Mustang Owners Club of Austin

The Ford Mustang which appeared in April of 1964, means many things to many people. The car is a tradition in the hearts of both young and old. In the Mustang Owners Club of Austin (MOCA), we celebrate the diversity in our many different members, their cars, and their interests. Please Contact Us with any questions you may have.

Car of The Month

Chris Warren's 1985 Mustang GT

I started reading Road &Track Magazine when I was 13 and have been a car
enthusiast ever since. One of my favorite cars was the 85 Mustang GT. I
like the simple design of the exterior and interior, and this was the last
carbureted Mustang GT.

The 85 Mustang GT had many improvements. Ford changed the front grill and
added the distinctive GT to the bodyside moldings. The interior was
refreshed with a better dash, and new sport seats carried over from the 84
SVO model. The 85 Mustang GT included a H.O. engine producing 210 HP. This
was the first roller-cammed 5.0L and included tube headers, a Holley
carburetor, and a 5-speed manual transmission. The 85 Mustang GT handled,
performed and braked well with a curb weight of 3,200 lbs. It was a great
value. The actual sticker price on my vehicle is $12,144.

Chevy recently launched its new 1984 C4 Corvette. The C4 had the new
digital dash and clam shell hood. The 5.7L engine produced 205 HP and
weighed about the same as the Mustang. I remember the performance specs
were almost the same as the Mustang. For about half the price, you could
purchase a Mustang GT, and it performed comparably to the previous Corvette
model.

Having owned several C4, C5, and C6 Corvettes the past 12 years, I never
gave much thought to the older Mustang. Most Fox body Mustangs were
modified, abused and in poor condition. I decided to start searching for
the best stock 85 Mustang I could get my hands on. This of course was
before the economy tanked in late 2008. I found a completely original 85
Mustang GT in Florida. My wife and I had never been to Disney World. So, I
told her I used mileage points to purchase two airline tickets to go to
Disney World. Oh, and on the way, I was going to check out a new hobby car.

The owner purchased the 85 Mustang new and kept a log on maintenance and
every single repair. I purchased a museum car! The car was 100% original
and in near mint condition with less than 75,000 original miles. He had a
second set of tires and wheels which were the original set when car was
new. He swapped out this set when showing the car. Most importantly, the
original A/C blows cold air.

I have only made a few modifications. I installed a new clutch, Flowmaster
mufflers, and aftermarket catalytic converter which bolted on with no
modification. I decided to maintain the same exhaust. The 85 Mustang did
not have full dual exhaust. This was changed the following model year with
the fuel injected 86 model. I did install a new transmission cross member
mount provided by owner. So, I can dual the exhaust in the future.

This year, I sent the carburetor to Pony Carburetors to be rebuilt. I
replaced the timing chain, water pump, fuel pump, fuel line, radiator,
hoses, fan clutch, front and rear brakes, oil pan and valve cover gaskets,
and installed new tires. Amazingly, there are no oil leaks! I need to
replace the brake fluid, bleed the brakes, and install new shocks.
Afterwards, my project list is complete.

This will be a keeper vehicle. It is not very fast or impressive by today’s
standards. But 25 years ago, this was a true sports car.

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Mustang Owners Club of Austin

Car of The Month

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