Im come to you guys for advice

Makdaddymac

New Member
May 28, 2005
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orlando
Ok here i am on my fourth mustang,(Second fox), and i am older(not old just older since the first pony). I have more bills, different life goals and etc. I cannot afford to have my 5.0 on the road, insurance is to high for both cars and i have to have my DD for work and school. i know its worth 3500 as it sits, 4k if i put my replica sc wheels on when it comes. there is nothing in the area for cheaper, modded or stock as clean as my car. i just need paint and it would be a 4-5k autotrader/craigs worthy car.

anyways, i see the car as money now, more than a enjoyable hobby.i watch the paint fade more every day.i have a little over 3k in it with my mods, so 3500 would still be a profit(something that is not to often when owning and modding a mustang) i have not been in the fox game as long as some, but since i could remember its been my favorite car(s). and just since i had my first when i was 17,i have watched the value of these cars decrease, even out, and now increase drastically...

Long story short, most of you have been in my shoes, sold your foxes and picked up later...i was just seeking some opinions and or regrets others here may have...:shrug:
 
i thought about selling mine but every time i do i see at least two or more guys lamenting the fact that they sold theirs.
If it dont cost you anything to let it sit then keep it. better yet find a buddy that has some space and store it.
 
Didn't you just put a new exhaust on your car? ... and now, suddenly, you're thinking of getting rid of it? :scratch: Dude, you're just like me - fix up a car just to where you like it, and then get rid of it. :D

I got rid of my first Fox back in '02 ('89 5.0 notch T-5) and tried in vain to find something over the next few years that I thought would be more practical and yet anywhere near as fun and easy to work upon. Ultimately, I wound up buying an exact duplicate of the car I had so stupidly gotten rid of, and I had to start alllllll over again with the mods and repairs process. Owning a Fox is like contracting some enjoyable form of herpes in that feels really good when you first get it, and then it just gradually goes away, and later on, over and over again, you have these outbreaks where you love your car all over again (or, if you sold it, you wind up kicking yourself in the nuts for having done so), and it just goes on and on and on. Weird analogy, I know, but that's all I can think of to really compare. :shrug:

A Fox can be a very practical and personally fulfilling DD car, depending on how you have it set up. Obviously, if you have some insane motor and/or really steep gears or some kind of transmission setup that is absolutely a royal PITA to drive normally and is strictly strip-oriented ... yeah, probably not the best DD you could have. But in stock to at least mild form, a 5.0 Fox (especially a hatch) is overall pretty damned good. With a T-5, you can get pretty good gas mileage (mid-20's highway), they're a blast to drive, they're solidly reliable cars (as long as you stay on top of maintenance, as with any car), they're easy to park, the back seat is actually more comfortable than in SN95 or S197 models (definitely more head room), and a hatch model offers a significant amount of cargo space (not as good as an SUV, but still pretty dang good for a small car).

Sure, you could toss aside the 'Stang and go for something more "practical," but for whatever area that other car can do better in, it will also do MUCH worse in other areas, as well ... almost always in the fun-to-drive category. There are other cars that are faster, sure, and better on gas, or quieter, or roomier, or worth more money, or whatever ... but nothing, NOTHING, offers quite the same driving experience as a 5.0 Fox. THAT is why you will regret selling it and will ultimately find yourself looking to buy one again someday.

Personally, if you feel you MUST have something else for a DD ... I'd recommend just saving a bit o' cash and buying a cheap little beater vehicle of some kind and keeping the Fox as your toy. MAKE room, if parking space is an issue - find a relative or friend or someone that will let you rent a parking spot, if nothing else. (Pretty much what I'm doing with my '89 right now, actually.) Otherwise, just DD the Fox and find new ways to stay in love with it ... usually in the form of mods. Forget about resale value. DO NOT look at a Mustang as an investment or as a liquid resource, as you will NEVER get as much out of the car as you should or as much as you'd want, and almost certainly not enough to justify the loss.

And besides, right now with the economy still being in the toilet and everyone being hard up for funds, you're going to have a HELL of a time selling the car and getting any amount out of it at all, definitely nowhere near your asking price, regardless of what you've got invested in it or what condition it's in. ONLY sell a car like that when you absolutely MUST get rid of it, like if you're totally drowning in car payments (on a Fox? How? Why? WTF?!?) and you just need to get out from under it. If you're doing it just to get a different car, you're probably better off trying to trade someone else straight across for the kind of vehicle you (may think that you) need. Again, you're almost never going to get your asking price for a Fox, so if you think you can get $3,500 to $4k for it, in reality you're more likely to wind up only selling it for $2,500 to $3,000; not only are people cheap bastards these days when it comes to buying cars, but folks just flat out can't afford stuff, anymore, and they're more likely looking to buy a Honda or some other more "practical" vehicle, so you'd have to lower the price to something absurd to really make it appealing enough that they could justify considering the purchase in the first place.

Don't do it. Please. Seriously. You WILL regret losing that car. :nono:
 
The 1991 LX I own currently, is a replacement for an identical 1991 LX I used to own. I sold the first one, and regretted it almost instantly. Took me what seemed like forever to find an identical year, paint, interior, options, etc. I won't let that happen again. Keeping this one for a long time.
 
If you like it, keep it.

I still have the 1979 5.0 Capri that I bought in 1981. It has 277k miles, and the trans needs a refresh. I took it off the road to put the tag on the Bullitt last year.

I finally got a carport put up to keep it out of the sun and rain.

Its waiting its turn for refresh until my Chevelle and 82 Mustang get their lastest round.

They are much harder to buy back than to keep. Every single car or major part I have sold I have regretted. So I am keeping them from here on out.
 
I'm content to let mine sit. I have pretty much vowed to myself that I will never sell this car, and I don't plan to. It's a money pit, and I've invested a lot in it. I don't expect to ever make that money back. So, instead I'll use the parts in it for everything they're worth. Barring a wreck, 30 years from now when it's ancient and out of touch, I'll still have it and hopefully it'll be better than it is now.

If you can remember enjoying the drive and the work, and you think you could probably enjoy it again, then don't sell it. But, cover it and protect it while it sits.

Chris