Dizing5.0

Hey guys,

Im new here to the forums and have looking to trade my 98 grand cherokee 5.2 for a fox..

I have some questions/concerns, hopefully there are some knowledgable people who can help me out?

Im looking at 91-93 5.0 foxes that have preferably less that 85k on them. This car is going to be driven all year round. I found one that is close to me(Pittsburgh PA) but it has 95k on the motor.

What kind of things should I look for when I test drive the car???

What are the weak points of these cars?? Are there things that need replaced at certain mileage?? IE: Tranny rebuild, fuel pumps etc that might start to go bad at 95k??

I already know to look for rust under the car, in the doors, trunk, fenderwells, frame, engine bay...

Anything else I should look for before I trade my JGC limited for a fox?? I dont want to get stuck with a fixer upper money pit, I want a performance money pit!!

-Dustin

randy78045

My concerns would be more with the body, rust, etc... you know aboot that.... While i doubt youll find anything, before you test drive the vehicle and when its cold, take off the radiator cap... you see any oil floatin around??? Just a suggestion...

red50stang

I'll tell you just like anyone else who asks about buying a fox or 5.0 anything. Make sure you look out for hack jobs, because since these cars are relatively cheap when it comes to parts and easy to work on if you have any ford experience at all, alot of first timers use them as project cars and completely hack the s**t out of them especially the wiring, if it has an aftermarket stereo in it the best thing to do is pull it out and see if they cut the wires, if they did that's a good indication of a jack *** who just wanted things done and didn't care about doing them the right way, he could have just went and bought the connnector. This is a good indication of the rest of the car's condition. But 85k for a 91-93 may be a little hard to come by, but good luck and post pics when you buy.

89GTRed

make sure the doors close correctly, sometimes its just the hinge but alot of times its the frame thats bent especially if its had mods done to it. The frames on these cars are weak so without subframe connectors and with much harshing its likely to tweak. good luck BTW.

MustangMadness7

If its a hatch, open it and close it, make sure the lock works and that its even. Thats the one thing i didnt checkon mine and i ended up having to fix the lock andadjust the hatch. Kinda annoying.

PX429

also get a carfax before you buy it

FivePointGo

Another thing to check if the car is an AOD is the overdrive. These cars are notorious for failing overdrives in the automatic transmissions.

Shifty5.0

95k on motor still has plenty of life. the milage wont tell you everything about the car, dont be afraid of getting a 100k+ car. i got mine used with 200k miles running on all stock parts.

all you need to do is look for any repair jobs and if they were done right.

Dizing5.0

Thanks guys,

I appreciate the help!

I have to drive 2 hours to see this one on autotrader.. Im going to call the dealer and ask about it alittle bit before I take the drive.

I plan on doing heads, maybe cam, and full bolt ons + exhaust..

I hope this car treats me well as it will be driven all year long even in the PA winters!

-Dustin

gbtrout

The best thing to do is to take it for a test drive. Does it shift smooth? Is it missing? Check underneath for oil, tranny leaks. Like was said earlier check for gaps on all panels make sure they are even.