My LX: "Mustang for sale; parts or repair"?

I just got back from New Jersey...minus a Mustang. Shortly before getting back onto 295 while in town, my car made a wonderful grinding sound shifting into second gear. Pulled it over, checked the transmission fluid, filled properly, doesn't smell burned, so I just set it to overdrive and ease onto the gas again. When I did that, it ground all through first gear and second gear and felt shaky in third and fourth. Pulled over again, flagged my dad over, pulled it into a parking lot and he wanted to drive it to see what was going on. Well following behind him I notice that my right rear wheel is wobbling...alot. Estimating about 15-20 degrees of side to side play. We got it back to my grandparents house, and checked that wheel. All bolts intact, and just two weeks ago I replaced my rear brakes, and I double checked that the wheels were torqued to spec.

Around this time I'm also thinking that it explains this constant rattling noise in the back which I have never been able to pinpoint. At this point, I'm thinking "Great, my rear axle is shot, my transmission is all but dead, the motor sucks (nothing like nearly getting rear ended by a pickup because the damn thing just wouldn't get up and go like it was doing even 2 hours prior), the engine swap is far from done, it looks like I need about $100 worth of parts to finish that not counting all the wiring, reassembly and such." I mean really, is this even worth attempting to repair? At the very least I'm looking at several hours of repair work if not replacing the rear-end altogether, and then there's the POS tranny that is on its way out plus the motor swap.

I originally went the route of 2.3 turbo because at the time, it was the cheaper option. However, more and more things are wearing out on this car, and I'm getting tired of constantly going broke trying to keep the thing on the road. Anymore it seems like it would just be cheaper to buy a 5.0 or even some other car, I'm a little irritated at Ford at the moment, but that will likely pass.

The point of this whole post is pretty much summed up by the title. Is this worth my time effort and money to try to fix, or should I set up a U-pull-it and set the profit from that aside for a different car?
 
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351wcoupe said:
I hate to see you sell it if you were doing the turbo swap. Especially since you are in my "red" neck of the woods.:D

Not exactly high on my list of priorities, but it just seems like I keep running into one thing after another with this car. It like one of those old cartoons with the guy trying to fix the leaky sink. You cover one hole, another one opens up, cover that one and yet a third, finally you get smart and cover all the holes and the water starts spraying out your ears. Its pretty much what this feels like.

Without going into a long drawn out whine-fest, I have no money, low paying college job, and no car (well, its there just...displaced and non-functional). Things have been going wrong with this car since I bought the thing, I've probably spent enough on repairs to buy another less moody vehicle, it just seems like another thing that's going to go awry, get fixed, and spawn more problems.

Anyone know how about how complicated it is to repair or replace a rear axle and transmission and motor swap at the same time or very near each other? The axle should get fixed first, the probably the transmission, which should get swapped out for a T5, which happens to be rather involved (why swap out a defective transmission for another defective transmission before finally getting what I wanted the first time around?), and then there's the swap itself.

I was really into the turbo swap before; then it looks like my transmission and rear axle both are toast, which spikes the cost of making my car functional again within the next year or so. So yeah, I'm kind of at an impasse here.
 
At the very least it seems someone here would buy it. I feel a bit better about the whole affair after sleeping. I know it could be fixed fairly cheaply, its just a matter of doing it.

A question though; is there anyone closeby this area who has a turbo mustang they would be willing to let me test drive? I mean, if I'm going to put alot of time, effort and money into fixing this car, I don't want to finish it and be left with a feeling of "That's it? I did all that for this?" That probably seems like an odd request, but at this point I'm just kind of hesitating on moving forward with this project.
 
SpectralSamurai said:
At the very least it seems someone here would buy it. I feel a bit better about the whole affair after sleeping. I know it could be fixed fairly cheaply, its just a matter of doing it.

A question though; is there anyone closeby this area who has a turbo mustang they would be willing to let me test drive? I mean, if I'm going to put alot of time, effort and money into fixing this car, I don't want to finish it and be left with a feeling of "That's it? I did all that for this?" That probably seems like an odd request, but at this point I'm just kind of hesitating on moving forward with this project.
Let matt take you for a ride in the green coupe. It's not running right at the moment, but it feels pretty strong out of the hole with those slicks. :D
 
notched86 said:
Let matt take you for a ride in the green coupe. It's not running right at the moment, but it feels pretty strong out of the hole with those slicks. :D
lol yeah the important thing is it looks fast at the moment. :p
Plus the good news is its going back on the road tomorrow. Depending on how far away you are I would be glad to help you if you got all the needed parts lined up. OR.even better for me. If you could get it here where I'm much more confident with my surroundings we could work on it.
 
SpectralSamurai said:
a feeling of "That's it? I did all that for this?"
I drove my SVO for over a year, so I knew of the potential but I was so aggrevated I couldn't see the good.

Here's my thoughts after the swap:
"Couldn't be worth it" "Biggest Pain in the ass ever"

after the first test drive (clutch blew up about 6ft out of the driveway)
"OK, maybe if I get some traction this thing will be fine."

after the 27th pass at the track and I set a bunch of personal bests with the car:
"There is no way it did that, but there's video and a time slip"
"I can't believe it outruns my lightning and still wasn't pulling as hard as normal in 3rd"


As you get your car running right it will amaze about everyone you know. I've made about 60 passes total the last year in various cars and few have been even close to as fun as the stock 4cyl's best time, because I know it has more. :D
 
351wcoupe said:
lol yeah the important thing is it looks fast at the moment. :p
Plus the good news is its going back on the road tomorrow. Depending on how far away you are I would be glad to help you if you got all the needed parts lined up. OR.even better for me. If you could get it here where I'm much more confident with my surroundings we could work on it.

Luray...I'm trying to recall exactly where that is in relation to where I am now. I'll check a map tomorrow. Right now it looks like its going to be staying in NJ for a few weeks. I know someone who has a trailer, I'm going to see about borrowing it. Until then, like I said, I'd like to see just what one of these things can do. I don't think you're too far away, maybe 1.5 to 2 hours tops, so if its not too much trouble, maybe we can schedule a meeting to take a look at your car.
 
SpectralSamurai said:
Luray...I'm trying to recall exactly where that is in relation to where I am now. I'll check a map tomorrow. Right now it looks like its going to be staying in NJ for a few weeks. I know someone who has a trailer, I'm going to see about borrowing it. Until then, like I said, I'd like to see just what one of these things can do. I don't think you're too far away, maybe 1.5 to 2 hours tops, so if its not too much trouble, maybe we can schedule a meeting to take a look at your car.

Sounds good. Also Not sure what you do on thursdays but I head to Sumerduck dragway every week. Its seems to be a small crowd of 2.3 people showing up and it can only get bigger.
 
351wcoupe said:
Sounds good. Also Not sure what you do on thursdays but I head to Sumerduck dragway every week. Its seems to be a small crowd of 2.3 people showing up and it can only get bigger.

Sorry about the long delay, currently without internet. Thursdays are open at the moment, I can probably go to Sumerduck sometime soon. I have a friend with an Imprezza that goes out there every so often, so maybe I can get a ride with him.