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?
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?