Alright Oppo, I need some information

"Bandit" (2bandit) 10/15/2014 at 15:49 • Filed to: Bandits brother

0

38

My brother is looking at buying a '99 to '04 mustang as his first car. The only requirement he has is it must be a manual (I've rubbed off on him). His budget is $2,500 to $3,500 so the cars will probably be high mileage or V6 models. What can you tell me about this gen of mustangs? Any faults I need to look out for? Right now he's looking at a '99 GT convertible with 110,000mi that has a tick in the engine.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Bandit 10/15/2014 at 15:54

4

Does your brother realize he's going to have to pay approximately ALL THE MONEY!!! for insurance in addition to any other expenses of owning a car?

Unless he's got a great job for a late teens/early 20s age kid, ANY kind of RWD "performance" car, regardless of whether is has a V8, is going to be insanely expensive to own.

A cheap RWD pickup would provide the same level of RWD-hoonage and not break the bank when it comes to insurance. It might paying for gas though.

Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz) > Bandit 10/15/2014 at 15:55

0

I will say that a lot of used V6's might not have been well maintained due to the fact that they were cheap and easy first cars for lots of people who probably didn't take the best care of them — definitely have it checked out by someone you trust before making it official. The seller should have no issues with that.

1337HPMustang > Bandit 10/15/2014 at 15:55

1

I'm sure there are plenty of fox 5.0s where you're from. Convince him he needs t-tops in his life.

Bandit > 1337HPMustang 10/15/2014 at 15:58

0

He wasn't amused with the T-tops in my T/A... also he doesn't need anything old that would turn into a project.

camaroboy68ss > Bandit 10/15/2014 at 15:58

1

I would avoid anything with a tick in the motor. A month down the road he will be broke and a mustang with a blown up motor.

Bandit > camaroboy68ss 10/15/2014 at 15:59

2

Or will have a SBC in the car!

Frank Grimes > Bandit 10/15/2014 at 15:59

2

I wouldn't touch a V6 stang of that gen with a ten foot clown pole. Why not miata?

Bandit > Frank Grimes 10/15/2014 at 16:00

0

Our mother doesn't trust them for winter... And he needs something that could get in an accident that wouldn't lead to him dying.

Trevor Slattery, ACTOR > Bandit 10/15/2014 at 16:00

0

First car? A RWD Mustang? Can we start a pool on how long it takes him to crash it when he finally pulls the trigger?

camaroboy68ss > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) 10/15/2014 at 16:01

2

you might be surprised how it's high for whatever you drive when your under 25. When I was a senior in High School (2010) I had a 99 silverado V6 traded it for a 97 Z28. Insurance only went up $20 bucks and my gas was about the same a month.

Bandit > Trevor Slattery, ACTOR 10/15/2014 at 16:02

0

Well, here's my first car: http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/tag/emma

camaroboy68ss > Bandit 10/15/2014 at 16:02

0

Just buy a Camaro/firebird then but I guess he doesn't want to follow in big brothers footsteps.

Frank Grimes > Bandit 10/15/2014 at 16:03

2

Uhh ok. My miata has a torsen diff and airbags and abs. handles the skids good and the snow much better than any open diff mustang also i am told the airbags will make crashing like falling into a down sleeping bag full of twinkies.

Never listen to mother when buying a car. this should be like the first rule of being a car person.

Bandit > camaroboy68ss 10/15/2014 at 16:03

0

I want him to buy a 2nd gen so I can get rid of some of my spare parts! I have almost an entire extra car in parts.

Bandit > Frank Grimes 10/15/2014 at 16:04

0

I tried the same arguments when I said I wanted a miata. She said no... then I bought an old Trans Am!

Bricks > Frank Grimes 10/15/2014 at 16:05

0

Just out of curiousity, what is your reasoning for this.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > camaroboy68ss 10/15/2014 at 16:05

1

Yeah I know how expensive insurance for anything is when you're under 25; been there done that, burned the t-shirt.

But, going from none car to car is crazy expensive and getting a RWD 2-door coupe is the most expensive option.

swansong, rockin' the wagons > Bandit 10/15/2014 at 16:06

2

Is he stuck on getting a New Edge (99-04) vs. the earlier SN95 body style (94-98)? $3500 should get you an earlier SN95 GT easily, although it might have higher miles and would not be a garage queen. Definitely go GT or go home for that gen though, the 3.8 is a total dog. And keep in mind that parts for the 5.0 are craaazy cheap, even compared to the 4.6, which is in 96+ GTs.

Bandit > swansong, rockin' the wagons 10/15/2014 at 16:07

0

I don't know, I think he wants the newer ones but I've suggested the older ones. Thanks

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Bandit 10/15/2014 at 16:08

0

I'm going to recommend older. I saw some of your comments below that he doesnt want t-tops etc, but you can get a fox-generation mustang in convertible too.

