am i going to be disappointed?

autumn_again

New Member
Oct 2, 2007
356
0
0
Hamilton, NJ
i'm running into problems with the stang. unfortunately, it is running on 7 cylinders, and i'm a broke kid working every hour thrown at me.

cars got 206,000 miles or so on it. talking about rebuilding the motor.

unfortunately i can't afford to do it the way i want. so it would be just rebuilt bottom end, maybe ported stock heads, maybe stock cam, and 93 cobra intake for now.

i also need to put in a new fuel pump, new power steering pump. new plugs and wires, 3.73s. find out what the loud thud i hear under my car is and fix that.


i'm considering taking a car loan out and just getting a lightning. since i dont have the time to work on the stang since i'm working trying to save up enough to fix it.

i posted this in talk, because i just want opinions on this. i'm scared to put together the motor and just have the stock horsepower rating, and be very pissed off with the car. i'm sure it'll have a little bit more pep then stock, but what i wanna know is it going to be like wow. noticeable? i don't wanna spend a grand or so rebuilding it and only be able to run 15s.
 
  • Sponsors (?)


because its riding like crap, and a plug gets fouled everytime i throw a new one in.

my dad said its probably the rings are shot.

it'll run fine for about 5 minutes with a new plug on that cylinder, and then after that it start to slightly misfire. after a little bit more driving, it will ride the same with the plug pulled.

this most recent plug i've thrown on i put on a spark plug non-fouler or whatever they are called. didn't seem to help much, if at all.

the car shakes at idle horribly and just doesn't ride smooth.
 
I gave up a '73 Black Mustang Convertible when I started Pharmacy school because I needed to buy a new car that could get me back and forth every day 24 miles. It KILLED me, but I had to do what was right for my "life" circumstances at the time. My advice is if you get a loan, DO NOT use it to buy something that is NOT reliable. You need to get your direction in life established at your age and make that your priority. You dont want to be PAYING a loan AND FIXING things at the same time.

Just my opinion...Good Luck!
RC
 
yep, thats my exact thoughts, if i get a loan i'm not going to get something because its a little cheaper with higher mileage, i want something thats going to last me until i am good financially. really the highest mileage vehicle i would go for would probably be like 60k. and thats kinda pushing it.

so far my 3 cars i've owned are my
96 thunderbird, 180k miles.
90 probe, 180k or higher, i forget.
94 mustang 201k when i bought it
and every car i've pretty much had to put money into almost right away if not right away, and every time i turn around and get a paycheck its going into the car.

my brother took a car loan out for his 84 mustang, at the time 2 years old. bought it as a rolling chassis, and the car was down a majority of the time while he was paying full coverage on it.

i'm kinda scared looking at lightnings, because i don't know if the guy has been beating on it. i know if i had a truck like that i would and i'm sure alot other people think like me.
 
How about a junkyard motor to get you by while you rebuild your current motor?

A second vehicle is a good idea, though.

thats what i was originally talking about doing with my dad. hes the mechanic of the family, so anything i am doing i am learning from him.

he didn't like the idea of pulling it multiple times. i was going to get a motor out of a mountaineer or explorer, since they have the gt40 heads and such, just throw a good cam on and i'd be happy with it for a while.

he says we can rebuild my shortblock within a couple days, not including any machine work time though.

we're getting a junkyard 4.6 for our town car, and i was seeing if they could do a package deal for a 5.0 and a 4.6. since my dads dealt with this junkyard for a long time and is good friends with the owner.

its definitely on my mind. just not sure if its in the pocket.

i could drive the town car after we throw a motor in it, while my cars down, but i think they want to sell the town car after throwing the motor in it.
 
I understand your dad's attitude - do it right the first time is best. BUT, it's best for the CAR. You may not have the time or funds to do it right. I don't think your Dad is right about only needing a couple of days to rebuild the engine - if he hasn't rebuilt an engine for a while he's likely forgotten about all sorts of things you need to do. And there's tear-down of the engine, building it back up afterwards, etc.

You take your chances with a j/y motor - it may have a lot of life in it, or it may also have problems. You simply don't know without running it. Of course, I took a chance on a j/y motor for my GT, and it's running strong for over a year. :shrug:

Here's an idea - make it a Father-Son project. Tell him that you'll agree to rebuild the engine WITH HIM, and you get to drive the Town Car until the Mustang has been running for a whole month without any problems. That gets you past the break-in period for a lot of new parts.
 
