1991 Mustang 5.0/5speed. Info needed.

[koda6966]

I know a few of you guy's have these older mustangs, so I'm looking to you for a little bit of info. I'm paying my car loan off with the sale of my Ranger and Nissan, and I'm considering picking up something else to keep as a spare/project car. I found a nearly mint condition 1991 Mustang with the 5.0 engine and a 5 speed. It's the hatchback style, but the P.O. cut the roof and put in a t-top out of an 88. It's got a rear seat delete kit, drivers race seat and some tint/aftermarket wheels. He's including the stock drivers seat with the sale. He also said that he's added some "power mods" (his words, not mine.) to the engine but he hasn't said what he's done so I guess I'll see when I get there. Probably just little stuff. It has 148,000 miles but he said it needs work done to the front drivers axle. Apparently the ball joints are done for and the lower control arm is snapped. (Never heard of that happening before.) How hard of a job do you think that control arm would be to fix? Other than that it supposedly runs and drives fine, with no rust at all. He wants 2200 for it.

I'm checking it out in the morning, I'll let you guys know whatever else I find out about it.

 

[shane96ranger]

When you say he cut the roof, exactly what did that entail? It's a rather hairy job to do it correctly. The control arms aren't too hard to replace. I would suggest replacing the entire arms. Ford Racing sells the arms as a kit with ball joints and bushings already in them. I have a set waiting to go in mine. Let us know what mods there are. The price sounds fair to me. Is it a GT or LX? Pics would be awesome.

 

[koda6966]

The guy doesn't have a camera, so he couldn't send me pictures. I'm going by what he says on this. He said he cut the roof at the center of the windshield to the start of the rear window on both cars and spliced the whole roof section on. He says it looks "stock" so I'm guessing he did a decent job on it. I'll see tomorrow.

I hope this doesn't turn into some crazy hackjob that falls apart when he starts it up.

 

[shane96ranger]

I hope this doesn't turn into some crazy hackjob that falls apart when he starts it up.

Exactly. I would pay a lot of attention to how it was done.

 

[Mac]

Lower control arm snapped? Sure would wonder about that. Think I'd find a better project myself.
Dave

 

[koda6966]

Just got back from checking it out.

I hope this doesn't turn into some crazy hackjob that falls apart when he starts it up.

That is exactly what it was.

I get there and I start looking at it before the guy comes outside, it's a nice looking hatch from a distance. Black with red fading up from the bottom in a pretty sweet two tone. The wheels look good on it, but they aren't aftermarket just newer cobra wheels. But as you get closer up you see the crooked hackjob he did on the roof. It's not horrible, but it's still pretty bad. But I shrugged it off because it looked like I could just grind it and throw some bondo on. Doors were locked so I knock on the door and he comes out, we go out to it and he unlocked the doors and starts it up. It starts fine, and ran like a charm. Had a nice rumble to it. All the lights work and it looked good under the hood. It was weird only having the one race seat, especially because his race seat was some cheapo hard plastic thing. Uncomfortable as hell. His rear seat delete kit, was plywood and carpet boxed over the old location. Square and bulgy. He didn't even have a bar going to it for 5 points, still using the stock seatbelt with his "race seat." Not that he had slots for them in it anyway. I asked him where the seat came from, he said he found it in the back of a truck in a JY. I'm assuming it's a subaru brat rear seat, definitely not a "race seat." But most of those problems are fixable, since he's including the origional seats in the sale. I get out and he shuts it off and immediately goes to close the hood, like he didn't want me to see something. He tries to get me to walk away to look at the other stuff he's throwing in, but I heard gurgling so I look underneath and sure enough, waters pouring down from the engine bay. Probably a blown head gasket. I didn't wanna completely kill the guy's self esteem so I checked out the other stuff, and told him I'm not interested.

What a waste of gas and time driving out there.

 

[shane96ranger]

Lower control arm snapped? Sure would wonder about that. Think I'd find a better project myself.
Dave

That's why I was saying we need pics. If this got hit hard enough to snap a control arm, chances are it's been smacked pretty good.

