Leadfoot

I found a convertible that I liked today. A 1996 with a V6 engine. While test driving it on the interstate, I felt that the speedometer was reading incorrectly. At one point the speedometer was showing 65 mph then it suddenly jumped to 75 mph without putting more pressure on the gas pedal. The sales person was in the back was watching it too and agreed with me.

I was told by a different salesperson that the previous owner drove a lot of freeway miles back and forth to work and probably drove that speed on a daily basis. Would that really matter? It currently has 137,000 miles on it.

The sticker on the car indicated that it is to be sold as is which is the norm here. One of salesmen asked if they dropped the price $500 would I be interested in purchasing it? He also said it was probably a sensor that just needed to be fixed. I told them I wouldn't touch it as it is. I asked them to speak to the manager to see what they were willing to do and get back to me. They agreed that they couldn't sell it the way it was.

My questions are: What would cause the speedometer be off? Is a $500 reduction fair to have it repaired somewhere else including parts and labor? If the speedometer is incorrect, what are the chances that something else is faulty?

There was one other thing that we noticed and that was the sound of rushing air somewhere on the passenger side near the windshield. We figured the top was not closed correctly. My husband said since that was probably metal related we could fix that easily.

Oh, one more thing. We test drove a V6 and a V8 together. I prefer the V8 because of the sound, but he said I would be better off getting V6 for better gas mileage. The difference in mileage is approximately 5. He said he would be willing to pay for better exhaust system if I got the V6. Is that possible to just get FlowMasters or MagnaFlow to get the same effect?

Should I pursue this vehicle or walk away from it? The price is good but it's not my favorite color so I wouldn't mind walking away from it. But, I will always wonder if I did the right thing. I would appreciate any advice!!!!

YinYangStang

I don't know if the speedo is that much of a problem. There's not too much that goes into replacing the whole speedometer cable and sensors. Actually, I don't know why the dealership won't do it, or maybe they have done it and it didn't work, thus the price drop. With the rushing air, my car had that problem. I don't know about the earlier stangs, but my top has a couple different ways to tighten the fit. You can adjust the hooks that snap it down, and the pins that hold it in place so that it can be tighter or loose.

On a different note, if you like the v8 better, you should get the v8. You shouldn't settle for a car that you both don't really prefer the color and don't like the engine so much. If you get the v8 and throw mufflers and an intake on it, your gas mileage will improve. In my car I get around 18mpg driving around the city (when I don't drive like I stole it, which isn't often) but I got 25mpg on a 500 mile + highway trip. All I have is some flowmasters and the k&n intake, totalled at less than 600 bucks for my car. Anyway, that's just my 2 cents. If you like the v8 better, you'll never be happy with the 6.

Leadfoot

YinYangStang --

The reasons why I would like to have the V8 is because it sounds good, the power it has and a lot of people have said the V8 is better. The down side to a V8 is the cost to purchase and higher insurance.

I am willing to have either a V8 or V6 just as long as it sounds good. I was wondering though how many miles can you put on either engine? Most of the cars that I have been looking at have over 100K miles on it. My budget is around $5,000 which puts me in the '94-'96 range and that is usually what their mileage is. I am not in any hurry to purchase one so the longer it takes, I just save up more money.

What color is your top and how do you like it? Do you get mold? If so, what have you been treating it with? This car I am looking at has a white top and is covered with black mold. The salesman said to clean it with diluted bleach. I am skeptical about that because I wonder what will that do to the paint?

