I'm thinkin bout buyin a older Mustang 5.0(87-93) and have noticed that sometime during this bodystyle Ford updated the interior, new steering wheel etc. I'd like to know when they did this, and what all they changed, so I know what age range the newer style is in. Thanks

Trevor

 

I know that the 'stang had the airbag wheel after 1989 sometime, since my buddy's 89 LX has the old style wheel. I have a 94, the new body style, so that wont help. check cardomain, and see what the interiors look like there.

 

The big change came in 87 when Ford "redesigned" the front end. They also gave the interior a make over. While most of the interior is a direct swap from an 87 into an 86 or older, the position of the parking brake lever will throw you for a loop. The center console won't fit without modification.

Anyway, on to some other stuff. 89 and 90 Mustangs had a 25th Anniversary badge on the right side of the dash. 91 and up had a similar looking badge without the 25 year on it. 90 and up had drivers side air bags, and no tilt steering. (At least not on my 92, and a 90 I test drove) The part of the dash under the wheel, I guess you could call it a knee pad, was different too. HVAC controls were changed in 90 as well. 87 to 89 had big head rests on the front seats. 90 and up had small head rests. The rear seats were different as well. I remember helping a friend swap leather seats into his 89, and had to swap the seat cover on the rear seats. I got a quick upholstery lesson that day.

Also, there is a difference in LX and GT interiors. Some LX's came with GT interiors. I never sat in a LX with an LX interior, so I don't know how bad the seats are, but from what I have seen, they are pretty plain. My 92 LX had the GT interior, as well as my buddy's 89 LX.

Some other stuff to consider is the power train. 86 to 88 had what you would call a speed density intake. 89 and up had a mass airflow meter. For modifications, you would want a mass air upgrade kit for 86 to 88, or at least start with an 89. And although all the 5.0's supposedly were rated at 225 hp, the 92's seemed to have bigger horses, followed by 89's, and the other years seemed a bit weak.

On stock 5.0 Mustangs, the 5 spoke "Pony" rims started in 91? Pretty sure it's 91. Chrome Ponies came in 92, on limited edition Yellow, Red and White Convertible Mustangs.

It's a bit more than you asked for, but I hope that helps you a bit. If I were to buy another 5.0, it would be a 92 LX hatchback. Or a 92 GT Convertible.

 

bigrigfixer,

thanks, thats more than I was lookin for, but too much of a good thing is a good thing right? The other day I'd noticed the air bag wheel, and wondered if there was any other differences. As for the powertrain and wheels, I'm not too concerned with that, because I'd rebuild everything to handle more hp and put some nicer rims on. Thanks.

Trevor