Ford Mustang owners

[Tiggeroo]

For the other mustang owners, I'd like your thoughts. I am on my second mustang. The first one was a gt and had 245,000 miles on it when it was in an accident. I then bought my current standard 2000 convertible. It has 135,000 miles on it and runs great. But there are some appearance issues. The paint on the nose is badly chipped from road dirt. There are a few parking lot scratches and the top needs to be re-done. My door panels need new clips, the driver side seat leather is worn and the rugs are a pretty worn. I need another car with less mileage to get to and from work because I'm driving further. I can trade this in and I'm not sure they'll give me much or I can hang on to it. If I keep it I"m thinking that it will run me $5000 for paint a top and a few other cosmetic things. And once I do that I'll be keeping it for a long while so I'll be setting aside money for the possibility of mechanical repairs. Do you think it's worth dumping five grand into this car? Once I go buy an economical car for work I won't be buying another fun car for awhile.

 

[Tiggeroo]

I think one person the are fine. I think for 2 people i would also be fine. I believe the backseat however, is not even meant to be used. For just going back to work, going out, or regular shopping trips etc... it serves me well and I have no complaints whatsoever with those aspects. The with the remote control you have easy access to the trunk and all. While the trunk is not huge, I DID manage to fit a small kiddie pool in it. I had to bend the pool a little but it did fit, and I was able to slam the lid shut. I can get a cooler in the trunk too (not at the same time as the kiddie pool obviously). I am not sure of the dimensions of the cooler, it is just one of those fairly big red ones they sell at Walmart.

Seems like bad weather, snow/ice you might as well just stay home. I did not realize how difficult it is to drive on that stuff until I tried it in one of these cars.

I have had to make a few adjustments from driving a SUV before as far as hauling stuff goes...but now that I am used to it, really not much of an issue.

I just picked up a kiddie pool for my dog in my convertible. I thought it could go in the back with the top down and then I'd put the top up. It didn't work. So I was planning on driving it for the five miles by holding on to it with it in the back seat. Some nice man took pity on me. He turned the pool around and then we tied the two back seat belts together around it so it would stay in. Good thing or you might have seen me on the news after I caused some sort of accident from my pool getting air borne.

 

[HonestAbe]

NICE CARS!!!!

Tears came to my eyes on the day I got out of class, walked to where I parked my 1968 GT350 Shelby and it wasn't there. Every time I see a '68 go on the block during Barret-Jackson auctions my heart skips a beat, especially if it is blue.

Enjoy the new baby and be safe.

NO!!!!! That's worse than it being wrecked.

 

[mrodgers]

I've been rather upset with my brother-in-law for many many years.

Back in 1991 (I think), there were 2 concept cars built by Spearco. A Mustang GT and a Mustang LX, both built up a little and fitted with 2 sequential turbos.

The GT was wrecked and they took the LX and added the GT exterior package to it and the other motor upgrades they originally did to the GT. Basically it was a 450 hp sequential twin turbo.

A few years after that, it showed up for sale in the back of one of the Mustang magazines. My brother-in-law's dad bought it and shipped it from California to Pennsylvania.

He had it for quite a few years. My brother-in-law never took me for a ride in it His dad ended up selling it to some kid and it was totaled in a mater of weeks.

I guess that thing just ran. Now this would be back in our early 20's in which out here in the middle of nowhere, I'll admit, we had a bit of street racer in us. He told me he was driving it while his dad was following in the other car coming from picking it up at the shop. He said he crested a hill and dad behind him was out of view for a moment and he decided to drop it to 4th and gave the clutch a little side-step. Said the thing broke loose, went completely sideways on him with tires just screaming! Needless to say, he got an earful, after all, when dad crested the hill, his view was met to 2 black stripes going down the road and smoke pouring off the tires of the Mustang, LOL.

