Looking to buy later model fox body

I'm looking to buy a foxbody. I've owned a 94 Supercharged Bonneville SSEi and a 97 Bonneville SLE, both turned out to need a lot of work. Sold the 94, and now my 97 just dumped it's 4th JY trans (yay warrantys) and I'm tired of it and warranty expired 50 miles ago. I want 5 speed so I can control the shifts and apply power how it was meant to be applied, and I want RWD. I owned a 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis for my first car and I have to say it was a great car. Besides the intake plenum cracking (replaced with alum crossover) and the trans going (I think from a combo of OLDDD trans fluid when I did the change something got knocked loose and I only had 2nd gear), that car was way more reliable than my GMs and it would still be on the road if someone didn't rear-end it.

I think the category I land in for my criteria (Under $5k, RWD, 5/6SPD, Power, moddable), I think a foxbody is a perfect candidate for my next vehicle. From what I've seen on this forum, the stock 5.0s are pretty reliable with maintenance and adding gears can increase 1/4 mile time by a whole second. To me, that's very effective use of mod money! I've been told 94+ gen is quite a bit slower, so I'm avoiding those.

Here are my questions:
Can these things be modified pretty easily and cheap to handle well? i.e. stiffer sway bar/links, quality perhaps wider tires? I wouldn't imagine they handle that great stock from what I've seen on youtube.

Is this a practical car for a daily driver? I'd have either 3.73s or 4.10s installed, probably 3.73s. I drive about 60-80 miles a day, how's the MPGs? I could squeeze 32 out of the Bonnevilles, and I know that's not realistic for a fox body, but will they do ~25 MPG on the highway?

Are they fairly reliable vehicles in stock motor form? I'd have gears, probably a pretty full exhaust setup, intake, etc but probably minor (rockers) to no engine modifications if I can find one around here that isn't already modified.

Should I be afraid of being able to find interior parts for these cars that I find with great exteriors and horrible interiors?

How quick are they? I'm shooting for a 90-93 notchback 5.0 5spd, and I would like to see myself pushing 14.4s with a skilled driver. Will gears/exhaust/intake put me there?

First time mustang buyer here, any tips/suggestions would be great. Thanks!
 
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This thread might get locked... But maybe not.

Here are my questions:
Can these things be modified pretty easily and cheap to handle well? i.e. stiffer sway bar/links, quality perhaps wider tires? I wouldn't imagine they handle that great stock from what I've seen on youtube.

Easy/cheap- YES. Handle OK in stock form, but brakes suck.

Is this a practical car for a daily driver? I'd have either 3.73s or 4.10s installed, probably 3.73s. I drive about 60-80 miles a day, how's the MPGs? I could squeeze 32 out of the Bonnevilles, and I know that's not realistic for a fox body, but will they do ~25 MPG on the highway?

Practical? Not like a Honda Civic is practical, no. Some manage 20+ mpg highway, but you'd be killing that with 4.10s.

Are they fairly reliable vehicles in stock motor form? I'd have gears, probably a pretty full exhaust setup, intake, etc but probably minor (rockers) to no engine modifications if I can find one around here that isn't already modified.

10 years ago they were. Most Foxes these days, however, are much to old to be very reliable. Even with low miles, you'll have gasket rot, cracking hoses, worn bushings, etc just from age.

Should I be afraid of being able to find interior parts for these cars that I find with great exteriors and horrible interiors?

Yes. Start with a complete car, you'll be much better off.

How quick are they? I'm shooting for a 90-93 notchback 5.0 5spd, and I would like to see myself pushing 14.4s with a skilled driver. Will gears/exhaust/intake put me there?

Expect 13's if not 12's if you're a good driver with sticky tires.

First time mustang buyer here, any tips/suggestions would be great. Thanks!
 
If youre not very mechanically inclined, i wouldnt recommend it. I like working on cars and learning, and i have a pretty diverse array of tools at my disposal, so i dont flip out when something little happens. If, from day one, i did every repair and every mod by paying some shop to do it for me, my car would have cost me three times as much as it has.

