looking to buy 96-04 ragtop.what option were new for that model year?
03-04-2010, 02:26 PM
#2
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 1,555
96-98 were the sn95 (more rounded) body styles, and then 99-04 were the new edge body styles. All GT's were the 4.6L V8. Obviously, the newer you go, the more power and options you are going to have. it all depends on how much you are looking to spend and what you are trying to get out of it.
03-04-2010, 07:36 PM
#3
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Iowa
Posts: 248
Well, it's hard to say what new options were available for a particular model year when you're looking for a total of 8 different model years (lol)...so, I'll try and cover a little of everything for ya!
Perhaps your dead set on a specific year range, but I have feeling if you're new to Mustangs your probably looking more for a specific body type. With that said, perhaps you would want to expand to searching for 94-04. That said, let's begin with the first thing to know. All 94-98 Mustangs are commonly referred to as the "sn95" body style, while from 99-04 there is the "new edge" which is still sometimes called an "sn95 new edge". The 94-98 have the rounded body edges with a more sleek look, while the 99-04 have the more muscular, beefy look.
Now, we'll talk quickly about a few differences over the years. I won't get too detailed into body appearances, because many Mustangs are going to see aftermarket appearance modifications, body parts from other model years, etc...generally, though through the different models and different years, there are variations in bumpers, hoods, spoilers, and rims, many of which only occured stock on certain trims. That means, as far as stock is concerned, there would be differences between hoods, bumpers, spoilers, and wheels as you worked your way up from base model v6, to v8 gt, and then to the Cobra. The cars overall looked the same, so your ordinary person probably wouldn't notice a difference, but they are there, and once you see them, they are quickly recognizable. So let's start (remember, we're talking stock here):
Exterior -
--- 94-98: These cars have those rounded edges without the large side scoops. To me, they seem sleeker and to me have a "fast" feel to them. On the V6 base models, you will notice no fog lights, while the GTs and Cobras do. This said, the v6 have horizontal pieces where they would have been located in the front bumper. The GT bumper is roughly the same, except instead of horizontal pieces, there is a fog lamp. On the Cobra, the front bumper is redesigned and sports large round bulges with much larger fog lamps, it's very distinguishable from the GT and V6. At the rear, the V6 is going to have a single exhaust tips while the GT and Cobra have dual exhaust tips.
--- 99-04: Overall, the design is similar to the 94-98, but obviously sports a much more aggressive and mean feel to it in my opinion. The car doesn't just look fast and sleek, it's looks like it's beat the **** out of you and tear you up in the process (I'm partial to this body style). Overall, the upgrades in years with the fog lamps and exhaust are the same, with the exception of course being the styling.
Interior -
--- 94-04: In all honesty, the cars throughout the years retain a very similar interior with a few exceptions. During 94-96 (maybe 98, not sure), there were these digitial clocks on the top of the dash in the center. The dashes are all the same though beyond that with the large hemispheres on the drivers and passenger side. The radio console from 94-00 consisted of two separate single DIN slots (height of one normal radio), the upper one was for the radio and tape, while the lower was an external CD player. Most people who upgraded the sound system with an all in one simply changed one of the slots to a small compartment to place sunglasses in. In 01, though, the radio bezel was switched to a double DIN design, which is commonly what you would think of as two radio slots atop each other, popular for non motorized flip up DVD screens. This also moved the location of the traction control (if equipped), fog lamps (if equipped), and rear defrost (if equipped). The guage cluster looks relatively the same throughout the years, although color schemes are changed from model to model, is that in 99 I believe, they changed to an electronic odometer.
Engine -
--- 94-98: Although body wise, 94 saw many changes, the engine retained the trusty 5.0L, which has a lot of heritage in the Mustang world. Part of the reason that the 302 is so exciting to be seen in 2011 is because of the familiarity and heritage, although the 2011 5.0 truly is a work of engineering art as well. In 95, the 302 was replaced with the modular 4.6L which performance wise is relatively similar. From 95-04, we have kept the 4.6L, although in a variety of different setups, but the biggest difference is that pre 99, the heads were not performance improved. In other words, the heads after 99 (which are called Performance Improved (PI) Heads) have much better flow. For someone with a 98 who's seriously looking for more power, this is a common swap. The Cobras are kind of a different animal in their own right, and getting to more specifics than this would be probably too much to handle. Already prolly is, haha! Hopefully through reading this you'll have a better understanding of which direction you want to go, and if we had a better idea of what you were looking for in terms of trim (V6, GT, or Cobra) we'd be better suited to help you understand the pros and cons in comparison with another year and what that car would or wouldn't have.