I've never been a fan of Ford. I have a Ford now because we wanted to buy new instead of used and couldn't afford a Toyota or Honda and the Ford is the biggest piece of junk I've ever owned (Ford Escape), but I have always loved the Mustang. I figure someday after the kids are gone, I'll have one. Problem is, today's Mustang is by far the sweetest looking Mustang since the death of the muscle car in the early 70's. I don't want it to change, I want one of the current Mustangs, but it'll be years before I have one and the current crop will be long gone. I don't see what they can do to it to make it better than it is right now.

 

[HonestAbe]

I don't have a Mustang, but it's interesting reading this thread nonetheless.

From the prospective of current owners, could a Mustang coupe (non-GT) be used as a daily driver for one person? How is the trunk space? Enough for trips to Walmart, Publix, etc.?

TIA!

The 2011+ v6 mustang is a really good daily driver. EPA estimates put it at I believe 30.5 MPG on the highway and that's the first time a 300+ hp car has ever made that kind of mileage. The trunk is surprisingly roomy. Also, in the coupe you can lay the back passenger seats down and that increases your available storage space. It's great for short road trips but on longer road trips unless you are smaller, it can get a little cramped being in a bucket seat for long periods.

 

[HonestAbe]

That's my baby, the day I picked him up (his name is "Alex"). 2006 V-6 Pony Package. Bought it in late 2005. Had to special order it to get the color I wanted in a stick shift.

Having an issue with it currently. The leather-ish fabric on the inside of the passenger side door has detached from the foam backing, so it's just hanging down over the inside armrest (I have it rolled up onto the armrest currently). From a quick online search, I discovered this is quite common with the current Mustangs in hot climates (I'm in southern California and the car is always outdoors). From what I've read, the foam is pretty crappy and breaks down in the heat over time, which causes this issue. People are having to go to auto upholstery places to get it fixed (Ford wants way too much money to do it). I mentioned it at the dealer a couple weekends ago and the mechanic claimed he'd never seen it happen in a Mustang, but it was common in the Edge.

Whatever. I still LOVE my Mustang!!! But, I'm heading out of the country for a year and have to store my baby in a local RV storage center (indoors, at least). Poor thing. I'll miss him something awful...and will miss driving, as I won't have any car at all!! Will have to plan a nice road trip for Alex and I to share when I get back to the U.S.!

I just sent you a PM with a link on how to fix your panel for under $20 as a DIY I hope it helps you out! Make sure you properly prepare Alex for long term storage before you put him to bed. Done properly, it should fire right up when you get back.

 

[Cantw8]

I had a 1971 red mustang back in 1981. I loved that car..it broke my heart to get rid of it but it was seriously turning into a death trap My dad borrowed it to take a trip to the store one day and as he was merging into traffic, the horn fell off and lodged in the steering wheel The following day he convinced me to get rid of it and get something more sensible. I did...a black/yellow 1976 Rally Sport Camaro. It was gorgeous Not exactly what my dad had in mind

 

[Disney Commando]

I don't own a newer model Mustang, but I think I might qualify with 4 older models

1972 Mustang Mach1 351CJ with full ram air, I bought this car when I was 15 and am happy to say I still have it

1973 Mustang Convertible, cherry red with silver stripes, have over 200 tropes for this car

1970 Boss 302, it hasn't seen the road since 1981, I've been restoring it since 1992 about 90% done has 24k original miles

1969 Convertible about 40% done with the restoration

I would post some pics but I haven't figured out how to do it yet, I'm way too much of a Motorhead

 

[powellrj]

I bought my first Mustang in March and I am loving it! I bought it brand new in March and it already has over 12,000 miles on it so I think its pretty much broken in at this point!

My next one will be a convertable!

 

[HonestAbe]

For the other mustang owners, I'd like your thoughts. I am on my second mustang. The first one was a gt and had 245,000 miles on it when it was in an accident. I then bought my current standard 2000 convertible. It has 135,000 miles on it and runs great. But there are some appearance issues. The paint on the nose is badly chipped from road dirt. There are a few parking lot scratches and the top needs to be re-done. My door panels need new clips, the driver side seat leather is worn and the rugs are a pretty worn. I need another car with less mileage to get to and from work because I'm driving further. I can trade this in and I'm not sure they'll give me much or I can hang on to it. If I keep it I"m thinking that it will run me $5000 for paint a top and a few other cosmetic things. And once I do that I'll be keeping it for a long while so I'll be setting aside money for the possibility of mechanical repairs. Do you think it's worth dumping five grand into this car? Once I go buy an economical car for work I won't be buying another fun car for awhile.

