What to look out for when buying a '99-'03 model?
04-14-2007, 05:04 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 2
What to look out for when buying a '99-'03 model?
Hi All:
My beloved BMW has a not-worth-fixing batch of electronic problems. As I really don't feel like buying any 2007 car, I decided to buy a cheap used car until 2008s come out. After my friend and her kid rejected various alternatives, the only thing they liked was...a Mustang!
So I decided to return to my Mustang roots* and get a 4.6 model as a kind of temporary fun solution. Note: it MUST be an automatic, nonnegotiable, due to traffic/wife. I want to spend $10k max due to sales tax and depreciation.
*(1998 GT, 1990 LX 5.0-I got 10 years/205k miles out of that one!)
I'm wondering:
- Any updgrades from year-to-year that makes a 2001 better than 2000, or 2002 better than 2001, etc?
- What options did these cars have?
- Any special/rare options to look out for? (optional axle ratios, ABS, ??)
- What kind of problems to check for?
- How would you check the car out? (Mechanic? Smog station? scanner? Ouija board and tarot cards?)
Thanks folks!
My beloved BMW has a not-worth-fixing batch of electronic problems. As I really don't feel like buying any 2007 car, I decided to buy a cheap used car until 2008s come out. After my friend and her kid rejected various alternatives, the only thing they liked was...a Mustang!
So I decided to return to my Mustang roots* and get a 4.6 model as a kind of temporary fun solution. Note: it MUST be an automatic, nonnegotiable, due to traffic/wife. I want to spend $10k max due to sales tax and depreciation.
*(1998 GT, 1990 LX 5.0-I got 10 years/205k miles out of that one!)
I'm wondering:
- Any updgrades from year-to-year that makes a 2001 better than 2000, or 2002 better than 2001, etc?
- What options did these cars have?
- Any special/rare options to look out for? (optional axle ratios, ABS, ??)
- What kind of problems to check for?
- How would you check the car out? (Mechanic? Smog station? scanner? Ouija board and tarot cards?)
Thanks folks!
04-14-2007, 05:43 AM
#2
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Hawaii
Posts: 2,211
RE: What to look out for when buying a '99-'03 model?
I would look for these things:
1. tire tread wear. if the car has new tires, be suspicious. if the rears are alot more worn than the fronts, then you have an immature driver, or an abused car. Tires are about $800+ for decent ones, so if they're bald and you still want the car, work the tire priceout the sale price of the car.
2. wheel wellfor rear tires. look where liquid rubber would have been slung into the wheel well. indicates lots of burnouts
3. during your testdrive, nail the throttle several times to test the shifting of the A/T. basically cycle the **** out of it to make sure it will hold up and has firm shifts
4. check the oil color. even with a few thousand miles on it, the oil should still be fairly clean. dirty oil is a sign of neglect, and/or engine damage. should be about the color of honey, maybe a little darker
while your under the hood, look at the air filter, and the general "cleanliness" of the engine. some dirt is to be expected, but not alot. You're also looking for oil drips, weird discolorations.
5. check the seams and body panels for signs of repair and overspray.
6. car fax it. for like $20, you can get 5 carfaxes.
7. look very closely at the intake and the rest of the top end of the motor for capped holes, wires that don't serve any purpose. alot of people run nitrous on these motors and don't properly tune 'em. this causes the motor to eat itself.
8. look at the buttons on the dash/radio, howdoes the steering wheel look...are they worn out? these are an often overlooked item to indicate the vehicles life.
9. condition of the seats. like the radio, they can tell a truer story of the car than what the owner is trying to sell you.
10. during the test drive, open it up and look for shakes/rattles. check the alignment as well on a straight section of road.
11. get underneath it and look for oil drops and stuff hanging off the frame
From your post, it looks like your looking for a 2000+ GT for <$10K...good luck. I got an 03 for $14k with 41,000 miles. I'm thinking you'll have to get a little bit higher mileage to get into that price range. Maybe if your lucky, you live in an area that isn't that bad for muscle cars. They go at a premium in my area.
