the_Osk

Here's the deal..

'99 Mustang GT Convertible.. silver... from the picture, it looks nice.. i'ma see it live in a little bit (after work).. BUT

it has 83,500 miles on it.

is this "too much"? i want the car to last at least 3 years.. possibly 5 or more..

i'm not rich, so i don't want to spend too much more on a car (~$10k).. or fixing it up (mechanical probs) etc etc.

What do people think? Most of the other 99 Stang GT's I saw were over 100k miles.. but a few of there were around 40k... should I just pony up some more cash and get one with lower miles?

any advice would help!



(ALSO: any recommendations on insurance? progressive was quoting me $300/month )

KaMLuNg

iTrader: (5)

depends on the history of the car... if they took car of it and its mostly highway miles, then the car should last... that car is running about 13-14k miles per year.. a little higher than normal driving... just make sure it was properly maintained and you should be okay...

just to give u an idea, i bought a 97 corolla in 2003... 5 yr old car and it had 111k miles on it... but corollas are know to last so i wasn't worried.. just check the maintenece history... check for leaks and take a test drive...

insurance is gonna rape u depending where u live.. im the same age as u.. and i was paying 2100 for 6 months back in NJ.. since i moved to TX, i pay 600$ for my TL for 6 months... but i also got a married rate... single rate was 800$

BEETROOT

I wouldn't buy a mustang with that many miles. I had a GT and around 115k it just started running like shit. I don't think they are meant to last that long.

If you are dead set on a stang, I'd look for an older one with lower miles, or spend a little more.

the_Osk

thanks for the posts...

i know a lot of hondas run well after 100k.. but i'm definitely skeptical about mustangs..

dang, i dunno what to do.. we'll see.. thanks again for the posts.

sbuswell

if it is maintained well and you are mechanically inclined, then get it. if not pass. stangs can be a headache, but aren't too hard to work on.

Nicky Pass

If the motor goes...you can get an 03 Cobra superchared motor for like $12K!!!

cob3683

I would say to pass on it. Sounds like you are looking for something reliable and I am not sure that a high-mileage Mustang fits that category. Besides, $300 a month insurance on a 7 year old Mustang is a joke IMO.

dallison

never a domestic with that many miles

Ken1997TL

Not worth it in my opinion.

RWalker2

I bought my 97 Altima with 102k on the clock 2.5 years ago and its still running good. But its not a Ford, so YMMV. Personally, I wouldn't buy almost anything used thats not japanese.

Stapler

I wouldn't buy a small ford v8 with so many miles on it, My grandpa had two crown vics, and my uncle a thunderbird, by 100k they were all using oil. They all take care of their cars verry well, My granpa especially won't let the car sit at idle like a cop car or anything, and changes the oil at every interval, and he's a master mechanic on top of that.

Most cars properly maintained will do well over 100k before needing major work, Even old bmw engines from the 80's can get to 200k with few major problems. I expect my acura 5spd itty bitty 4cyl will go far beyond the 120 it's already at. So.. it depends.

I should mention that the oil thing isn't the biggest problem in the world. It is usually just oil leaking down the valve into the combustion chamber.. not rings failing or anything. That can be done now days without taking the head off.

MattT516

That was the first year of that body style of the Mustang, by the way.

I wouldn't do it. If you say you want a car to last five years and you don't want a lot of problems with it, I sure as hell wouldn't be looking at a domestic car. I love Mustangs too but it wouldn't be practical right now if you're looking for something reliable. Look at a Toyota, Honda, Nissan, something Japanese. That car will be falling apart both inside and out when that odometer hits 100,000 and you'll be kicking yourself. That especially applies for Mustangs; how do you know the previous owner didn't rip that car to shreds, since it is a GT and all?

Black CL-S 4-Life

I wouldn't do it. My cousin just bought a 2000 Mustang GT with 57000 miles on it and has had nothing but problems with it.

65 Fury Convert

I had a GT convert and I wouldn't worry about the drivetrain, it's a tried and true engine and tranny. But it's all the little things that'll go wrong that will drive you nuts. Mine was nothing but sqeaks and rattles when I sold mine. The car had personality and I miss owning it but not as a daily driver. And $300/month for insurance isn't worth it for a 6 (almost 7) year old car.

BTW that was not the first year for that car. The exterior had a simple cosmetic change but the car was the same as the 1994 and up Stangs.

RickRoush03

On my second stang now, had an 01, now an 03. The biggest changes were outside cosmetics, higher flowing heads, and alittle of this and that. The Fox body is a very week chassis, on top of that a vert is even worse. If you do get it, and there has been nothing done to it, get the Maximum Motorsports chassis pacakage. It will GREATLY help stiffen that car up. But, it is a ford, and as all fords go, expect shit to happen to it. But the beauty is that parts are a dime a dozen, and working on them yourself isn't hard. Alot of modders will basically give you parts you need they aren't using or you can find them very cheap. Also looked at totaled out mustangs, stangparts.com, they'll have whatever you need when the time comes. Make sure everything works when you get it, and go ahead and rop that baby during the test drive, shouldnt be any hesitation and should pull to redline in every gear if standard, autos are a little quircky. Ask if you have any more questions, seen/heard/delt with alot on these cars.

Moog-Type-S

SwervinCL

never a domestic

Friends dont let friends drive domestics!

Sun Diego CL-S

the funny thing is that if Osk posted this on a Mustang page everyone would advise him otherwise. Five point slow power!!

the_Osk

^^^^ Truth.