Having just done an interior restoration on our 97 (97 and 2000 interiors are virtually identical), I can hopefully help a little here...A quality paint job on a mustang can easily run up to 5-7 thousand dollars. That would include door jambs, etc...I do know of someone who Maaco'd their old pickup for 500 bucks, but it was a terrible paint job. On the door panels, if you can provide a pic of the door clip that's broken, that would help as Im not sure what you're referring to. If it's what I think it is, those are fixed with about 4 dollars . A convertible top itself ranges about 2-300 dollars. Installation is where most people get burned bad. Don't bother with Ford as they charge several thousand to replace a vert. Find an upholstery shop that has done them and ask to either see pics of the work or a customer reference. If you are referring to floor mats when you say rugs or the carpet itself. Floor mats are the ones you take out and can clean the carpet underneath. Mats run anywhere from 10/15 up into the 100's depending on make and quality. For a good cool looking one, expect 75-100 for a full set. The carpet itself in the interior is surprisingly very cheap. About 125-150 dollars. But the install...it can take quite a bit of elbow grease. However, almost nothing refreshes the interior like new carpet. The other wild card here financially is your drivers seat. I wouldnt recommend an after market seat as there is a lot of hidden costs like mounting rails, etc... If you're looking to go cheap, there are some pretty nice seat covers you can install yourself in 15-30 minutes and run maybe 50-100 dollars. If you want it reupholstered, that can range from 200 for vinyl to 500 or more for leather.

The advantage is that all of this can be done over time too. If you plan on moving forward with a project like this, I'd recommend that the first thing you have done it the paint if you would consider doing any of it yourself. It will likely be the most expensive and take the most time if it's done with quality. Make sure you shop around for the best work and the best price. The caveat is that if that's done first, naturally be careful when moving things out of the interior so you don't scratch your new paint, but the cool part is with a vert, it's really easy to do interior work. I know...I'm 6'2"! I say paint first because if they overspray like the top, now you've got paint on your new top! You could have the paint shop probably replace the convertible top too now that I'm thinking about it.

Remember you can spread this out over time too. You don't need to do it all at once. Convertibles of virtually every make and model tend to hold their value much better than a coupe, but they have to be in good condition. If your convertible top is in need of replacing, it's likely you'll take a big loss at trade in time. You'd be better off selling probably to a private party than a trade.

 

[HonestAbe]

I had a 1971 red mustang back in 1981. I loved that car..it broke my heart to get rid of it but it was seriously turning into a death trap My dad borrowed it to take a trip to the store one day and as he was merging into traffic, the horn fell off and lodged in the steering wheel The following day he convinced me to get rid of it and get something more sensible. I did...a black/yellow 1976 Rally Sport Camaro. It was gorgeous Not exactly what my dad had in mind

haha! I would have just tossed the horn off to the side of the road and kept driving

PS - no posting Camaro pics. This is for cool cars only and the only cool car is the Mustang. OK - Im kidding

 

[HonestAbe]

I don't own a newer model Mustang, but I think I might qualify with 4 older models

1972 Mustang Mach1 351CJ with full ram air, I bought this car when I was 15 and am happy to say I still have it

1973 Mustang Convertible, cherry red with silver stripes, have over 200 tropes for this car

1970 Boss 302, it hasn't seen the road since 1981, I've been restoring it since 1992 about 90% done has 24k original miles

1969 Convertible about 40% done with the restoration

I would post some pics but I haven't figured out how to do it yet, I'm way too much of a Motorhead

Well now I need to see your cars! Get an account on photobucket.com for free. It will have a wizard that walks you through uploading photos. Just essentially pick the pics during the wizard and it uploads them into your main public folder. Once they are there, if you hover over any of the photos, a little box will pop up either above or below. Click on the one that say IMG or IMAGE CODE (I think) and it copies it to your clipboard. Come back here and paste that content into your post and voila - you've posted pics on the Internet and the Dis. I really want to see that Mach1.

