Sparks232

so ive had the hard decision of weather to get rid of my V6 and buy a 99-04 GT or keep the V6 till its paid off.. well i really want that V8 sound, so i think my best bet is to save up a few months and get a Fox body 5.0 and have it as a car to mod.. instead of putting any more money into this V6. my question is, when im looking at a 5.0 what are some things to keep away from, are there any fatal signs with 5.0's that are like red flags where i shouldnt buy the car? i was thinking of buying one with a nice engine, and crappy exterior and interior, and then finding another one that mabye doesnt run, but the paint and interior looks really good. and then combine the two cars, does this sound like a smart idea to you? im totally new to the fox/ V8 world and ive heard they are easy to work on, and ive already self taught myself how to do a transmission on my car, i put in my own clutch, well any advice you all can give me would be fantastic, thanks again,
mark

nacanitihs

if i were you save up like $4k and buy one in good shape w/ a good motor like mine.. i bought it for $4k w/ 78k mi on it the only thing that was wrong w/ it was the hatch was a little warped b/c someone tried to steal the wing... when buying any car check for rust/rot, do a car fax report on it, look for any signs of leaking fluids, any smoke or steam comming out the exhaust that doesnt seem normal, listen to it run for a little while inspecting the noises the engine makes and if there are and ticks or hesitation if you press the gas, check the air filter and oil (thats usually a good sign if they take care of it or not).take it for a test drive to make sure it works well and dont have the radio on so you can hear all the sounds the car makes..

Hawk

Check the inner fender aprons for wrinkles (indicating front end collision) Check the gaps (indicating collision) I would also suggest when the car is idling and hood is up to take the oil dip stick out and see if you get blowby (black smoke that puffs out of the dip stick tube, indicating time for a rebuild)

+1 for checking for rust, odd noises, and test drive without radio. I would also do a good check of your typical inspection items like tires, brakes, brake hoses, etc.

Just my 2 cents. Good luck.

Stroked91

definately check and make sure the torque boxes arent all cracked and broken