Here's another option...get rid of everything to get a dependable car for now with good gas mileage. THEN, you and your dad can start from scratch building your own motor, starting with a junkyard block if you want or buying everything new...BUT you do it at your own pace and spend the money when you are able. Then you can find a cheap used mustang and then swap the engine. There are a couple guys on here now that have spent up to 3 years building the current motor that they are currently driving. You will have something to drive and something to work on and keep you motivated...

Just a thought.
RC
 
i like the idea of taking it off the road and driving something else..

just easier imo

you are thinking about a loan for a lightning, and you only can spend around a$1000 building the stang motor:scratch::scratch:

from an outside point of view i would pic neither of those choices..

i dont think i would drive a stang everyday ever again

i drive a healthy beater truck as a dd


i hated working on a car that i needed tommorow:mad:
 
I understand your dad's attitude - do it right the first time is best. BUT, it's best for the CAR. You may not have the time or funds to do it right. I don't think your Dad is right about only needing a couple of days to rebuild the engine - if he hasn't rebuilt an engine for a while he's likely forgotten about all sorts of things you need to do. And there's tear-down of the engine, building it back up afterwards, etc.

You take your chances with a j/y motor - it may have a lot of life in it, or it may also have problems. You simply don't know without running it. Of course, I took a chance on a j/y motor for my GT, and it's running strong for over a year. :shrug:

Here's an idea - make it a Father-Son project. Tell him that you'll agree to rebuild the engine WITH HIM, and you get to drive the Town Car until the Mustang has been running for a whole month without any problems. That gets you past the break-in period for a lot of new parts.

the last time he rebuilt a motor was a few years ago, a buick 3.8 if i remember correctly. hes been twisting wrenches since just not as his job.

right now he doesn't have a job, so hes home 24,7. so rebuilding the motor won't take too long since we can do it all day.

with a junkyard motor, we'd ask to hear it running first, and this junkyard would help us out if the motor they gave us was a dud. i don't plan on getting something to have it in there over a year, i'd have it in for a couple months max.

we already have a father & both sons project we're working on. a 96 thunderbird with a 460 in it.

if the mustang had any problems, i'd have something to drive when i need something, we've got 5 cars at this house for 3 people. so even if we sold the town car, i could use one of the vans.
 
i like the idea of taking it off the road and driving something else..

just easier imo

you are thinking about a loan for a lightning, and you only can spend around a$1000 building the stang motor:scratch::scratch:

from an outside point of view i would pic neither of those choices..

i dont think i would drive a stang everyday ever again

i drive a healthy beater truck as a dd


i hated working on a car that i needed tommorow:mad:


the lightning i can pay off in increments. the stang i would need to drop money right away.


400 a month for payments would be manageable, especially when i'd have something to drive. 400 a month into a motor, wouldn't be as productive.

i could throw more into the motor then that, but i've got insurance, and food and gas and any other things that come up.

i don't really need the car to get to work, i can walk to work no problem, and other then that, yeah it'd suck to be during the summer time without a car to chill with friends and such, but i'd deal with it.


i could throw more into the motor then a grand, but the thing is saving up for it to drop it all down at once to get the motor together. i work every hour i possibly can, but with other things like insurance, a 400 dollar check can get turned to 200 real quick.
 
Here's another option...get rid of everything to get a dependable car for now with good gas mileage. THEN, you and your dad can start from scratch building your own motor, starting with a junkyard block if you want or buying everything new...BUT you do it at your own pace and spend the money when you are able. Then you can find a cheap used mustang and then swap the engine. There are a couple guys on here now that have spent up to 3 years building the current motor that they are currently driving. You will have something to drive and something to work on and keep you motivated...

Just a thought.
RC

i would, but the thing is i gave my dd beater to my brother soon as i got the stang. i had a 1990 probe gl that got good gas mileage, but it wasn't what i wanted.

we have a car that we're working on as a project, this is going to be my dd. i just want it to have more pep.

and honestly, i've looked at other cars, i'm always on craigslist looking at deals, and nothing interests me at all. like. i've looked for a couple things, but nothing catches my eye, and says that i should drop the stang and buy it. i'm not going to college, so i don't have to worry about that, i'm going to a tech school next year for mechanics that i believe i am getting the first year free because of the fact that i got straight A's the two years i went to the school already, then second year is going out to work.

really, all my money i have goes to either guitar stuff or car stuff. i'm not at the age i'm looking for a place to stay, i'm not at the age needing to support wife or kids. so my money can go into my cars. i don't have outstanding bills to pay because i was always taught to only spend money i have.
 