 

[Disney Commando]

Well now I need to see your cars! Get an account on photobucket.com for free. It will have a wizard that walks you through uploading photos. Just essentially pick the pics during the wizard and it uploads them into your main public folder. Once they are there, if you hover over any of the photos, a little box will pop up either above or below. Click on the one that say IMG or IMAGE CODE (I think) and it copies it to your clipboard. Come back here and paste that content into your post and voila - you've posted pics on the Internet and the Dis. I really want to see that Mach1.

I know they were posted a few times on one of the Dis Dad Club threads I'll see if I can find it

OK found it I text some pics to a few of the Dads and every time I bring something up about the stangs they usually post the pics, you can find it on the thread titled DDCXIX - Squirrel post #1986 on page 133

 

[Cantw8]

haha! I would have just tossed the horn off to the side of the road and kept driving

PS - no posting Camaro pics. This is for cool cars only and the only cool car is the Mustang. OK - Im kidding

LOL, I get it. Trust me, I loved that Mustang

 

[HonestAbe]

LOL, I get it. Trust me, I loved that Mustang

Everytime I look at your signature and see the icons of the green eyes, it makes me think it's a couple of spiders. Creepy and weird that I see that out of the periphery and I have to scroll up so I can see the pupils...I must need some sleep

 

[Tiggeroo]

Having just done an interior restoration on our 97 (97 and 2000 interiors are virtually identical), I can hopefully help a little here...A quality paint job on a mustang can easily run up to 5-7 thousand dollars. That would include door jambs, etc...I do know of someone who Maaco'd their old pickup for 500 bucks, but it was a terrible paint job. On the door panels, if you can provide a pic of the door clip that's broken, that would help as Im not sure what you're referring to. If it's what I think it is, those are fixed with about 4 dollars . A convertible top itself ranges about 2-300 dollars. Installation is where most people get burned bad. Don't bother with Ford as they charge several thousand to replace a vert. Find an upholstery shop that has done them and ask to either see pics of the work or a customer reference. If you are referring to floor mats when you say rugs or the carpet itself. Floor mats are the ones you take out and can clean the carpet underneath. Mats run anywhere from 10/15 up into the 100's depending on make and quality. For a good cool looking one, expect 75-100 for a full set. The carpet itself in the interior is surprisingly very cheap. About 125-150 dollars. But the install...it can take quite a bit of elbow grease. However, almost nothing refreshes the interior like new carpet. The other wild card here financially is your drivers seat. I wouldnt recommend an after market seat as there is a lot of hidden costs like mounting rails, etc... If you're looking to go cheap, there are some pretty nice seat covers you can install yourself in 15-30 minutes and run maybe 50-100 dollars. If you want it reupholstered, that can range from 200 for vinyl to 500 or more for leather.

The advantage is that all of this can be done over time too. If you plan on moving forward with a project like this, I'd recommend that the first thing you have done it the paint if you would consider doing any of it yourself. It will likely be the most expensive and take the most time if it's done with quality. Make sure you shop around for the best work and the best price. The caveat is that if that's done first, naturally be careful when moving things out of the interior so you don't scratch your new paint, but the cool part is with a vert, it's really easy to do interior work. I know...I'm 6'2"! I say paint first because if they overspray like the top, now you've got paint on your new top! You could have the paint shop probably replace the convertible top too now that I'm thinking about it.

Remember you can spread this out over time too. You don't need to do it all at once. Convertibles of virtually every make and model tend to hold their value much better than a coupe, but they have to be in good condition. If your convertible top is in need of replacing, it's likely you'll take a big loss at trade in time. You'd be better off selling probably to a private party than a trade.

