2004 Ford Mustangs?

"Long Live the Longdoor" (victoryred08) 07/19/2016 at 21:44 • Filed to: None

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What can Oppo tell me about the Mustangs made in 2004 and earlier? How was the 3.8L V6 and 4.6L V8? I’ve been looking at relatively cheap used manual cars and these keep on popping up. I drove a 2003 GT convertible around the block when I was 18 and remember being tickled pink (but that can mostly be attributed to the sound and lack of roof). Could I drive it in the winter with some snow tires and not kill myself?

jkm7680 > Long Live the Longdoor 07/19/2016 at 21:46

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3.8 is a bit of a dog. A reliable dog. But a slow one.

The 4.6 is pretty great all around. Not the fastest, but gets the job done nicely and won’t let you down.

Long Live the Longdoor > jkm7680 07/19/2016 at 21:56

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Cool, I’m not super concerned about speed, I kinda care more about how the car sounds.

MysticStick > Long Live the Longdoor 07/19/2016 at 22:04

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I still miss my ‘04 cobra all the time. Great cars, but the bosch-sourced traction control was not great, it would just cut power all the time so I am not sure about winter driving.. but really they are just nice cars so as long as driven with care you’ll be fine. But you’ll probably want to turn that tcs off every time you get in the car.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Long Live the Longdoor 07/19/2016 at 22:05

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My friend bought a 1995 3.8L with a 5-speed for $600 and drove the nuts off it for about 4 months and sold it for a grand. It wasn’t quick really at all but he had the muffler removed and it made many nice noises. Would do a pretty decent burnout too.

for Michigan > Long Live the Longdoor 07/19/2016 at 22:07

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By slow, he means the 3.8 L produces 193 hp / 225 lb-ft in a car that weighs 3300 lbs. So it’s no, it won’t keep up with a Corvette or 911, but it has enough oomph to be fun.

Urambo Tauro > Long Live the Longdoor 07/19/2016 at 22:08

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They’re plenty manageable in the snow with good tires and a disciplined right foot.

The V8 is by far more preferable, not only for its power, but it has a stronger aftermarket too. It’s well worth having, despite the cramped engine bay. Having a V8 also means you get the 8.8 axle, which likewise has more options than the V6's 7.5.

Just like with any car, examples will vary wildly depending on the previous owner(s). But Mustang owners are less likely to leave their car stock, so be prepared for anything.

03mach1 - Now has a Fiesta ST > Long Live the Longdoor 07/19/2016 at 22:08

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I love mine. Lots of fun to drive and has been pretty reliable. While not the fastest cars, they feel plenty quick (At least my Mach does) and sound amazing with the right exhaust set up. If you’re coming from a newer car the interior might leave a bit to be desired, it was designed in the 90's. It also doesn’t handle to bad, I honestly think with less than a grand in suspension parts I could turn this car into something that handles really well and not compromise the ride.

That’s just kind of a quick run down. It is difficult to find one in decent shape and relatively untouched however. My search was a nightmare. If you have any questions just let me know.

I have driven a 3.8 but that poor car was a driver’s ed car and abused to death. So I’m not going to say much on that one...

TylerJ > Long Live the Longdoor 07/19/2016 at 22:09

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The V8 sounds amazing. Just do exhaust to make it louder and don’t expect any mods to it short of building up the entire engine to make any meaningful power gains.

Also, the auto transmissions in them are not the best.

The image above is the one my brother bought in ‘01 that I drove a bit before it got passed down to my nephew. He had it like two years and it went up in flames. He saw something dripping under the car and didn’t think to ask anyone.

Racin'Jason001 > Long Live the Longdoor 07/19/2016 at 22:11

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This one is a 2002, but you did say earlier.

Long Live the Longdoor > TylerJ 07/19/2016 at 22:24

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Wow, I didn’t know Mustangs did Ferrari impressions!

I’d be looking for a manual, so no worries about the auto :)

There’s a grey GT that I see on my commute home all the time and it must have an aftermarket exhaust because it sounds THE BUSINESS!

Long Live the Longdoor > 03mach1 - Now has a Fiesta ST 07/19/2016 at 22:35

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Hmm, cool, thanks for the info! I’m not super picky on interiors, I have two newer vehicles but I bought a 2000 Saturn SL (to learn to drive stick) and I seem to appreciate how different it is from everything on the market today.

I’ve been looking a fun manual car for $5k-$9k to daily drive and I keep coming up with NB Miatas, these Mustangs or a FWD Honda sport-compact. The Mustang certainly sounds the best, but is worst on gas; but worth it perhaps?

03mach1 - Now has a Fiesta ST > Long Live the Longdoor 07/19/2016 at 22:50

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I’m not picky either. It’s certainly not a terrible interior, it’s bearable. I knew what I was getting into though, so I had my expectations low.

I think these cars are perfect fun cars for the price range. They’re derived off of the Fox Body cars and retain some of their feel. Which means they feel much faster than they actually are and lots of fun. It isn’t to unrefined either for a DD. I get around 14-15 MPG’s, which is horrible but I may be to blame for that. Totally worth it though.

One other thing I should mention is that even for a good example the car will probably need some TLC. I needed things like brakes, shocks, struts, spark plugs, fuel filter among a few other things. That is what I found when looking at these cars, others have had similar better luck though. Good luck with the search, interesting choice of cars.

yitznewton > Long Live the Longdoor 07/19/2016 at 23:21

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I survived the winter in an S2000 on snow tires, so I think you’re good.

