Fox Considering A 5.0 Foxbody

You got it!

looks decent. I would check the undercarriage for rust, as well as the shock towers. Also take a look at the torque boxes, which are where the rear control arms are mounted to the body, they can get beat up if the car was beat on.

If you buy it, I strongly recommend removing that rail mounted fuel presure gauge! I would also make sure to get subframe connectors welded in.

GL

Seems cheap. What's wrong with it other than needing paint?

Welcome to Stangnet...

Not all of us know how to fix everything, but some of us know how to fix some things
with excellence!

Places to check out here on Stangnet:
http://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/threads/technical-thread-how-to-index.808661/ How to do it tips for some of the most common problems and upgrades for 5.0 Fox body Mustangs.
http://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/threads/the-official-progress-threads-thread.761371/ the collection of build/progress threads from Stangnet members. You get to find ideas and clues to what works well and what doesn’t.
http://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/resources/ Has tech tips for common problems on Mustangs.

If you are in California or some other state with strict emissions laws, part of the deal should be that the owner takes the car and has it emissions tested. If it passes, you buy the car and pay for the emissions test cost, if any. If it does not pass, walk away from the deal. For a mechanically inexperienced owner, emissions related problems can be difficult and expensive to fix. Avoid any car that was originally EFI and has been converted to carb like the plague. That's often a clue to the fact the previous owner had problems and the resulting hack job has MORE problems.

Keep in mind that states with strict emissions laws may make the go faster goals more difficult to reach. Some parts are OK to replace with aftermarket parts and others aren't. Check carefully before you get out your wallet and buy something you can't use in the area where you live.


If you want to do the fix up & power up thing, make sure that you have some other form of reliable daily driver. That way the stang can sit while your wallet and hands take a rest from the last project that didn't quite get finished on that 3 day weekend. Things always cost more and take longer the first time you do them. Having some other working vehicle makes life easier since it isn't the big crush to get it running for the Monday morning drive to work or class.

Plan on spending some money on tools it you don't already have them. The stang has both metric and American fasteners, so you really need two sets of wrenches. A timing light, digital voltmeter, vacuum gauge, compression tester, fuel pressure test gauge and fuel line coupler tools are some of the test & tuning tools you'll need. Visit the pawn shops and sometimes you can find a deal on tools & test equipment if you stick to well known name brands.

A sheltered work area is almost a must, someplace that you can leave the car in pieces without upsetting anyone. Some guys here have changed a transmission in the parking lot of their apartment in a rainstorm, but they will tell you it wasn't fun. Depending on where you live, a warm dry garage is a nice place to do the winter projects that stangs tend to become.

EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection) Computer - every stang after 85 has or had one: don't let it intimidate you. The computer based EFI systems are not hard to fix and most of the time they tell you what's wrong with the engine. Here's a book that will get you started with how the Ford electronic engine control or "computer" works.

Ford Fuel Injection & Electronic Engine Control 1988-1993 by James Probst: ISBN 0-8376-0301-3.

It's about $35-$45 from Borders.com see http://www.amazon.com/ . Select books and then select search. Use the ISBN number (without dashes or spaces) to do a search

Use the ISBN number and your local library can get you a loaner copy for free. Only thing is you are limited to keeping the book for two weeks. It is very good, and I found it to be very helpful.

For lots of great ideas and tech notes on upgrades and repairs, be sure to check
out http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=643651 “Useful Technical Thread Index” sticky at the top of the 5.0 Tech forum.

Things that break often:
T5 5 speed manual transmission (syncros go bad, mostly 3rd gear)
TFI Module (Thin Film Ignition module - mounts on the distributor)
Electric door locks (see the link in my sig for a cheap & easy fix)
O2 sensors(oxygen sensors) They are good for about 60,000 miles and start to go down hill after that.
TPS Sensor (Throttle Position Sensor) causes flaky problems with idle & acceleration.
Fog lights They overheat the wiring and cause the headlights to flicker. The fix is cheap and simple if you can do electrical stuff.
Harmonic Balancer – they separate between the hub and outer ring. A harmonic balancer puller is a must have to change it. You can rent or borrow a puller from most of the larger auto parts stores.

