dawson1112

I agree about the bra , It looks like it was just put on the car, Id ask to take it off and look under it bra's are good for one thing on a car and one thing only and that's to cover up a chipped/cracked bumper.

BaltRavens

$3,000 is a good deal from first look.

Things to check

Oil levels, leaking fluids, exhaust smoke, radiator cap, shifting smoothness/grinding noises/popping out of gear. Strange noises coming from the rear end/motor. Def see if you can drive it or have him drive it for long as possible and keep your eyeballs locked on the temp gauge. And make sure the cluster is working and the odometer is working. Blown head gaskets can be a pain and a lot of people will toss a pony car up for sale trying to out fox you by selling you a ride with issues. And sometimes you won't even know it has blown head gaskets until its to late... I would def take your dad or ask a friend who is car savy to go with you to check the car over.

I got burned bad about 4-5years ago on a 96 Trans Am... it had blown head gaskets and a faulty fuel pump and I didn't know due to being dumbstruck by the killer deal I was getting on a sweet looking pony car. Everything seemed normal until I was sitting in a drivethru for a long period and I noticed it was overheating. Then when I got it home it died and wouldn't start due to the fuel pump. I ended up taking a major money loss on the car.

That said you gotta look over used cars VERY thoroughly especially mustangs, firebirds, camaros etc. A lot of people out there will lie to you telling you they need cash ASAP for certain reasons! When really the car is a problem child/money pit and they want to pawn it off on someone else.

Sonic Mustang

And I've been using mine on highway trips to keep my Mach 1's bumper perfect for nine years. I had no idea I was using it incorrectly. I wish you posted this information back in 2004. I could have messed up my bumper and hood and then bought a Colgan bra!

Your way makes so much more sense.

antwaan

Thats a good price for that car if its solid and not leaking. I'd take the bra off and the red vents. Plus, you've got a good start with 3.73s and the exhaust should sound mean as hell. Two things though. Insurance will be pretty high even for that old of a car at 16. I got mine when I was 19 and it was high. Also, are you planning on doing any driving in the winter? I certainly wouldn't have wanted my 16 year old self driving in Columbus in winter with my Mustang. I went through a couple Ohio winters with mine when I was in college and it was terrible. These cars don't have traction control either. Luckily I lived on campus and usually didn't HAVE to be anywhere that I couldn't walk to except during break and if it was snowing I just stayed home since my house was out a back road.

rbowmar

Be sure to have a mechanic check it out before you buy anything. I looked a a bunch of those one time and found engines as low as 65K with what I was told was piston slap. in any case, when some of them warmed up, I could hear a light banging noise from the upper part of the engine. Usually started at 2500-3000 rpm and went up to redline.

The paint on that car was totally perfect because it had been in an accident that crunched both sides.

Not to discourage buying a high mileage car, I have an 03 with 147K and it still runs great and has been very reliable. The tranny seems fine.

rwdfan

+1 on checking the insurance rates. When I was 21 I bought a brand spanking new 2006 Mustang GT in Oklahoma, the insurance wrote me as an occasional driver on my moms policy...lol Got my insurance down to 120 a month with a 10 and under speeding ticket and an at fault accident. When I moved to Calfornia, they caught on to the fact it was my car and my insurance rose to over 400 a month with a clean record. A lot of that due to the fact it was California and this was a brand new GT at the time. But check those insurance rates before you take the plunge, I wouldnt reccomend anything less than 100k of liability insurance coverage. You take a corner to fast and fishtail into a mercedes and she claims neck injuries...youre looking at a 100k dollar claim, if you dont have enough insurance, you have to foot the bill. Honestly, I was glad my car I owned from 18-21 was a 99 mazda miata. Was a sports car with the handling and rear wheel drive like a mustang, but with a 4 cylinder and lower insurance. Just my .02 cents on top of what the other guys said. get her up on a lift at a shop and look to see if she leaks, take her to a shop to get a compression test on all cylinders and while they do that they will have the plugs out. If they are fouled/severely worn and/or compression is low on a cylinder, youre looking at a money pit. Make sure the AC works, test the radio, see if any speakers are blown, make sure the heater works, check the power windows. These repairs add up fast and if things havent been maintained you could spend as much to fix these things as the car is worth. Take your time and find a cherry car with receipts and some kind of maintenance records, you will spend more, but you will save in the long run. Good Luck. FYI Im now 28 and I have owned no less than 5 mustangs, 4 other branded rwd sports cars, 4 trucks, and 3 family cars all of which I have wrenched on. Currently my insurance on a 99 Gt vert is 70 a month for a 2 million aggregate insurance policy ;-), it does get better just takes a while