1989 Ford Mustang Gt Hatchback Review
The Ford Mustang is one of the most popular cars on the road and holds a heritage only a few other automobiles can compete with. This is my experience as well as a review of the 1989 Ford Mustang Gt Hatchback.
For a 16 year old kid owning anything close to a sports car is a dream that only comes true once in awhile. Not only is convincing parents to let their newly licensed teenager get a car of their own almost impossible, getting a Mustang was just a pipe dream.
I was one of the lucky ones to have understanding parents, though I had to pay for the car myself and stay out of trouble. That was of course easier said than done for a 16 year old filled with excitement.
The 1989 Ford Mustang Gt specifications were as follows: Engine: 5.0 Liter High Output V8 rated at 225 horsepower and 300 pound feet of torque. Transmission: 5 Speed Manual (Standard) or Optional 4 Speed Automatic. Gas Mileage: 17 mpg City, 24 mpg Highway
For a teenager like myself, the car had me at "225 horsepower", but of course there was more that I learned about once I researched.
The 1989 Mustang Gt was the 25th anniversary of the Ford Mustang and came with the legendary 302 V8 that was rock solid.
1989 was also the first year of the Mass Air Flow Meter. Allowing for easier tuning when switching around parts like the injectors, intake, and cylinder heads. Before Mustang owners were either stuck with a carburated engine or a fuel injected speed density engine. Carburated engines are still well respected today but the speed density engines were and still are a pain to work with. Speed density motors were difficult to improve upon and there was limited potential because there was only so much an owner could do to tune the car.
Mass Air Flow engines were a welcome sight and are still well liked. Converting a speed density engine to a MAF can become difficult but it is well worth the trouble. Mass air flow meters made the Mustang more reliable, easier to work on, and the parts became cheaper to replace. Besides the new mass air flow meter, the 1989 5.0 Liter came also came with forged pistons, which are always a welcome sight. This meant that the engine could take more punishment, but other parts still limited the amount of abuse that could be dished out.
The block was a 2 bolt main with a cast iron crank and cast iron I-Beam Rods which held the forged pistons in place. While the 302 is reliable and can take some punishment; going past 400 horsepower on the stock block is asking for trouble even though there are those freaks of nature running laps with crazy horsepower.
The 1989-1992 Ford Mustang 302 engines are all pretty much the same and are very popular as they offer durability with great potential for improvement.
The 55 mm Mass Air Flow meter and a less than moderate cam shaft limited the stock horsepower to 225. Changing the camshaft to something a little more aggressive and getting a bigger MAF will let the engine breathe a little easier. Of course there are a number of upgrades any 302 engine can receive.
The most popular and cost effective combinations are still popular today but there are much better parts available with present aftermarket companies.
The most popular modification to the engine included a cylinder head and intake swap. The most common combo was the GT40 cylinder heads and GT40 upper and lower intake. 1.72 Roller Rockers were also put in to give the engine more lift. The always popular E303 cam was often use as it provided a nice power gain while still providing great driveability.
The next mods were to put in bigger fuel injectors and back it up with a 190 or 255 liter per hour fuel pump. While changing the fuel injectors the mass air flow sensor had to be replaced or recalibrated, most owner opted to just replace the whole meter with one that provided better airflow.
All these upgrades made the car so much more fun and managed to still remain reliable. The Mustang is a great car even if it's bone stock but the potential that is there just cannot be ignored. A stock 1989 Mustang Gt will be reliable as long as it's taken care of, this can be said for any car. It is however more important to take care of a car that provides more performance than the everyday grocery getter. There is higher stress involved on the engine and drivetrain parts, so as long as they are taken care of the car will remain reliable.
The Mustang was fun to drive not only because it had some horsepower to play around with but because it brings with it an attitude that only few cars have. The 5 Speed Manual Transmission that came standard in the Mustang makes the car what it is. The clutch felt a little heavy, but that's expected when there's no hydraulic clutch to make things easier. Even with the line clutch driving the car never felt tedious and the gears went in fine. The shifter itself did seem a little long but that was pretty much the style during that time. Replacing the stock shifter with a short throw shifter made running through the gears so much easier. For those times where it was necessary to go a little faster, a short throw shifter can also make the all important shift into third very easy. As a lot of drivers know missing third gear can be costly, so spending some money on a quality shifter is money well spent.
The car handled okay for normal city and highway driving. Like with most older and more generally, American cars, handling can become a bit concerning at higher speeds and cornering. Though the handling was bearable and there wasn't anything wrong with the driveability, the option to make the car handle better is always there. There are different options an owner can go with Foxbody style Mustangs and there isn't really a wrong way to go when upgrading the suspension. Do some research on springs and shocks or even coil overs if you want to upgrade the suspension. This is definitely worth looking into and the difference will be easy to recognize.
While on the subject of suspension, there is of course something that was a bit annoying. Like with most Mustangs and with most sporty cars, they are designed to be driven on all sorts of roads. This means that the suspension package that comes stock is made to handle a certain way, which means that the look of the car can often become limited. The stance of a stock Mustang is not pleasing to the eye. A new suspension set up will not only improve handling, it will also improve the stance of the car which will make it look so much nicer.
If you are interested in upgrading the suspension but need a starting point, look into companies like Ford Racing, Eibach, or Steeda. They provide some nice packages that are well worth the money. If you are going to replace the suspension parts, also look at some urethane bushings, they can improve handling and give a smoother ride which is always appreciated.
Another area that could use some improvement is the braking. The braking system on the 1989 Mustang is not state of the art, it's a bit mediocre. No Anti-Lock Braking can put a driver in some uncomfortable situations. The front disk brakes were definitely not enough for the car, and the drum brakes in the back seemed almost useless. Braking was definitely a place this Mustang is lacking but again it is bearable once a driver gets used to it. There are of course ways to improve the brakes. The best option would be to convert the car to a four disk setup, even ABS is not necessary as the four disks brakes will be sufficient.
There is also the all important exhaust system. While the car sounds just fine with the stock exhaust, getting an aftermarket exhaust system will bring out the real beast under the hood. There are many companies that provide very nice packages for Mustangs. The choice is up to you, just do the research as there are differences in the packages. The most important is the sound that will be heard coming out of the tailpipes. There are different tones available and a little research will go a long way. Besides the sound difference there is also the added performance gain that comes with an aftermarket exhaust. The stock steel headers restrict the airflow and rust over time. Some nice shorty or long tube headers will put a couple extra ponies under the hood and a cat back or off road (O/R) exhaust backed up with a set of mufflers will bring out the attitude of the car. Ford Racing, BBK, Flowmaster, Dynomax, and Magnaflow provide some nice packages that are worth looking into.
The 1989 Mustang Gt is a great car to own. As with all Mustangs there are always ways to improve on areas that an owner feels unhappy about. The best part is that parts for Mustangs are for the most part easily attainable and don't cost an arm and a leg. Even in stock form the car is enjoyable and will put a smile on the driver's face even on a gloomy day. The sound of the engine, the shifting of the gears, and the rumble of the classic 302 V8 is something that will never be replaced. If you have the opportunity to own this car, or any Mustang, you will know the satisfaction so many owners feel when they turn the key and start the engine.
