First time Fox buyer: Things to look out for?

[Mintsick]

Hello everyone, I have been a longtime fox fan and recently decided it is time to finally get into one myself. There is a local guy that has been listing a White 1990 LX for a little while and the price has gotten to be very very reasonable. The stats are: 351w (out of a 90's Bronco he claims), edelbrock performer intake w/new Holley 650, new front rotors/pads, new starter, trunk mounted battery (has track approved cut off switch), AOD trans with I am assuming stock gears (hoping for 3.27's, he says it has trac loc). There is some rust on the hatch which I have seen to be common but overall from the pictures it looks pretty clean and all there, under the hood looks clean as well. I am just wondering what are the other common areas/known problem areas I should be looking out for when I do go check out the car in person? Also, does anyone know what kind of power output an early 90's 351w has and how quick a fox would be with a stock powerplant of this nature? Thanks for your help in advance.

 

[faststang90]

look at the tq box area to see if they are not broke or in bad shape.

 

[srtthis]

rusted strut towers and torque boxes

 

[Mintsick]

Ok thanks I will definitely check those 2 areas. As far as the hatch rust, I assume the remedy is to replace with a non-rusted hatch?

 

[srtthis]

that or fiberglass

 

[stykthyn]

for a first fox buyer or if you are not that mechanically inclined I would avoid a modded fox body of any kind, they often come with a whole slew of probs that may be difficult to diagnose and correct. Look for a "stockish" car that has typical bolt ons like exhaust or CAI. Look for rust in the hatch area, shock towers, and damaged TQ boxes like said earlier. Check the backside of some of the plastics inside to make sure they weren't painted a different color. This is especially common in black interior cars. I always check for a functional heater and A/C myself. These can be costly to fix.

 

[Mintsick]

^^ Thanks for the tips. The mechanical part I am not worried about at all, I've pulled engines/trannies/rearends, rebuilt engines, suspensions, electrical, etc etc. but I do want to make sure I get a quality base to start with which you guys are helping with.

The car has a light colored interior and from the few pictures looks to be in good shape, one thing he did mention is that the A/C has been deleted...not a deal breaker for me I don't think but I am hoping it's just that he removed the compressor and is running a smaller belt so that it can be added if I want it there. The heater on the other hand is a deal breaker so I will make sure to check on that stuff.

One other thing I was curious about, I have been a manually tranny guy my whole life but with the good price on this car it seems almost dumb to pass up...so how is the Ford AOD tranny? This is a different automatic from the "C4" auto I see mentioned a lot with Fords yes?

 

[fiveohwblow]

Look out for your wallet to get much thinner, and quicker than anticipated!

Starts with exhaust, the rest is a blur. As for the auto yes it is VERY different than an AOD found in these cars. I would be surprised if he has any amount of power with that 351 if he has the stock aod in there. If you are a five speed man all the way I might suggest waiting for a five speed car. If you wanted to convert to a five speed it may be more hassle then just waiting for another in similar shape with a five speed already.

 

[Jaym14]

check the steering for play.. the rag joints deteriorate in our cars. Look for uneven tire wear and buckled or warped quarters as fox cars are prone to twisting if the body has not been reinforced with subframes and braces. Check how worn down the quarter window trim is... this might be something you overlook because your excited about purchasing your new car. However, if they are in bad shape you will soon (and I mean very soon) come to hate how they look. Good luck

 

[Mintsick]

I've been going back and forth in my head about the auto vs. manual thing a lot which is probably the only reason I haven't gone to look at the car yet, the last thing I want is to be bored with the car so I may keep looking for the right 5spd car. The AOD not sounding like a very strong piece is even more reason to stay away I think, be it a 302 or 351 the motor will not be staying stock for long that's for sure. There has been a lot of great information in here though on what to look out for so I can just apply this to the next one I spot for sale that looks enticing.

 

[cjrpony]

Check the floor under the drivers seat for cracks and tears. This is a weak point too if the subframes have not been tied.

 

[Mustang5L5]

Is it the truck AOD? Or just the motor?


Personally, i'd get an EFI model. Might be personal preference, but something about an 86-93 5.0 with a carb under the hood just never seemed right to me

 

[Mintsick]

Is it the truck AOD? Or just the motor?


Personally, i'd get an EFI model. Might be personal preference, but something about an 86-93 5.0 with a carb under the hood just never seemed right to me

I'm not sure as he didn't sound 100% that it is a bronco 351 but it could very well be the truck AOD as well...is the truck version beefier?

I have the same feeling about the carb when the car came with EFI myself, not that it wouldn't be fun but it seems like a step backwards or the easy way out to me. I'm not even sure if the Bronco 351w has more power stock compared to an EFI 5.0 or not.

 

[Mustang5L5]

actually gthe aod only came on the 302 broncos, so it has to be the mustang aod

A mid 90's bronco 351 made 200HP and 300 TQ.

 

[fiveohwblow]

Pretty anemic considering you have more cubes and less power than a GT...

 

[NIKwoaC]

Bitches. Look out for bitches.

No but seriously- If you want to get into Foxes, somebody's half-ass 351 swap slush-o-matic is probably a bad start. If I were you, I'd be looking into an unmolested (or slightly, slightly, slightly modded) stick car. Buying someone else's hacked-up project car is usually a huge PITA as you find little problems here and there over the years at the fault of the previous owner. Plus, a stock long-block 351 AOD car is going to be a nose-heavy DOG.

 

[rbonella]

Great advise I think...and agree with everyone above. Be patient!!! With spring coming up there should be some nice cars popping up. Without knowing your budget, I would do EXACTLY what was stated above. Look for a nice efi car with no, to little mods. Part of owning these cars is building them into what you truely desire, and being a first time fox owner....there is nothing cooler than driving your stang after your exhaust has been installed, or you new gears put in, or that sweet h/c/intake package you bolted on, and the list goes on and on. From what you have described, it sounds like a project car, and projects are exactly that...but you will be diving into and taking over and finding crap you never anticipated and that will cost time/money/and new drywall lol. Goodluck man!

 

[Mintsick]

Thanks guys you are absolutely right this car does seem like a project, not really what I had in mind. If I can find a stock or lightly modded stick car that would be the ideal situation for me as I intend on driving it as much as possible. I don't have an official budget but I will likely be keeping it under $6k, I do see a lot of very nice looking cars in the $4500-7k range so that should be good for me.

 

[fiveohwblow]

With a budget like that and you were already considering paint and not too concerned with rust I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

 

[Mintsick]

Yes I figure why not spend a bit more and not have to go through fixing little things here and there or settling for something I don't really want.