By the way, the convertibles are all pretty much alike. Never had any problems with mine in terms of leaking, except the one time I tried a high pression, non-touch, automatic car wash and water started coming through and the top of the A-Pillar where the top meets the windshield frame. I believe all are power tops, and you don't have to exit the car to get it up or down.
Perhaps your dead set on a specific year range, but I have feeling if you're new to Mustangs your probably looking more for a specific body type. With that said, perhaps you would want to expand to searching for 94-04. That said, let's begin with the first thing to know. All 94-98 Mustangs are commonly referred to as the "sn95" body style, while from 99-04 there is the "new edge" which is still sometimes called an "sn95 new edge". The 94-98 have the rounded body edges with a more sleek look, while the 99-04 have the more muscular, beefy look.
Now, we'll talk quickly about a few differences over the years. I won't get too detailed into body appearances, because many Mustangs are going to see aftermarket appearance modifications, body parts from other model years, etc...generally, though through the different models and different years, there are variations in bumpers, hoods, spoilers, and rims, many of which only occured stock on certain trims. That means, as far as stock is concerned, there would be differences between hoods, bumpers, spoilers, and wheels as you worked your way up from base model v6, to v8 gt, and then to the Cobra. The cars overall looked the same, so your ordinary person probably wouldn't notice a difference, but they are there, and once you see them, they are quickly recognizable. So let's start (remember, we're talking stock here):
Exterior -
--- 94-98: These cars have those rounded edges without the large side scoops. To me, they seem sleeker and to me have a "fast" feel to them. On the V6 base models, you will notice no fog lights, while the GTs and Cobras do. This said, the v6 have horizontal pieces where they would have been located in the front bumper. The GT bumper is roughly the same, except instead of horizontal pieces, there is a fog lamp. On the Cobra, the front bumper is redesigned and sports large round bulges with much larger fog lamps, it's very distinguishable from the GT and V6. At the rear, the V6 is going to have a single exhaust tips while the GT and Cobra have dual exhaust tips.
--- 99-04: Overall, the design is similar to the 94-98, but obviously sports a much more aggressive and mean feel to it in my opinion. The car doesn't just look fast and sleek, it's looks like it's beat the **** out of you and tear you up in the process (I'm partial to this body style). Overall, the upgrades in years with the fog lamps and exhaust are the same, with the exception of course being the styling.
Interior -
--- 94-04: In all honesty, the cars throughout the years retain a very similar interior with a few exceptions. During 94-96 (maybe 98, not sure), there were these digitial clocks on the top of the dash in the center. The dashes are all the same though beyond that with the large hemispheres on the drivers and passenger side. The radio console from 94-00 consisted of two separate single DIN slots (height of one normal radio), the upper one was for the radio and tape, while the lower was an external CD player. Most people who upgraded the sound system with an all in one simply changed one of the slots to a small compartment to place sunglasses in. In 01, though, the radio bezel was switched to a double DIN design, which is commonly what you would think of as two radio slots atop each other, popular for non motorized flip up DVD screens. This also moved the location of the traction control (if equipped), fog lamps (if equipped), and rear defrost (if equipped). The guage cluster looks relatively the same throughout the years, although color schemes are changed from model to model, is that in 99 I believe, they changed to an electronic odometer.
Engine -
--- 94-98: Although body wise, 94 saw many changes, the engine retained the trusty 5.0L, which has a lot of heritage in the Mustang world. Part of the reason that the 302 is so exciting to be seen in 2011 is because of the familiarity and heritage, although the 2011 5.0 truly is a work of engineering art as well. In 95, the 302 was replaced with the modular 4.6L which performance wise is relatively similar. From 95-04, we have kept the 4.6L, although in a variety of different setups, but the biggest difference is that pre 99, the heads were not performance improved. In other words, the heads after 99 (which are called Performance Improved (PI) Heads) have much better flow. For someone with a 98 who's seriously looking for more power, this is a common swap. The Cobras are kind of a different animal in their own right, and getting to more specifics than this would be probably too much to handle. Already prolly is, haha! Hopefully through reading this you'll have a better understanding of which direction you want to go, and if we had a better idea of what you were looking for in terms of trim (V6, GT, or Cobra) we'd be better suited to help you understand the pros and cons in comparison with another year and what that car would or wouldn't have.
By the way, the convertibles are all pretty much alike. Never had any problems with mine in terms of leaking, except the one time I tried a high pression, non-touch, automatic car wash and water started coming through and the top of the A-Pillar where the top meets the windshield frame. I believe all are power tops, and you don't have to exit the car to get it up or down.
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