Looking at a 90 GT convertible

Dont get in a hurry... if you absolutely fall in love, okay... but dont come back here crying you saw better later, for less.

Also take a good flashlight and extra batteries and crawl under the car.. look close!

Trunk-lip rustout is normal... due to condensation from minor leakage at the top-body junctions.

If he wont jack the car and put in on stands, then walk!

Check for floor-pan cracks, drivers seat rear bolts, and floor pan pulling away from rocker panels.

Summary: Rebuilding the engine is less a hassle than a rusted under- body.

Forget about it. Too high milage, price, and I bet the rust is not "minor". And why the extra parts? Sounds like its been hit a few times too.

Fred

Not enough to go on...

"Car I have wanted for alot of years"... A Fox-body Mustang convertible? A GT convertible in particular? Or just a ponycar configuration (small car, big engine)?

If the Turfster has his heart set on a 1979-1993 Mustang GT convertible, there are plenty of opportunities out there. This is only one of them.

Mileage here doesn't seem excessive. 162,000 kilometers (ASSuming, of course, that it's not really 162) is roughly 100,000 miles, not overly much for a car that's coming up on 16 years old.

The rust bit was a mistake. A car of this vintage in Canada (or, heck, the entire Northeast U.S.A.) should have a rust spot here or there, but putting the word "rust" in an ad is the kiss of death. Is it there because the rust is obvious? And where? A rust spot on the edge of the door isn't really as much of a concern as elsewhere...

The extra body panels are troublesome. Sounds like the car took a hit in its hindquarters. If the owner has those body panels, why? Did he do the repairs himself?

Without seeing the car, it's difficult to know whether US$4600 is high.

When I was shopping for a ragtop for my daughter (and again later, for myself), I saw plenty of abused ponies. "White leather interior" usually meant an ugly, stained, cracking ancient leather in desparate need of replacement. I was never overly concerned with the condition of the top, itself, since that's easily replaced (c.$750), and a new top changes the look of the car dramatically. More important is the mechanism, itself, and how effective the motor is at raising and lowering that top (and the windshield clamps need to be solid).

Whether spending $4600 or $20,000 on a used car, this is no time to be cheap. If Turf is serious about buying, he needs to have the car given a once-over by a trusted mechanic and, optionally, body man. I would expect any used Mustang to have been driven hard, possibly too hard on occasion. And if the car was improperly stored, won't start, or can't handle a test drive, then I'd say walk away.

"He could easily sell it in the spring" only means that he'd have an easier time of it in the spring, since that's when most potential ragtop buyers start thinking about one. Sounds like typical seller pressure ("I have another interested party coming in a day or two, so you better act now"). The seller, of course, wants to sell the car, so anything he says is irrelevant.

I don't know how things work in Canada, but if the car is out of insurance, then it's probably sat for anywhere from a week (since the policy lapsed) or years. If it's been neglected, why? What else is the owner driving in the meantime? My own convertible has lived in the garage most of this winter, but comes out on a regular basis on days like today (50+ degrees in Philly).

When shopping for an aging Mustang convertible, I recommend looking at mind, body, and spirit.

Mind - The engine and drivetrain. Aside from looking for leaks and spotting underneath the car, check all fluids. Start it up. (Does it start easily, or does it have those annoying idiosyncrasies that owners like me put up with?) Let it idle a minute, see how long it takes to come down to a normal tone. Check the transmission, making sure to hit all the gears. Drive to reverse to drive to reverse. Does it shift well or does it "hunt"?

Body - A 16-year-old Mustang should have scratches and little dings. These are normal. But does the paint not blend well in specific areas (those hindquarters?), where it's been smacked and poorly repaired? Look deeply into the paint to see how well the owner took care of the car over the years. Did he take pride in its appearance, or is there a healthy coat of oxidation? Has the dashboard been slathered with ArmorAll to hide imperfections, or worse - has it been painted?

Spirit - When you take a seat in the driver's seat, do the little hairs on the back of your neck stand up? As you drive the car, you'd expect a certain amount of acceleration and power, but does the car exceed those expectations, leaving a stupid grin on your face? Does the car sound so good, even at idle, that you feel you could listen to it all day?

I always expect to spend a good deal of time going over a car, but I've walked away on many occasions after about a minute. First impressions should be listened to. On the other hand, you can't afford to fall in love, either. Buying a used car is not an emotional experience, it's a cold, calculated business proposition. You're hoping to find the best, but you spend all of your time looking for the worst - looking for any reason to say thanks, but no thanks.

As for "power windows, locks, mirrors, trunk release and top, AC, lumbar seats, alarm, etc.", that's all nonsense. When someone advertises a car as having power windows and door locks, I have to wonder. (When a commercial for a new car has to resort to "race-inspired suspension", I usually believe that they have nothing good to say about the car, other than that it has struts and shocks.) People don't buy Mustangs, especially used Mustangs, because they have power door locks. If I were placing an ad for CFrog, there is plenty of other stuff I could say about the car, other than that it has power door locks.

I hope Turf comes back with a report on this car. Now I'm curious...

dwight

Well written and thought out process.

However, I personally advocate giving the entire evaluation process, well of course except "Spirit" to an independent third party. It takes the emotion out of it. Many will hit the "Spirit" part of the equation first, after all it is part of what drove you to look at the car to begin with, and proceed no further, or if they do, from a biased perspective. Emotion needs to be removed from the equation until last. If everything checks out ok then go with your gut.

Used cars are like pretty women. Regardless of how great they look, some where there is some guy that is tired of putting up with their shit.