1983 Ford Mustang Specs & Details

It’s tough to figure out what deserves more attention when covering the 1983 Mustang. But, let’s start with the return of the convertible body style. For the first time since 1973 (that’s first-generation territory), Mustang buyers could get a “factory” soft top (more on the quotation marks below). Automaker aversion to convertibles brought on by 1970s government regulations had disappeared, and all was right again in Mustang world.

Ford continued to improve offerings in the engine bay. These efforts began with an upgraded 5.0 engine making 175 horsepower and 245 lb-ft of torque. Mercifully, the wimpy 3.3-liter six-cylinder was put out to pasture, and the all-new 3.8-liter “Essex” V-6 became available in its place. Its 105 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque offered significant improvement over its predecessor.

Midyear, Ford brings back the turbocharged 2.3-liter inline-four, and it's placed in the Turbo GT hatchback. With 145 horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque, the Turbo GT offered a nice performance slot between the Essex V-6 and the 5.0-liter V-8. The lighter engine (compared to the 5.0) and electronic fuel injection made for a compelling case, but the $250 cost above the regular V-8-equipped GT was hard to justify. Less than 500 were built.

Amid all the Mustang changes for 1983, it's easy to overlook the car's mid-cycle refresh. Complete with a new grille and its more prominent Blue Oval logo, was a reworked front end that gave the Mustang a more extended appearance. In the back, new wrap-around taillights added a needed modern touch (remember, the Fox Body was five years old at this point).

While the GT could be ordered as a convertible (only 1,000 hit the road), it's the drop-top version of the GLX (the only other convertible trim) that got the attention of Mustang buyers. With more than 22,000 built for 1983, the GLX convertible alone accounted for an eye-popping 19 percent of Mustang production for that year.

Ford packed a lot into this soft-top. Standard power came from the 3.8-liter V-6 (the hardtop GLX and lower trims all got the naturally-aspirated 2.3-liter inline-four as the base engine). A power top with a glass window was also standard gear. Even the rear-quarter windows could be rolled down. Interestingly, Ford farmed out the convertible conversion to Michigan-based Cars & Concepts. But, the slicing and dicing came across with perfections, so consumers never suspected the work was accomplished outside of a regular factory build.

1983 Ford Mustang Specs

1983 Mustang Articles

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  Fox Body Mustang: Everything You Need To Know

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  Fox Body Hatchback vs Notchback

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  1979-1993 Mustang Paint Codes & Colors

Check out other 1979-1993 Mustang Specs: 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993