Alright well I have gotten my finances straight and I am not shooting for a car in the spring. I am coming from a 2005 Dodge SRT-4 with all kinds of goodies, it was quick and nimble... no other FWD car interests me... and I don't want to go back to FWD... PERIOD. I need something that is strong, quick and handles well, sounding good is a bonus, good looking is a bonus and build quality is pretty important but not so much that I will drive a slow sloppy handling car to have it.

I would love to have an EVO/STi, M3 or what have you but it just isn't in the budget for another year or too... and stretching myself with a $16-17,000 purchase just isn't worth it... the cars in that price bracket just won't satisfy me. I am looking to spend between $10-13,000 or so. I considered the options and one that sticks out to me is a Mustang GT. I hated Mustangs because of how damn many there are of them at the track, and how they handle in stock form but lately they have been growing on me and the fact that alot of people have them is really taking the back seat and I'm starting to not give a crap about something like that.

I have driven a few of them, the shifter is notchy and requires some force compared to say a BMW 3 Series, they handle like S*** in stock form but I am hoping that modification can change that and change it well... the sound is AWSOME, the look is pretty mean too and I hear the drivetrains are very strong, the motors are very strong... all in all I am under the impression that these cars can be driven pretty hard without so much as changing the oil and reqular maint... I also have been told they can be made fast for very little, like headers, a cat back, gears and slicks = 12's... which sounds good to me.

My MAIN concern is how well these cars can handle with how much aftermarket suspension. I just know that I'd rather have a cheapo interior with a nasty sounding V8 in a car that can handle, and do some damage in a straight line too than a nice interior cute little RSX Type S that takes $8,000 bucks to make as fast as my old SRT-4 and it's still wrong wheel drive... I'm all set with that. So whatta ya think? Pros? Cons? I can find these cars 2001-2003 with 50-80k all day long for $9-13000...

 

The problem with a Pony, is the amount of money you'll spend to get it to handle and perform well. I've owned two and loved them, but I had to spend a lot to get them to really perform. EVO and STI on the other hand, come right out of the box with very good performance and handle very well compared to a straight rear axle. Like you pointed out, you can pick up a GT at a low cost, which makes them so desirable and why there so many on the streets.

 

Sounds like you know what you want, and the mustang is just a quick fix/compromise. Have you looked into the later model firebirds? I think they look and sound better than mustangs. not to mention more hp. I owned 3 mustangs previously, all fox bodies with the 5.0 and I can confirm that they are fun to drive for 2 yrs maximum befor you will probably want to trade up/out. I had a t-tops gt and a drop top gt, so maybe that's why i thought they were so fun. Yes they can be made fast for cheap. If you get an evo for 16-17k you will want to add about 2 grand to that in aftermarket parts AT LEAST once the mod bug hits you. When you see how much power some of the guys in this forum are making, you'll feel like your stock evo has too much potential power that you need to unlock. But I also think that you won't be satisfied with a mustang simply because it seems like you are compromising what you really want. I'd advise getting yourself a little bucket for now, maybe a well treated and slightly modded 240sx or something similar so you can save for the next couple of years and then get a car you REALLY want. Spending 12 or 13 grand on a car that you don't really want is never a good idea. You'd just end up selling it or trading it at a loss. GOod luck with your decision.

 

EXACTLY!!! but so many say that something is better than nothing... I drive an accord that does the a-b job just fine... but at times I wonder if something now then better later is better than nothing now.

 

Twin turbo the Mustang.

 

I had a friend who wanted to get an Evo but couldn't afford it about 2 years ago. He is a member on this forum but I won't mention his name unless he wants to chime in. (Hint # 1 He spent 2004 and 2005 in a white corolla S with black rims). He knew that he could afford an Evo in a couple of years so what he did was start buying parts for the car before he even had it. That's commitment, and its what someone would do if they are sure about what car they ultimately want. Also, it kept him patient enough to drive that banged up corolla for a couple of years,, knowing that something better was coming...(sorry about that but you know it looked like a$$ ) In two years he had a turbo kit, cams, fuel pump, exhaust, other parts, and rims for it. Sure, he could have bought a car he didn't really want and had fun with it, but he didn't lose a single penny or have to trade in a beat up car the way he did it. For those of you who say that's too wierd, well let me just tell you, he was able to buy all those parts, and still save money, so when he finally got the car, (Hint # 2: 2005 EB) he only had it stock for the break in period and now he is pushing about 485whp and about 430 tq for the price of install/tuning after he bought the car. Just make sure that when you drop a load of money on a car, its really what you want.

 

Well, from personal experience, I owned the evo in my sig for 3 years, sold it to buy a house and now I am starting to build another evo... I myself am laying out the groundwork for my next car and I will start to buy parts over the winter so when I buy the car just swap it in and out in one - 3 days time and there you go....

Oh yeah, I drive an 04 mustang gt with 42k miles on it right now...... I guess that was my second point...

I would keep driving what you have an buy some parts for the evo if thats what you KNOW you will be doing.

