1984 Ford Mustang

1984 Ford Mustang Overview

For Mustang’s 20th Anniversary, in 1984, Ford offered the most interesting line up in years. Two new models were available in 1984. The first was the SVO and the second was the 20th Anniversary GT350. The SVO had a turbocharged four-cylinder engine meant to perform and handle well to compete against European cars while the Anniversary car was essentially an appearance package. Both would go on to become collector cars.

Model:	1984 Ford Mustang
Generation:	3rd Generation Mustang
Type:	2 Door
Body Styles:	Coupe, Hatchback, Convertible
Engines:	2.3L 2V 4 cyl, 2.3L EFI 4 cyl Turbo,  2.3L EFI 4 cyl, 3.8L EFI V6, 5.0L EFI V8, 5.0L EFI V8 HO
Original Price:	$7,089 (Base Coupe), $7,260 (Base Hatchback), $11840 (Convertible)
Units Produced:	141,480

Additional 1984 Mustang Research: 1984 Research Center / Colors Details / Production Numbers / Prices & Options / Sales Brochures / Owner Manuals / Maintenance / Pictures / Videos / VIN Decoder / Special Editions

Background & Details

Design & Updates

From a design perspective the 1984 Mustangs had small changes. Ford was trying to compete more with European offerings so we did see a new, more aerodynamic, closed off nose area, replacing the standard egg crate grille area, and a recessed license plate cavity in the front bumper.

The base Mustang L, was both the price leader and the fuel economy leader. With the well-sorted 2.3 liter 4 cylinder engine that carried over the important upgrades like a throttle body fuel injection system from the prior year more than able to fill baseline engine duties. It got 21 mpg city and 33 mph highway. The base model L was now available as a hatchback alongside the notchback.

The GL and GLX models were consolidated into one line, the LX. The LX could be a 2 door, 3 door or convertible. Apart from some sprucing up of the interior and the Essex V6 being made standard in the convertible there were few notable changes to the garden variety Mustang or the luxury LX.

This year, Ford introduced two specialty Mustang models, one was the Special Vehicle Operations Mustang (SVO) the other was the 40th anniversary special edition (G.T 350 Anniversary). Both would go on to become collector cars.

The G.T. 350 Anniversary model was available as either a hatchback or convertible, and buyers could opt for a 5.0 liter 4 barrel V8, matched to a 5 speed transmission, a 5.0 liter throttle body (Central fuel injection ) engine, twinned to the automatic and the 2.3 liter inline 4 cylinder with sequential fuel injection and turbocharger.. It did not include a major design change as some expected with only some subtle additions to the Ford Mustang’s styling being made.

The most exciting car of 1984 was the all new Mustang SVO. The SVO got a swooping nose without a grille, large halogen headlights, an asymmetrical hood scoop and a biplanar rear spoiler. Powered by the intercooled 2.3-liter turbocharged overhead-cam four-cylinder that was good for 175 horsepower, it was a real performance car.

Engine & Powertrain

New this year, the 5.0L H.O. engine also received a throttle body EFI setup as did the 3.8L V6. The default transmission behind the 5.0 L was a 5 speed manual overdrive transmission. However, a 4 speed automatic overdrive transmission was available as an option. There was an optional gear ratio and an optional limited slip rear axle.

The 5.0 GT and GT Turbo carried on pretty much unchanged as well. The GT was back in hatchback and convertible with the 5.0L H.O. engine. Back for another year, the turbo four known as the Turbo GT was now rated at 145 horsepower and was still a fun and underrated model.

It is worth talking about the EEC-1V engine control system that arrived in 1984. It was basically a computer (back in 1984). This new system not only was capable of higher level control over engine management allowing better diagnostics of problems, it’s appearance ultimately made it possible for hot rodders and performance tuners to extract every bit of performance out of these new engines. Tuners and mechanics alike were now able to not only access onboard diagnostics (OBD), but also examine and potentially modify the operation of computer controlled parts such as fuel injectors and engine timing on the new 1984 Mustang.

Special Edition Models & Variants

Like we mentioned above, one of the two big highlights in the 1984 model year was Ford’s introduction a a new model called the “SVO”. Available as a 3-door only and dubbed by many as the best all around car for the enthusiast driver it really made Mustang fans pay attention. Ford also reintroduced the GT-350, marking the 20th anniversary Mustang celebration. The Turbo GT and GT models were the same as it was in the previous year. The GL and GLX models were consolidated into one line, the LX and we don’t consider that a special variant any more which is why we don’t list it below.