The 2000 and newer had ABS, traction control (option), and they had a better head/intake. It's called PI and you get about 30-40 more hp over a non PI Mustang. Make sure you get one of the PI motors. Do not get a 99 or older GT. Other than that, they're all pretty much the same. No real differences other than cosmetic. The drivetrain is the same on all 2000-2004 GT's. Supposedly, the 04 GT A/T has a better transmission, but I haven't been able to confirm it.
Try to get one without Traction Control, but has ABS. That traction control is a freaking annoying POS. It cuts your spark/fuel and actuates the rearbreaks to prevent wheel spin. You can turn it off, but only for that session of driving. It's back on when you next start the car.
Good choce on the A/T. I've got one right now. It's a blast. Not as much fun as the 5 speed, but watch out for when 2nd gear hits. I usually break the rear-end loose when 2nd hits and I'm into the throttle.
1. tire tread wear. if the car has new tires, be suspicious. if the rears are alot more worn than the fronts, then you have an immature driver, or an abused car. Tires are about $800+ for decent ones, so if they're bald and you still want the car, work the tire priceout the sale price of the car.
2. wheel wellfor rear tires. look where liquid rubber would have been slung into the wheel well. indicates lots of burnouts
3. during your testdrive, nail the throttle several times to test the shifting of the A/T. basically cycle the **** out of it to make sure it will hold up and has firm shifts
4. check the oil color. even with a few thousand miles on it, the oil should still be fairly clean. dirty oil is a sign of neglect, and/or engine damage. should be about the color of honey, maybe a little darker
while your under the hood, look at the air filter, and the general "cleanliness" of the engine. some dirt is to be expected, but not alot. You're also looking for oil drips, weird discolorations.
5. check the seams and body panels for signs of repair and overspray.
6. car fax it. for like $20, you can get 5 carfaxes.
7. look very closely at the intake and the rest of the top end of the motor for capped holes, wires that don't serve any purpose. alot of people run nitrous on these motors and don't properly tune 'em. this causes the motor to eat itself.
8. look at the buttons on the dash/radio, howdoes the steering wheel look...are they worn out? these are an often overlooked item to indicate the vehicles life.
9. condition of the seats. like the radio, they can tell a truer story of the car than what the owner is trying to sell you.
10. during the test drive, open it up and look for shakes/rattles. check the alignment as well on a straight section of road.
11. get underneath it and look for oil drops and stuff hanging off the frame
From your post, it looks like your looking for a 2000+ GT for <$10K...good luck. I got an 03 for $14k with 41,000 miles. I'm thinking you'll have to get a little bit higher mileage to get into that price range. Maybe if your lucky, you live in an area that isn't that bad for muscle cars. They go at a premium in my area.
The 2000 and newer had ABS, traction control (option), and they had a better head/intake. It's called PI and you get about 30-40 more hp over a non PI Mustang. Make sure you get one of the PI motors. Do not get a 99 or older GT. Other than that, they're all pretty much the same. No real differences other than cosmetic. The drivetrain is the same on all 2000-2004 GT's. Supposedly, the 04 GT A/T has a better transmission, but I haven't been able to confirm it.
Try to get one without Traction Control, but has ABS. That traction control is a freaking annoying POS. It cuts your spark/fuel and actuates the rearbreaks to prevent wheel spin. You can turn it off, but only for that session of driving. It's back on when you next start the car.
Good choce on the A/T. I've got one right now. It's a blast. Not as much fun as the 5 speed, but watch out for when 2nd gear hits. I usually break the rear-end loose when 2nd hits and I'm into the throttle.
04-14-2007, 06:54 AM
#3
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 12,575
RE: What to look out for when buying a '99-'03 model?
ORIGINAL: Tylus
I would look for these things:
1. tire tread wear. if the car has new tires, be suspicious. if the rears are alot more worn than the fronts, then you have an immature driver, or an abused car. Tires are about $800+ for decent ones, so if they're bald and you still want the car, work the tire priceout the sale price of the car.
