Looking to buy and would like suggestions

I really like the Mustang and seriously considering buying a used one. I am looking for a 2008+ convertible. I live in Florida so the convertible is ideal. Wish they had a hard top convertible, the rag tops can get noisy after awhile. I do not want to go over $20k (my eyes want the GT..but the wallet just wont let me)

What issues have you seen with the convertibles that I should be aware of? What maint should I perform on the rag top to keep it tight?

Any suggestions on a year that I should try and stick with?

How reliable are the mustang over an extended period of time? I am a person that normally buys a car and holds onto it for 15 years, so I would like to avoid mechanical issues as the car gets older. I normally perform oil changes, rotate and balance, alignments every 5k miles. Typically dont do the maint, just found that I can normally skip one and be fine. What maint schedule should I keep with the mustang?

Any suggestions on where I should buy one? I am thinking maybe find someone that goes to the auctions, might be able to get a better car and stay within my price range?

Really appreciate any suggestions or insight. Just need some guidance from a few owners and experts. Thanks!

Reply to
bnepple
Loading thread data ...

If you can find a private party, you should be able to get an '08 GT ragtop for slightly under 20K$ (as per Edmunds). But, be careful of GTs that have been driven by males under 25 -- and get a mechanic to check out anything you want to buy.

My only ragtop was my '86 Mustang. The top did not fit quite right when I bought it (in '87, used), so it was a minor hassle to put the top up. Over time (I sold it in '95), the top wore over the rib joints, which I "fixed" with duct tape. Since that '86 was garaged, it did not see the kind of material aging that you will see parked in the Florida sunshine.

My '98 GT was in great shape, until I handed the car keys to my teenaged boy. Now I'm driving a sedan.

Seriously, I had no problems with my GT for its 12+ years of life. It was garaged, driven with some care, the oil&filter were changed every 5K miles, and it was never driven over 125 (in fact, rarely over 110). While the synchro's were worn, the rest of the tranny was good and the clutch was still fine at ~90K miles. {The car was delivered new with a faulty tranny; after some arguments with Ford folks, Ford replaced the tranny which was fine thereafter.) The 4.6L engine was absolutely great, and all systems (AC, radio, etc.) were still working when that !@#$%^&*() kid totaled my Mustang; now I know why Homer chokes Bart.

Get a mechanic to thoroughly check it out, even if the seller says it was only driven on Sunday by a Little Old Lady. Some of those LOLs know what a Christmas Tree is. :-P

Reply to
Bob Willard

I'd recommend the GT and skip the 'vert with its added problems.

I think any of the '05 and up Mustang are pretty solid choices.

Just do regular maintenance and take care of it. You can run them hard though, I put over 100,000 miles on two of them (many, many drag strip runs) and never had to replace a clutch, repair an engine or transmission.

I'd recommend a private seller. Talk to a local Mustang club for recommendations.

Remember CarFax.com.

Patrick

Reply to
patrick.mckenzie84

My '07 GT coupe has been flawless to 32k miles so far. My wife is the primary driver but she'll chirp 2nd if the need arises. I drive it like a muscle car should be driven. (Old school driver from back in the day) Can't speak for any rag top issues but the rest of the car has been great. Go for the GT, even if you have to back track a year or two to meet the budget, you'll regret not doing down the road.

Reply to
repairman54

I live in NC now. My first convertible was a '94 v6 mustang. Blue, white top, ex-rental. Got a great deal because CarFAX said it had been rear ended. Had it inspected and my inspector showed me the very minimal damage that had been done and repaired. Had a nice total repaint job.

I bought it in '96 with 25,000 miles on it. My only problem was the auto trans (yep, ex-rental) which was repaired back in the day for $1100. The top was original and lasted about 10 years. I have to add that I worked nights and the car spent all day in a garage. Never had a real problem with the top. Once in a while I'd get water in the space below the rear window if the car was parked outside in a hard rain. Never leaked while driving even in a hard rain. I had that top up and down a zillion times. It always worked flawlessly.

The car came to a tragic end after it was stolen and run off the road at a pretty good clip. Luckily, 3 days before I was going to have the top replaced and the front end rebuilt. /laugh At least I didn't fix up the car BEFORE it was totaled.

A buddy of mine has a '06 GT vert and I could not believe how quiet it was with the top up. And top down on the interstate was also much more quiet than the '94. I was hooked, and had to get an '05 to '09. A new

2010 at the time was beyond my budget.

My '09 is also a budget & insurance friendly v6. Not an ex-rental. It seemed to have plenty of power for me in stock form. After some GT dual exhaust take-offs, cold air kit, and an SCT flash, it really pushes me into the seat. I think those 3 things were just over $1100. Next will be

3.73 gears.

I've had it well over a year and the top still works perfect, no leaks, and quiet inside. I run the top up and down all the time on this one too. It's a black top with some white showing on the side piping (the "gutters" above the side windows) stitches where it folds up. It's very minor. I see a few more years before it might need to be replaced. Maybe I'll get 10 years out of this top too.

Overall the car seems to be built quite well at over two years old. It's no GT but it was fun doing simple mods to wring out a little more HP. It hauls ass nicely, gets 23-24 mpg going to work, handles good, looks good, and it's fun to drive. No need to slam the doors or the trunk shut. Fit and finish is great. I'll get another one if this one gets totaled out. As I said before I'd prefer a manual trans but this auto is pretty nice.

I bought it from a VW dealer. I think I got a pretty reasonable deal... Or I wouldn't have bought it.

Reply to
twk

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.