Congratulations to Marshall Layton (FEP Username: K Pony) and his 1986 Mustang LX 5.0 coupe as the April Ride of the Month. Marshall had wanted a Mustang coupe going all the way back to 1986 at the young age of 11 years old. Marshall let his Dad know how much he wanted a Mustang coupe, but it still wasn’t in the cards just yet and although it was his first love, it wasn’t his first Mustang. That distinction went to a 1965 K-code coupe that he got as his first car at 15 years old. Marshall would go on to keep the 65 K-code for many years but his love for the Fox coupe never diminished. A long 22 years later, Marshall decided it was time to finally address his desires and began the search for a Fox coupe. Ford produced just 2,825 LX coupes in 1986, with many becoming well-used police cars or clapped-out drag racers. Nonetheless, he set out to find one, checking the dry American southwest and California coast for an unmolested LX coupe. Unfortunately Marshall wasn’t able to find what he was looking for and was almost ready to give up the search, when dumb luck led him to an 80,500-kilometer (50,000-mile) LX notchback in his native Ontario only 40 minutes away. It was in showroom condition and needless to say it wasn’t long before the cash exchanged hands. Marshall finally had his long loved 1986 Mustang LX 5.0 coupe in his garage.



The Mustang was originally ordered by Ray Harkness of Dunnville, Ontario, and scheduled for assembly at Ford’s Dearborn assembly plant on July 22, 1986. Harkness took delivery at Ed Learn Ford in St. Catherines on August 1. Generally, 5.0L coupes weren’t put away and saved, but Harkness understood the LX’s unique nature. He pampered his daily driver and never exposed it to Canada’s salt-covered winter roads, keeping the coupe for 19 years before selling it in 2005. Two more owners would briefly own the LX before Marshall was able to purchase it.



The LX has been well maintained and Marshall continues to take extensive care of it too even though he drives it as often as possible. The paint is the original Dark Grey Metallic. The wheels are the original 15 inch 10 holes that are still very popular today. The Mustang wears a newer set of BFGoodrich tires to improve the ride and handling. The exhaust has been swapped for a set of Dyno Max Ultra Flow in stainless steel, other than that the Mustang is all stock and original including the 5.0 EFI and 5-speed manual T5 transmission. This LX is a perfect example of the simplicity the Fox LX was famous for. There is all the needed power and speed and none of the excess that was often seen in other cars of the era. The LX has a no air conditioning, the standard interior, AM/FM stereo, and a 2.73 Traction-Lok.



Today, Marshall drives his LX 5.0L to events near and far. Every June, there’s a pilgrimage to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, for the Ford Nationals, which means Marshall isn’t afraid to go the distance to show off his LX. Key is pampering the car when he gets home, keeping it in a dry garage to shut out summer heat and winter cold. The Mustang was featured in the February 2012 issue of Mustang Monthly and also attended the Muscle Mustang show in Maple Grove PA in August of 2015.


Although you might be inclined to call Marshall’s LX a low-mileage original, it isn’t a low-mileage car. It wasn’t bought new and put away for safekeeping. Instead, it was driven regularly, kept in a dry garage, and maintained in pristine condition, which proves you can keep a new Mustang in like-new condition given liberal amounts of elbow grease. Marshall continues that tradition of stewardship while both driving the car and remaining faithful to its past. Congratulations once again to Marshall and his 1986 Mustang LX 5.0 Coupe as the Ride of the Month.