Few questions about te 99-04 Mustang GTs

NewMStang

New Member
Oct 5, 2004
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Hey guys im new to the board and just gona start of and say hi, im in the market for a 99-04 mustang gt (automatic, only!). i have previously owned a 1995 firebird (auto)(had exhaust, intake, etc) but i am looking for a v8, and i have always liked the appearnce of a mustang as well as the sound of the exhaust.

I recently went and test drove a 1999 gt w/44k miles (auto) and was very dissapointed with the performance. I didn't really feel that great of a difference between my 3.4 and the mustand. There is a 100hp difference which is why i am shocked. Maybe its my imagination but these cars should be noticebly quick and i should have felt a great difference in acceleration i imagine(first time driving a mustang). Are all (auto) gts this way? Also is there anything wrong w/a 99gt or should i look for a 2000+ one, also what are some common problems i should look for...thanks for your time guys

btw: the car had a ses light on, the dealer said it was just a sensor, but who nows.
 
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Hate to break it to you, but perfomance and automatic don't go together (at least with stock Mustangs). You have to make up a huge margin in performance in the automatic to get it to the same level of performance of a manual.

If you still insist on the auto, you may want to stick with the General if that's the case!
 
well, the reason i want an auto is because i dont know how to drive stick, and when i test drive the car i wont know what to look for and wont be able to tell how warn the clutch
 
If you are looking for a fast A4 Mustang, maybe you should consider a Mach 1, you could probably get one cheap now that the 05 is coming out. You would just have to look for one. Maybe check www.mach1registry.com, on the forum on the for sale section, check and see, maybe there is somebody selling an auto Mach 1.

like someone mentioned above autos are good for mid to high 14s, which is considerably faster than a V6 Firebird, I have seen some people dip below 14.5 in there autos at the track, but not many.
 
well first off don't be scared of a 5-speed over a auto. i never drove a 5-speed until the day i drove my first brand new car off the lot. it just takes a week or so of getting used to. :nice:

BUT if you HAVE to get an auto, get a stall & a shift kit & you will feel a HUGE difference. the stock stang auto's aren't that great, & unfortunately the GM auto's are a better auto tranny for stock performance (until the 05 comes out, it's supposed to be pretty good). good luck with it :nice:
 
NewMStang said:
Also is there anything wrong w/a 99gt or should i look for a 2000+ one, also what are some common problems i should look for...thanks for your time guys

Nothing wrong with 99's at all. My 1999 GT(52,700 miles) is and always has been a very reliable car. I will also say that you should try to get a 5-speed over the auto. It will serve you best and you'll love it more over time. I learned to drive a stick in a week. Its not that hard.
-Jason
 
I wanted an auto and live axle stang, I just came from an 03 cobra where the fastest 1/4 mile cobras were switching to automatics and live axles, instead of IRS. I plan on supercharging and upgrading the block and upping the boost some more in the future, so I chose an automatic, but it will need chip, shift kit, new stall, ...so you could say the 5 speed is better (faster), stock, but an auto can be made fast, (I realize more drivetrain loss, but when the quickness of the shift is important)anyway, don't be afraid of a 5 speed and clutch it is very easy.
 
Auto vs. stick

I don't know how to drive a stick either, so don't feel bad. :D My family has never owned a car that had a stick while I was growing up, so I've never had the chance to learn on one. Plus my friends all have autos too. One of my friends might get a new car sometime in the future, and I'm sure he'll get a stick at that point since he's looking in the sportier car catagory. I'll get him to teach me then. What I'd really like to do is swap my car out for a manual, but it costs so much. I wouldn't do the work myself, because I'm not that mechanically minded (at least not with cars!).

I had a V6 Camaro, so I was i the same situation you are. At first I thought "man, this GT isn't THAT much faster than the Camaro". But, really, it is. Sit still, floor the GT, and you tell me which one would kick butt. :nice: The Camaro/Firebird V6's do have great power for a 6 though. Plus if you had an exhaust on it, that helps a lot with the GM 6's. They are SO factory choked it isn't funny. :mad: My Camaro felt like it gained 40 horses when added the Flowmaster muffler to it (of course it really gained like 3 to 5 hp). It made a world of difference. Not only that but I had a whisper lid too, so that helped also. It probably had about 15 extra HP if I as lucky, but man. The response was sooo much better.

I'd be careful if that GT has a SES light on it. Drive another one and see if it is the same way. I'd compare two GT's first before you decide on some other car! :D
 
I was just like you but I went with a 5-speed. Learned to drive it in a weekend. Automatic tranny performance parts are expensive. Stall converter, shift kit, cooler, etc. For a 5-speed all you need is a short throw shifter and maybe a clutch and your good to go. Oh, and find a more healthy Mustang to test drive next time.
 
the reason it feels that slow compared to the firebird is low end torque...these cars don't have much. Get it above 3500RPM then stomp it, you will feel the difference. When I first drove mine in comparison to my 95 Trans Am, I was also pretty disappointed, but you get used to where the powerband is pretty quick. Still can't break the tires loose like the T/A could though :(
 
Magius231 said:
the reason it feels that slow compared to the firebird is low end torque...these cars don't have much. Get it above 3500RPM then stomp it, you will feel the difference. When I first drove mine in comparison to my 95 Trans Am, I was also pretty disappointed, but you get used to where the powerband is pretty quick. Still can't break the tires loose like the T/A could though :(

He's right. I drove my friend's bone stock 04 GT 5 spd, and it felt slow. But it's faster than my stang. They just have a decieving power band, one you don't really feel.
 
SVTStang03 said:
Automatic = teh lose
5-Speed = teh win :)

Or...
5-Speed = probably 90% of the owners don't know how to *drive* their 5-speed cars properly...so they lose the advantage they should have

Automatic = a leg and arm that actually still function after 20 miles of stop-n-go traffic [me]


:p