2. wheel wellfor rear tires. look where liquid rubber would have been slung into the wheel well. indicates lots of burnouts
3. during your testdrive, nail the throttle several times to test the shifting of the A/T. basically cycle the **** out of it to make sure it will hold up and has firm shifts
4. check the oil color. even with a few thousand miles on it, the oil should still be fairly clean. dirty oil is a sign of neglect, and/or engine damage. should be about the color of honey, maybe a little darker
while your under the hood, look at the air filter, and the general "cleanliness" of the engine. some dirt is to be expected, but not alot. You're also looking for oil drips, weird discolorations.
5. check the seams and body panels for signs of repair and overspray.
6. car fax it. for like $20, you can get 5 carfaxes.
7. look very closely at the intake and the rest of the top end of the motor for capped holes, wires that don't serve any purpose. alot of people run nitrous on these motors and don't properly tune 'em. this causes the motor to eat itself.
8. look at the buttons on the dash/radio, howdoes the steering wheel look...are they worn out? these are an often overlooked item to indicate the vehicles life.
9. condition of the seats. like the radio, they can tell a truer story of the car than what the owner is trying to sell you.
10. during the test drive, open it up and look for shakes/rattles. check the alignment as well on a straight section of road.
11. get underneath it and look for oil drops and stuff hanging off the frame
From your post, it looks like your looking for a 2000+ GT for <$10K...good luck. I got an 03 for $14k with 41,000 miles. I'm thinking you'll have to get a little bit higher mileage to get into that price range. Maybe if your lucky, you live in an area that isn't that bad for muscle cars. They go at a premium in my area.
The 2000 and newer had ABS, traction control (option), and they had a better head/intake. It's called PI and you get about 30-40 more hp over a non PI Mustang. Make sure you get one of the PI motors. Do not get a 99 or older GT. Other than that, they're all pretty much the same. No real differences other than cosmetic. The drivetrain is the same on all 2000-2004 GT's. Supposedly, the 04 GT A/T has a better transmission, but I haven't been able to confirm it.
Try to get one without Traction Control, but has ABS. That traction control is a freaking annoying POS. It cuts your spark/fuel and actuates the rearbreaks to prevent wheel spin. You can turn it off, but only for that session of driving. It's back on when you next start the car.
Good choce on the A/T. I've got one right now. It's a blast. Not as much fun as the 5 speed, but watch out for when 2nd gear hits. I usually break the rear-end loose when 2nd hits and I'm into the throttle.
I would look for these things:
1. tire tread wear. if the car has new tires, be suspicious. if the rears are alot more worn than the fronts, then you have an immature driver, or an abused car. Tires are about $800+ for decent ones, so if they're bald and you still want the car, work the tire priceout the sale price of the car.
2. wheel wellfor rear tires. look where liquid rubber would have been slung into the wheel well. indicates lots of burnouts
3. during your testdrive, nail the throttle several times to test the shifting of the A/T. basically cycle the **** out of it to make sure it will hold up and has firm shifts
4. check the oil color. even with a few thousand miles on it, the oil should still be fairly clean. dirty oil is a sign of neglect, and/or engine damage. should be about the color of honey, maybe a little darker
while your under the hood, look at the air filter, and the general "cleanliness" of the engine. some dirt is to be expected, but not alot. You're also looking for oil drips, weird discolorations.
5. check the seams and body panels for signs of repair and overspray.
6. car fax it. for like $20, you can get 5 carfaxes.
7. look very closely at the intake and the rest of the top end of the motor for capped holes, wires that don't serve any purpose. alot of people run nitrous on these motors and don't properly tune 'em. this causes the motor to eat itself.
8. look at the buttons on the dash/radio, howdoes the steering wheel look...are they worn out? these are an often overlooked item to indicate the vehicles life.
9. condition of the seats. like the radio, they can tell a truer story of the car than what the owner is trying to sell you.
10. during the test drive, open it up and look for shakes/rattles. check the alignment as well on a straight section of road.
