Best bang for the buck, yes! That's why I bought my 87 Mustang LX 5.0 when I was 22. It was $251.75 a month, and had cheaper insurance than my former 81 Cutlass! Drove it 306k miles over the next 24 years, and it is now waiting for the new engine to be installed. Thanks for the video and the memories!

Styling was especially important in an era when performance had been reduced. I had a red and Silver 86 Trans Am. Loved that car!

Never clicked an Old Car Memories video faster after seeing the thumbnail of the 85 Trans Am!

The Grand National just looked so completely badass too. Love those cars 🤘

Having been a teenager in the '80s, happily I got to experience all of these cars and I've owned a good chunk of them. Including two 5 L Mustangs. And having been there in the thick of it I can definitively say the Mustang was the king of the street especially given the price you can get one for. It's insane to think you can get a stripped 5 L Coupe that could run a very low 14 second quarter mile for close to $10,000. The engines were bulletproof, and the cars took a beating with little complaint which is why you'd see them at the drag strips in droves. Simply adding gears, subframe connectors, a proper shifter and them learning/ mastering the launch without going up in tire smoke! - these could easily dip into the 13s. Obviously not impressive today, but considering how abysmal the 70s were, these even made a lot of the legends of the '60s look slow!

The 1985 Grand National was an amazing car. Personally it should have been higher up on the list.

The 1985 Pontiac Trans am was my favorite car in this line up.

I never owned any of these cars, but eyed out all of them in real life or in car magazines.

13:35-13:41 That had me thinking the Mustang GT The Fox Body Mustang equipped with the 5.0 HO during the mid to late 80s was very fast, had great power, and was a bargain. I love the refreshed styling the Fox Body got in 1987. The sound those Stangs make with the manual really grabs my attention.

Thanks for real Grand National specs , people get it confused with the GNX thinking 0-60 in 4.8 for any GN

Ohhhh that blue IROC Z looks so beautiful. If GM would have made the new camero look like the IROC in instead of the 60s Camero I would have bought one in a heart beat.

I graduated high school in 1985 so this video brought back a lot of good memories. I agree with the Mustang being at the top of this list. It was the car I lusted after the most in high school. Actually, I wanted the turbo-4 SVO which produced 205 HP and 240 lb-ft of torque. I would have gone for the Nissan 300 ZX as well. It's amazing to see how far automotive technology and engineering have come since the halcyon days of my youth.

The addition of "for the money" to the title would make this list a lot more palatable.

Owned a new 1986 Chevy Z28 and a new 1987 IROC Z28 5.7 back then. Five years I sold a 1986 Trans Am trailer queen that I had and was only used for car shows. The 80's were a good time growing up in my 20's.

This was a nice trip down memory lane. I subscribe to many channels but this is the only one I set up notifications for.

Can't argue with the #1 choice.

the '85 Mustang GT had a Lot more than it's rated 210HP. i should know. i am Not a ford fan, but back in the day, i took one out and Loved it. first year with the roller rocker cam as well.the IROC-Z & Trans-am didn't come with man. 5-speeds with the TPI 305. it may have been a different story if they had. if you wanted a 5-speed, you had to take the 305 L-69 H.O. 305 at 190HP. Loved that 288 GTO, one of my favorite Ferrari's.the 288 is Gorgeous. things changed for the Grand National in the next two years,1986 & 1987.. 13.8@100.8 1/4 mile times in cold weather. this video was an absolute Gem.

Great video. Great list and brings back the memories. That Ferrari. 😳😘🤯

All very nice cars great job in putting this together thanks my friend had a 85 GT and after he dumped the clutch and went through the gears I knew what car I wanted and loved the interior on the 85 and 86 cars as well and outside look I ended up with a 86 GT was some of the best times of my life at 17 years old

This guy sounds about as excited as if he was reading a telephone book cover to cover.

I used to visit the Buick dealership while in highschool , it was a few blocks away. I kept the sale's staff busy with questions about the grand national. Such a beautiful car ,

Great times in the 80s car makers had a performance version for every budget. Bang for your buck performance just a memory now.

Dave came back to life when he finally got to #6! I had the mustang GT at the time and loved it. But more than a 911 or Lambo? Hardly, but I’d take any of them today.