I'm going to pose this question on a mustang forum.. but since this is my first (and only) car forum (i wanted a TSX back in the day, when i was foolish enough to think i could afford one).. i decided to pose it here first.


Well, since most of you don't think I should get a domestic.. what car would you guys recommend? I don't want to spend too much (6-12k range), and i want something that both LOOKS nice and is decent in SPEED.

I have always liked the nissan 300zx's. But most of them are near 100k in miles as well. Do you think they are more durable than the mustangs? A supra would be pretty cool as well. I'm not a huge fan of preludes or civics. Crap.. I need something SOON.

Sun Diego CL-S

idk how you like the S14 240SX's (the last one to come out). they may not be fast stock but they are RWD fairly inexpensive themselves and to mod (it maybe easy to get out of hand). there are a ton of parts for this car. just throwing it out there. goodluck

the_Osk

hmm.. i actually don't really care for the look of the 240 sx.. it looks old (well, it is).. what i like about the 300zx is that it still looks pretty modern.. and sporty..

but thanks for the suggestion.

So i'm still wondering..

is a 1990ish 300zx with 80k miles more reliable than a 99 mustang gt with 80k miles? is that a reasonable expectation?

Stapler

Well any time you start to look at a 15 year old car, if it hasn't been maintained properly all the rubber parts will probably be going.. Like motor mounts, houses and such. I think you would still want to be looking at 98 and up for reliable transport.

the_Osk

good advice.

i know most of this (don't buy a car with too many miles.. don't buy an early 90s car) BUT i've always wanted a 300zx or a fast/nice convertible (the stang).

grrr.. there's this stang with "under 60k" miles on it..it's also a 99 gt convertible.. it costs about the same, but has crappy stock wheels.. how much would i be looking at for some decent wheels? $500?

buying a used car is so hard.. especially when you're on a budget.

fuzzy02CLS

iTrader: (2)

Well american cars aside.....83K miles for a 99 is within the normal range.
For the mustang, the engine/drivetrain is very reliable. But as said the little thing will kill you, & it's true the 4.6L engine does tend to use or leak a small amount of oil as they age. You can fix this with some new gaskets, & it's rather inexpensive to change them.
The GT like mods & are easy to work on. Parts are cheap, & available everywhere.
That car also might be a big factor why your insurance is so high.

the_Osk

Well.. there's another similar one (99 gt convert silver)

and it only has <60k miles

but it's $500 more

AND has stock wheels.. the 83k one had cobra rims or something


would you guys recommend getting the 60k one, for $500.. and invest some more money ($500? $1k?) for nice tires/rims (i don't like the stock ones)..

or should i just forget about this type of car altogether?

CCColtsicehockey

i dont think so but then again I am looking at picking up a 94 red integra gsr with 183k on it. But hey its a honda motor they last forever.

65 Fury Convert

23K less miles for $500 more? If you are set on a Stang GT convert I'd go with that one. Does it have to be a convertible?

chungkopi

i wouldn't buy it. my girl friend bought a used firebird and it was nothing but a trouble.

DownUnder

According to Carpoint.com, the reliability on the '99 Mustang is actually pretty good.

youngTL

Yeah but most of those reported are within "normal" mileage ranges. He wants to keep the car 3-5 years.

My suggestion would be a 1998 3.2TL, but the only problem is they only come in 4spd auto. Freakin' solid as a rock though. I have the 96 2.5TL with approx. 120 000 miles on it, and it drives awesome still, no rattles or any major problems (only slow windows, replaced D4 light and outer C/V joints), and I drive the shit out of it every day.

the_Osk

what's wrong with a convertible? I live in southern cali.. so it would be nice to have one.

hmm.. i've always liked mitsu 3000gts.. are those more reliable then? i really don't want to be taking my car to the shop every month, even if it's not expensive.. just too much of a hassle... *sigh* the stang looked/sounded nice tho.

the_Osk

oh.. and i know this is gunna sound ghey.. but i don't drive stick. i hope to learn one day.. but with traffic in LA.. i'm not in any hurry.

Minch00

Try a late 90s Prelude........might be what you're looking for.

sbuswell

you said before you don't like preludes, why? much better car then mustang, less common, more reliable, much better gas mileage and you can mod them to be pretty damn fast. I would reconsider your lust of the stang. I would get a 96-97 LS1 camaro over a stang anyday!

DownUnder

'96 and '97 had LT1 engines, LS1 is the '98+.

DownUnder

83K miles for a six year old car is considered "normal" mileage.

65 Fury Convert

My Stang never left me stranded on the side of the road. Go test drive one, that's what you really need to do. Then come back and tell us what you thought.

the_Osk

i was considering a camaro as well..

i just don't like how the preludes look. it's not that they look bad.. but they don't look appealing to me. they don't look very sporty. i'm not a big 'stang fan.. but a convertible.. and fast (gt)....

i'm actually supposed to go check it out today. i'm less enthusiastic about it after everyone's opinions (which i appreciate), but i still need to check it out for myself.

so far the list of cars i'm looking for (been searching craigslist/autotrader/cars.com) are:

-300zx
-camaro
-stang gt convert
-integra
-3000gt

are there any other websites that i should check out for a good deal? i'm weary of ebay.. but any others? thanks..

oh, and i think mercury will give me a very solid insurance rate.. which i'm really happy about.

Mokos23

how about a used 95 RX-7 or 97 Supra?

65 Fury Convert

So what's up? Did you test it?