1983, THE MUSTANG GOES TOPLESS!

The convertible made a return to the Mustang lineup after a 10 year absence. Also, the Mustang received a minor face-lift. This came by way of a slightly new grille and rounder, smoother front fascia. This frontal rounding helped drop CD figures for the hatchback to around 0.40. Tail-lights were redesigned and now offered a yellow turn signal flasher and a horizontal theme, unlike the previous four vertical bars. The interior remained unchanged with the exception of trim levels. New front A-arms with low-friction ball joints became standard on GTs or cars equipped with the Handling suspension. The front sway bar diameter increased from 1.06" to 1.125". During mid-year, the rear sway bar on the Handling or H.D./GT suspension package grew from 0.50" to 0.67" and a new constant ratio power steering system emerged. The 5.0L H.O. received a new Holley 4-barrel 600 CFM carburetor and a larger "460" style dual-snorkel air cleaner. (Earlier V-8s used a 2-barrel carburetor and came with a variable power steering unit having a 20.03:1 ratio at center.) On December 1, the rear main seal on the 5.0L V-8 was updated to a 1-piece configuration made of Viton(R), which called for a revised block. As in 1982, the 5.0L was offered with a manual transmission except that both 4 and 5 speed versions were available.

Horsepower : 175 BHP   @ 4200 RPM 
Torque     : 245 Ft-Lb @ 2400 RPM 
Base Price : $8,194  (2-door coupe) 
Total Cars Produced : 120,873 
5.0L Cars (non GT)  :   7,891
     GT Cars        :  27,649

1983 Happenings:
Last year the 8-track player was offered.
Islamic terrorist, on a suicide mission, kills more than 200 U.S. Marines in Beirut.

1984, 20 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

The Mustang had its 20th birthday and Ford celebrated with a special edition Pony. The engine of choice was either the 5.0L V-8 or the 2.3L Turbo and all special edition Mustangs were 3-door or Convertible GTs. All 20th anniversary Mustangs were white with rocker panel tape treatment and GT350 lettering. The interiors were red with articulated front seats and two 20th anniversary dash panel badges. A medallion engraved with the words "Limited Edition", a serial number, and owner's name was sent to the buyer about 4 months after purchase. A total of 5,260 20th anniversary Mustangs were produced.

Another highpoint in the development of the TGM was the 1984 1/2 SVO Mustang. The SVO was probably the most sophisticated TGM Mustang to date. The SVO received a new front fascia, functional hood scoop, split plane rear spoiler, 16" X 7" cast aluminum rims mounted with Goodyear Eagle NCTs, revised front suspension, quadra-shock rear suspension and rear disc brakes. The interior was graced with articulated front seats, left-foot rest, leather-wrapped steering wheel, and AM/FM stereo with amplified speakers. At the heart of the SVO was a turbocharged 2.3L in-line four that featured an intercooler, EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection) and electronically controlled variable boost. This little screamer pumped out 175 BHP at a maximum boost of 14 psi. What eventually killed the SVO was the 5.0L; the turbocharged four, as sophisticated as it was, just did not stimulate the adrenal glands like that soulful rumble of good ole American torque, courtesy of the tried and true 302 c.i. V-8. The SVO's $15,585 price tag also contributed to its demise; the 5.0L 2-door coupe was about half the price and faster than the SVO. In any case, we should really appreciate the SVO and the people behind the machine because you should notice that many of the improvements and options show-cased on the SVO found themselves to be standard equipment on later 5.0s. Total production for 1984 the SVO was 4,508 although Ford's capacity was around 4 times that value.

More general changes included a new rear spoiler that was used on the GT and remained unchanged for subsequent GTs until 1986 and LXs until 1993. The rear sway bar on the Handling or H.D./GT suspension grew to 0.79" mid-year from the previous year's 0.67". The 5.0L remained unchanged except for CFI (Central Fuel Injection) which was basically a throttle body mounted on the intake manifold in place of the carburetor. Naturally, horsepower suffered somewhat. The 4-Bbl 5.0L came with the T-5 transmission while the CFI 5.0L came with a 4-speed automatic for the first time. Lastly, this was the first year of the LX model.

 
Horsepower : 175 BHP   @ 4200 RPM 
             165 BHP   @ 3800 RPM (CFI) 
Torque     : 245 Ft-Lb @ 2400 RPM 
             245 Ft-Lb @ 2000 RPM (CFI) 
Base Price : $8,663  (2-door coupe) 
Total Cars Produced : 141,480 
5.0L Cars (non GT)  :   5,280 
     GT Cars        :  32,194

1984 Happenings:
Ford and Mazda team together to build a new front-drive Mustang.
The Soviet Union boycotts the summer Olympics held in Los Angeles.