1986 Ford Mustang SVO

Description

Ford's Special Vehicle Operations Department, more commonly known as SVO, was formed to oversee both the companies racing program, and to produce limited production, high performance street cars. Taking aim at the European sports cars of the day, they took a very different approach to building this Mustang than had been taken in the 60s and the 70s. Their efforts lead to this unique and rare Mustang that is a very capable and deceptively fast driver's machine. Check it out.

While they started with a Fox body platform, this Mustang has a different and super clean look to it for several good reasons. First, it is presented in Oxford White which has been well cared for and still shines nicely. Then some unique features like the front grill and an SVO developed hood scoop keep things looking good. Thinner body side moldings and blacked out lower rocker panels add to the long and low look. An SVO badge appears on the front fenders and while the doors and windows look familiar enough from the side, the sail panel has a smoother appearance to it and there is a dual rear wing that was developed for it that is both functional, looks awesome, and really grabs your attention. Mustang SVO appears on the back of the hatch and a couple chrome exhaust tips peek out from under the back bumper.

The neat and clean look continues inside this car too. Given that there are less than 46,000 miles on this car, it is not surprising that the Gray interior has almost no wear. The door panel looks good with a cloth panel over the vinyl section which has a nice armrest as well as the power window switches at your fingertips. Have a seat in the cloth covered sport seats with substantial side bolsters which are perfect for spirited driving, and reach out and grab the beefy, leather wrapped, three-spoke SVO steering wheel. Just to the right is the leather shift knob for the 5-speed transmission that just begs to be stirred around and behind it sits a stock dash board which contains one fun little gauge that keeps track of turbo boost. Ventilation controls are in the center which includes those for the air conditioning, and an FM/Cassette deck is just below them for your listening pleasure.

Raise the hood and you will find a compact little powerhouse that pumps out 200 horsepower sitting well back in a neat and clean engine bay. That placement improves the weight distribution and is one of the things that help this car handle so well. A black and brushed aluminum valve cover proudly announces the engine as a Ford Fuel Injected Turbo, and the air filter housing that feeds the intake from the hood scoop is also dressed out in black and brushed aluminum. Exhaust flows back through dual Flowmaster mufflers exiting out those dual chrome tips. The SVO team did a great job designing and tuning the chassis and suspension on this car too. Koni front struts work with rack and pinion steering and a sway bar to keep the front end planted and the 4-link rear suspension also gets a set of Konis to keep things under control. 4-wheel disc brakes were pulled off the Continental Mark VII parts shelf to provide some serious stopping power, and the rubber meets the road through 225/50R15s mounted on SVO wheels.

This is a low mileage example of a different approach to the Mustang. Its fun, its fast, and its rare. Come on down and check it out.