Here's another option...get rid of everything to get a dependable car for now with good gas mileage. THEN, you and your dad can start from scratch building your own motor, starting with a junkyard block if you want or buying everything new...BUT you do it at your own pace and spend the money when you are able. Then you can find a cheap used mustang and then swap the engine. There are a couple guys on here now that have spent up to 3 years building the current motor that they are currently driving. You will have something to drive and something to work on and keep you motivated...

Just a thought.
RC

i would, but the thing is i gave my dd beater to my brother soon as i got the stang. i had a 1990 probe gl that got good gas mileage, but it wasn't what i wanted.

we have a car that we're working on as a project, this is going to be my dd. i just want it to have more pep.

and honestly, i've looked at other cars, i'm always on craigslist looking at deals, and nothing interests me at all. like. i've looked for a couple things, but nothing catches my eye, and says that i should drop the stang and buy it. i'm not going to college, so i don't have to worry about that, i'm going to a tech school next year for mechanics that i believe i am getting the first year free because of the fact that i got straight A's the two years i went to the school already, then second year is going out to work.

really, all my money i have goes to either guitar stuff or car stuff. i'm not at the age i'm looking for a place to stay, i'm not at the age needing to support wife or kids. so my money can go into my cars. i don't have outstanding bills to pay because i was always taught to only spend money i have.
 
i would, but the thing is i gave my dd beater to my brother soon as i got the stang. i had a 1990 probe gl that got good gas mileage, but it wasn't what i wanted.

we have a car that we're working on as a project, this is going to be my dd. i just want it to have more pep.

and honestly, i've looked at other cars, i'm always on craigslist looking at deals, and nothing interests me at all. like. i've looked for a couple things, but nothing catches my eye, and says that i should drop the stang and buy it. i'm not going to college, so i don't have to worry about that, i'm going to a tech school next year for mechanics that i believe i am getting the first year free because of the fact that i got straight A's the two years i went to the school already, then second year is going out to work.......

That's the thing...if it "caught your eye" it would be what you WANT, not what will "get you by". Do you think I REALLY WANTED a Ford ESCORT :rlaugh:. Your daily driver, while it's nice to be a "nice" car, gets you from point A to point B. That is why you have a project car to build. Who really cares what the DD is as long as it's reliable and easy/cheap to maintain.

RC
 
RC has a point I drive a 2000 mitsu. mirage. the windshield is cracked and the bumpers are zip tied on ohh yea zip tied it looks like crap but I don't care. For one I can put the cobra in the shop and not have to worry about how to get to work the next day. The car is extremely reliable. Also its cheap on gas and I don't have to pay for insurance cause it does not get driven, its just sitting as I do things as I can afford them.
The biggest reason I don't drive my mustang everyday even thought I would love to,... its a little something called the mileage look in my sig and you will see I have more miles that yours does.
 
i'd invest into a DD, but i just gave away a good dd. anything that would be half reliable is too expensive for me to invest into. + we have 5 cars out front of our house already. 2 in the back.

i'm not worried about the car being back together for a certain date, because i work right around the block from my house, if i have to walk it i'll walk it.

our insurance company is flawed and wont let us take cars off insurance policy. the lincoln bent a rod since anti freeze got into the cylinder and it wouldn't compress.

unless i sell the car it has to stay insured, even if its in a driveway.

maybe i'll see about taking a loan out for like 4 grand to build the motor up. this way i dont have to wait to do it part by part. rebuild the bottom end then get a good set of heads and a nice cam. i think i'm getting some money from relatives this weekend, for graduating, so that can go to the build.

am i going to have to get it tuned? do they sell the tool for tuning it myself/ i know i saw one that was like 900 and thats a lot of money.

the goal i have for this car is mid 12s N/A. would something like the trickflow heads, and stage 2 cam with 3.73s and a set of slicks be able to acheive this?