11. get underneath it and look for oil drops and stuff hanging off the frame
From your post, it looks like your looking for a 2000+ GT for <$10K...good luck. I got an 03 for $14k with 41,000 miles. I'm thinking you'll have to get a little bit higher mileage to get into that price range. Maybe if your lucky, you live in an area that isn't that bad for muscle cars. They go at a premium in my area.
The 2000 and newer had ABS, traction control (option), and they had a better head/intake. It's called PI and you get about 30-40 more hp over a non PI Mustang. Make sure you get one of the PI motors. Do not get a 99 or older GT. Other than that, they're all pretty much the same. No real differences other than cosmetic. The drivetrain is the same on all 2000-2004 GT's. Supposedly, the 04 GT A/T has a better transmission, but I haven't been able to confirm it.
Try to get one without Traction Control, but has ABS. That traction control is a freaking annoying POS. It cuts your spark/fuel and actuates the rearbreaks to prevent wheel spin. You can turn it off, but only for that session of driving. It's back on when you next start the car.
Good choce on the A/T. I've got one right now. It's a blast. Not as much fun as the 5 speed, but watch out for when 2nd gear hits. I usually break the rear-end loose when 2nd hits and I'm into the throttle.
The PI setup did not start in 00, it started in 1999. There are minor (cosmetic for all intents and purposes) differences in the car between 99 and 04, but otherwise they are identical.
You should be able to find a 99 or 00 GT under 10k fairly easily. After the 05+ GTs have become available on any ford lot the price has really dropped.
Also, tires should not run you anywhere near 800 bucks for a set. Hell, I paid right around 500 bucks for 315 (way larger/more expensive than stock) drag radails onthe back and 275 nittos on the front. You could put a set of nittos on for around 400 bucks.
04-14-2007, 12:57 PM
#6
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location:
Posts: 3,003
RE: What to look out for when buying a '99-'03 model?
there were slight engine differences, but 2000GT4.6 is right, the PI started in 99. half way through 01 they did something with the pullies, but hell, that doesnt matter, the MAJOR differences have nothing to do with the powertrain which will be pretty much identical througout. ur just looking at things like hood/side scoops and the rear spoiler. thats about all the differences
04-14-2007, 01:09 PM
#9
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 2
RE: What to look out for when buying a '99-'03 model?
Thanks for the help, I'll keep checking back for more.
Good call about the traction control. That's the big problem with my 540-it's freaking out, too expensive to be worth fixing. One more thing to go wrong in the long run.
Most cars under 10k seem to be 70k+ miles. Obviously more miles = more rattles etc, but is there a magic number past which the Mustangs seem to start having more problems? On my 1990 I didn't reallyhave to do anything major until like 120k miles when I changed the worn injectors. My brother-in-law now has like 450k miles (!!!) on that car. (Oops, except the trans, the AOD sucked)
Good call about the traction control. That's the big problem with my 540-it's freaking out, too expensive to be worth fixing. One more thing to go wrong in the long run.
Most cars under 10k seem to be 70k+ miles. Obviously more miles = more rattles etc, but is there a magic number past which the Mustangs seem to start having more problems? On my 1990 I didn't reallyhave to do anything major until like 120k miles when I changed the worn injectors. My brother-in-law now has like 450k miles (!!!) on that car. (Oops, except the trans, the AOD sucked)
04-14-2007, 02:57 PM
#10
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Commie State
Posts: 1,454
RE: What to look out for when buying a '99-'03 model?
I bought my 1999 GT for 9700, it has ABS, trac control, power everything, two-tone interior, 63200 miles on it. Basically fully loaded except for leather. It was in pretty good shape, real clean. Dealer threw brand new tires, brakes, and rotors on. And the car didnt seem like it was beat on much.
The tranny did **** up on the way home tho, cause it sat there parked for months on end, but i got a brand new one, and its covered for a year on the mechanics warranty, as well as the dealers warranty, so im happy.
The tranny did **** up on the way home tho, cause it sat there parked for months on end, but i got a brand new one, and its covered for a year on the mechanics warranty, as well as the dealers warranty, so im happy.