On the flip side, i routinely get 25+ mpg highway, but thats with 3.08 gears. It still starts up everytime and gets me where i need to go but many of the amenities have died. Typical american crap, i suppose. Engine and drivetrain run great but everything else is dead. I have no heat, no AC, and the rear defroster is dead. Winter gets interesting! My car is a POS though, im sure youll be able to find a better one than mine. Im just in it for the drivetrain at this point. 4 banger swap is in my future, for sure!
 
engine mods on the cheap:

GT40P heads, explorer intake, larger maf, 65-70mm Tb, bump timing, better exhaust, 24lb injectors & a tune for basic starters it goes up from here.

suspension basics, 1st place to start subframe connectors, decent set of dampers/springs and you are on your way. be careful with sway bars, they should be the last thing on your list they really effect the car. you can expand to better control arms and it goes from there.

gears if you are daily driving it and doing that much mileage stay away from 4.10's. even with 3.73 the gas mileage is going to be poor, mine went down hill after going from the stock 2.73's, it isn't bad but much less tha it used to be. I don't really care though I don't daily my car. I would go with 3.55 or 3.27.

NikwoaC pretty much nailed the 1/4 mile answer.

stuff to look for. Rust..mostly you want to look at the strut towers at the seams they blow out there. check the floors, trunk/hatch floors and rear part of the frame, these would be the most costly areas. The 5spd is known for 3rd gear issues and a rebuild is usually the only fix. The temp gauge is known not to work, also the speedo is known to bounce this can be the speedo cable or worn speedo gear very easy to fix so don't pass on a nice fox over this. I'm sure others will fill in since I know I have forgotten some stuff, best of luck.
 
foxes are really reliable cars. all you have to do is keep up with your maintanace. i always think back to a muscle mustangs fast fords issue where the redid the interior of a fox, and their opening thing was that foxes powertrains outlast their interiors, once you get over 150k the motor and all is fine, but the interior has seen better days. my 90 gt is 19 years old, has 105k miles on it and when i bought it it had 82k. the guy that had it before me put 1000 miles on it in 10 years, we bought it and drove it 8 hours home, with not a single hiccup. its always run for me when i ask it to and hasnt given me a lick of trouble. my 01 grand cherokee has a new motor, and entire new cooling system and i dont trust it as far as i can throw it. im pretty sure im gonna end up ditching that one for a 08 f150 fx4.

inorder to have a fun fox all that is really needed is a simple 5 lug conversion, which can be done for real cheap, or real expensive, but a nice meet in the middle will fix the stock fox brakes that suck by manys standards. even when i had stock brakes i could lock all the tires up no problem, but many find stock brakes undesireable.

many companies exist like maximum motorsports that you can call and talk to and spend however much you want to spend and have your fox handling great. first off is stiffening up the chassis with subframe connectors, and a strut tower brace, then its really up to a well thought out shock/strut and spring combo, and caster camber plates. that there with good tires will handle pretty darn well in my opinion.

mine has the stock 2.73 rear end and i love it. at 80 mph im turning 2k rpms's and i have gotten well into the 25-30mpg range then, and ive gotten 18 or so around town with easy driving. if you do a gear like a 3.27 20mpg highway is very do-able, and around town mileage should be close to my 18mpg if you can drive it slow enough.

finding interior parts can be done, just takes time and looking around. just like doing a 5 lug swap you have to sit around and research and collect parts and then once youve got it all its a straight foward deal, just like with interior. every now and then you can come across some nice stock parts for a fox, just have to keep your eyes peeled.
 
Well, the newest Foxbody is over 16 years old, so no matter what you are dealing with an old car. What's been going on in those 16+ years can make a night and day difference.

They are reliable because they are simple, if they do break parts are easy to find and cheap for the most part.

As far as suspension is concerned, start with good aftermarket solid control arms and some subframe connectors. Honesty there is so much you can do it's impossible to list in one day.

Step away from FWD V6's into a rwd V8 and you'll never look back.
 
