The Fox-based Ford Mustang witnessed several big changes for the 1981 model year, and unfortunately, many of them made the legendary nameplate less intriguing.
First, Ford retired the 2.3-liter turbo engine, so if you wanted more power from the Mustang, the top choice was now the painfully underpowered 4.2-liter V8 with 115 horsepower. The base engine was the 2.3-liter four-cylinder unit, but its output was disappointing—88 horsepower.
Second, the 1981 model year was the last for the Mustang Cobra. Combined with the demise of the turbo engine, the Cobra waiving goodbye to the Mustang proved Ford was now more interested in economy than in performance.
The 1981 Mustang in these photos is a great opportunity to inspect the original car in all its glory, mainly thanks to its survivor condition. eBay seller aquatarkus72 explains that the Mustang was specifically ordered to look identical to the cover Mustang used by Ford in the 1980 brochure, and I attached the original ad to highlight the resemblance.
The car needs additional work, but the seller says everything is available to complete the project and bring this Mustang back to the road. However, it’ll require paint fixes, as the Mustang was parked in a rural region in a building that leaked on part of the body. However, you won’t find concerning rust on the car, albeit I advise you to inspect the vehicle in person or order a third-party inspection, especiallly if your plan is to keep it original.
One of the biggest changes happened under the hood. The Mustang rolled off the assembly lines with a six-cylinder engine in charge of putting the wheels in motion, but the owner says they installed a 5.0-liter from a 1989 Ford. The drivetrain isn’t completely hooked up, so the buyer must complete the under-the-hood work before taking this Mustang back to the road.
The six-cylinder unit installed on the 1981 Mustang produced 91 horsepower, only 3 horsepower more than the base four-cylinder engine (offered as the base unit for this model year).
While you’d normally expect a 1981 Mustang to be more affordable, this isn’t the case with this example. The owner believes $8,000 is a fair price, but they also enabled the Make Offer option to let buyers submit other offers. If you want to see it in person, you can find this Mustang parked in Littleton, Colorado.
The car landed online a few hours ago, and if you think it has a place in your garage, you still have 29 days to inspect it in person and convince your significant other that it is worth the money. You’ll ned transportation to take it home, considering the engine upgrade that is yet to be completed.