How Much Abuse?

JD1964

there is enough sticking out to grab on to
15 Year Member
Jun 28, 2013
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Maryland
How much abuse do you think the average Foxbody Mustangs go through? Go by your own experience. Tell why such abuse is part of your reality.

Abuse level choices;

1) Mild
2) Meduim
3) Extensive.
 
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I've brought that average up quite a bit with a couple of them.
Anymore I spend about 99.999% of the time putting around in my toys.
That should change with this next one though
 
There isn't a trip my car makes out of the garage that it doesn't see the rpm's redlined. But, I'm not a high school kid cutting donuts in a parking lot somewhere either.

Joe
 
My mustang prob gets beat less than my minivan!! Lol.. I tend to drive slower on the highway also, prob because of the wind noise though.

I get that whistling noise from the drivers side a-pillar on the highway too. The weather stripping looks fine but maybe its flat, IDK. How does one get rid of the wind noise?
 
Level of abuse kinda depends on the owner and what stage of it's life it's in.

Brand new - generally fawned over, kept pristine, shown at the odd car shows, with the average spirited street jaunt and track outing. Spends most of it's time parked at the end of the driveway for the neighbours to drool over and look on in envy while it's washed daily.

5-10 years old - second owner, a few dings and scratches, get's a host of tasteful, popular bolt ons. It see's a lot of car shows, but more to show off it's functional gear over form. Get's taken to the track a lot with attempts at running the best time possible out of it. Generally see's it's first sign of torque box damage at this stage.

10-20-years - bought by some teenager. ridden hard, put away wet, suffers from a sever lack of maintenance, has ridiculous stereo installed and a host of gaudy mods done to it that generally makes it run and look worse than it did in the first place. See's numerous unnecessary clutch drops and neutral over-reves and usually smells like fast food. This too is where many Fox's end their lives....and in many cases it's a mercy killing.

20+ years - generally bought by a mature enthusiast who either had one when they were new or always wanted one but could never afford or appreciate it. Hours upon hours of restoration performed (including removal of previous owners gaudy mods)...at which point it's again fawned over, kept pristine, shown at the odd car shows, with the average spirited street jaunt and track outing and spends most of it's time parked at the end of the driveway for the neighbours to drool over and look on in envy while it's washed daily. :)
 
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Most take some real abuse. My car i built it to drive . Even when it was stock every time its out it sees some rubber and a few hard shifts when its quiet but i don't drive it with my foot on the floor light to light.
 
I built mine to drive also. But 95% of the time, I'm a well mannered and courteous driver. I don't even speed. When I do decide to clear out the carbon, I usually have no audience and it's out in the country. I'm also not a street racer by any means. Though I have "kept my car just ahead of an import with lots of stickers and loud exhaust" from time to time.
 
I used to beat the holy hell out of my cars. Now I occasionally run it through a few gears. Mostly tame sunny day trips now plus 1-2 trips to the track. Most of the foxes I see now are ragged out sh it boxes or very nice rides.
 
I can honestly say that my car is treated like a princess while it sits in the garage and beaten like the bastard child that it is when it's at the track...
 
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I am actually the second owner of mine. I bought it from this 65 year old lady back in 1998 after she bought a Honda Accord.

Considering that was 16 years ago....she might be dead.

Anyway, i always babied my car and ever since doing my 5-spd swap, have no desire to race it down the 1/4 mile because I don't want to "abuse the car".