FOX Body Daily Drivers Advice

[89notchboy]

Hey guys .. can you drive a fox body everyday to work. I work 15 miles from my house all highway and was looking to get a notchback as a daily driver..

What you you guys get as far as gas mileage?

 

[85_SS_302_Coupe]

The more stock you leave it, the better mileage you'll get. Once you start putting power-making toys on it the mpg is gonna drop some. If nothing else leave it with 3.08 gears and that'll really help. Also get a 5 speed if you can and granny shift it. Make sure it's in excellent running condition and keep good tires on it (for rainy/snowy days) and you'll be fine. I drove my '88 through snow that was so deep the nose literally plowed through it and i never go stuck and all i had on it were Goodyear Gatorbacks.

 

[blackened88lx]

It will be fine as a dd but I wouldn't suggest too much travel in the snow. With the mods in my sig I get 17-18mpg around town beating on it, and I got 26-27 on the highway.

 

[SVT32VDOHC]

I would recommend weight in the trunk and over the back seat. My dad put bundles of shingles in an old 95 GT years back...that thing was like a 4X4 truck!! Nothing could stop that car!

 

[PUNISHER RACING]

with a k&n panel, 3.55's, shorties, offroad h pipe, and 12 degrees of timing they will still get 25 mpg highway. Mount some winter digs on the pony's and put 200 lbs in the back they go really well in snow.

 

[ttop88]

I drive 98 miles round trip. With bolt on's and 3.73 gears I still got 27mpg and it ran 12.98@106.

 

[PJB]

I wish my car got the gas mileage you guys are getting. My car is horrible on gas.

 

[ttop88]

Its the aod. My aod car gets 17 highway and 10 in town

 

[Rdrcr]

I DD my '86 GT 5-spd and get 20-22 mpg.

Mike

 

[hemi_fan]

I dd the 90' in the summer, and it gets about 24 highway, 17 city and im pretty rough on it.

 

[90_Red_LX]

Most my car ever got was around 19 city and 23 on highway. I do drive it hard though. With the mods now, 14-16/16-19 tops. As far as a DD, be careful in the rain with it. I've never driven in the snow so I don't know, and since I have a cj7 now I sure as hell ain't gonna find out.

 

[FrankenStang]

I will be DDing my Notch once I sell my '04. It's got 4:10s so the gas mileage isn't the best but, once I am free of teh monthly payment/rediculous insurance bill of the '04, it won't matter.

 

[Darkwriter77]

Used to get about 19 MPG highway (mileage corrected) in my '89 notch with 4.10's and a T-5. The best I've gotten so far with the '86 GT 'vert with stock 3.08's and an AOD is 19 MPG with mostly highway, although I'm sure it's easily capable of 21 MPG ... if only I could resist the urge to dip into the throttle.

If I could score another T-5 Fox, I would DD that thing in a heartbeat. Just leave in the stock gears (or even swap in a 2.73 rear granny gear, if you want), keep your RPM's below 2,500, avoid jackrabbit starts, keep your tank above 1/2 full, monitor your tire pressure closely, and keep everything in the motor clean and well in tune. Getting 25 MPG in a 5.0 Fox can be done (and has been, by many folks).

 

[MustangOwner]

Hey guys .. can you drive a fox body everyday to work. I work 15 miles from my house all highway and was looking to get a notchback as a daily driver..

What you you guys get as far as gas mileage?

In a way, if you look at it... this is dumb question.... Really, you can drive any car you want everyday to work. It just depends on how deep your pockets are!
Reliability depends on maintance. Change your fluids, upkeep the car etc.. and it will last and you can drive it anywhere you want. Doesn't matter if its a junker 5.0 or a brand new super duty. When you buy a Mustang, Gas mileage goes right out the window. These cars are not economy cars, i'm not saying that can't get good gas mileage. But if your buying it to drive daily and your not very weathly, its not wise. Pretty much, if you can't afford to buy a brand new flat screen tv or something like that(Point is you don't have money to burn) you shouldn't be buying a car that is bad on gas when you need every penny you can get. It takes more money to drive a Mustang daily. But if you got it then its no prob. But a cheap 4 cylinder front wheel drive... That is a true daily driver. Its cheap to maintain, good mileage, front wheel drive for winter and is just plain better for dd's.

For instance, i'm a car dealer so i always buy a newer Pontiac grand Prix 2 door for the winter months to drive(Heated leather seats!) and then sell it in the spring. That is a great winter car.

 

[magnj]

I drive mine regularly. When it works it is fun as hell. a Little bumpy, a little noisy with the exhaust but spinning the tires on demand is sweet lol. BUT, if it is modded, old, etc; be careful. Mine has electrical issues out the ass and back, so every day turns out to be a gamble. Make sure it was taken good care of and take your time picking one. At this point im considering selling it or striping the hell out of it and taking out ever possible un-necessary item to try to lower my possible issues.

 

[fivespeedsteed]

ive been dd'ing mine for a while and it isnt bad. i dont drive it in the snow, im getting a jeep to do that becasue im at school in the mountains. i enjoyed driving it everyday. just make sure everything is in good working condition and have fun.

 

[5spd GT]

Drag radials can be dangerous on a daily driver from my experience.

I increased my mileage by around 3 mpg after I started modifying my car.

Heads, cam, intake.

 

[Mustang5L5]

You can drive one....question is, do you want to drive one?


I for one can't. I've been spoiled by the amenities of newer cars.

Plus it's just wear and tear on the vehicle. If you save it for the weekends, you tend to have more fun with it. Trust me...when you drive it every day, it gets old

 

[PJB]

Its the aod. My aod car gets 17 highway and 10 in town

The last I checked I got about 12 mpg and that was with the 2.73's still in it.

Im hoping the gas mileage increases once I put the T5 in it and get it tuned.

I need to run premium in it now and its over $3.50 a gallon.

 

[PJB]

You can drive one....question is, do you want to drive one?


I for one can't. I've been spoiled by the amenities of newer cars.

Plus it's just wear and tear on the vehicle. If you save it for the weekends, you tend to have more fun with it. Trust me...when you drive it every day, it gets old

Im with you on that.
Mine rides hard, rattles, sucks gas, the exhaust drones and the gears whine so its definately not something Id want to drive everyday.
The AOD is a POS and it doesnt shift right (cable is adjusted wrong and sometimes falls off) and it shakes the car when slowing down (due to cable).

Actually everytime I drive it I appreciate my other car even more. I like getting into a car so quiet I dont know its running and its nice to know that Im not going to have any issues with getting to where I need to go.