[Rory McNeil]

About the only visual difference between a 85 & 86 Mustang body is the rear spoiler. A 85 LX has no rear spolier, a 85 GT has a rear spoiler without the 3rd brake light, all 86 Hatchbacks came with the same style of spoiler as the 85 GT, but with the 3rd brake light in the center. As mentioned, 86 was the only year that used the oddball head, as well as flat top pistons with no eyebrows, and a smaller throttle body than the 87 & up 5.0 engines.Converting a 86 Mustang into a 87-93 is a major job; front nose, complete interior, including dashboard, rear side glass, tail lights, all body side moldings, door mirrors, etc, plus front & rear bumpers and lower body side ground effects if it will be a GT model. A local racer tried the 86 GT stickshift conbo for a few years, and gave up. I think Tony Denysenkos 86 Capri is the only car running this engine combo currently. His car is an automatic, and runs well, but they have also been been flogging it for quite while. Peronally, I like the 85 4 barrel stick combo, but if you want to run a EFI 5.0 Mustang with an automatic, I`d sell the 86 and get a 88-93, or a 94-95. Tons of car out fhere, and and like my 85 4 barrel Mustang, the factory parts like heads, intakes, etc are plentifull and dirt cheap, sometimes free, since these FOX body Mustangs are very popular with the street crowd, and they can`t remove the "stock junk" fast enough. As for an earlier choices, 79 had a 302 2 barrel option, in 80 & 91 the only V8 was a goofy 255 2 barrel, 82 had a "high output" 2 barrel 302, 83&84 had a 4 barrel HO 302, but like the 85, all the 82-84 5.0s were stickshift when used with a carb. In 84 & 85 (maybe 83 as well?) the auto was available, but only with a CFI, similar to GMs TBI, not the later multiport EFI of the 86-93 Mustangs. I am not aware of anybody using the CFI setup. There have been a few strong running turbo 4 cylinder Mustangs in Stock, but if its still for sale, Mark Yacavonnes Mustang would get you on the track, and qualifying near the top right away.