Thanks. I figured without doin the top if take a hit at resale. And once I do the top I might as well do it all. I would never maaco unless I decided to sell. Upholstery shop gave me a 1200 price for top. The door clips are the 4 buck part. The same thing happened on my old car. The center panel pops out when you shut the door. I'll throw good seat covers on for now and have upholstery shop redo the seat. Theyre leather. The paint has me stumped. Local shops say 3000 if I stay same color. It's black which I now hate because it's a bear to clean. But I have the camel and brown interior. Not many color choices for with it. The carpets are beat. But it's not urgent. I might have the detail shop clean them and see how they look. I don't need any body work unless they have to sand to deal with the chips on nose. My old gt had this too. I'm betting the shape make this happen. I figure if I dump the money into it I could probably sell it for what it costs at least so no money lost.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

I don't have a Mustang, but it's interesting reading this thread nonetheless.

From the prospective of current owners, could a Mustang coupe (non-GT) be used as a daily driver for one person? How is the trunk space? Enough for trips to Walmart, Publix, etc.?

TIA!

My 2011 is the car for my daily commute, 30 min. each way. The trunk space is acceptable, plenty enough for a trip to the grocery store or Sam's Club.

It's fine for one person or two people or two people and two or less kids. Adults won't fit in the back seat, even small ones.

The seats are really comfortable and I love having a sports car on the Interstate - handling, ability to punch the gas pedal and avoid possible bad situations. When I drive our Impala, it feels like I'm trying to navigate in a brick, and if I have to use the F250, oh man. . .

 

[Shmily1]

My 2011 is the car for my daily commute, 30 min. each way. The trunk space is acceptable, plenty enough for a trip to the grocery store or Sam's Club.

It's fine for one person or two people or two people and two or less kids. Adults won't fit in the back seat, even small ones.
The seats are really comfortable and I love having a sports car on the Interstate - handling, ability to punch the gas pedal and avoid possible bad situations. When I drive our Impala, it feels like I'm trying to navigate in a brick, and if I have to use the F250, oh man. . .

LOL! You can't imagine how many times I've seen DS22's car loaded down with six feet tall or greater college students. Them unfolding out of it is quite comical though.

 

[HonestAbe]

Thanks. I figured without doin the top if take a hit at resale. And once I do the top I might as well do it all. I would never maaco unless I decided to sell. Upholstery shop gave me a 1200 price for top. The door clips are the 4 buck part. The same thing happened on my old car. The center panel pops out when you shut the door. I'll throw good seat covers on for now and have upholstery shop redo the seat. Theyre leather. The paint has me stumped. Local shops say 3000 if I stay same color. It's black which I now hate because it's a bear to clean. But I have the camel and brown interior. Not many color choices for with it. The carpets are beat. But it's not urgent. I might have the detail shop clean them and see how they look. I don't need any body work unless they have to sand to deal with the chips on nose. My old gt had this too. I'm betting the shape make this happen. I figure if I dump the money into it I could probably sell it for what it costs at least so no money lost.

If that vert top includes a warranty that's actually a pretty good price. I know that interior color and you're right, there's not much options to go with. Fixing paint chips I don't think is considered body work because they'll just shoot some primer over it to fill them in, then sand it smooth, then shoot the color and clear, then a wet sand. I'm oversimplifying it, but that's essentially it. On the carpets, you'd be surprised what a good detail shop can do! And if it doesnt come out perfect, just throw down some new floor mats!!

 

[HonestAbe]

My 2011 is the car for my daily commute, 30 min. each way. The trunk space is acceptable, plenty enough for a trip to the grocery store or Sam's Club.

It's fine for one person or two people or two people and two or less kids. Adults won't fit in the back seat, even small ones.

The seats are really comfortable and I love having a sports car on the Interstate - handling, ability to punch the gas pedal and avoid possible bad situations. When I drive our Impala, it feels like I'm trying to navigate in a brick, and if I have to use the F250, oh man. . .

I've loaded 4 adults in mine. I'm 6'2" and one guy who almost always goes with me is 6'1". The other guys may not be 6' but they are close with the exception of 1. However, I'm not saying they liked it. haha!!