I forgot to mention, I am very maintenance savvy and have my PA state inspection license, have swapped engines and transmissions in various fwd and rwd applications when I went to votech in high school and in personal time for friends. I don't mind little things here and there, sure a 19 year old car is going to have some defects. My only thing is I want it to start and run every day for school, and I would even consider getting a beater civic or something to drive on the side of MPGz get too bad. Only area I haven't dabbled in is the lower motor (as we all know, GM 60* 6's love to eat through lower intake mani gaskets, so I'm 5x experienced with that between my cars and friend's cars). I've helped people work on the lower end, but I wouldn't be capable to do that stuff myself without a manual or a friend for bearing tolerances and what not.

Though I'm pretty mechanically inclined, I've never had a car that I can truly modify. So, that being said, the mod world is pretty new to me.

13s? Really? I think the only vehicle I've driven in my life capable of 13s is an early 90s Nissan 300ZX TT. I used to consider myself a somewhat spirited driver, but when I got my Bonneville I lost my ability to lay rubber and disconnect the rear end from the road and driving kind of became like a chore lol.

I can see there's a lot of support for these things, lots of good info here. Thanks.

P.S. Why may this thread get locked? Did I miss a forum category somewhere? lol
 
13s? Really?

P.S. Why may this thread get locked? Did I miss a forum category somewhere? lol

Yessir. Lots of guys going high 12s without ever even touching the motor. Of course things like gears, exhaust, pulleys, short belt, tires, etc are what get you there.

NikwoaC might have confused your statement of "looking to buy" has a possible sales type thread which are not allowed on here. That's the only thing I can think of :shrug:.

Yep... The thread title. "WTB" threads aren't allowed in Talk, and at first glance that's what this thread looked like.
 
It won't get locked. This is more of an advice thread than an actual WTB thread.


Personally, i'd buy a 94-95 Cobra 5.0L. They can bang out a low 14' high 13 stock. They are very well upgraded over a Fox 5.0 in terms of suspension and brakes, the chassis rides better, a more comfortable daily driver and they still are a 5.0 based platform meaning cheap to fix and cheap to modify.

As much as I love the fox, i would do a 94-95 cobra if i could do it all over again

Plus you get cool little worms on your fenders
 
12s are way easy on a stock bottom end, just takes bolt ons, gears, a properly working trac lock, heads cam and intake and a good set of tires with a driver. there are many different directions you can go with these and they sure are fun to pour money into.
 
Here are my questions:
Can these things be modified pretty easily and cheap to handle well? i.e. stiffer sway bar/links, quality perhaps wider tires? I wouldn't imagine they handle that great stock from what I've seen on youtube.

Yes

Is this a practical car for a daily driver? I'd have either 3.73s or 4.10s installed, probably 3.73s. I drive about 60-80 miles a day, how's the MPGs? I could squeeze 32 out of the Bonnevilles, and I know that's not realistic for a fox body, but will they do ~25 MPG on the highway?

No its not practical. Worthless in rain and winter. 3:73's or 4:10's and your not even practical to drive 75mph on the highway. Expect 20mpg at the highest. These cars are not daily drivers. They are weekend toys.

Are they fairly reliable vehicles in stock motor form? I'd have gears, probably a pretty full exhaust setup, intake, etc but probably minor (rockers) to no engine modifications if I can find one around here that isn't already modified.

These are not cars that you would want to drive as daily driver.

Should I be afraid of being able to find interior parts for these cars that I find with great exteriors and horrible interiors?

These cars are starting to get old. As with any cars, clean parts are hard to find and you have to pay for them when you find them. So don't think saving $100.00 for a bad interior is a good deal.

How quick are they? I'm shooting for a 90-93 notchback 5.0 5spd, and I would like to see myself pushing 14.4s with a skilled driver. Will gears/exhaust/intake put me there?

Yes

First time mustang buyer here, any tips/suggestions would be great. Thanks!

I think your buying a Fox Mustang for the wrong reason. Realistically speaking. These cars are old enough to the point where they are just toys now. They are not modern. Buy a Ford Tauras, 500, f150, etc for a daily driver. Some will come on here and say, "I drive mine everyday and i'm fine." Well awesome. But when you drive a Mustang daily(Talking about a old car like a FOX not a modern s197) you have to "withstand" driving it everyday. You don't just drive it everyday like you do with a normal car. If you want to buy a Fox as a secondary car and you can drive it to work somedays and cruise around at night or with the day off, then more power to yah. But to drive it daily, i highly suggest a different path. Anybody who is realistic will agree with me.
 
