Fox Body Mustangs Hit the Dyno, 1979 Ghia 2.3-Liter Makes 64 HP

Oh, the Fox Body. It's very likely that you've owned one or are related to somebody who did. They were quite popular back in the day and their design and features were relevant. But Ford didn't leave much meat on the bone, despite the Fox platform having more room under the hood than its predecessor.

Before we say anything else, we want to point out two things. First of all, the 5.0 Fox Body is pretty good for modifications and has a lot of fans (that we don't want to upset). And second, the Mustang is not a muscle car, especially not this generation that had to comply with strict emissions.

Now that we got everything out of the way, let's enjoy some dyno pulls. Late Model Restoration did a few of these videos with old Mustangs from various model years. It's amazing how different they look.

First on the dyno is a 1979 Ghia. We think it looks cool with those quad rectangular lights. Even without a full restoration, the early Fox Body is in excellent condition and has covered only 9,266 miles (14,912 kilometers). However, it's also quite gutless.

This Ghia trim has the base engine, a 2.3-liter four-cylinder that was supposed to make 88 horsepower and 118 pound-feet (160 Newton-meters) of torque. But the dyno says it's now making 64 hp. That appears to be rear-wheel horsepower, but even if you adjust it for drivetrain loss, you're still looking at about 75 hp.

Another test features the 1986 SVO Fox Body. This features a slightly different look for the headlights and plenty of sporty trim. But under the hood is a modified version of that 2.3-liter with a turbo.

This was actually pretty good considering the power-starved 1980s with catalytic converters and emissions control. The SVO dynos at 170 hp and 250 lb-ft (340 lb-ft) at the wheels. This suggests it's making a little more than claimed even by the manufacturer, even after 30 years (officially rated at 200 hp and 240 lb-ft at the crank).