We've been running across some amazingly original Fox-body 5.0 Mustangs recently. Daniel Carpenter's low-mileage collection of cars featured in our December '03 issue is a good case in point. Now we have Troy Shanholtz and his time-warp '86 GT, an Oxford White creampuff that's a great follow-up to the Carpenter collection from three months ago.
Troy provided the 411 on his like-new Fox in his own words.
"This car was purchased new by David and Jane Massey at Parkway Ford in Winston Salem, North Carolina, on October 17, 1986. They were the only owners of the car until they traded it in the fall of 2000. It was then acquired by the Soslowski family of Charlotte. They never tagged the car and left it in the garage, covered, until they found a low-mileage '94 Cobra and put this car up for sale. I saw the car advertised and bought it sight unseen in April 2001.
"This particular Mustang has significant sentimental value for me because I had an Oxford White '86 GT while I was a senior in high school in 1989. I had that car only 21 days before losing it in an accident. Although I had to be cut out of the car, I emerged relatively unscathed other than a few cuts and bruises. After getting married, I searched for several years before I found this '86 Oxford White GT hatchback with a Canyon Red interior.
"As of today, the only non-original equipment on the car is a set of wiper blades and a new Motorcraft battery, which was ordered from a Ford dealer. I've driven the car only 65 miles since I've owned it, and right now the odometer reads 19,917 miles. My plans are for this piece of Mustang history to achieve antique status and still register fewer than 20,000 miles. At shows, many people can't believe the car still has the original tires, spark plugs, plug wires, and front accessory drive belt. The plug wires have a 1987 date on them due to the car's late production date of September 19, 1986.
"According to the History 999 Report from Ford, the car was built with the license-plate bracket, AOD transmission, 3.27 rear axle, Goodyear Eagle VR60 225/60VR15 BSW tires, cruise control, rear-window defroster, A/C, AM/FM MPX electronic-search cassette radio, power windows, Oxford White clearcoat exterior paint, Canyon Red cloth seats, premium sound system, all-around tinted glass, Visibility Light Group, and Power Equipment Group. According to this option list and using the option and destination prices from Peter Sessler's Mustang Red Book, the total price of this car in 1986 was $14,282. The only option it doesn't have is a sunroof or T-tops.
"These days, I'm getting the car to more and more shows. I've entered it in three Mustang Club of America judged shows since I've owned it-each time in the Concours Trailered Class. During the first show, the two judges were having trouble finding points to deduct, so they just kept looking. They finally stopped when they deducted a half-point for dust on the jack and spare tire. The next two shows, including one national MCA, the car had no points deducted. So it has won three Golds in three attempts. Only a half-point deduction among the three shows is a good indication of how well this car is preserved.
"Shortly, I will be looking for another low-mileage '86 GT to buy. That car will be the one I'll have some real fun with. I plan to add a few minor modifications to make the car more fun to drive and give it more eye appeal. When my two sons are old enough to drive, I'm sure there will be plenty of nagging Dad for the keys to one of the Mustangs!"