Everyone knows we've been plagued by difficulties with our later-model SUV displaying trouble codes unresolvable. What was not known, was that I have been scouring Craigs List among other sources for months now, to see if some older used vehicle might be a reasonable "daily-driver" replacement. Yesterday, we looked at the first one. 1994 Ford Mustang GT, 161,000 miles, manual transmission, the guy's pics looked GOOD! Turned out to be an old geezer living in a travel trailer! I gave it the once-over, even underneath, wife & I drove it around the block, no derog determined. No leaks, noise, knocks, vibration, I knew I wanted it. Wife fumed, but accepted my decision. we bought it. $2400. I thought reasonable for a 23 year old car having immaculate original paint, no dents, no discernible body repair, leather interior, PS, PB, PW, PDL, good A/C. BUT, 161,000 miles!! The 5.0L HO V-8 is staunch and powerful. The stick shift is solid. Tires are 3rd. level optional from Ford, below only the Cobra. At least 50% tread left, 245-45-ZR-17, meaning "Z" rating good to 200 mph! STRONG tires, costly. Here's what it looks like: Wife has misgivings. Few days from now, she is going to Indiana, to spend Mothers Day with her Mom, now 91. I count on her returning refreshed and relieved of the burden of discomfort of having bought the muscle car. When we got it home, she remarked, "Now you're an old fart fitting in with the Bikers, and Macho Muscle Guys". And, so it goes. Frank
That is a beautiful little car, @Frank Sanoica , and you did a great job finding one in that good of condition ! ! It should get great gas mileage, too, and hopefully your wife will also decide that she likes it. Bobby and I have looked at some of the smaller cars, too, although (so far) the old station wagon keeps on rolling along for us. The main problem that I have found with the smaller cars is that they are so low to the ground that they are hard for us to get in and out of. We had a little Chevy that ran great; but you had to crunch up like a pretzel to get in and out of that car; so we traded it for the Ford wagon, which is higher off of the ground.
With the age of the car I would think a lot of the major repairs have already been done. Looks like a great car at a good price. If you had not bought it already then I would have.
@Yvonne Smith ......."hopefully your wife will also decide that she likes it." Can't imagine she won't: in the late '90s, I bought a wrecked 1993 Mustang Cobra, repaired the body damage, only allowed to buy it with the strictest understanding it would become her daily driver, to work! It was, for quite a few years. In Missouri, a car like that is not suited for the terrain present in the Ozarks Rural Mountains. Sold it very reasonably priced to my nephew, now in the Marine Corps. The car is presently stored up on blocks in Kansas. I just heard of a '93 Cobra fetching $40,000! Good investment for him. The '93 had only 4993 produced, in only red, teal, or black, believe all had manual transmissions. Frank