The Dodge Omni GLH Turbo should have been on this list. I bought an '86 GLH Turbo new and I had absolutely no problem blowing the doors off of new stock Z-28s, Trans Ams, and Mustang GTs, and My GLH was bone stock...I could consistently run the 1/4 mile in 14.95 seconds @ 93 MPH.

Great to see the 300ZX! I'll add that this car had the best ergonomics of any car I've owned.

*Bought a 88 Mustang GT 5.0 5sp new* *Bought a 90 IROC-Z 1LE 5.7 new* *Bought a used 87 Grand National in 94*

I had purchased my first new car and a Gray Mustang GT was my car. My GF had a Camero and I used to whip her all the time. She was a great driver. I have a 92 LX now and love it!

The Mustang looked good!

That Trans Am still looks cool. I had a 91" convertible mustang back in 93" and it was a quick, fun, 5-speed V8. I was young and went through a lot of tires. Started buying retreads because all I'd do is roast them off anyway.

What about the Dodge Omni glh or Merkur x4ti/svo Mustang. Or Mitsubishi Starion/Dodge Conquest. The Omni glh was so unsuspecting but surprisingly quick.

I think the Foxbody Mustang from 86 to 93 was also extremely under-rated during that time period.

Great Great Video, Thank you.

Perfectly done....

Great video ! I remember all these cool cars growing up in the 80s .

Nice list, but disappointed you didn't note the ASC/McLaren Coupe, a modified Mercury Capri that was far more capable than the Mustang GT with which it shared a chassis.

it was 1983 that was the turnaround years. The 5,0 HO engines came out in the FBodies. The Mustang and Capri RS’s had HO V8’s as well.

I was 18 in 1985, I drove a 1973 Datsun 240Z. I loved that car....

I drove alot of 80s cars. I had a few 85 mustangs. They were the fastest, most fun and reliable cars!

So good to see ya at 150k! We are just past 45k subs now your channel is one that inspired us to start! Cheers

Shocked to see the Grand National at number 10. It should be higher on the list as it turned more heads than the GTi, iroc and T/A. Sweet list nonetheless. And that Ferrari, 😍

Wow! Your videos are what I feel is #1 the best of the best! Thank you Hughley!

I have a fox mustang , loved the lambo and Magnum PIs car but a GN is cream of the crop.

Those 85 cars sure looked fantastic. I sure miss cars with styling!

I was hoping it includes the 1985 Dodge Omni GLH. Greetings from Puerto Rico🇵🇷

86 merc Capri, I regularly beat irocs. Handling was great,fast and really good gas mileage. Put 150 hp nitrous on it and I was the king for a long time. Great fun

I love this list!! Thank you!!! Man though, it was HARD seeing the GTO with the mustang, although I understand it. Keep up the great videos!!! I love them!!!!

I love that Targa! 💕💕

Technically not an 80s car but I had a 1990 Mustang LX 5.0 that was a monster. With a performance chip it was 315 hp. That sob was a rocket out of the hole and third gear was a monster. Not even a Ford guy but that was a great car for quarter mile racing.

1st like!! My grandmother used to have a 1989 iroc-z Camaro it was so clean I could eat off the motor!!

Even though I was always a 60’s muscle car guy at heart these were the cars I grew up with in my early 20’s. I recall a few stories about some of them. A friends sister went to the 84 Olympic s and as a reward her dad bought her a new 85 vette with the then new TPI 350. Since she didn’t have a drivers license her brother and I took a greyhound bus to the only dealer who had one about 300 miles from home. The car magazines made a big deal out of the fact that this car could do 150 and we were determined to try just that. Heading home on open interstate with just a few miles on the odo we got it up to 142 (interestingly turning on the pop up headlights dropped the speed by 4 mph). Disappointed we pumped up the tires and removed the air filter. This got us to 148, we never did see 150! Another friend had an iroc with the 305 tpi and it was pretty strong by 85 standards but not very torquey. It ran about even with concurrent year 5.0 mustangs. A guy in our town had a then new GN which was very temperamental. On a hot summer day even my then slug of a ride (78 trans am with a smog gear 400, automatic and 2.56 gears) could beat it soundly but on a cold night that GN would whip those 5.0’s and TPI cars. In 89 I bought a new GTA trans Am with the 350 TPI and it was a much faster car than the earlier 305 version. However the 86-87 GN’s that were running around town could all beat me on cold days. My GTA and all those 82-91 Camaro’s and Firebirds had a brutal ride and were rattle cans. Mine had T-tops and if I parked it with one wheel say in a pothole the rain would come in through the roof even when it was new. However that 350 TPI was a sweet engine, nice low end torque meant power always available on demand. The 86-87 GN’s had a much better ride and were quicker on cool days but the 3.8 never had that smooth big V8 feel. By today’s standards all those 80’s hot cars were slow rough cars with crappy plastic rattle interiors but they were actually often more fun because they weren’t so big, heavy and bulky. These 2020 era perf cars are so wide and heavy they just aren’t fun to toss around even though they are incredibly competent. No matter what you do to a 4,400 pound car, it can never have the zippy feel of a sub 3,000 pound car.

