. Most are probably in perpetual hibernation at this point.

  5. JayP Avatar
    JayP

    Not a tuner, but may be one of the most desirable Fox Mustangs…
    https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5257/5531684220_a56bc78905_b.jpg

    1. JayP Avatar
      JayP

      That was my second choice.

    2. mad_science Avatar

      Dude.
      Assymmetic box-flare NACA duct?
      hnnnnng

  6. engineerd Avatar
    engineerd

    Steeda for the pulleys and flows.
    https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/2002SteedaGT.jpg

  7. P161911 Avatar
    P161911

    Ford Mustang Maxum GTP. It is based on a production Mustang (sort of), and built by Roush. http://www.racingsportscars.com/tn/photo/1987/TN_Daytona-1987-02-01-004.jpg

  8. Tiberiuswise Avatar

    I’m not seeing a lot of low hanging fruit here so I’ll go with the in house tuner SVT. While advertised horsepower wasn’t especially impressive, it was a thorough massage of almost every part that made it go.
    http://www.themotoringenthusiastjournal.com/photo_gallery/images/mustang_50/1993_cobra_05.jpg

    1. JayP Avatar
      JayP

      Fox body Mustang Cobra.
      A lot of animals in there.

      1. Tiberiuswise Avatar

        Are we counting the Mullet behind the wheel?

    2. Guest Avatar
      Guest

      I’ll second your factory tuned vote, but I’ll make my nomination an SVO.

      Offset hood scoop, biplane spoiler, and non-traditional Mustang engine FTW!

      https://image.adam.automotive.com/f/27253814/mmfp-1005-01-o+1986-ford-mustang-svo+burning-rubber.jpg

      1. Tiberiuswise Avatar

        I kind of wish I test drove an SVO back in the day before I bought my 1985 GT. Previous test drives on 79-83 cars with the 2.3 or 2.3 turbo took it off my radar completely. Well, that and the incremental $4,000 in MSRP.

    1. mad_science Avatar

      Hey look, it’s LTDScott in your first shot.

  9. mad_science Avatar

    The early 80s ones where my favorite, if only because they were really dedicated to pointing out that malaise was on the way out:
    http://assets.blog.hemmings.com/wp-content/uploads//2015/08/HH15_r0003_01-700×290.jpg
    Via
    http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2015/10/12/the-trickle-down-effect-a-fox-body-imsa-racer-for-the-street/

  10. Cool_Cadillac_Cat Avatar
    Cool_Cadillac_Cat

    http://www.thelincolnarchive.com/photogallery/83lc-silver/b7_3.jpg
    Oh, you said Fox body not platform.
    My bad.

  11. Monkey10is Avatar
    Monkey10is

    I’m not sure who copied who, but that Saleen tape package is remarkably reminiscent of the Opel Manta 400:
    http://bright-cars.com/uploads/opel/opel-manta-400/opel-manta-400-01.jpg

    1. ol shel Avatar
      ol shel

      I love those wheels.