Hey,

Once of my close friends are looking into a used mustang notch back. Any advise on what to look at/ for when going to look at it?

Thanks

the entire list of problems with those cars is circled on the grill. lol jk
i have a 89 with a turbo was.fun.floors and rear wheel wells were shot on mine so look thereoh and the frame in the front by the wheel has a tendancy to break if bagged on

I've owned a few. They're good cars but you need to watch out for a few things.

Rust: There's no such thing as a "little" rust on a Ford. Either make plans to fix the rust or make plans to scrap the car in a few years. Places to watch are the trunk floorpan, rear frame and where the doors attach to the body.

Automatic Transmissions: All Ford AOD's are bad. If they're working well right now, just wait. It's a matter of time. I replaced TWO transmissions on one car in one year until I got sick of it and switched it to manual. Save yourself the money and hassle and go with a manual tranny.

Electrical system: Watch for retaped/redone wiring. Avoid electric windows and make damn sure they work before you buy. Fords are notorious for their alternator problems. So check that as well.

If it's a 2.3 four, that's the best engine you'll ever have. It has no power if it's Naturally Aspirated, but a Turbo car will tear up the strip and still be insanely reliable. I've known a few engines I could call totally indestructible and that silly Pinto based four banger is one of them. The 5.0 V8 is a bit more fragile (and a lot more fun) but it's still a tough as nails engine so don't worry.

Oh, and check the damn heater. Heater cores on those cars tend to croak and are a bitch to change. If the car smells of prestone in the passenger footwell area, it's probably clogged.

Overall they're good cars, the last of the true old style musclecars. I love em.

I don't quite understand all of the hatred for Ford. I've got a 97 Probe GT with almost 190,000 miles on it, and it has had fewer problems than my Sunfire that only has 74,000 miles on it. The only problem that the Probe ever developed was that the tranny began to slip at 170,000 miles and has since been rebuilt. The Sunfire had five electrical problems, two broken motor mounts, and a failed instrument cluster within the past year. The Sunfire will be my first and last GM vehicle. I like the way it looks, but I am tired of the problems.


Jim

Thanks for you help. I will be sure to pass on all the info.

if they are looking to make power in it, for sure get the subframe connectors

I would check the bottom of the doors and the truck lid for rust. Im also looking at a fox stang as well. One thing is that there are TONS of parts for the car so I wouldnt worry to much about finding parts for it. I personally love the notch and the LX fox stangs.





"Remember do what you like because you have to drive it."--Me

I just thought of another important thing to check.

Fox Body gas tanks are almost always rusted through, so check to see if the car's tank is full of gas. If it's like 1/8th full it's usually an indication that it's leaking and will need a new one.

hit up the guys at foxbodyforum.com they're really knowledgeable people, should be able to answer any question you have