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They're all S197 from 2005 to 2014, by the way, they just changed the looks in 2010.
Worst thing about 2010, is you get the new looks, but get old motors. V6 for that
year is still the 4.0 motor, and the GT is still the 4.6, wasn't till 2011 the motors changed.
If that dude would have come down into the 3,000s area for that 2012 "R" title, I would
have bought it...
Im with your friends. Id low ball him to see what he might come back with. You never know. Start at 7700 if you want to be fare. I look at it this way. If i can save 200 dollars then thats 200 in my pocket. Generally with big ticket items I always haggle. When i bought my tundra we settled on the final price not including sales tax and licensing. Well i see those listed and then a 299 line item with nothing beside it. I asked whats that for. Oh its the document fee. I looked at my wife and said lets go home. Salesman was completely takin back that after our long negotiation that I was ready to walk away for 299. I get to the door and open it and he says your really gonna leave over 299 dollars. I said oh yea. I won't pay it. He waves us back in and we finish the deal.
I recently purchased a leaf vac for my tractor. Its a pull behind that is pto driven. Out the door they want 3495.00. I low balled them at 2250 and settled at 2800.00. There are times it doest work. But you should never be afraid to low ball once in a while. It can be fun
Yeah I honestly think that 8-9 is the reasonable range of these cars. I'm still on the fence about it; both of my 2V's are paid off and serve me just fine, but that 05-09 look is too good to ignore...
Here's an update: I passed on the green '05 and sort of gave up on the idea of owning an S197, until I started looking at the '11 to '14 generation. That's when this thing caught my eye:
It's a 2014 GT 'auto with 44K miles on it. Their asking price is $23K. This car strikes me as odd because it has manual seats, no bluetooth, and cloth on the seats. I didn't get a chance to see what other non-premium options or features it doesn't have, but I get the impression that this is a bare-bones car that just happens to be a convertible. I thought all convertibles were loaded up?
Anyway my first reaction to big purchases like cars is to nitpick all the reasons not to buy it. The first thing that stood out is that from 5 feet away the car looks phenomenal, but when you put your face into the paint I'm seeing a lot of swirl marks in the paint. At 44K miles I guess I shouldn't be shocked to see swirl marks and a few paint chips here and there, right? I noticed that the convertible top is also vinyl and not the usual cloth, like it is on my '97 Z28, and I guess that's a good thing, right? Easier maintenance and all. The last thing that stood out to me that I wasn't too sure about was the wheels. I don't know about the S197 generation and thought the wheels were OEM, but as some of you probably know they're aftermarket; 20-inchers at that. Personally, I like the stock/0EM wheels and I'm not a fan of giant rims, but I have to admit that those 20" wheels actually work on this car.
The test drive was where the car unquestionably won me over. After all, I'm used to driving an SN95 2V so this 5.0 feels like a freaking rocket, even with the 3.15 rear axle ratio. Now I like this car, but the manual seats, lack of bluetooth and those hip-hop-gold wheels are throwing me off. What do you guys think? I can get used to the manual seats, change out the stereo and the wheels, but I'm still left wondering how much I should be paying for this thing. Oh btw the dealership tells me that this Mustang was once a "certified" vehicle and comes with a 7 year, 100K powertrain warranty. Your opinions on price, or passing on this car? As usual, feedback is appreciated. Thanks in advance...
Ok, but now you are talking almost double what you were unwilling to pay for the other car. I don't know that I would buy a 2014 without Bluetooth; even my wife's 2013 Focus came with that. I agree that the 5.0 is a large upgrade, but the suspension is still basically an S197. The legend lime car had cloth seats as well, although it did have the interior upgrade package (the aluminum dash and hopefully MyColor).
I have an 07 hardtop premium with the IUP. Like you, I feel they are the best looking Mustangs other than the 65-70 cars. No, I don't have the 5.0, but I am not racing the car, and I would like to keep my license. My 4.6 with a tune works for me (although I also have a small convertible roadster). You have to decide how much coin you can spend and what you really want. Remember, be honest with yourself.
Well, that's a little more money than your originally stated $10k limit. But it's only money, right? :-) This does appear to be a pretty basic convertible, and yes, such things do exist. The wheels are a matter of personal preference, but the ultra lo-pro tires will have you spouting bad words when you hit a pothole and blow out a tire. 44k isn't bad for miles. Red? Cop bait, very common in a Mustang, too...but lots like it. Convertibles are, in my opinion, an absolute blast. If the car suits you, check the values on the various online appraisal services, and never mind what the folks here say about the price (with all due respect to my fellow posters). The most important thing, in my opinion, is: do you like the car? Does it speak to you? Best of luck!
I realized I didn't want another coupe so I passed on the green one. I also decided that I already have two 4.6 mustangs; why not give this 5.0 thing a try. All of the cool kids are doing it lol. With that in mind I'm willing to spend a lot more money and go into another 5 years of debt if the car is right and, as you say, speaks to me. I just....dont know what I should want or should be looking for in the S197 cars...
I realized I didn't want another coupe so I passed on the green one. I also decided that I already have two 4.6 mustangs; why not give this 5.0 thing a try. All of the cool kids are doing it lol. With that in mind I'm willing to spend a lot more money and go into another 5 years of debt if the car is right and, as you say, speaks to me. I just....dont know what I should want or should be looking for in the S197 cars...
What is it that you do want in this search for a new-to-you car? Any absolute 'must-haves', or 'must-not-haves' that would be deal-breakers if present? Maybe get those questions settled first.
Chassis-wise, any S197 is a clear step up from any stick-axle SN95, and like the SN95 the shortcomings that do exist in OE form (wheel hop, for one, shock/strut damping for another) have aftermarket solutions. It still comes back to what you want in this as-yet-unknown car and how you think you're going to be using it. There's a strong aftermarket that allows you to 'push' these cars more in your preferred direction, if that's a consideration.
Offhand, the only things I can see staying away from would be the early 4.6L cars with the two-piece spark plugs (2005 up through early 2008 production) and evidence of repeated water leaks (typically on the passenger side, where it can wet down the SJB - Ford's body control module - with later years being less susceptible to this).
I'm afraid I can't help you at all with respect to things like prices and negotiating, no matter if it's a used car or a new one being talked about.
09-15-2018, 02:16 AM