Great video....brought me back to my teen years

I've heard robots with more expression. If not for the images and content...but yeah, I'm here for the cars.

I street raced a Nissan 300zx with my built hemi Cuda. Why he thought he could beat me, I just don’t know, but my Cuda had a tunnel Ram with a 300 hp nitrous setup, reverse manual valve body and 9 inch torque converter. I was across the intersection before he got out of first gear and pelted he’s car with pebbles from my wheel tubs. That car was brutal. I had an eight point roll cage and only two seats in it. I had stripped all the parts that were not used for racing. That car made 875 ho on the Dyno.

One thing about the Mustang, especially the GT from the 80s and early 90s is that there really wasn't another car out there that could give the performance for the money that it could. The Corvette was only slightly faster but it cost twice as much. Young people today scoff at the Countach putting out "only" 455 hp. That was with no turbos, no variable valve timing, an no direct injection. It was just simple, brute power.

In 1985 my dad bought a Chevy Monte Carlo SS which was a good running car with the classic muscle car sound with its dual exhaust small block chevy .

i don't think that the Ferrari 288 GTO was available in the US in the 1980s. In fact, it only fairly recently is allowed into the US as it is a classic car (25 years old at this point) that are exempt from those rules. Its engine did not meet US emissions standards, and, if you look, the bumper wouldn't have met US code either.

I pretty much agree with this list. Though, Camaro IROC-Z & Firebird Trans-Am should be a tie given they're literally the same car. What about the Ferrari Testarossa? That was a beloved car in the '80s, let along a major staple in '80s pop culture (i.e., OutRun, Miami Vice).

This chanel is the best, you deserve a lot more members. Well presented of vehicles without having that used car salesman feeling.

Great video. You can't post a video like this without some disagreement. It was a great time in the mid to late 80s. Drove a buddies 85 Mustang GT and was hooked. Not 1985 but I picked up a 1988 Mustang 5.0 high output 5-speed LX notchback in 1989. Without the GT's spoiler and hatchback it was 250 lbs lighter and the first year with fuel injection. Power to weight ratio was scarey. Granny grey was her color. The ultimate sleeper. I used to troll Bimmers, Vetts, Camaros, Trans Ams, and anything else I could find on the Garden State Parkway and 287 in NJ. Beat everthing I found. Bury the speedo in 2nd gear (it was over by then) hit 3rd and they would break out the box of puffs to cry into. I miss that car everyday. Thank you for the memories.

My buddy had a 85 GT. My favorite model year. First year in that body style with true duel exhaust and the last year with the Holley carb. 86 looked identical but was fuel injection. And had the 3rd brake light in the spoiler.

It's interesting that these "muscle cars" had similar horsepower to my Toyota Camry V6 engine from nearly twenty years ago.

So cool, my first car is #1 on the list. I still have it too! It is factory stock, only Mac headers were added on. It dynoed at 300lb ft torque and 215 hp just like the factory stated. That’s with over 100,00 miles on it.

Friend has an 85 IROCZ Camaro project and it’s amazing

10:50 … oh that U.S. spec bumper 🤦🏼‍♂️

Love this video and the channel, but as always, it’s best to set the playback speed to 1.25.

