The convertible Mustang is back, finally! Consumers had been dying for a Mustang convertible for years and finally in 1983 the convertible made a reappearance. This was much to the delight of Mustang fans. There were also plenty of other improvements that were made to the Mustang for the 1983 model year. Unfortunately, the sales did not reflect the release of the convertible or the many new changes. Only 120,873 Mustangs were sold in 1983 and 23,438 of those were convertibles.
1983 Mustang Lineup
Power and Performance
Many improvements were made to the power and performance of the 1983 Mustang. Consumers were demanding more and Ford was more than happy to oblige. Several revisions occurred within the drivetrain lineup. The straight six and 4.2 liter V8 were no longer part of the lineup. Engine additions were also made with the turbocharged 2.3liter SOHC four returning. It was not the same four as the past and the revisions included electronic fuel injection which helped counter the lag in turbo not to mention increasing the life of the engine and its power and performance.
Despite the improvements to the turbocharged four it was not overly impressive to the public because it only powered out 142 horsepower. This seems like a lot considering some of the horsepower of past Mustangs, but the 5.0 L HO V8 boasted 175 horsepower with a four barrel carburetor so in comparison it was not the most powerful motor. Not to mention the V8 could be purchased with the Borg Warner T5 five speed manual transmission. The 175 horsepower rating was the most consumers had seen in a Mustang since 1973, a full decade ago.
The 2.3L SOHC four was available for those drivers not looking for lots of power from the Mustang and the six cylinder option was the Essex 3.8L V6 that powered out 112 horsepower. Other options in 1983 included the midyear change to the five speed T5, Holley carburetors with four barrels, and 3.27:1 gears in every 1983 V8 Mustang.
The power and performance of the Mustang was slowly but surely regaining its reputation. It had been 10 years since consumers had seen so much available horsepower and many Ford Mustang fans were truly excited with the new offerings.
Exterior
The 1983 Mustang saw some changes in its exterior design. The oval Ford blue logo graced the center of the new grille, which was a big change from the racing pony. Perhaps the biggest exterior change was the availability of the convertible! The coupes were sent to Cars and Concepts that then changed the coupe to a convertible at their factory and sent them back to Ford. Convertibles had not been available since 1973 and consumers had been waiting with baited breath until there was yet another Mustang convertible. Fortunately, 1983 proved to be that year!
GLX and GT trim options were available on the convertible and included rear quarter windows that could be rolled down, a rear window constructed of real glass, and power operation of the top. Consumers and Mustang fans were thrilled with the new convertible.
Another revision the 1983 Mustang received was new taillights. Also, GTs sported a black stripe on their hoods which was very similar to the 1970s' Mach 1 and Boss.
The exterior colors in 1983 included black, silver metallic, bright bittersweet, red, bright red, polar white, dark academy blue metallic, midnight blue metallic, dark walnut metallic, medium yellow, desert tan glow, medium charcoal metallic, light academy blue glow, and light desert tan.
Interior
There were some great factory options for the 1983 Mustang. These included AM/FM radio with cassette player or 8 track, tinted glass, T roof, power windows, leather wrapped steering wheel, rear window defroster and more.
The 1983 Mustang interior colors were black, opal/walnut, cadet blue, opal/black, red, opal/blue, opal/red, and walnut.
Final Thoughts
Ford imagined the 1983 Mustang would be a high seller since the convertible made a comeback not to mention the Mustang was the most powerful it had been in 10 years. However, these major changes were not as successful as Ford might have imagined. Sales were a lukewarm 120,873.
However, Ford did not let the slow sales slow down plans for the Mustang. Instead, new and bigger plans were in place and the Mustang would only continue getting better each and every year.
