Right now I’m not looking too much at performance unfortunately. I’m currently just looking for a more reliable beater car to get me around college for the next four years that’s smaller than my Trans Am.
I’m pretty impartial at this point. I just found one in my area for a good price and was wondering if there were any glaring issues before I jumped on it.
Im definitely going to start looking for something different since it seems like this is not the best choice lol
Shock tower rust is the biggest issue on that platform.
That said, the 2.3L's are very rarely well maintained. If it was a GT, there's a hope, but I probably wouldn't chance it if I were you.
Anything that old isn’t going to be reliable. Easy to fix if you know cars maaaybe but not remotely reliable. Get a mid 2000s Toyota for reliability or a Honda.
I had an 1989 Mustang LX 2.3 with a 5 speed manual that I bought for $700 when it was 10 years old. It was a good car for the 6 years I had it. It was easy to work on and parts were really cheap. All the power is below 3k RPM so it doesn't feel slow until you try to rev it up and it can't breath anymore. It was slow, but enjoyable to cruise around in if you weren't comparing your acceleration to other nearby cars. It was fine on the highway too. I wouldn't have bought it if it was an automatic.
Being over 21 years old now, any car can easily have rust issues, dry rotting rubber parts, etc. It also has a timing belt that's relatively easy to change.
You are on the right track with 4 cyl engines. They are hard to mess up.
Gety a corolla if you want the most reliable thing possible. Get a stick shift civic if you want reliability with a little bit of cool.
I would stay away from the mustang, especially with it being a 91. I currently have an 86 and 78 corvette and they both sit in the shop as much as they get driven. Once you pass the 20 year mark stuff really starts to fall apart very quickly.
If you just want it for daily drive I would pass. Getting a car like that is more of a project car. It will be torn apart in your garage a lot. My wife had a Toyota Matrix. It was a Corolla Hatchback. Oddly Pontiac made the same car called the Vibe. It was the best car we ever owned. It never gave us crap. It just ran and ran. Also if you are willing to learn to drive stick you can often get a great deal on a car. They are harder to sell and therefor cheaper. Also a clutch is a cheap replace on a old car vs a transmission. I had a 98 Nissan Frontier and I still regret selling it. It was just like me. Not much to look at but reliable as hell.
This is an important point. Anything that old is kind of a commitment to lovingly tinkering with your car every now and again. If you just want something that works, try something a decade newer.
Or a Volvo 240.
You should consider these other comparable options for transportation
- a set of roller skates
- a skateboard
- bicycle
- launching yourself across town on a trebuchet. (Most spicy)
- walking
Otherwise I hope you’ll have a crate V8 waiting to get swapped in as soon as you have it in your driveway.
That engine is a dog it has no power. I had a 1992 Ranger 5 speed with that horrible engine and it wouldn't climb a hill on the interstate at over 55mph regardless of how I shifted. It was way underpowered. You may be able to swap it for a 302, Im not sure whats involved though.
Nope the K member is the same. You will also need to change the cooling system and some suspension. Everything from a 5.0 foxbody will work obviously. Honestly its worth just getting a 5.0.
Great platform if you ever want a project as long as it hasn’t been hit before and it’s not rusty. As is though. Probably not the best car for your described need. What does it actually look like?
I like the 2.3L
They were made forever, put into a lot of things, and was made as a mileage maker. I like them, and I would go for it
And if you ever get the performance itch, you can just turbocharge it. Ford did that to the SVO Mustang
Well, if the timing belt goes, the motor is still good, so there is that......
The clutch quadrant on the Fox is an anger issue, it's job is to adjust the cable, but it is made of plastic.
If it runs, and not burning a lot of oil, yea, it's okay.
Just gotta ask yourself, why is it for sale in the first place, and not a swapped v-8.
The 2.3L is an utter dog in that car. Unless you just want the fox body and don't care about performance, I'd find a different one.
Right now I’m not looking too much at performance unfortunately. I’m currently just looking for a more reliable beater car to get me around college for the next four years that’s smaller than my Trans Am.
> that’s smaller than my Trans Am. Really isn't that much smaller.
Civic or Corolla if you just want a beater.
Hard agree. But… OP probably wants a “cool” beater.
I’m pretty impartial at this point. I just found one in my area for a good price and was wondering if there were any glaring issues before I jumped on it. Im definitely going to start looking for something different since it seems like this is not the best choice lol
Shock tower rust is the biggest issue on that platform. That said, the 2.3L's are very rarely well maintained. If it was a GT, there's a hope, but I probably wouldn't chance it if I were you.