Thanks for your earlier reply, I appreciate it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

94Cbra

Before I got my Cobra I had bought a beautiful 1996 GT 5-speed fully loaded, from an individual. It had 80000 miles on it and I paid $8000. I got a good deal on it and it was in book range. If you buy anything from a dealer the prices are going to be sky high (I worked for my grandfathers car lot as a salesman for years, so I know how they work)... Sense you arent in any hurry I would not buy one from the dealer. Look around your area for individuals selling their cars and, that automaticly knocks off around 2-3000 dollars if the price is right. As far as milage on a V8, If you take good care of it, the car should run for as long as you own it. I racked up to 110,000 miles on my car and it ran just like my buddies GT with 50,000 miles. Gas milage wise, I agree with YinYang, If you dont drive it like you stole it, youll have gas milage you can be proud of. For your price range of 5000 dollars I wouldnt get a convertable either, just the convertable option adds around 2000 dollars. IMO, thats 2000 dollars you can spend on a lower milage coupe, in better shape, and all that good stuff. If you get a nice coupe from and individual for a fair price you could save around 4-5000 dollars as apposed from gettin a convertable from the dealer. Also, If you like the V8 and your not in a hurry, why settle for a V6?? All your going to do later on is be another onea those people that said "I shoulda gotta V8." If you get a V6 when you want a V8, one of these days when you get older your gonna look back and wish you got the V8, or while your driving the V6 its gonna hit ya that ya made the wrong decision. You even said it yourself, your not in a hurry. A car purchase is a big decision, dont rush it at all or youll be sorry you did. If you have any doubt in your mind about that car, walk away, there are 100+ mustangs in your area for sale, I can almost promise you that. Your V8 stang is waiting for you somewhere, just be patient and find it. Final note : DONT LET THE STUPID CAR DEALER TELL YOU WHAT YOU WOULD BE BETTER OFF WITH. ITS YOUR MONEY AND YOUR GOING TO BE DRIVING IT SO YOU BUY WHAT YOU WANT. IF YOU LIKE THE V8 GET THE V8.

vfast

first thing dude is your the buyer so don't let any salesman sway you on model ,options,engine...take a peek at the autotrader.com
tons of cars I bet in your are..one thing you siad I like is your not in a hurry...me I would stay away from the 94-97 cars....caorse the 94-95 are the last of the GOOD engine in my opinion but have a terrible 'puter in the that could be fixed in buy a stand alone unit..

Leadfoot

I have been looking at Autotrader on a daily basis. The ones I want are over 100 miles away. If I took the drive, I would probably have to find a dealership to look at it before purchasing. There is no way I am buying a car without a mechanic looking at it.

Red is my favorite color. My dream car is a cherry red convertible GT with a black top and I am very picky so it may take a while. If something comes along that is really good, I may change my mind.

YinYangStang

If I were you, I'd say wait, save your money and get what you want. You can't go and buy a car that's almost what you want, especially if you're not in a hurry, because everytime you see the car you want, or the color you want, or the thing you don't like about the car you got, you'll regret it. Save your money, check autotrader, talk to local dealers and wait. As the time that the 05's come out get's closer, I guarentee there'll be a lot more mustangs for sale as people are gonna be wanting to trade up. Plus, the more money you save, the newer kind of car you can buy.

Leadfoot

All of you have good advice.

BUT I REALLY WANT ONE BADLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

pichinco

That's what the saleseman are counting on!!! Seriously, sit tight on your money and buy from an individual and your more likely to get a lot more car for your money. The downside is you can't take it back if something is wrong, BUT you can avoid that by having the car gone over thouroghly by a mechanic you trust.

On a different note. Be aware(as I'm learning now) that replacing a convertible top is not cheap. ~$1200 for a good one!! So make sure your top is in primo condition. Also, I'd stay away from a moldy top I've heard they don't clean up well and even if they do it's a never ending process to keep them clean. White tops are to be avoided!! Mine is tan, and doesn't show any mold. It still looks good after nearly 9 years.

As everyone else has said don't compromise on what you want. If you like the sound of V-8 get it. The gas mileage difference isn't that significant. The insurance may be an issue however depending on your age and drivning record. It's easy to find out though. Call your agent and ask what the premium would be on the two cars. If it sounds like your going to get the shaft, call around. I bought my Mustang (w/o selling a car, so it made car #3) and changed companies and ended up paying the same thing per year as I did before I bought the Mustang!! My previous insurance company was asking for an additional $500/year to add the Mustang.

94Cbra

What he said! ^^^^^^^^ [sm=exactly.gif][sm=smiley31.gif] ^^^^^^^^