I'm actually more amazed that you have nearly 400K miles on your mustang. That's impressive. Original motor?
Oh, not even close to the original motor..lol. I pulled the factory engine with 248,000 miles on it. It wouldn't die. I got Panhandle Performance to build me my dream engine back then. Loved it. Had to sell it. The engine in the car now is one I built for the '92 Feature Vert I had. I bought that car with 89k on it from the original owner. It was pouring oil out of the back and all over the clutch. I had money then so I decided I just had to rebuild it. I had a local fellow do the machining and assembly of the long block. It never has been right. It's now got a little over 100k on it (engine only). It's a .030 over engine with new pistons, etc. I wanted most everything stock on this engine so I had him go thru the heads. Has a stock cam, stock rockers, Cobra intake, stock mass air meter (swapped to mass air years ago when I had the Powerdyne). I have a relatively new set of LMR factory style pulleys on it. Can't believe I ran underdrives as long as I did.I'm actually more amazed that you have nearly 400K miles on your mustang. That's impressive. Original motor?
Well the idea isn't a second car. It's a car to drive instead of the mustang. It can be parked and not touched for as long as needed with no money out of my pocket. An inexpensive car that I don't have to work on all the time is the idea. This thread seems to have devolved into MPG cars and Saturns....hmmm. Let me put this to rest. I bought a brand new Saturn SL2 in '92 when the company was new. Ok car. Wife at the time drove it. Sold it to the local BMW place who sold it to a lady. Had 36k on it when I sold it and the second owner bought it. 3 or 4 months later she called me saying the engine locked up. She paid to have it replaced but that's not the end. A couple months after that the transmission went. She was not happy. I'm not sure what she was doing with it but it didn't work out for her. I will not own one. Thanks but no thanks.‘02 F150 here (original owner, only 97000miles) New trucks just too damn expensive. Plus no car payment = more money into the mustang pot.
I gotta say though, after reading through all this, if I was in a no work situation, a second car would probably be the last thing I was worrying about.
Hopefully that situation doesn’t last, and things turn around sooner than later!!
I wouldn't recommend the crown vic to anyone as a daily driver unless it's being used as a work car. It's built to handle abuse, but if you aren't going to abuse it, what's the point? It's heavy, slow, noticeable body roll, terrible gas mileage, and uncomfortable. Small asian sedan or ford/mazda ranger would be my choice.
At least get what I said correctly. I personally owned the Hondas, a brand new Saturn, and 3 or 4 Crown Vics. Had nothing to do with i know a guy who knows a guy. That's just a total sham of a comment. Like I said, decision made. I'm just staying the course and driving the Mustang.Numerous people have given you sound info (buy a used civic, and daily it for maximum cheapness).. You seem to have a rebuttle for every good miserly car suggested. "I'm convinced all Hondas have bad transmissions", "I know a guy who knows a guy- his Saturn was a pile!"... (paraphrasing here, but, seriously don't think I'm too far off the mark)...
I gotta disagree with you on the uncomfortable part. Unless the only Crown Vics you've ever been in were P71 cars, I can't fathom your standards for comfort that would lead you to determine that a floaty boat like the Ford Panther platform is anything but comfortable.I wouldn't recommend the crown vic to anyone as a daily driver unless it's being used as a work car. It's built to handle abuse, but if you aren't going to abuse it, what's the point? It's heavy, slow, noticeable body roll, terrible gas mileage, and uncomfortable. Small asian sedan or ford/mazda ranger would be my choice.
I gotta disagree with you on the uncomfortable part. Unless the only Crown Vics you've ever been in were P71 cars, I can't fathom your standards for comfort that would lead you to determine that a floaty boat like the Ford Panther platform is anything but comfortable.
My 1990 is like driving a La-Z-Boy down the highway.