polarfire

I am new to Mustangs so please forgive any noob questions/remarks. I am looking at buying a used '05 or newer Mustang GT. The options I know I want are manual tranny and 3.55 rear end. I would prefer black with black or the optional red leather interior.

My questions are, what else should I be looking for? Any options I should avoid or are "must haves"? Any problem areas or recalls I should know about? What is the best overall performance package (short of a Rousch or Shelby)? Anything else I should know? Thanks for any info.

bl1nk

Really depends on what you want. If youre not an audiophile Id say the Shaker 1000 or even 500 should be fine for you, but if you want alot of bump or awesome quality then you will want to get just the base radio and then upgrade later. As far as the 3.55s go, theyre great if you dont plan on getting different gears later, but if you plan on changing them out then just save the 100 bucks. IMO, the IUP is a must have. Then of course your choice of wheels, some GTs come with 18s and some with 17s. Theres a few major problems, one being leaking on the passenger side, and another a thumping noise in the suspension, but they are hit and miss, and all covered under warranty. Few TSBs as well, all which can be fixed free under warranty. All things that can be overlooked though, because the car is just amazing.

Jays Mustang

The options will be up to you. You won't have much choice buying used. Performance and handling will be the same as long as stock format. Just give a good test drive to see if the front end thunks. Low speed under 35mph on little ripples/bumps. Noise would be from the upper strut towers. If it has stock wheels and exhaust good chance a kid wasn't beating on it. But you never know. If the salesman or the adsays adult owned you'd be better off.

polarfire

Thanks for the info. As for the audio system, what is the difference between the shaker 500 and 1000? It really dosen't matter which wheels it comes with as I will be buying aftermarket wheels for it, probably 20's. What gear ratio do most people change to? I'm looking more for performance then fuel economy although this is going to be a daily driver so I need it to still turn 80 mph without revving too high.

I'm willing to travel to get what I'm looking for as far as color and interior and I'm not in a rush to buy. I was trying to hold out for the Challenger to come out thinking that there may be a bunch of used Mustangs dumped on the market about that time but I don't think I can wait that long.

Leoleo

Shaker 500 = 500 watts Shaker 1000 = 1000 watts.

polarfire

Also, what rear axle comes under the GT?

acascianelli

05-06, Automatics came with 3.31's, manuals came with 3.55's. In 07 they made 3.31 standard for both automatics and manuals, the 3.55 was an option for manuals.

I wouldn't bother with the Shaker1000, you can build a better system for less money.

polarfire

Thats is good info to know, but what actual axle? Ford 9 inch? 8.8?

acascianelli

8.8" I think, I'm not sure on that one.

28HopUp

All S197 GT's have a 8.8" rear-end, while the S197 V6's have the 7.5" rear.

To the OP:
[ul][*]The IUP (Instrument Upgrade Package) is nice, and includes aluminum dash panels and the MyColor dash feature, but that shouldn't kill a deal for you (you can buy various dash panel kits).[*]I like having the side impact airbags on my S197's (they're located on the seats, and cannot be added later).[*]Check to make sure the car has (or doesn't have - your preference) ABS and TCS (traction control system), as those cannot be easily added to the car later.[*]The integrated/activated alarm system is nice. It keeps creeps from reaching in your open window to remove things.[/ul]