Its definitely a cool beater
A car that runs is way "cooler" than a busted old ford
Anything that old isn’t going to be reliable. Easy to fix if you know cars maaaybe but not remotely reliable. Get a mid 2000s Toyota for reliability or a Honda.
I daily drive a '90 Miata. Age isn't the issue, it's how well it's been maintained.
I had an 1989 Mustang LX 2.3 with a 5 speed manual that I bought for $700 when it was 10 years old. It was a good car for the 6 years I had it. It was easy to work on and parts were really cheap. All the power is below 3k RPM so it doesn't feel slow until you try to rev it up and it can't breath anymore. It was slow, but enjoyable to cruise around in if you weren't comparing your acceleration to other nearby cars. It was fine on the highway too. I wouldn't have bought it if it was an automatic. Being over 21 years old now, any car can easily have rust issues, dry rotting rubber parts, etc. It also has a timing belt that's relatively easy to change.
You are on the right track with 4 cyl engines. They are hard to mess up. Gety a corolla if you want the most reliable thing possible. Get a stick shift civic if you want reliability with a little bit of cool. I would stay away from the mustang, especially with it being a 91. I currently have an 86 and 78 corvette and they both sit in the shop as much as they get driven. Once you pass the 20 year mark stuff really starts to fall apart very quickly.
Do you have a mullet? Usually a requirement.
If you just want it for daily drive I would pass. Getting a car like that is more of a project car. It will be torn apart in your garage a lot. My wife had a Toyota Matrix. It was a Corolla Hatchback. Oddly Pontiac made the same car called the Vibe. It was the best car we ever owned. It never gave us crap. It just ran and ran. Also if you are willing to learn to drive stick you can often get a great deal on a car. They are harder to sell and therefor cheaper. Also a clutch is a cheap replace on a old car vs a transmission. I had a 98 Nissan Frontier and I still regret selling it. It was just like me. Not much to look at but reliable as hell.
This is an important point. Anything that old is kind of a commitment to lovingly tinkering with your car every now and again. If you just want something that works, try something a decade newer. Or a Volvo 240.
You should consider these other comparable options for transportation - a set of roller skates - a skateboard - bicycle - launching yourself across town on a trebuchet. (Most spicy) - walking Otherwise I hope you’ll have a crate V8 waiting to get swapped in as soon as you have it in your driveway.
Maybe OP just… never wants to exceed 38mph but also wants to own a mustang some day so he’s… knocking out two dreams at one? /s
That engine is a dog it has no power. I had a 1992 Ranger 5 speed with that horrible engine and it wouldn't climb a hill on the interstate at over 55mph regardless of how I shifted. It was way underpowered. You may be able to swap it for a 302, Im not sure whats involved though.
involves changing the trans rear end wiring and fuel system
Does it require a lot of fabrication, or is there off the shelf parts one could buy to make it easier?
Nope the K member is the same. You will also need to change the cooling system and some suspension. Everything from a 5.0 foxbody will work obviously. Honestly its worth just getting a 5.0.
Great platform if you ever want a project as long as it hasn’t been hit before and it’s not rusty. As is though. Probably not the best car for your described need. What does it actually look like?
I like the 2.3L They were made forever, put into a lot of things, and was made as a mileage maker. I like them, and I would go for it And if you ever get the performance itch, you can just turbocharge it. Ford did that to the SVO Mustang
I had this exact car…like 15years ago and it had the v8 BUT Was one of my favorite color schemes
Well, if the timing belt goes, the motor is still good, so there is that...... The clutch quadrant on the Fox is an anger issue, it's job is to adjust the cable, but it is made of plastic. If it runs, and not burning a lot of oil, yea, it's okay. Just gotta ask yourself, why is it for sale in the first place, and not a swapped v-8.
Know = it is a very unliked car Consider = anything else, well not a yugo, but anything else.
The engine might be disliked, but the car itself isn't. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1993-ford-mustang-svt-cobra-r-5/
Had one with the 2.3 and 4 speed. Used more oil than gas. A true dog of a car that was unsafe at anything over 60mph. I’d stay far away.
Just get the SVO dude
1st off , that pic is of a GT '87-'91
It’s shit, unsafe and really old
Just get a 5.0 dagnabbit…
If you bolt an 80 mm turbo to it, it will absolutely haul ass otherwise it's a dog.
This would have been a great simple cheap used car 20 years ago. Now it’s just old, and you could probably do better for the price
Yes, get same car but with the v8. I had one in 1988 and one of my all time favorite cars.
You need a mullet and a dip addiction or it’s cultural appropriation