The 1988 Mustang had a lot to live up to after such a successful model year as 1987! Ford realized this and as a result made as few changes and revisions as possible for the new model year. Not fixing something that isn't broken was a good motto for Ford to follow during this time period and it worked for them, too. There was an increase in production of GTs in 1988 by 20,929 units over 1987. The total amount of 1988 GTs produced was 68,468. The GT was a super popular car!
The lineup did not make any changes either with the trim options remaining with the LX or the GT.
1988 Mustang Lineup
The SVO was no longer part of the Mustang lineup in 1987. Only the LX and GT were trim options.
Powertrain and Performance
Ford realized it had practically reached perfection with the 1987 Mustang so very few changes were made to the 1988 model. One change that did occur was the Mustang lineup bidding adieu to carburetors in favor of fuel injection. Even the base 2.3L SOHC four cylinder was equipped with fuel injection and powered out 90 horsepower in 1988. The 5.0L HO was already performing well, but a small change allowed the HO to sport 225 horsepower with both automatic and manual transmissions. Ford had finally reached the pinnacle of success with the 5.0L HO engine and wouldn't be attempting any changes until 1993.
The 5.0L HO engine saw that one revision for consistent horsepower among transmissions, but the rest of the engine stayed the same. This goes for the 60mm throttle body, E7TE truck heads, aluminum intake plenum, 19 lb-hr injectors, low restriction air cleaner, roller lifter cam, and the EEC0IC electronics system. The handling package on the GT remained standard and included the 1.3 inch front anti sway bar, progressive rate springs, .83 inch rear anti sway bar, 15x7 inch wheels sporting Goodyear Gatorbacks, and rear quadra shocks with gas pressurized struts. The steel headers and steel exhausts in addition to the 10.84 inch front brakes and the rest of the engine design resulted in one outstanding performing Mustang. Ford was pleased with the fruits of its labors and kept the same engine around, unchanged, until the '93 model year.
Exterior
The GT looked the same exterior wise as it did the year before. The whole aerodynamic look was popular with Ford Mustang fans. There was just something about the powerful engine and a smooth exterior that made this vehicle so well-liked. The headlights and rear quarter window were flush with the body, the fog lights round, the taillights louvered, and the front was round and smooth. The 15x7 inch Turbine wheels and the ground effects package were also included on the 1988 model as they were on the '87 GT.
The GT was available in the following colors: Oxford white, black, dark gray, deep shadow blue metallic, light gray, scarlet red, bright regatta blue metallic, cabernet red, and medium shadow blue metallic. The metallic paint exteriors also had the option of a lower accent treatment of Titanium for no cost. A red or blue insert stripe on the body molding accompanied this treatment.
The LX was also available in the above colors as well as almond and tropical yellow.
Interior
The new interior the GT received in 1987 remained until 1988. The new design from the previous year included climate control knobs, a dash with full instrument panel, door trim, console, and new seats.
The standard features were carried over from 1987 as well since they were so popular. These included lights for low washer fluid, fuel, and to check oil, a 7,000 rpm tachometer, tilt wheel, sports seats, swivel map light, interval wipers, driver's foot rest, center console, and specially positioned accelerator and brake pedals.
The new options for the 88 Mustang GT included sports seats in leather with white and blue, white and red, or white and gray leather on the convertibles. The additional options list was long and included air conditioning, sunroof, power windows and locks, speed control, T Tops, dual remote mirrors, graphic equalizer with premium sound, electronic AM/FM stereo and cassette as well as rear defrost. The T top option was only available for a very short time in 1988 and then it was withdrawn from the options list. In fact, some Mustang fans never even realized the T tops were available for a short time in '88. The interior trim colors were also carried over for the GT and included scarlet red, sand beige, and smoke.
Final Thoughts
The 1987 Mustangs were so successful in all aspects that there was no reason to make any major changes in the 1988 model year. Some basic changes were made that only served to enhance the Mustang, but who would have thought it could get any better? The T tops took a hike, the HO engine achieved 225 horsepower with both transmissions, and a whole lot of GTs were sold. Who could ask for a better year? Ford thought it would try its luck and continued the GT production until the 1993 model year to try and capitalize on the vehicle's popularity and sell as many GTs as possible.
