I'm buying a Mustang Convertible....

[MadOnion]

I'm thinking of buying a Mustang GT Convertible, although I'm not sure which model I want.
I've seen the 1988s - 1994 which all look very similar. What are the differences in the models?

What year(s) would you suggest, btw I'm not looking to spend >5,000

Any help would be great,
Thanks

[tireburner163]

The best year IMO is a 89, second is the 90-92, then the 87-88, and lastly the 93. I'll be back later to explain, but I'm in a hurry and I've got to jet, sorry.

[MadOnion]

Also....

If anyone has any tips on where to buy, or what to look for when buying a used car, that would help me out alot.

[tireburner163]

Here's the break down:
87-88 had speed denisty computers, they are a little faster stock.

89-93 had mass-air meters, so they're a little better if you gonna mod the car.

92 was the last year for forged pistons, the 93's had hypertetic pistons, if your not gonna add nitrous or a blower to it, don't worry about the pistons

Stangs got 140mph speedo's in 89. 89 was also the last year for the tilt wheel and no air bag.

90-93 stangs got air bags and pony rims.

There are two model's you can get a vert in. LX and GT. There is no difference power train wise. The GT just has ground effects.

Basicly there are some little differnces, but they are all pretty simmilar.

The best place to get a stang IMO, is from a private seller. Try and find one that was owned by a older person, they prob. weren't beat on as much.

[MadOnion]

Thanks for the help, but I'm still not sure what model I want....
Any more tips would be helpful.

[MadOnion]

Nobody else has any suggestions ?

[MadOnion]

Lmao, this is a Mustang 5.0 forum, yet only 1 person has a suggestion for me.

I Know there must be other people here how could help me decide.

Thanks,
MadOnion

[SCOTTLT79]

OK fine,
I agree that the '89 is the best in the years you are looking at. I would think that a vert for less than $5K wouldn't be in great shape. The verts are more expensive and sometimes hard to find in good shape.
I would personnaly go with the LX model, just personal preference. You really have to make the decision yourself. I think tireburner gave you some great info. Think about what he wrote and decide what you want.

[MadOnion]

There are many late 80s Mustangs (GT Convertible) on ebay for >4,000.

What should I look for when purchasing a 5.0?
I'm guessing that *most* people on ebay are going to be pretty honest, and will tell you if something is broken.

Is there anything in particular I should check?

Also, what mods could I do to a 89?
I know about gears and mufflers, what else can I do (I don't have a unlimited amount of $.)

[5.0 Pony]

I recently bought an 88 vert lx. It's a great car. I only spent 4500 on it and it is in immaculate condition. I bought it from an older guy who was a mechanic so it was extremely well maintained, it still has the original window sticker in the glove box. The main thing when your buying a 5.0 is to LOOK AROUND! So many people claim things that are not true it is rediculous. IMO my car was a great deal, so there are nice cars out there for under 5 G's you just got to look. DO NOT BUY OFF OF EBAY! IMO, i had carfax for a month and just went through checking out stangs, mainly the people on there lie just to sell them. If you are bidding on one GO AND LOOK AT IT FIRST! A great place to look is collectorcartraderonline.com, just make sure you look first. Also, i would shoot for an LX, they are usually not beaten as much, as the GT's. Again, the only difference is the ground effects. It's up to you. I would check under the hood, the engin compartment can tell a lot about a car, see if its dirty, check for wiring and check the belts and hoses. Other than that, just check for the usual, rust, dents, bondo. If you want to upgrade, i would get an 89, The mass air seems to be the thing of choice, yet the speed densities are just as fast, and you can always switch to mass air if you want to heavily modify it. Definitely get below a 93, the forged pistons are much much better IMO. But then again if you don't want to upgrade it shouldn't matter.Check the weatherstripping on the verts, also check the top make sure it doesn't leak, as these are not cheap to replace. Also, check to see if there is smoke coming out of the exhaust, usual stuff like that. Other than that I dont know what else to look for. Good Luck. Keep us posted!

[1hot5.0]

I recently just purchased a 1991 5.0 LX Convertible and could not be happier. I paid $2,700 and the car has 132,000 origional miles. The interior was dirty, but I carpet cleaned it and it came out almost brand new. The paint was oxidized so bad I thought I was going to have to repaint it, but it wasnt anything good old meguiars was couldn't take care of. Be sure to click my link below in my signature and check out my car. The pics were taken a day after i bought the car and I have since fixed the missing horn button. I will get more of it all cleaned up when I can borrow a digital camera. If I was you I would look on http://www.autotrader.com or in your local newspaper classified's, which is where I found mine. Good luck with your search, and be patient. It took me 6 months to find a car I could afford. Post pics when you get it if you can.