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > Long Live the Longdoor 07/20/2016 at 00:25

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V6 is a boat anchor. No bueno. 4.6 isn’t bad but not much powerwise and really can only make more power by adding boost

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > TylerJ 07/20/2016 at 00:55

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ATF is bad mmmkay

BayAreaMiataBoi > Long Live the Longdoor 07/20/2016 at 01:29

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My daughter has a V6 2006, and it is an adequate performer. (She passed on a newer replacement Camaro, because it was +really gutless+, even though the pleasant exhaust note was piped into the cabin.)
With a regular amount of maintenance, one of these could last a long time.
(I am personally not too taken with all the plastic in the car, but that's just me.)

Needmoargarage > Long Live the Longdoor 07/20/2016 at 07:25

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I have an ‘04 though it has quite a bit of go fast bits, but I’ve owned 3-4 New Edge Mustang GTs. The 3.8 is not worth looking at. The 4.6 is simple, easy to maintain, parts are plentiful, and sounds pretty amazing.

Compared to today’s Mustangs, these are somewhat archaic, but that’s what makes them fun. If you like a non hydraulic clutch, throttle cable, old school suspension, and noise then you will probably enjoy one. Avoid pre-2001 GTs and watch out for throwout bearing chirp when looking to buy one.

So long as it doesn’t have big brakes you can put on a set of skinny 16"or 17" wheels with snow tires, and you will do just fine in the winter if you have decent throttle control. Put some weight in the trunk to help out.

Long Live the Longdoor > yitznewton 07/20/2016 at 10:04

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Nice! How do you like your S2000? I haven’t looked to indepth but how are the maintenance costs with one?

It’s crazy how well they hold their value (at least here in Canada), an early 2000s S2K still fetches $15k easily. I’ve always wanted one.

yitznewton > Long Live the Longdoor 07/20/2016 at 10:43

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I’ve owned it since November; it is definitely as advertised: very nimble, not much torque down low, engaging, Honda. I took care of a couple preventive maintenance items when I got the car, namely new timing chain tensioner (mine was not very near EOL, but as long as I was already at the specialty S2000 shop 1.5 hours from home...), and a 70k mile valve adjustment. Still on the original clutch at 80k miles with no slippage I can detect.

The biggest maintenance nightmare on the S2000 I’m aware of, is the chassis bushings and bolts: they often seize, and it’s a tremendous ordeal to fix that. One of my caster bolts is seized, but it’s in an OK position for a good alignment.

Generally lame things about the car: seat bolsters collapse, and the leather is a mismatch for this car - should have been cloth. People are divided about whether the EPS is good enough; I can’t complain. The usual soft top problems; there are a few water leak hot spots.

Other than that, it doesn’t take exotic maintenance to keep them happy. Parts are expensive for a Honda, but not terrible, and the quality of the OEM S2000 parts is excellent. Check oil frequently as AP1s consume oil; mine eats a quart every 2000 miles or so.

They are relatively expensive for what they are, so it came down to deciding that I’d rather pay $14k on this and leave it stock, than pay $7k on something else and mod it. Frankly if I were deciding right now, I would have gotten the $1500 NB Miata steal I saw on CL a few weeks ago, and modded it, because I’ve become more interested in wrenching since then. The S2000 is expensive enough and “very good enough” stock, that on my budget, it doesn’t make sense to mod it. Factory tuning is such that you’re only going to get significant power gains by going FI, and IMO the stock chassis/suspension setup is pretty damn good if you’re using it primarily as a street car. The things I would upgrade first: tires, brake pads and fluid, and a good seat.

Arrivederci > Long Live the Longdoor 07/20/2016 at 11:35

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The 3.8 is garbage - my ex-wife had a 2001 V6 Mustang and it couldn’t get out of its own way. Thrashy sounding, slow... just horrid.

The 4.6 is an okay engine - I had an older variant (1997 GT) and they made nice improvements in ‘99 with the PI heads. Better breathing, resulting in more power. The 4.6 4v engines were very sweet - sounded great, good power, nicely revvy, but you’d have to find a Mach1 or Cobra to get one of those.

For the 2v, assuming that’s what you’re looking at (regular GT), I can’t remember what year they fixed the crappy plastic intake. They were prone to cracking on earlier cars and weeping coolant into the plug cavities.

Long Live the Longdoor > yitznewton 07/20/2016 at 15:00

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Thanks for the info! $1500 for a NB Miata eh? That is a steal! I think the cheapest one in my area has been like $5k. I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up with a NB Miata myself, they can be had for cheap, they’re pretty reliable and the sky is the limit for modding potential.

yitznewton > Long Live the Longdoor 07/20/2016 at 15:06

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Yes, this one was underpriced IMO and sold within hours. Looked like a family sale, probably just wanted to close whatever chapter. I probably would literally have run over there with the cash in hand if I’d been looking for a car.

Schaef_Camaero Z/28 > Long Live the Longdoor 07/20/2016 at 17:13

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Look good on the outside, the interior leaves a lot to be desired (as do most cars of this vintage). I haven’t driven one, but rode in my friend’s old v6 a handful of times. I remember thinking the shifter position looked strange. You’ll definitely be happier with the V8/5-speed, if nothing else but for the sound alone. With the right exhaust, I think they’re one of the best sounding cars on the road.

Have you looked into the F-bodies at all? Prices on the LS1 cars have been dropping lately, and nice LT1 cars can be had for $4k+ and they all came with a 6-speed

Long Live the Longdoor > Schaef_Camaero Z/28 07/20/2016 at 21:55

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I haven’t checked out the F-bodies, I’ll definitely do that!