Clearing the Fog (Lights)We had several readers write us about a letter in our Apr. '07 issue addressing the subject of '83 Mustang GTs and foglights. As it turns out, these cars weren't equipped with foglights-it was the only entire model-year of Fox GTs without them; the cars from the first half of '84 were also produced without them. Thanks to all those who wrote in to clear the air on which cars were or were not equipped with factory foglights.
We should also note that while Editor Farr's how-to article in the Dec. '06 issue said that all '82-'04 Mustang GT models had foglights, the article itself detailed the installation of them on vintage '65-'66 Mustangs. The fact that he said all '82-'04 GTs had foglights was a minor oversight. Now that Fox 5.0s are beginning to catch the eyes of collectors, the fact that '83s and some '84s weren't factory-equipped with them is an interesting detail worth clarifying.
In your Apr. '07 column, a reader was confused about the article "How to Install GT Foglights" from the Dec. '06 issue. The article stated that all '82-'04 GTs had foglights, but his '83 didn't. The '83s and early '84s didn't receive them, and only later '84 cars did. While I wasn't crazy about it at first, the lack of foglights has grown on me. My early '84 GT shows proof of a non-foglight '84 car.Mike O'ConnorVia the Internet
In late 1985, I purchased an '84 Mustang GT and there's no evidence that it ever had foglights-no switch or wiring. The front fascia didn't have indentations for foglights either, and the car had no evidence of accident repair or a repaint. I always thought it was odd that the car didn't have them, but thought it was left off the order when the car was built. I find these often overlooked cars very unique.Doug BoyselDenver, PA
I'm writing in response to Mr. Koeper's statement about owning an '83 Mustang GT without fogs. In 1990, I also owned an '83 Mustang GT that didn't have foglights. I was under the impression that '83 GTs never had them and it wasn't until '84 that Ford integrated foglights into the '83-'86-style fronts. The only real difference in the four years was the grill.Jeffery WeberVia the Internet
Kyle Koeper was curious about his '83 Mustang GT having no foglights. According to the Standard Catalog of Mustang 1964-2004 by Brad Bowling, all '83 GTs were made without them. There's a picture of an '83 on page 103 with this fact captioned underneath.Christian BilleisenIndianapolis, IN
For '83, Mustang GTs didn't come with foglights, but there was a lower valance panel offered by Ford Motorsport to put them on. If you look in the sales literature for that year, you'll see that fact. I have an '83 GT that I've owned since new and it doesn't have foglights.Emil HibianBrigantine, NJ
Keep That SaleenI own an '89 Saleen SSC and have been considering selling it to buy another project car. My fear is that I'll see it for sale in a few years for a much larger sum. What's your opinion on collectability and value for this car? I want to keep it if you think the value will go up during the next five years.Rod LarmourSan Mateo, CA
The Yellow Mustang Registry (www.yellowmustangregistry.com/ProductionSaleen.html) says only 160 '89 Saleen SSCs were made. That's a low number to be sure. Even run-of-the-mill Fox 5.0s-mainly '87-'93 LX coupes and hatches with manual transmissions-are climbing out of the bottom of the depreciation bell curve, and your car is much more unusual than those. I encourage people to keep their cars and enjoy them for what they are, rather than keep them in hopes of making big money. While the right car is still a good investment, keep it because you love it, not because you want to make a lot of money. If you find a car you like more than the Saleen, go with that. Or keep the Saleen and have the second project car be a lower-priced proposition that allows you to keep the one you already have.
I'm a perfect example. I have a '69 fastback I really love and I want to get another vintage fastback as a project. I'm not going to sell the '69 to get another fastback. I'd rather keep the '69 and get a lower-priced coupe and have those two cars rather than sell the '69 to get just another fastback project car.
My two cents? Keep it. It's a cool car and a rare late-model collectible that willnever go down in value.