Depending on the "power mods" though, it still might be a good deal. If it's got heads and a supercharger......I'd buy it still (and put the supercharger on mine!)

 

[shane96ranger]

Just got back from checking it out.

That is exactly what it was.

I get there and I start looking at it before the guy comes outside, it's a nice looking hatch from a distance. Black with red fading up from the bottom in a pretty sweet two tone. The wheels look good on it, but they aren't aftermarket just newer cobra wheels. But as you get closer up you see the crooked hackjob he did on the roof. It's not horrible, but it's still pretty bad. But I shrugged it off because it looked like I could just grind it and throw some bondo on. Doors were locked so I knock on the door and he comes out, we go out to it and he unlocked the doors and starts it up. It starts fine, and ran like a charm. Had a nice rumble to it. All the lights work and it looked good under the hood. It was weird only having the one race seat, especially because his race seat was some cheapo hard plastic thing. Uncomfortable as hell. His rear seat delete kit, was plywood and carpet boxed over the old location. Square and bulgy. He didn't even have a bar going to it for 5 points, still using the stock seatbelt with his "race seat." Not that he had slots for them in it anyway. I asked him where the seat came from, he said he found it in the back of a truck in a JY. I'm assuming it's a subaru brat rear seat, definitely not a "race seat." But most of those problems are fixable, since he's including the origional seats in the sale. I get out and he shuts it off and immediately goes to close the hood, like he didn't want me to see something. He tries to get me to walk away to look at the other stuff he's throwing in, but I heard gurgling so I look underneath and sure enough, waters pouring down from the engine bay. Probably a blown head gasket. I didn't wanna completely kill the guy's self esteem so I checked out the other stuff, and told him I'm not interested.

What a waste of gas and time driving out there.

Damn, I posted mine right after you. Anyway, I'm glad you noticed the head gasket issue. They really aren't that hard to replace......but that's a pretty deep project for 2200 bucks (roof, head gaskets, control arms, seats). You really have to do something retarded to blow the head gasket on a 302. Neglect is my guess. They are great cars, I've had mine for almost 16 years; and I've owned 3 total (85 GT, 86 GT, and my 89 GT). I've had several friends with them (total somewhere around 25 Fox Body's) . I've NEVER seen one of them blow a head gasket, and we beat the holy piss out of the things, sometimes resulting in overheating. But keep looking, you simply won't find a car with as much aftermarket following as the Fox Body Mustang. You want it, they make it for a Fox. And it's probably cheaper than any other car too. If you get one, let me know. I can steer you to some good sites like this one.

 

[koda6966]

I almost forgot to mention his "power mods." He had ford racing wires and a half ass cold air intake he made himself. Engine bay looked butchered. lol.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

You did the right thing for sure.

A guy my brother works with made a similar mistake. He bought a mint early 90's fox, had a blower and a engine that was supposed to be built to take it. The thing kept getting warm while he was driving it so he had the guys in the shop look at it and tear it down, as suspected factory headgasket was blown. Everything in the engine was factory original (everything he said about the engine was a blatant lie) and needless to say factory 5.0 stuff was not enjoying the blower.

He essentially paid over 10 grand for a really nice shell.

I would never buy a Mustang that wasn't 110% stock, there is way too much temptation for some idiot to try to modify it and screw it up in the process.

Personally I would like to get a late SN95 and put a Kenne Bell on it, more for that lovely howl than anything.

 

[shane96ranger]

I almost forgot to mention his "power mods." He had ford racing wires and a half ass cold air intake he made himself. Engine bay looked butchered. lol.

LOL, that's funny. I consider mine to be rather mildly modified with the stuff I've done below. Some people's kids dude....

 

[koda6966]

I'll keep looking. I'm not in much of a hurry anyway, unless I can't get my zx2 running after I throw the parts on I ordered for it. Then I'll be hurrying, but I wont be buying a mustang because I'll need gas mileage if I buy something for a daily driver and not a project/summer ride.

 

[joeranger85]

I'm a mustang guy.....also....and I've looked at too many Fox mustangs that were listed on CL that sounded great until i drive up and see the thing......Its amazing how everyone's difinition of surface rust or "dents" is way different.