Surprised to see you put the Mustang GT at #1. But, its still my favorite car to drive, as I bought one new in Dec 84: an 85 Mustang GT, Light Blue with T-Tops and a 5 speed. So,,,,Much,,,,Fun!! And many speeding tickets. I definitely rate it more fun than my 88 Iroc 5.7 and the 97 Camaro Z28 30th Anniversary.

What's not mentioned about the TransAm/IROC-Z is that it's 305TPI made it's peak HP in 85. The following year they made a cam change and power dropped 15 HP. So back then the 85 model year was the car to have with the TPI. I had a 86 with the 305TPI and my friend had an 85 and we couldn't figure out why the 85 was so much faster. We didn't know about the cam change from the factory till years later.

The mid 80's was a technological turning point for American automakers. The days of carburetors was fading fast, and they had to learn new technology, like multiport fuel injection and more sophisticated engine management computers. In doing so, they left the dinosaurs of the 70's behind, and moved into the future

Miss 80’s cars

I had a 85 trans am automatic and tuned port 305 this thing was really quick ttops

My Cousin had a GTI back in the late 80's. Very cool car, quick and nice handling

Great list I enjoyed your list !!

I laughed when I saw #1.

Excellent video. I'm old enough to remember, and this video is correct. Everyone knew, in the mid 80's, the 5.0 Mustang was fastest car on the road. However, the iroc-z and trans ams were VERY good-looking cars.

I bought a 1985 Mustang GT in 1991 for $4,500 with only 60k miles on it. So easy to upgrade. For less than $1,000 I had that running great low 13s in the 1/4 mile. Not bad for a 21 year old kid.

Owned the 85 mustang gt convertible 5speed manual, 1988 mustang gt 5speed manual, and currently 1989 firebird formula 5speed manual 305tpi..... by far the firebird is most exciting and my fav of these great 80s muscle cars

Those were the days!

I kinda expected the SAAB 900 Turbo to be on this list. 0-60 in 7.5. Plus you could easily buy one in the US unlike the Ferrari or the Countach

I was waiting for the Foxbody. #1 earns a thumbs up from me.

Surprised the 944 didn’t make the list

The days before Hellcats, AMGs, Audi RSes and BMW M cars and Tesla Plaids, which I think have pretty much pushed the limits of vehicle acceleration or close to it

Tuned Port Injection is my favorite intake style. While its performance is limited it sure looks cool.

Funniest comment I heard was the Mustang GT handled well and great feeling steering 😄 for the price yes but it had more lean than MJ in Smooth Criminal 😎

Guess I gotta find a non thrashed Fox Body to tinker with.

Volkswagen gti on this list but no 85 celica gts? Blah otherwise still a great video

Hello. back in 85 I bought a 85 iroc 5.0 tpi brand new 2 years later in 87 the 5.7 iroc came out so i traded my 85 for it. I still think about the Iroc best car ever made.

When you came of driver's licence age in the magic golden years of the 60's, all of this is so sad to remember. My 68 GTO Ram Air, close ratio 4 speed with a posi 4:10 rear end compared with these? Exception being the GTI. One of the best driving cars I ever had other than my Triumph TR 250. Both Well balanced with willing engines and suspensions that allowed you to use the power they produced. Pure driving experience at its best.

Excellent video, thanks! But I noticed you didn’t mention the GTI’s hp and performance numbers..

I always like the look of those tuned port intake manifolds. (They looked the part anyway.).

In the late 80s a friend of mine called a wrecking yard for a 5.0 Mustang trunk lid , the guy at the wrecking yard asked, what colour would you like.

A friend purchased a 1985 Corvette brand new. She had multiple problems with her engine. All under warranty luckily.

Can you do a video explaining why today we can have so such high horsepower when in the early 70s they started to cut that back to almost nothing? That might be interesting for your subscribers.

I was wondering if mustang was gonna be on this list. Was not disappointed.

I had a 1984 300ZX Turbo 5-speed….was quick for its day and a head-turner

I had a white 86 IROC Z. Loved that car

What a perfect year to focus on.

While the content is nostalgic, how exactly was this list derived?

Bought an 85 Mustang GT new in spring of 1985 (black/grey interior) loaded with every available option except the T-Top chose the Sun Roof instead for $10,200. Loved that car and it was fun to drive and quick.

I got my license in 1988. The IROC-Z was it for me.

The mustang was the best sports cars of my birth year! Very cool to know!