'87 Mustang LX Pro-Driver
 

Up until a couple years ago, my driver car was the family sedan while my wife's was some sort of sports car, usually a convertible.

The reason for this has to do with how we met. Kristy and I met on a singles motorcycle ride put on by a friend through The Single Volunteers of Washington DC list serv. She rode with me for 100 miles that day. Six months later we were engaged, and five months after that we were married (August 2001). Through the first several years of marriage we continued to enjoy motorcycle rides, with Kristy even getting us a noce Harely Davidson Dyna Glade T-Sport.

But Kristy has Multiple Sclerosis. When an MS Exacerbation caused her to no longer be able to ride with me, I sold the Harley and bought her a Miata with an automatic. The Miata became our "motorcycle" for our rides in the country. I did buy another motorcycle (cheaper) for me, but one which was a bit less expensive.

Kristy went through a series of cool little sports cars, including a Z32 300ZX, a Mercedes SLK230, and an SL320. A couple years ago, I noticed she was having a lot of difficulty getting in and out of the little sports cars. So I "rearranged the fleet." I sold my BMW 540i/6 and her SL and bought her a '98 Mercedes E320 and an '03 Miata 6-speed for me.

https://static1.pt-content.com/image...3197CF2B-1.jpg

This seemed a great idea, except...

Except my mom has a Parkinsonism called Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and, after she broke her hip due to a fall, it seems I have and will continue to make many more trips to Florida (from our home in Tennessee)to help my dad take care of her, and the Miata just isn't a very comfortable "travel" car.

I needed something we could use for our rides, but also something I could drive to Florida, something with a bit more room, but also with a manual transmission and the ability to handle.

Meet the new semi-project, a 1987 Mustang LX w/T-tops

https://static1.pt-content.com/image...01356AEB-1.jpg

Originally born with a 4-cylinder, it's been upgraded with the 5.0, 5-speed, and differential from an '89 5.0. Engine runs strong (B303 cam), but the past owner fancied himself a drag racer, so he put big-n-littles on it, along with drag shocks. The paint is good (a repaint at some point), and the interior is, at least for the moment, serviceable).

https://static1.pt-content.com/image...7F3001D7-1.jpg

Upon buying it (and, I'm sure, paying too much for it), I purchased a bunch of stuff to get it up to my preferences, spending something akin to the national debt in the process.

It will e getting an SN-95 5-lug upgrade with Cobra front brakes, Bilstein shocks and struts, a new rack and pinion from Flaming River, Global West lower front control arms (and lower rears to replace the solid bushing drag lowers), 1-inch lowering springs, 17-inch "Saleen" style wheels, Dakota Digital VHX cluster, Pypes 2.5-inch exhaust, a bunch of seals and weather stripping, etc.

It currently has 3.73s in it.

One question, for a fun street car, which would be better, a torque arm, or the SN95 IRS?

Vote for a Torque Arm
 

I've had the BMR Torque Arm in my Firebird for over a decade and love it on the street... while the IRS would be a cool upgrade I'm sure a torque arm would be a big improvement and should be a bolt-in affair

LOVE the car! I had a white 1990 GT with a Steeda 19 cam, Edelbrock heads and intake, Paxton supercharger and a full STEEDA suspension with 5-way Tokico's all around. I was stationed in Germany at the time and Car Craft was building their 200mph Mustang. That car was FUN on the autoban! I wonder what ever happened to that car? I sold it to two brothers in Ohio around 2005 after having it for 12-years.

Anyway, thanks for the memories... excited to see your build progress!

Torque arm if you're going to make changes. An IRS would be nice too, but awfully expensive. I thought these cars had a four link from the factory?

Good luck with the build. These cars and 3rd gen F-bodies are starting to regain a lot of popularity. It's fun to see them coming out again.

The SN95 Cobra IRS is pretty much a bolt in. It's not stupid expensive, but it is more expensive than the torque arm.

Yes, the Foxbody does come with a 4-link, but, like the GM A/G bodies, it's a converging link system, but, as the Foxbody arms are shorter, it's even more prone to binding, etc.

I think I'll go with the torque arm for now.

For some reason, I thought the SN95 cars where a couple inches wider so I figured you would be left with aftermarket options.

The SN95 cars do have a wider track width vs. the Fox body.