dimebag

ok so tomorrow im goin to look at one of these nice lil mustangs tm. its a 1991 gt, hatch back, stick. has some 117000 miles on it i wanna say... so basically, if YOU were goin to look at one of these cars to buy, what would you look at/look for? thanks.

Twisted

To name a few:

Odd noises coming from the engine.
Tons of soot in the tailpipe (possibly indicating oil burning).
Noises from the rear (howling or whining)
Clunking when getting off then on the gas
Smoke (have the seller rev it, and you watch the pipes)
Improper gear function.
High operating temp
leaks (rear main is expensive)

tcwc

I guess I'd say, "It depends on what your buying it for?".

If your buying it for a toy....

I'd make sure the floors and wheel well lips are solid, the wiring hasn't been hacked, and that the car is overall-structurally sound. The engine, tranny, and rear can be replaced/upgraded as you see fit. (I HATE body work).

If your buying it for a daily driver/only vehicle....

Check for the above, plus .... smoke signals, clutch, shifting, noises at highway speed, steering, brakes, etc. The normal stuff. Even 'new guys' buying cars for the first time should be able to detect warning signs. Just use common sense. If it looks beat, sounds beat, looks hacked (things not done RIGHT or unfinished) or IS hacked (5 miles of electrical tape under the hood holding the battery in), it's probably junk.

Once you make a determination on the condition, make an offer. Just don't keep telling yourself 'I can fix that' for too many things! If you do, the car is junk. It's ok for it to be junk, just don't pay an arm and a leg for it if it is!

Good luck!

dimebag

thanks u guys. that helps a good bit, but what i more meant was what in particular should i look for with THESE cars. like what goes wrong w. them that i should no to look for? i remember a thread about this a while back, i looked n couldnt find it.

jthorn9

OK, just bought a 95 GT with a trade in of my old 98 sixer. Look for rust, rust is not something you want to deal with. Check the tire tread, that can be a good indicator of how the car was taken car of by the last driver, in other words if it looks like the last driver was doing a lot of burning out, then don't buy the car, may have tranny problems. Feel the tranny, I know this sounds crazy, but you need to feel if everything is tight, if something doesn't feel right then there may be a problem. Listen for engine noises, don't always mean anything, but can be a good indicator as to where to look, remember, it didn't make that noise when it was new. Exhaust leaks, usually an easy fix, but make sure the exhaust line isn't rusted, then that means aftermarket exhaust + install, and right after buying a new car, that may be a little hard to afford, plus exhaust leaks kill hp and mpg. Look for oil leaks, if it's leaking oil, then you may want to thing twice about buying the car, also, don't just check underneath the car, but check the heads for leaks as well. Get down on the ground and look over the rear axel for leaks, this can cause you to loose your rear end, and if that happens, then you've got a money breaker fix on your hand. While test driving, go to a parking lot that's fairly open and make several sharp turns at slow, then moderate speeds and listen for any noieses or shakes in the steering wheel, these problems vary, but generally these sounds and shakes can indicate a possible broken tire rod, bad tie ends, or allignment problems. Of course, always look over the interior, if the interior wasn't taken great care of then the whole car was probably doged. Check the paint quality, remember a car that old may need a paint job, but it's always good to look it over and get an idea of how much longer it will go before it deffinitly needs one. Also, remember to ask if the car wass smoked in, and for a 3 month 3000 mile warrenty, they don't have to give you a warrenty on the car, but can be a sign of good jesture by the dealer. Hope this helps you out a little in your decision.

dimebag

thanks alot man, that helps me alot. the warante thing is a great idea, however, its from a private seller, nota dealer, so thats outa the question.

ikeybmg

well just make sure youre getting what you pay for. you might not be trying to find the perfect car. how much are you willing to spend? if they want say, 2500 for it, make sure you get a car worth 2500. if they want 5k, well then, make sure its worth 5k.

lookinforastang

check the oil

jack the car up and get under there look at the oil pan and rear seal for leaks

even if there is some leaking back there dosnt mean the cars junk. its very common on these cars and as long as its not a black pit back there u should be fine.

look at the frame. you will be able to tell if the cars been hit.

also look under the hatch for rust and see what the gas tank looks like. very common for the top of the tanks to rust out and leaking at the filler neck

all in all, the car probably will have some minor things wrong with it. they are old, atleast 13 years old for a fox body. if the price is right and it dosnt look like too much work get it. parts are cheap and these cars are good on gas for 225hp/300tq [8D]

dimebag

yea, im not expecting it to be perfect. and im am more then ok with having to fix some thngs here and there. im mechanically inclined enough that if somethng needs dont to it, i can do it. but thanks everyone for all the little tips on what to look for, its gonna help. and ****, i hope all goes well w. it tm. thanks again.