I am thinking of buying a 1988-1991 Mustang. I definitely want a 5.0L (8 cyl). I do not know much about these cars other than I seem to observe that for a relatively low price I can buy one.
What different series existed in that period? I seem to see LX pop up a lot?
I notice that for about $5000-$7000 CDN ($3300 - $ 5000 US) I can get one for the advertiser's "Very Good" to "Mint Condition". The average mileage for thes cars is 160,000 - 220, kilometers (100,000 - 140, 000 miles). Is that too much mileage for these cars or are they just being broken in?
Any advice on purchasing these cars woul be great!
Just bought a new vehicle today, and maybe selling my 88 and i still love it. If you are looking at buying one i may let mine go, seeing as you may like it for more than the name. get back to me.
Those 5.0's are great cars. Here are a few things..
--The '87-'93's look relatively the same. There are basically three different types.. GT, LX hatch and LX coupe. The GT is the one you see with the ground effects, and also has a hatch. The LX coupe is the model with the trunk instead of a hatch. The LX hatch is basically the same as the GT but without the ground effects. Starting in '91 they came with the "5-star Pony Rims" which look much better than the terrible looking turbine rims that came on the '87-90's.
--Starting in 1989 they went from Speed Density to a Mass Air system. This is much better if you plan on doing heavy upgrades to the car (heads, intake, supercharger, nitrous, etc.).
-- '91's and up come with driver side airbags.
--The '93's were given hypereutectic pistons, replacing the forged pistons in the '87-'92's. These supposedly dont hold up as well if you want to use a power adder (supercharger, nitrous, etc.).
--These cars are work horses, they can go to 150k miles no problem, if decently maintained. Just look, be patient. I guarantee you can find a nice one with
70k - 100k miles within your price range.
So my advice would be to grab an '89-'92. You should be able to find a decent one for $3,000-$4,500 US. Check the fluids. Take it for a test drive, see how it runs. Grab the VIN number and do a carfax on it. Check its accident and ownership history. Have fun and be careful, they are awesome cars.
I just bought a mint condition TODAY 89' GT for 4000....it has 87,000 miles and im pumped.. i think i got a great buy..check ebay,,i seen some good ones on there.....good luck....i think these bad boys are the coolest of them all.....
the ground effects, and also has a hatch. The LX coupe is the model with
So true. The early GT turbine wheels were not the best looking, that's for sure. Me, personally...? I'm still partial to the old 15"
10-hole ("phone dial") wheels.
Speed Density can handle everything Mass Air can handle, except a cam change.
Another Mass Air advantage is much better idle characterics. Speed density counters with breathing slightly better.
"Hyper pistons" are weaker, but supposedly seal up a little better.
These motors can take a lot of abuse... they're like anvils, beat on them all day long and they don't care. And I swear they perform better after you give them the "spurs" a few times.
I wouldn't be _overly_ concerned with mileage. I would just be looking for the cleanest, straightest, best maintained example you can find. Low mileage doesn't mean a thing if it's dirty/nasty, twisted/dented and/or deprived/poorly maintained.
When you think you've found "the one", make sure to have a _good_ mechanic and body man take a look before you close the deal.
And run it hard! Run it through all the gears, stomp on the brakes, throw it into a corner or two. If the seller isn't concerned, the car is probably mechanically solid. If he objects, he maybe trying to hide something.
If/when you need more advice, or if you have any more questions, just post them. We'll be glad to answer them.
with > the ground effects, and also has a hatch. The LX coupe is the model with
Or he doesn't want his car beaten to shit. If I were to ever sell my 98 GT I would want to make sure the person knew what they were doing before I let them beat the piss outta my car. Good thing I won't ever be selling my car :). But yes... I agree 100% that you DO need to see in many ways the condition of the car.
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