Since I am going to be going to LA tommorow to go look at 8 different Machs. I was wondering if they have any cosmetic or mecahnicle issues? EX-like intake Manifold cracking problems? I will be probably be buying the best one while I am down there. I think the most likly one I will be getting is $20,000 from a private owner original owner. low miles.
$20k for a Mach? How low is "low miles"? Car is 5 years old but they are beautiful when taken care of As for problems--none exactly come to mind. Just check every bit of the car and you'll know if it's the right one. Don't jump into a car that has problems.
Only thing I've noticed that most of them do is once the car is just started and idling for a few seconds you may hear a thump that sounds like it came from the firewall or the right side of the trans. Its nothing at all its just a air conditioner hose bumping the strut tower when the compressor kicking on. You can fix it by putting a piece of foam around it or you can turn the ac switch off before you turn the car on.
Check for any ticking/knocking, look for any smoke out of the exhaust. Before you start the car, check the oil and see if it is at the correct level, make sure the oil doesn't look contaminated. If you drive it, listen for any whining, grinding, make sure the brakes feel solid and pedal feedback is good. Keep an eye on the temp guage, make sure it doesn't seem to run hot. Mach's are solid cars overall, they don't seem to have the little issues that many GT's have.
The only very common problem alot of Machs have that I can think of are valve tick coming from the driver side head. It will sound sort of like an exhaust leak. It seems to be more common on the 03 models because I think Ford went ahead & fixed it for 04...My car has it & its annoying but doesnt effect performance. One thing i could say that I like better about the 03's are the black powdercoated valve covers rather than the plain aluminum finish that the 04's have. The 04 valve covers end up looking like crap after time while the black 03's stay nice & shiny!!! Most of the TR3650 tranny's get pretty notchy on the 1-2 shift over time also but thats also a problem on the 01-04 GT's also....This is kinda stupid, but the leather boot on the e brake handle is commonly ripped also.... Those are the only issues I can think of..... Good luck on your Mach purchase. I hope you find a nice one because we need more Mach owners around here....
Thanks guys. I went to the bank to get a loan of 10,000 I was going to cosign with my parents but they said I have to be 18 but I am only a two months away from being 18. I can't wait to go I am leaving to LA at 9 AM at the earliest because the owners of all the Machs work and they get home late.
I agree with everyone else.Mine has the lil tick that Epic said,the tear on the ebrake boot and that dam annoying thump from the ac. Also the aluminum scoop likes to get an ashy look to it,I found that lightly rubbing it with Son Of A Gun will take care of it for a couple washes.
$20K is too much for a Mach 1 IMHO. For about 4-5K more you can get a terminator. $15-17K is about what I'd pay for a Mach with that many miles