[Hozer 88GTConv]

Nothing better IMO.
Some say that they are a pain in the butt but with shops like
http://www.50resto.com it's relatively cheap and easy to bring any pony back from the dead.
I've spent about 15 grand since taking over my dad's car.
And it's been worth every cent.
My buddies drive BMW's and Mercedes verts, but they dig the sound and ride of my car.
I say there is really negligible difference btwn any of the 88-93 verts LX or GT.
It all comes down to personal preference.
Good Luck.

[MadOnion]

I've spent about 15 grand since taking over my dad's car.

Should I even ask what you did to it?



Is milage a big concern when buying a 5.0?
I haven't seen any vets with under 60,000 miles on it. Do you think 75k, or even 100+ is safe?

Many also have leather seats, which are always cracked up and down. Is this expensive to fix or replace? I could always replace the front and back with cloth, if it was alot cheaper.....
That is, If I bought a car with leather seats.

[5.0 Pony]

Yes, 75k+ would be alright. 5.0's are extremelly durable, and if taken care of are more than capable of being reliable over 100k. My car only has 71k on it also. But make sure you inspect a 100k plus car, if it looks like a rough 100k, i might steer away from it but that is just me. It all depends, the engine should be alright, its the other stuff i would worry about. Just look for one that has been well maintaned and you'll be fine.

[MadOnion]

I live in NY, where it always snows (lol, well couple months.)
I will buy a car around Dec - Mar, by then I hope I will know more about cars. Btw, will 5.0s go in the snow? Please don't hate me for asking (Driving a 5.0 is a crime to alot of people.)
If I "take it easy" *eagles* with snow tires, would I get stuck?

I remember when I didn't know jack about PCs and Hifis...lmao, what a difference a couple months makes.

Where should I go to learn more about Stangs and such, besides these forums? **I can't understand 1/2 of the topics here, like heads and sway bars... **

[ndrusnt]

I have to tell ya ..i have an 88 convertable, spent 800. on the car, replaced the top for 750. and now i have gone as far as to begin to convert it into a 5.0. it was formally a 4cyl lx model.......i purchased the engine and transmission for the low low price of 500. I originally did a 76 cobra II, v6 . had a ball with that car ..and you can imagine how much work i have to do with the convertable..

[Hozer 88GTConv]

IMO, you can't go wrong with a 88-93 Fox Body.
They are cheap to buy a maintain.
If you go crazy with mods, it's still cheaper than most new cars and you really learn a lot about your car.
I got my convertible when my Dad died.
He said in his will to "drive it till the wheels come off"
I never knew anything about 5.0's, much less EFI's, etc...
Now, in 4 short years, I have built the engine myself(didn't need to though, the original hone marks were still on the cylinder walls after 130,000 miles), added the usual bolt-ons and am finally getting a great blower.
My car has never been to a mechanic.
As far as the interior, well, convertibles are meant to see the sun.
I am looking at getting a set of Corbeau TRS's because they are nicer than recovering the leather front seats anyway.
Lastly, message boards like this really help when you need it.
If you do get one, you'll never regret it.

Also, I think mileage in a 5.0 is totally irrelevant. I'll take one with 200000 well maintained miles over one with 120000 grandma owned/kept in the garage miles.

[SCOTTLT79]

Hey Hozer 88GTConv,
I love that part about your father and his stang. I don't know why but the driving it til the wheels come off gave me chills.

Originally posted by Hozer 88GTConv

I got my convertible when my Dad died.
He said in his will to "drive it till the wheels come off"

That is a great way to live out your fathers wishes. I know its not trade off but I just wish that my dad had that kind of passion about my car.


And as for the snow. You just have to make damn sure that you have good tires on your car. I'm in mass and my tires were getting bald last winter and I almost killed myself when I spun out. If your tires are good, throw some weight in the back and take it easy, you should be good. Just please, TAKE IT EASY... AND SLOW!!!!!

[MadOnion]

So if I bought some good snow tires, and went slow I shouldn't need to buy a winter car?

I really don't want to buy a second care for about three months out of the year. I'm just afraid if I hit some thick snow I will get stuck.

[SCOTTLT79]

Well it's hard to say. I'm in Mass but we didn't have too harsh of a winter last year. I was at school so I didn't have too much driving to do. Luckily this year, I'm moving in with my buddy who has a 99 Explorer that he doesn't use during the day and he said I can take it when it snows(can't wait for that snow).

It all depends on how much snow you get per year. New York is pretty big and I know that the snowfall varies throughout the state. I would say with a good set of snow tires and a steady LIGHT foot, you will be good. That heavy foot thing might have been my problem last winter.
Good luck with it.