Buying My First 88' Lx 5.0

nicholas domenicone · Oct 14, 2013

I'm currently away from home deployed but am buying my first mustang to be ready when i get back. From what my friend i'm buying it from and i can tell there's only a few upgrades but needs some serious work on the exterior and interior. He is going to be painting and putting the interior together for me while i am away as well as fixing some rust holes under the drivers side floor panel. The previous owner that he traded with for the car told him it has had a trans converison from auto to a standard with a brand new clutch and short shifter. Also it has headers and a flowmaster exhaust on it, I don't know the brands of the other parts put in but the car runs fine just looks like its in rough shape. I'm not looking to put to much money into i want to get some good horsepower in the long run as a minor project car but also maintaining it as a daily driver. So taking into account the upgrades already in the car whats the next best step without breaking the bank? Pictures will be uploaded soon as well and you can see the rough shape its in.

stykthyn · Oct 14, 2013

Yikes. Sight unseen, rough all the around, and rust? Unless to owe your friend a big favor pass. To resurrect a trashed interior could easily cost up to a couple grand. Rough paint, body moldings, and metal damage will add another 2-3k minimum to fix. You're in 4k minimum with what you have already said is wrong. From what you describe this is a parts car. Keep looking.

nicholas domenicone · Oct 14, 2013

here are the pics i have, i'm getting more soon of the interior and the engine compartment. i may have made it sound worse than it is. the body structurally is fine just needs paint and the interior is there just needs to be put in. theres a long story behind it but to paraphrase it, the previous owner got the car but didn't want it i guess who ever had it before him went to said previous owner for a paint job then couldn't afford it and needed money so he sold it to him. then that guy traded it to my friend who is currently fixing it up for me in his down time.

nicholas domenicone · Oct 14, 2013

nicholas domenicone · Oct 14, 2013

nicholas domenicone · Oct 14, 2013

nicholas domenicone · Oct 14, 2013

reldla1996 · Oct 14, 2013

I'd pass on that, unless that particular car was sentimental to me. You'd save money buying a cleaner one to start.

mikestang63 · Oct 14, 2013

nicholas domenicone said:

Two words.

RUN AWAY

stykthyn · Oct 14, 2013

screaming

elarm1 · Oct 14, 2013

Don't be so hard on the guy! Body work has already been prepped, just needs interior and paint. Nice base to start with to me

mikestang63 · Oct 14, 2013

elarm1 said:
Don't be so hard on the guy! Body work has already been prepped, just needs interior and paint. Nice base to start with to me

If you think all that car needs is some paint and interior, then your are looking at a different car than the rest of us.

elarm1 · Oct 14, 2013

Looking at his goal, it can be a running project and used parts can be had for cheap IF he can do the work himself.

"I'm not looking to put to much money into i want to get some good horsepower in the long run as a minor project car but also maintaining it as a daily driver."

It is ugly as sin but I think this "GT" can be a gem. OP, this car is not a LX

nicholas domenicone · Oct 14, 2013

elarm1 said:
Looking at his goal, it can be a running project and used parts can be had for cheap IF he can do the work himself.

"I'm not looking to put to much money into i want to get some good horsepower in the long run as a minor project car but also maintaining it as a daily driver."

It is ugly as sin but I think this "GT" can be a gem. OP, this car is not a LX

Thanks for understanding where i was coming from as in this is a project car, and yes i've seen the whole car underside, inside outside everywhere the paint and interior is the biggest thing to be done which is why i'm not asking advice about that its the performance end i'm asking about. It is an lx just someone slapped some gt body work on it, i ran the vin on it. This car isn't going to be the nicest car in the world, its going to be just my own little toy to tinker around with for awhile as a starter car, if it develops into further then so be it, if not it'll will stay as the fun daily driver that im looking for anyways.

JD1964 · Oct 14, 2013

Even cars that look good in pictures can turn out to be complete junk. It's all the stuff you don't see that gets you. So, when you see a car that looks like that in pictures, you can bank on the idea it's gonna need just about everything. Considering the money you would spend (even if you did alot of the work yourself), you would be much better off spending the money in one lump sum on a nice car. And if you're in the service, the credit union will loan you the money. You can probably get 6k in your pocket for about $100 a month payment. With 6k cash, you can buy a nice Fox Body and hit the streets having fun. Besides.....ask, and any of us will tell you that even maintaining a nice one is enough work in itself.

