Owners of 1984-1985 Ford Mustang SVO?

Question

Has anyone reading this owned this car recently? If so, what kind of experiences have you had with it?

Answer 1

I've owned 4, and one right now. They are getting very collectible but still reasonably priced. You can find a nice one for under 5k and low mileage originals can go for over 10k :)

the SVO has the more modern look of the 87 GT's single headlamps plus it's Bi-wing spoiler. There is a lot of stuff out there for both cars, both used and new to make them perform better, not that they are slow or "horribly slow".
The 86 SVO came with 205 hp stock and a top speed of 140 mph! it is very easy to add adjustible boost and raise both of those figures
Mustang SVO makes its debut as a future-thinking alternative to the small block V8. Easy to distinguish from the rest of its third generation Fox brethren, the SVO features a grille-less swooping nose, large sealed-beam halogen headlights, an asymmetrical hood scoop and a biplane rear spoiler. The powerplant is a further departure. Utilizing an intercooled 2.3-liter turbocharged overhead-cam four-cylinder, the "machine" realizes 175 horsepower. The '85½ and '86 models see increased turbo boost, a revised intake manifold, fuel injectors and exhaust flow take horsepower to 205 .
Suspension and chassis are given considerable attention as SVO engineers seek balanced performance. Featuring Koni gas-charged shocks, 1.12-inch-diameter antisway bars, forged steel lower trailing arms, four wheel disc brakes and 16-inch wheels with P225/50VR Goodyear Gatorback radials.
Inside, the SVO is extremely well-accommodated. Included are: Hurst shifter, Recaro bucket seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel, dead pedal, 140 mph speedometer, 8000 rpm tachometer, turbo boost, water-temperature and oil-pressure gauges.
• 1984 Road & Track lauds the SVO: "This may be the best all-around car for the enthusiast driver ever produced by the U.S. industry."
They are very collectible today and go for more money than a GT, They were produced for only 3 years, 84,85,86 with a little over 9k built total, they were also the Special Vehicles Operations wiith later became the Special Vehicles Team, SVT
survival rate is high, so they are relative easy to find, there are always 3 or 4 on Ebay. Like any other Mustang watch out for rust and with the 5 digit odo, be leary of mileage claims

They are easily modified to make more hp and a great handling car right from the factory, also the forrunner to the SVT Cobras

My car is the 86, (preferred) with the 205 hp engine,

here is a group of owners

Answer 2

I have not owned an SVO, but know a lot about it as I am a Ford fanatic, and especially the 2.3L 4cyl. The SVO Mustang was built specifically as a car to fill the gap ford had in its performance cars. Ford needed a car that handled like a slot car, and Ford's SVO (Special Vehicle Operations) division aimed to fill that slot with the Mustang, specially tuned and outfitted to do just that. The 2.3L turbocharged engine is significantly lighter than the powerful 5.0L OHV V8 that was the mainstay of hot Mustangs. This allowed the SVO Mustang to have a very good front to rear weight ratio. I can attest to the nimble handling of a 4cylinder Mustang being the current owner of an 87 LX with the 2.3L. I can take the curves much faster than my friend can in his 302 (5.0L) 83 GT. What is your specific question?

Answer 3

These a collector cars.They were way overpriced new .You could by a 5.0 l for about 4000 cheaper with more performance Shure performance is not up to par with a 4 cyl turbo.But handling was great .I would like to find one to add to my garage

Answer 4

they are small cars but reliable. many of the cars i have worked on just needed a tune up or something like that. i am a mechanic so i work on them alot. they are nice little cars to have.



~Age 16 Mechanic~