Posted on 06/10/2025 1:04:17 PM PDT by Red Badger
Are you a child of the 1980s or 1990s? Your ideal new/old Mustang is here.
The so-called "Fox body" Ford Mustangs, the third-generation cars built from 1979 through 1993, are enjoying a sort of nostalgia-driven renaissance in interest these days. Unsurprisingly, this is because those who were young when the Fox bodies were on sale are now older, maybe with some extra cash and spare garage space to start collecting these Mustangs off-lawn, so to speak. How "in" are Fox bodies these days? Ford is even getting in on the action with a new FX package that celebrates the Mustang defined by the 1980s.
This isn't the first time Ford has dipped into Fox-body lore lately, either—when the current Mustang arrived for 2024, its digital gauge cluster even included a setting that recreates the Fox body's old-school analog gauge pack. The FX package takes the nostalgia a lot further, of course, with white badges, white wheels, retro "Mustang" lettering, and more. It's available only on the Mustang GT Premium trim level, on both the coupe and convertible, and with or without the Performance package.
It Ain't Real If It Ain't Teal
Ford doesn't choose just any white paint for the FX package; since all things Mustang must treat time like a flat circle, everything you see painted white is, specifically, painted Oxford White, a hue that was available on the original Mustang. It's used for the "GT" badges, wheels, retro "Mustang" sticker on the rear glass (coupe only), and the "nostrils" in the grille on Performance package variants.
There are two wheel designs and both evoke classic Fox body designs, with the version you see here adopting a slick turbofan style. The other version—for non-Performance-pack cars—is a classic five-spoke. Both wear color-matched center caps bearing "Mustang GT" lettering in what Ford says is a new font (that happens to look like an old, Fox-body font, but who's keeping close track?).
Oh, and speaking of paint, the FX package introduces a new-for-2026 paint color (which also will be available on other '26 Mustangs): Adriatic Blue Metallic. Put simply, it's a rad teal color (pictured here)—what could be more Fox-body-era than that? Another new paint color this year is Orange Fury Metallic. It has no specific history linked to the Fox body, it's just worth mentioning since it hasn't been offered on the Mustang since 2019.
2026 Ford Mustang FX package 18
Pivotal Digital
Setting aside how blown peoples' minds would have been if, in the 1980s, their Fox body Mustangs came with the sort of digitized dashboard that today's Mustang gets (FX package included), Ford has put some effort into backdating the FX's interior. Plaid-like seat inserts do a lot of the heavy lifting here, but remember, there's always that Fox body gauge cluster option. Less obvious is the Dark Alley interior trim borrowed from the Mustang Dark Horse model, as well as subtle blue stitching and a "Mustang GT" badge on the passenger-side dash.
Ford hasn't outlined the FX package's price yet, but mentions that order books for the 2026 Mustang lineup overall open in later in June 2025. We'll surely find out then how much this retro FX package (and the Mustang overall) costs. But if you want to rock out with your 1980s out in a new-generation Mustang, you should definitely peep this one.
A friend of mine has a 66 or 67 he fixed up a lot but doesn’t drive it much any more.
Light red, inline 6 is about all I remember, I haven’t seen it a long time.
Talks about selling it.
I had a 67 Cougar, base model for a little while in the early 00’s. It wound up being sold as much as I hated to but to solve a problem and keep the peace, it was bought by a collector.
At times I miss it but I guess it wasn’t meant to be.
I have a nice 1:18 die cast model in a display case.
“Have a 2017 GT350 now and wouldn’t give it up. Much better product and a pisser to drive.”
Fine car but needs a track to shine. I test drove one but went with a supercharged Roush.
I had a neighbor that owned a BOSS 429. he ket the elephant on an engine stand in his garage, and installed a 429 Cleveland in it.
Agreed. HPDEs at Lime Rock, Watkins Glen and Summit Point. Got way too expensive, but lots of fun while it lasted. Skip Barber took my money and all I got was a t-shirt and some great memories.
>> Aint wild about the white wheels.need to be chrome.other than that the color is cool.
The engineers agree, but they haven’t found a way to reliably keep the chrome veneer from flaking off of the plastic wheels over the entire four-year life of the car. :-)
“1968 Ford Fairlane 500 GT.
The most bad-azz bare bones, 4 on the floor, brilliantly balanced, monster of a sleeper car to ever roll off the Ford line.”
If you exclude the 67.
I drove a rental car Mustang GT after they went to the independent rear suspension and it was pretty good.
Nice...um...car.
That and the first generation Mach 1 Mustangs are my favorites.
The ‘67 was nice too (what would Bullit have done without it?) - but the Mustangs after that were either too wimpy or too weighty and nowhere near as much fun.
Yep. My BIL had a yellow one. 289 with Hearst racing shifter and 263 gears. A 10 second Vehicle at the Homestead drags. Good times! 😊
The non fox body does look more like a Camaro. I never cared much for the “Fox” body, it did not look like a mustang. Although equipped with a potent small block, they can run a pretty decent qtr mile, since they didn’t weigh much.
I’ve had 2 Corvettes..A 1978 Silver Anniversary and a 1979...
The 1970 Hemi Cuda...A Mustang Convertible...BUT...
The most fun car to drive on country roads was a 2001 Miata...Not a lot of speed, but quick as lightning....
I bet they sell well in the Gay communities!...
First thing I look at are the wheels. Terrible.
However, the rest is just fine!
+1
I’ve had a lot of cars also. My first was a ‘57 Chevy and that was 10 years old in ‘67. It had a straight 6 with a “3 on the tree”. I blew that motor pretty quickly, and put a built 327 in it, a 4 speed on the floor, and some bigger ear end gears. Ran pretty good, low 12’s in the qtr. Then a ‘68 Olds w31 and another ‘71 442 with a 455. After getting the bugs out of the 455 I ran 11’s in the qtr. I liked the w31 better though a very underrated motor, I should have kept that one. I also had a ‘65 caddy convertable that was a real cruiser, loved that one too.
I never raced any of my cars...I just cruised around in them trying to “look cool”...LOL
A 289 with those gears would not make a 10 second qtr mile. Not even the high performance 289. Maybe supercharged and/or with nitrous. You would have to have something like a 4:10 or bigger rear end gear ratio.
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