Things that are very durable: Engine - as long as it hasn't been abused, it will run good for 150,000-200,000 miles without an overhaul
Rear axle - other than an occasional case of worn clutches in the traction lock, they almost never have problems.
Computer - believe it or not, the computers seldom have problems of their own. Most of the problems are with the sensors and the wiring.
Suspension – the front and rear suspension has very few problems if the car hasn’t been wrecked or seen a lot of drag strip runs. The drag strip runs tend to distort and tear the mount points for the rear axle control arms. Revving the engine up to 4000 RPM and dumping the clutch with slicks or drag radials tends to break things.

Things that don’t break often but are hard to fix:
Water pump mount bolts – they corrode and shear off when you try to change the water pump.
Rear oil seal on the engine – lots of parts to remove to get to a $20 seal.
Power steering pump – the pumps are noisy and the pulley requires some special tools to remove and install. If you have the tools, they are easy to do. Again, the larger auto parts stores will rent or loan the tools for the pulley.
Power Steering rack - it is hard to get the toe in set so that you can drive the car to the shop to get it properly aligned.
Starter – the top bolt is hard to get a socket on if you don’t have the right combination of socket, universal joint and extensions.

Everything considered, 5.0 Mustangs are not hard to work on. They just require some patience and though before you get started.

If the car runs well and is relatively rust free that would be a good buy imo. I paid more than that for mine a few years ago and it still is 4 lug.

Hard to tell if it's a decent deal or if it's over priced. Does it have a clear title? The engine bay is black and the outside of the car is a light color and hard to tell what color it is or how straight the body is with a dark picture. Hopefully that engine bay wasn't a rattle can paint job. Check the door jambs and inside of the hatch for the original car color.

Other than the 4 wheel disc 5 lug swap this mustang seems average. Engine probably is close to stock with stock heads and lacking in power which isn't a bad thing just don't get overly excited about a polished intake manifold.

Things to check
-wiring under dash for cut and spliced wires
-torque boxes
-do doors open and close correctly
-check radiator core support around head lights for damage, signs of an accident
-take the car for a long drive, after the drive leave it running while it's parked. Turn off car and then try to restart it while it's hot. If it doesn't start then there's a problem and this guy didn't tell you about it.
-run the vin # to ensure this is an original V8 car
http://www.fleet.ford.com/maintenance/vin-decoder/

I never trust guys who list ported polished stock heads without paperwork to back it up.

What kind of 5 lug conversion?

Here's something to compare to, I'm in Spokane so take it with a grain of salt. Clean Fox 5.0 cars are few and far between.


Procharged Coupe

Up for sale is a Clean and fast 5.0 Mustang. lots of add-ons and have all paperwork for engine work done. 5 speed manual, weld aluminum wheels, BF Goodrich Radial T/As, ProCharger supercharger. This is very fun and fast fox body. comes with lots of extras including original wheels and tires. It is in very good shape and a lot of car for the money. Pics speak for itself. Call or text Johnny for more info Asking 7000 OBO. Thanks for looking. Serious inquires only please. No tire kickers or joy rides.

Next up, low mileage LX hatch not far away from me but very similar to your car you posted about

1990 foxbody mustang , lx ,5.0 , auto . Motor is stock with the exception of some bolt ons , 44090 original miles , second owner . Ive had it for 7 years and only put 6000 miles on it . No rust , never been wrecked , comes with some extra stuff too . Open to offers , but cash or cashiers check(and car stays with me til checks cashed) can deliver halfway to missoula or even superior for the right price . Clear and clean title in hand , more pics available . Hurry before it goes in the garage for the winter , first offer over 5000 takes it home

Mustang5L5 said:

I'd take that red LX for $5K

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I really like that one too. If I was a buyer my biggest fear would be when I see it I walk around back of the car and see Euro tail lights and then I get arrested for punching the owner in the face.

Painting is a commitment, for all others there's Plasti-dip. Just pressure wash it off and your good to go.

Both those Mustangs have been for sale for quite some time.

I like the coupes but I wont pay the, what I call, "coupe tax"

Us Coupe owners are just better than hatch owners, even if we pay a (lol) "coupe tax"

damn elitist