GT

The 1984 Mustang GT used the previous year’s more popular 175hp, 5.0L, V8 and optional 2.3L, electronic fuel injected Turbo 4-cycle engine; came with hood stripes and decals, and functional front air dam with integrated fog lamps. The GT was only available in either a 3 door or a convertible. The GT like all 1984 Mustangs were equipped with the ECC-IV (Electronic Engine Control 5) unit.

Learn more about the 1984 Ford Mustang GT

Turbo GT

The 1984 Turbo GT was back again in 1984 with its strong turbocharged 2.3L 4-cylinder engine, fuel injection, and GT Turbo fender badges. The engine was rate a 145 horsepower and can be identified as a W-code on the door data tag, the stock 2.3L 4-cylinder engine is designated by an A-code. These Turbo GT’s were also visually distinctive with their unique hood scoops.

Learn more about the 1984 Ford Mustang Turbo GT

SVO

The SVO was a different kind of Mustang as it retained the inline-4 found on the entry level models. With turbo charging and modifications introduced by SVO, the power was raised to an impressive 175bhp. Suspension and chassis are also revised to give a more balanced performance. Suspension and chassis are also revised to give a more balanced performance. Features include Koni gas-charged shocks, 1.12-inch-diameter anti-sway bars, forged steel lower trailing arms, four wheel disc brakes and 16-inch wheels with P225/50VR Goodyear Gatorback radials. The choice of turbo four cylinder was thanks to the small but powerful engines in the European competition. Unfortunately it was priced very high at $15,596 and it was no match in speed to the V8-powered Mustang GT. Sales were not impressive. The SVO received ultimate praise from Road & Track magazine however, saying: “This may be the best all-around car for the enthusiast driver ever produced by the U.S. industry.”

Learn more about the 1984 Ford Mustang SVO

20th Anniversary GT

Ford produced a quantity of 5260, 20th Anniversary GTs in 1984. They were all painted Oxford White and have red interiors. They have the GT350 stripes on their rocker panels. You could get either the W-code 2.3L 4-cylinder turbo or the M-code 5.0L V8. Ford did not get Shelby’s permission to use the “GT350” name and lost a suit with Shelby. Ford also reintroduced the GT-350, marking the 20th anniversary Mustang celebration,with red, side body striping, reminiscent of the original G.T.350 stripes from the 1960’s Shelby.

Learn more about the 1984 Ford Mustang 20th Anniversary GT

Specifications, Options & Detailed Stats

Production Numbers

The base hatchback continued to be the strongest seller in the 1984 lineup, followed by the base sedan. The new convertible sold a solid 17,600 units in its second year back in business. The anniversary edition cars sold 5,260 units. To dive into the model and body splits as well as see charts and percentages, check out our 1984 Ford Mustang Production & Sales Numbers deep dive.

Options and Pricing

Base sticker prices for the coupe was $7,089 while the base hatchback was $7,260. The convertible continued to be priced at a whopping $11,840 in base form. For more detailed options and pricing, please check out our 1984 pricing and options research.

Exterior & Interior Colors

A total of 11 colors were available for the 1984 Mustang model year. For detailed colors, color palettes, codes and interior colors please check out our in depth 1984 colors information post.

Dimensions & Weight

The 1984 Mustang had the same dimensions as the prior year model. No notable changes to the size.

Engine Specs

For more information on engines for 1984, you can find the information here.

Performance

Below is the performance data for the 1984 Mustangs that we could find. We have included 0-60 mph times, 0-100 mph times as well as quarter mile times and top speed where available.

VIN Information

This link will take you to a page which contains the VIN tag information for all years of Mustangs. Previously this information appeared on each Mustang’s year page, but consolidating it has significantly reduced page loading times. To decode the build sheet, check out our 1984 VIN & Data Plate Decoder sheet.

Videos & Picture Galleries

We managed to find some great video reviews of the 1984 Mustang so definitely check those out. We also have a picture 1984 Ford Mustang Picture Gallery and photos of real Mustangs in each color that was available.