I'm with the others who recommend you pass on this one.

Thanks for your service to our country. I really appreciate it.

nicholas domenicone · Oct 14, 2013

John Dirks Jr said:
Even cars that look good in pictures can turn out to be complete junk. It's all the stuff you don't see that gets you. So, when you see a car that looks like that in pictures, you can bank on the idea it's gonna need just about everything. Considering the money you would spend (even if you did alot of the work yourself), you would be much better off spending the money in one lump sum on a nice car. And if you're in the service, the credit union will loan you the money. You can probably get 6k in your pocket for about $100 a month payment. With 6k cash, you can buy a nice Fox Body and hit the streets having fun. Besides.....ask, and any of us will tell you that even maintaining a nice one is enough work in itself.

I'm with the others who recommend you pass on this one.

Thanks for your service to our country. I really appreciate it.

I completely agree that if i had the money it would be better off buying it as a lump sum and putting into a nicer car, i like doing all my own work though so thats why i didn't mind the car being a little rough on the eyes to begin with. The paint and interior will be already complete when i get back from my tour so its of no worry to me. I plan on doing all of the work that goes into this myself since i will have access to a full garage at any reasonable hour and there's not any major undertakings going into to start where it would be something i'm not comfortable with doing myself. On top of all those reasons this is something that i wouldn't take out another loan for a nicer one mainly for the fact i just got a brand new car for the family back home so that she can drive around safely with no worries. Another loan would be exactly something we don't need. You're welcome for the service, freedom isn't free as they.

JD1964 · Oct 14, 2013

Here is a real world comparison. I paid $6000 for the car pictured below. 54,000 original miles 5.0 5spd. All original. I put the wheels on it and lowered the front end. I still have the stock LX wheels and tires stored in the attic. I borrowed 6K from the credit union over 5 years. The payments are $106 a month. Think about it.

Sharad · Oct 14, 2013

Looks like it needs some body work. Being an '88, it'll need some suspension work too.

JD1964 · Oct 14, 2013

.....ah, a family to maintain too huh? All the more reason your time is valuable. All the more reason to get a nicer car to begin with. It would suck if your significant other began to resent the time you choose with the car rather than the family. We have all been there...done that. Plus if you get a nice one, she'll wanna ride with you.

But I'm sorry for putting my opinion towards more personal aspects of your situation. It's just a little wisdom from having fought through these things myself. I'm sure others here know exactly where I'm coming from..

nicholas domenicone · Oct 14, 2013

1. already bought the car its mine, nothing else i can do about it.
2. i don't have good enough credit to handle another loan, as well as my monthly income when i get back home to my civilian job is nowhere near what i'm making on this deployment.
3. i'm understanding where everyone else is coming from but i'm not here to ask if this was the right car or not i was here for advice on what should i possibly do next with the car when i get back home and can really start getting down and dirty into it.
Yes there are other ways to have gone about getting a mustang that could've been better but this was what was presented to me and this is what i wanted, a nice little project car that i can over time fix up.

Buying My First 88' Lx 5.0

nicholas domenicone

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stykthyn

I want to measure mine. It doesn't look that tall.

nicholas domenicone

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nicholas domenicone

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nicholas domenicone

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nicholas domenicone

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nicholas domenicone

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reldla1996

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mikestang63

stykthyn

I want to measure mine. It doesn't look that tall.

elarm1

mikestang63

elarm1

nicholas domenicone

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JD1964

there is enough sticking out to grab on to

nicholas domenicone

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JD1964

there is enough sticking out to grab on to

Sharad

ALWAYS choose the V over the P!!! Wait... what?

JD1964

there is enough sticking out to grab on to

nicholas domenicone

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Buying My First 88' Lx 5.0

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I want to measure mine. It doesn't look that tall.

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there is enough sticking out to grab on to

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there is enough sticking out to grab on to

ALWAYS choose the V over the P!!! Wait... what?

there is enough sticking out to grab on to

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