89 Gt Questions

[plork66]

Found an 89 gt for sale at a reasonable starting price,but I am doing the start of this process online. I have viewed the limited photos and have talked to the guy on the phone 1 time. The guy lives about 2 hours away so I am going to at least go check it out. Here is my concerns. The car is listed as having 52,000 miles. The car has had no major altercations. Viewing the photos the car has the 5 star rims that I have found common with 90' fox body's. also after zooming in on the interior photo I noticed the speedometer was 140 mph. I am not sure when the 85 speedo's were replaced. I am certain the wheels are not 89 either. When I spoke to the guy he told me he was the 2nd owner. The car was purchased from the original owner who had the car in storage for 5 years. The car is suppose to have the original paint,interior, carpet, and all that jazz. When I look at the car I was wondering if anyone out there could give me some tips to look for to tell if the car is legit. I am a plumber not a mechanic, but I have been around enough to spot the obvious. I was wondering if I could get some VIN numbers from the different years at would definitely tell the year. Any other tips would be appreciated.

 

[reldla1996]

The speedo's changed to 140 in 89, so that is correct. 89 GT's came with the turbine wheels, while 89 5.0 LX's came with the venerable 10 hole wheels. The 5 star wheels started in 91.

 

[plork66]

The speedo's changed to 140 in 89, so that is correct. 89 GT's came with the turbine wheels, while 89 5.0 LX's came with the venerable 10 hole wheels. The 5 star wheels started in 91.

Thanks for the tip. Wasn't sure about the speedo, ones I have been viewing have all had 85 mph. I will have to ask the guy about the wheels.

 

[plork66]

Wondering if anyone knows how to tell if a car has been repainted. Also I was told that the fox body GT has been known to have rust under the ground effects. Could that be spotted by looking under the door or feeling with your hand. Is there any other spots to watch out for that tend to rust. My first car was a 68 mustang and the rear floor pans and rear quarters were pretty much gone. That is pretty common with those years.

 

[mikestang63]

First thing is pay for a carfax. It will tell you odometer readings. On the actual odometer, look to see if the first digit does not line up well with the rest of the numbers- telltale sign the odometer was rolled back. A true low mile car will also have little wear on the pedals and the interior= seats, door panels, carpet.

Couple of things to see if it was wrecked or repainted. First thing to check are the vin tags on the inner fenders, front bumper cover, trunk or hatch. Also look inside the door jambs, under the hood and inside the trunk hatch for different color paint. Check the crumble zones under the hood on the inner fenders. Check the gaps on the doors, fenders. Check the trim and ground effects for alignment. Under the hood again, check for newer fender washers. Is the radiator support straight. Look at the car on both sides from the front to the back and back to front for straightness. Do the colors on all the body panels lool the same or are some more faded.

For rust
If you can, pull the carpet out of the trunk or hatch to check for rust. Look inside the door jambs and in the shock towers. Crawl underneath and with a flashlight look at the floorpans and especially the torque boxes for rust and tears. Bring a small magnet and place it along the body at various places for bondo. Also check the bottom of the doors as they are prone to rust.

 

[Mustang5L5]

The speedo change was a mid year 1989 change. So some 89s will have the 85mph speedo and some have 140


5-star wheels was a popular swap. Back in the 90s everyone was trying to get their hands on those wheels for their fox. I used to see sets selling for 600-800 all the time.