 

First of all, you owned all fox body mustangs so you have no idea what the new mustangs are like. Second, there is no way that a modded firebird suspension will outhandle a modded mustang suspension. Plus, firebirds are huge. My friend had a 2000 Camaro SS and it was a boat compared to my mustang. Third, if you don't think he should get a mustang, why on earth would he get a 240sx? That is a huge downgrade in just about every category.

To BBY, I think the way you are thinking is pretty on track so far. Owning a mustang for a little over 2 years now and having tons of friends with them, I've gotten to know quite a bit. First things first, you said you want to spend about 12-13k. Decide right away if you want to buy a modded car or not. I didn't and I regret it everytime I spend more money on my car. You should definitely look around on the forums and see what you can get for your money, stock or otherwise. I bought a bone stock 2003 GT vert with 13k miles on it for 20 grand. My friend with the camaro bought a 1997 cobra coupe with some suspension mods, gears, and a built motor (40k miles on the motor, 90k on the body) for 11 grand.

I bought a lower mileage car because I knew I'd have it for a long time. If I could go back, I would have found a car in my price range with mods that I liked and would want to do myself. It would have saved me a lot of money. Don't just limit yourself to newer GT's unless thats the body style you like. Look on forums for 99-04 GT's or 96-98 cobras. You might even be able to afford a 99-01 cobra if you don't mind a few more miles. Don't look at 96-98 GT's because their motor sucks and they are slow.

The cobras have the DOHC motors (4valve) and GT's are SOHC (2valve) and they have a few different characteristics. 4v's can rev higher and make a little more power. They also have a much meaner sound to them. Some are aluminum block as well so they save weight. The 99-01 cobra has an independent rear suspension, something you might look for since you want a car that handles. If you will be going drag racing more than a little bit, just stick with the solid axle in all the other cars I named.

As for running 12's, thats not really too hard on any of these cars. Do a full intake system, full exhaust, and get decent gears like 4.10s and you'll have a very quick car. If you want a lot of power, you can get a supercharger, but you'll be spending at least 3 grand. On the plus side, you'll make upwards of 350-400hp, which these motors can take, piece of cake. I've had my blower on for 10k miles its my DD, and I drive the crap out of it. Change the oil and keep up with plugs and stuff and you're golden.

As far as suspension mods, this is where stuff can get confusing. Just like Evo's, there are plenty of things you can do to make the car handle better. Coilovers are an option, but not many companies make them and they can get pricey. At first, I stuck with just shocks and springs, which drastically improved the handling and made the car look a ton better. I've now worked my way up to coilovers in the front and an independent rear with springs and shocks. For a solid rear axle, you would buy upper and lower control arms, springs, and shocks. Panhard bar and torque arm are optional, but those are getting pretty hardcore.

My car, and many of my friend's cars are very quick in a straight line, and can seriously handle with the best of them. One guy I know is a regular at summit point in his '98 convertible cobra and another with an '03 cobra is just starting to go with him. Other guys, plus me, do autocrosses periodically. I really think Mustangs are a great all around platform for pretty much any type of racing. Plus they sound absolutely perfect. I love Evo exhausts, but nothing is as mean as a screaming V8.

Sorry for the long post, lemme know if you have any questions.


BTW, the shifter on my car is amazing and everyone who's driven it loves it. Don't let the crappy stock shifter throw you off.

 

Ok since you drive a mustang and are trying to convince him to buy one, then I'm not going to argue with you about most of your post because its pointless. But to reply to your comments about my post, FIrst of all, yes I do know what the new mustangs are like.. Just because i thought they were not worth buying doesn't mean i didn't drive them. Second, the firebird was just a suggestion so he can keep his options open, and third, i suggested a 240 because I was trying to think of something very very cheap but still fun so that he doesn't waste any money on modding it, but he said he already had a dd so it doesn't matter anyway. You mustang guys are too sensitive, lighten up.

 

How is my post pointless? I'm letting him know what he's getting into. Despite what people think, it isn't hard to make a solid rear handle well. Control arms and a panhard bar and you are set.

As far as cheap, he can easily get a nice 98 cobra for less than he wants to spend.

See?
http://www.svtperformance.com/forums...d.php?t=425662

 

I wasn't saying your post is pointless , i was saying it would be pointless to argue with you. Let's just leave it at that and let some other people chime in.

 

Gotcha. Just tryin to share some of my infinite wisdom lol.

Truth be told, I was a big import guy for a while. Had a civic and really wanted an Evo or turbo IS300, but both were out of my price range. Then I decided I wanted a convertible and the Mustang was the only logical choice. I really fell in love with the car after a while, plus I've met a lot of awesome people in local mustang clubs.

Actually evoIXgsr, I'm probably not that far from you.

 

That's a good deal for $13,000. I would consider this for DD, light to light smoker!

 

PM me if you want to chill sometime. I am close to UMD.

 

haha, I actually just realized it still said that. I graduated from UMD last spring and I live in charles county, MD now.