nagata

You're right that, I would love to have a Cobra, but in sort of the same vein, I feel like if I'm gonna get a Cobra, I should get an 03 or 04, and well, that's just not happening. I understand your point completely, and if I end up buying a GT and regret it, I'll let you know and won't bitch about it

I really do appreciate the advice and opinions, it's awesome that you guys are trying to help make sure I don't make a purchase that I end up regretting! The reason I'm not so concerned with getting a Cobra is because I'm honestly not concerned with having the fastest car out there. My Z1000 is stupid fast, and I know that no car I can afford will ever match it's raw acceleration, so while I still want good performance, I don't feel like I need to spend extra to start off with the best of the best, I just want a good, fun Mustang. Maybe I'm nuts and my logic doesn't make a bit of sense, haha. That being said, I'm not gonna settle for junk.

Regardless, I'm not going to make a purchase without having a vehicle thoroughly checked out.

stangalator

i"m glad i got my GT. It was 3000 with 32k on the dial (bought it from a friend who thought it was junked )

anyways, it was such a good deal i went with it. However I spent a bit in the go portion and now i surprise a lot of people who think its a slow npi(now its a slow pi, lol).

I agree that the 94-98 is a bad *** style, not alot of people have them and its nice to have something nice that most people don't have.

The Pi swap isn't too hard, its just getting all the things you'll need. my biggest regret was not buying the trick flow heads instead of buying pi heads... an extra few months of mad money I would have been able to get them instead. the pi heads are ok, but the trick flow ones flow near 4v area. I would look into them instead of the pi ones!

amoosenamedhank

Well it sounds like you have a good idea of what you want and what you're looking for in the car. Bottom line, if you're happy, that's all that matters.

nascrchi

lmao!!!! good one with the sickness remark

lizzyfan

And if you can avoid a 98 you are better off! Lot of funky things like unique fuel system/setup and different exhaust hangers to name a few.
Take it from me, a 98 owner.

nagata

Well, I went and checked out the 'local' 98 GT, and I definitely like it. Of course, now I come on and see that it's recommended to avoid the 98 model year entirely, due to its uniqueness, haha.

It's a black GT with just over 92k miles on it. From afar, it looks great, but it does have quite a few dings, dents, and scratches on the body, as well as some curb rash on the rims; nothing out of the ordinary for a 98, but there. The exterior is completely stock except for a moderate tint.

Positives: Starts right up, idles great, drives well. All fluids are good and air filter is clean. The underbody is VERY clean, very little rust. The A/C and heat both work great, and all vents work. It has a newer X pipe with Flowmasters, and it sounds GREAT! The car has power everything aside from cruise control, though the driver door lock actuator doesn't work well and needs replaced. The cloth interior is in great shape save for one tear. It has 17" split 5-spoke rims, which I think look really good on the 4th gens.

Detractors: The driver seat has a 4" tear in the left bolster seam, the driver side mirror has a crack in the glass, the rear passenger side tail light has a quarter size crack and could use to be replaced, and the windshield has a small chip, so it should probably be replaced. While the tires have decent tread, the rear Toyos have cracking around the edge, so they're older, but apparently the owner has a full set of brand new tires that he'll throw in...would have to see if they're any good first.

Test drive went well, great throttle response, and while I could barely get it to hook up under power in first gear, it kicks in 2nd and the clutch/tranny are smooth. The only thing that raised an eyebrow was that the brakes seemed rather stiff and a bit unresponsive.

The owner sent me the Carfax, and it all checks out, no issues. He is the 4th owner, and has put a little under 9,000 miles on it in the 5 months of ownership, so he's been driving it. The first owner startled me at first, because it's listed as a "corporate lease for personal use," but it was owned for over 3 years and only driven 8,000 miles, so I'm pretty confident that it was a dealer car or something similar, not a rental.

With a negotiable price of $4600, I'm looking into having it inspected by a shop. I figure that if a mechanic approves it without any serious issues (typical maintenance items don't scare me, would just be more bargaining points), and I can talk him down closer to $4000 to account for the detractors and the few pieces that need replaced, it'd be a nice GT for a pretty good price. Still debating though.

amoosenamedhank

Well it sounds like you like the car, but it also sounds like you're choosing to over look a lot of flaws on it as well. Never forget there are quite a few of these cars out there and it's really not that difficult to find one in nice shape. So don't just jump on the first car that you come across. I would take a look at a few other just so you get an idea of what's ou there. Even if you end up going back and buying this one, at least you'll have a better idea of what you're buying.

stangalator

^
+1

99BlackPonyGT

that car sounds absolutely whooped....you can get a car in the condition you just described for 3k easily...even around here where prices are up for these cars....

i would pass...4k will get you one in way better condition, and possibly less miles

nagata

Hmmm, perhaps you guys are right, but I must not be finding the better deals. I've also looked at a 96 and a 97, and this one was in by far the best condition, lowest miles, and the same asking price. Most of the 96-98 GTs I see in this area on CL or Autotrader are in the $4-5k range, and then add at least another grand for a 99 with high miles. Must be the area. Based on KBB and the prices I've seen, I was under the impression that this was the average going rate.