I've got the fever. Need some advice on fox purchase

[hllon4whls]

I'm eyeballing a local car that is low mileage 90 hatch 5sp 5.0.

Please remind me of some of the things I should look for when buying the car.

I would like to have as close to stock of a vehicle as I can. I've never owned a street legal mustang and I haven't driven a 5.0/5speed in 15 years.

Give me some pointers please. I need this car like I need a hole in the head, but I am drawn to these cars repeatedly.

I'm mechanically inclined, but rusty. I just want to avoid a POS.

The price seems ok if the car is sound and it has fresh paint. I would hope to get it cheaper.

Thank you in advance.

 

[robo]

in a word.....rust. if it's not rusty and has not been in a crash, i'd buy it, provided the price was right.

 

[BYRDPE]

check the torque boxes
check for rust
check the ds seat pan

 

[hllon4whls]

Two mentions of rust. Prone rusty spots?

Freshly painted car for sale immediately brings flags to mind.

 

[Mustang5L5]

Torque boxes, inner fender frame rails and under the hatch and fender lips are the #1 trouble areas

 

[wv109323]

Other areas to watch for rust: left and right floor pans. You can sometimes tell if the floor pan is rusted by noticing if either seat leans outward. Also notice the distance from the hinge point of the seat back to the inside wall of the rocker panel. My car ,of which I am replacing the floor pans. the hinge point of the bucket seat is hitting the rocker panel. At this point the seat can not lean any futher out. Another test is to push on the back of the seat toward the center of the car. If you can lift the floor pan up you probably have rust.
The bottom of the doors on the inside rust first.
The hatch will rust along the bottom edge from the inside out. This is where the hatch drain holes stop up and allow water on the inside.
Over the rear wheel wells.
If it has a sunroof check that area.
Front shock towers
Rear Torque boxes (upper and lower)
That about all the rust prone areas.

 

[BlackGT89]

I thought we used to have a Stangnet sticky on this but I couldn't find it. In lieu of that, I found this link. It's a bit repetitive, but makes some good points.

What to look for when buying an used Fox Mustang - Ford Mustang Forums

 

[87_LX_5.0]

Another place to check for rust is in the hatch under the spare tire. I've looked at quite a few that were completely rusted through in that area.

Also look on the ground where the car is usually parked. You may find fluid marks on the ground. These ares may have been cleaned up under the hood in an attempt to hide problems. This is especially important if the engine bay has recently been detailed since a leak (oil, coolant, trans fluid) may not be obvious.

Good luck!!

 

[hllon4whls]

Thank you! All of the ideas help.

 

[BlackGT89]

And it goes without saying that a Carfax (or similar record check) is money well spent.

 

[hllon4whls]

It has been two days and no contact from the owner. Guess this one got away. Should have listened to the wife when she told me that one was for sale.