110k on a 99 GT convertible...no thanks.

Frank Grimes > Bandit 10/15/2014 at 16:08

1

My first car was a 61 beetle. gas tank in front non collapsible steering column no seat belts. I did put seat belts in because my mother would harass me about that and when going on dates i didnt want my date to die or me if I am honest some times mother just makes a good case. I ended up t boning a 16 year old moron who didnt stop at a stop sign 45-50mph my head broke the winshield and my chest broke the steering wheel i didnt explode in flames and I was perfectly fine jsut mentally scared from the wreck and seeing my beloved beetle i restored 3 feet shorter. I guess the moral of the story is only listen to mother a little bit.

Chris Clarke > Frank Grimes 10/15/2014 at 16:09

1

Never listen to mother when buying a car. this should be like the first rule of being a car person.

Can we sticky this somewhere or make it an official jalop rule. You should be telling your mom what to buy, not the other way around.

Bandit > Bricks 10/15/2014 at 16:11

0

Because racecar.

Bandit > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 10/15/2014 at 16:12

0

Yeah, he thinks fox bodies are ugly. He doesn't care how powerful or cheap they are, he won't look past the ascetics.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Bandit 10/15/2014 at 16:14

1

talk him into an sn-95 from 94 or 95 then.

last 2 years of a 5.0. Super easy to work on, obviously endless parts supply.

Frank Grimes > Bricks 10/15/2014 at 16:14

0

Mustangs should be V8 they are no fun without. I know this from experience. I hate the looks of those cars. The V8 ones are slow enough. My friends mom had a 2004 GT and the interior was terrible. This is the most riced out mustang. The V6 is the one posers buy and put ugly body kits on and try to make it look like a cobra or GT and fail miserably.

Bandit > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 10/15/2014 at 16:15

0

That's good but how about this: SVT Lightning engine swap! No? Okay.

JEM > Bandit 10/15/2014 at 16:20

1

- Convertibles always command a premium, and if he has very little cash he's going to get a complete shitbox for that money if he insists on a convertible. This is a really important time for him to learn you can't always get what you want.

- Like others said, the V6 sucks, avoid it.

- Don't buy something that's heavily modified, but that's standard advice.

- Tick in engine = junk.

camaroboy68ss > Bandit 10/15/2014 at 16:20

1

yeah younger siblings never listen though, couldn't get my little sister into an old car of any kind

Bandit > JEM 10/15/2014 at 16:22

1

Luckily he doesn't care if it has a roof or not. He's fine with a coupe just as much as a convertible. But yeah, I agree with your points.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Bandit 10/15/2014 at 16:48

1

haha, i didn't think a parts Lightning would be in his budget.

but seriously the 5.0 is where it's at. Especially for cheap and cool

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Bandit 10/15/2014 at 16:54

1

see i'm not the only one saying THE 5-OH IS THE ONLY WAY TO GO!

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > Bandit 10/15/2014 at 17:03

0

the V6 stangs of this gen made about 180-190hp that's a decent amount for a first RWD car. he can have fun with that!
sure, it's not gonna be the same as a 4.6L 280-ish hp V8, but you don't necessarily need that much.
My 200hp GLI regularly upsets my buddy and his 255hp RX8 on backroads. sure, he's a tad bit faster in a straight line past about 65-70MPH, but if I can confidently take a turn at a solid 10-15 MPH more, I won't need the straights!

03mach1 - Now has a Fiesta ST > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) 10/15/2014 at 17:17

0

Insurance for my Mach wasn't really any different from a Honda Civic. It's high because of age. A convertible is only going to bring it up though.

03mach1 - Now has a Fiesta ST > Bandit 10/15/2014 at 17:28

0

If it has a tick in the engine it's not worth it. Not to mention that a GT with that many miles at that price seems a little to good. Especially a convertible.

Like others have said, maybe look in to a slightly older one. 94-98's don't sell well so you can find them at a lower price. As for the V6, the 99-04 V6's are ok I guess. My driving school had one, has quite a bit of torque. Don't go near any V6's before 99 however.

Be careful when looking at modded Stangs. Good luck!

T5Killer > Trevor Slattery, ACTOR 10/15/2014 at 17:39

0

Heheheeh my 1st car was a '95 Cobra I still have it 15 years later.

T5Killer > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 10/15/2014 at 17:40

0

Yep 94-95 would be a good car. Or even a 96-98 GT since those are dirt cheap and so slow they will be safe. Plus a PI swap is cheap and easy later on.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > T5Killer 10/16/2014 at 09:20

1

hahaha. If I were shopping for a used older GT Mustang it would probably be my target. Though I'd of course prefer a bubble back Mercury Capri 5.0 but...I wouldn't complain about one of these done right.