rcazwillis

My son is turning 16 soon. We have been shopping Mustangs for awhile. Made a deal today on a 2005 v6 today. Will buy it tomorrow and have the opportunity to check it out better. 131k miles, but in great shape. Number of issues that I will address. Looking for any direction or feedback on the issues.

Right rear is making a noise. Thinking it is an axle bearing. Kind of a howl or a whoop whoop whoop. Love describing sounds with words!

Ujoint in drive shaft is bad. Typical clunk when changing to reverse.

Oil Fill tube on valve cover is cracked. Looks like someone overtighted. Guessing a replacement valve cover is in order.

Any advice on what to check? Brakes & tires were good. shocks/struts all seem good.

kevinmalec

Welcome to the forum!

Check the thermostat housing. They are made out of plastic and notorious for warping and cracking due to the heat. You will see coolant leaking between where the upper/lower housing connects.
Also, check all of the cluster gauges and verify they all work. My RPM, temperature and gas gauges worked intermittently. It has to do with the stepper motors going bad and eventually needing replaced.
I would also check and make sure the e-brake works fine. Mine froze to the caliper several years back during a winter/ice storm. Some have damaged the cable due to driving the car with the e-brake cable while frozen.
If the car is a manual, obviously make sure the clutch is in good working condition. The clutch should shift fairly smooth and engage quickly. I had to replace out my OEM clutch at 65K miles. The slave cylinder/throw out bearing went bad and I could barely shift into any gear.
I hope this helps some.......

Bitter

Check around the edges of the hood for bubbling paint (a known problem with aluminum hoods). I'd also pull the front passenger floor mat and look for any evidence of water infiltration (staining or musty smell). This is a big problem with the S197's, though avoidable with regular care. They probably won't let you pull the kick panel to check for rust on the Smart Junction Box but you can look under the dash with a flashlight for evidence.

rcazwillis

Hood is good. No indication of water infiltration that I can see. Emergency brake is not connected; will need to investigate where it is broken. Gauges seem to work fine. Need to check thermostat.

Known issues:
Clunk in front suspension.
Axle seal and bearing on right side are bad. Planned repair this weekend. Should be a quick fix, infamous last words.
E-brake not connected to anything.
Drive shaft has lots of play and a vibration. Thinking rear CV joint.??
Fan speed does not change. Taking apart dash tomorrow at lunch to see if switch properly connected or bad switch.

rcazwillis

kevinmalec:
I see you have eibach springs. The seller included brand new eibach springs, bump stops, and dust covers. Good springs? Any issues? Did it require alignment after installation?

SPARTAN VI

Those problems sound a lot like the 05 V6 I traded in a while back, though it may just be coincidence considering you're in TX.

By any chance, is this the mustang you bought?


If not, you have my congratulations anyway.

rcazwillis

No. This one is red. Thanks for the concern though. Research indicates they are common issues with this vehicle.

SPARTAN VI

Yeah, regarding the e-brake issue, my mechanic said that the way Ford runs the cable makes it susceptible to pinching and snapping (between the chassis and fuel tank IIRC). I was quoted $80 for the repair.

rcazwillis

Inside the center console, there is an opening behind the parking brake. Obviously, there is something missing. What is supposed to cover this area?

kevinmalec

Yes, I did get an alignment, after the springs settled. I waited about 100 miles or so.
They are good springs and haven't experienced any issues with them.
My old club members helped install the springs. =)