Today’s Rare Ride is the second Fox platform Mustang in this series, after a pristine 7UP Edition from 1990. While the 7UP was a trim package that resulted from a failed NCAA basketball contest, today’s Mustang was purchased specifically for transformation into a performance machine. It’s one of a handful ever made.
We won’t cover as much on Fox Mustang history today as we did that in the 7UP Edition piece. In short, the Mustang’s third generation was incredibly long-lived and covered model years 1979 to 1993. It used the Fox platform from the Fairmont and was powered by various four-, six- and eight-cylinder engines.
Toward the end of the third-gen’s run, noted Ford Mustang tuner Kenny Brown Performance had some ideas for an ultimate performance Mustang. Brown wanted to go beyond bolt-on parts and create a Mustang where the performance was built in at a more intrinsic level. He drew on years of racing experience, and at the time was recently in charge of the 1987 Saleen Mustang racing team.
Brown’s creation was named the Outlaw XS. Only sold as a convertible, Outlaw XS saw considerable changes made to the Mustang LX suspension, interior, and body, but most important were the edits made to the engine. The heavily massaged high-output 5.0 had a supercharger attached, which slightly upped its 200 horsepower rating to 390. Brown worked up a “Special Duty” five-speed manual transmission to handle the power and torque and used a Boomer-approved Hurst shifter. An ultimate 425-horse version of the Outlaw was also available too, should a customer be so inclined.
To handle the immense change in power, Brown widened the Mustang’s track by three inches, which necessitated fender flares. Big, meaty Firehawk Ultra Performance tires were supported by a new suspension that Brown termed Wide Trac Advanced Geometry. The Outlaw’s rear used a Panhard rod that was a custom Brown design. Bushings, shocks, and springs were all changed as well. Four-wheel disc brakes were sourced from Ford’s SVO group.
The Outlaw’s suspension was available in five different “Level” setups (1 to 5), depending on how much track time a customer anticipated. Inside, the Outlaw was optionally equipped with an Ultra street cage package that Brown recommended if the suspension was above Level 3. Recaro racing seats were standard equipment. On the less serious side, the Outlaw was complete with much special badging to indicate its heritage.
Brace yourselves, as all this performance didn’t come cheap: In 1991 an Outlaw XS added at least $31,000 on top of the base LX convertible’s price. Adjusted for inflation, that’s a $63,000 hike. Perhaps then it’s no surprise Brown shifted only seven examples of the Outlaw XS during its offering. This one with just 11,000 miles was sold last year at Mecum in Florida. Sorry, there aren’t more photos, but please check the Mecum link for full pictorial delight.
[Images: Kenny Brown Performance, YouTube]
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