Yeah... I agree. I've been talking to MANY mustang enthusiasts, both online and a few of my buddys, and I think I've decided that I'm looking for a 94-95 Cobra and doing mild modification. Ontop of that, I plan on getting yet another vehicle to drive in the rain/snow/days I want to get normal gas mileage.
 
My fox is very reliable.. When something goes out in it i know exactly what it is. My ls1 camaro on the other hand when somehting goes out.. Its like 1 of 399838 possibilities.

I say go for it. When something does go out in it. It will be cheap and to the point
 
If you buy a stock fox for under 5K plan on replacing everything. Full tune up, all filters, fluids, module on distributor. Then look into other stuff. What goes bad automatically are the sway bar bushings and end links. The rear control arm bushings go bad too. The front bushings aren't as prone. I've seen high mileage Michigan 4cyl cars and 8cyl cars with good front bushings. Ball joints last a while, but are cheap to replace. I would also look into the brakes. You can get good replacement parts from the store to keep them working properly, but there are a lot of options to upgrade cheap. 94-98 calipers and rotors, 94-95 spindles, Ranger rear axles to swap for 5 lug and retain drum brakes.

The fox modding and upgrading is endless.
 
I think your buying a Fox Mustang for the wrong reason. Realistically speaking. These cars are old enough to the point where they are just toys now. They are not modern. Buy a Ford Tauras, 500, f150, etc for a daily driver. Some will come on here and say, "I drive mine everyday and i'm fine." Well awesome. But when you drive a Mustang daily(Talking about a old car like a FOX not a modern s197) you have to "withstand" driving it everyday. You don't just drive it everyday like you do with a normal car. If you want to buy a Fox as a secondary car and you can drive it to work somedays and cruise around at night or with the day off, then more power to yah. But to drive it daily, i highly suggest a different path. Anybody who is realistic will agree with me.
You have already proven thinking is not your strong suit.
"I want a Mustang, tell me about them"
"Go buy a Taurus"
:nonono:


Anyway, OP: The Fox Mustang can be a very reliable and easy to use car as a DD, I have had 5 or 6 as DD and they were great and got allot of looks. I would only go 3.73 gears though if you spend allot of time on the highway. I would also do full length sub frame connectors because it really does make the car ride much nicer. An electric fan with a 3G conversion is a good idea because it allows the car to idle in traffic much better and allows the A/C to blow colder at idle. The A/C needs all the help it can get in a Fox. :rlaugh:

Now that being said, a 94-95 GT would be a better DD. Yes its a bit slower because it weigs more but its a much more comfertable car for DD duty. Better brakes and ABS for one and a quieter interior. Also their A/C works much better. Foxes are starting to be rare so they are getting really expensive. $5000 will buy a decient car but $5000 will buy a much lower mile SN95 GT with less issues. Plus you dont have to do a 5-lug swap or a 3G conversion as its already there. :D
All the mods a Fox can use can also be used in the 94-95. Plus its not unheard of to get a 94-95 Cobra for around $5000. Hell there is a 97 Cobra (32V Aluminum 300hp V-8) just south of me for $4800 and thats a real bad ass. :nice:

Good luck, hope it helpes some.
 
If you buy a stock fox for under 5K plan on replacing everything. Full tune up, all filters, fluids, module on distributor. Then look into other stuff. What goes bad automatically are the sway bar bushings and end links. The rear control arm bushings go bad too. The front bushings aren't as prone. I've seen high mileage Michigan 4cyl cars and 8cyl cars with good front bushings. Ball joints last a while, but are cheap to replace. I would also look into the brakes. You can get good replacement parts from the store to keep them working properly, but there are a lot of options to upgrade cheap. 94-98 calipers and rotors, 94-95 spindles, Ranger rear axles to swap for 5 lug and retain drum brakes.

The fox modding and upgrading is endless.

+1

As soon as you buy a "cheaper" fox, expect to have to go through it. My friend's sister just bought a 5.0, and before she can even drive it he's been going though it replacing wear and tear items and such.

It's the reason why clean, well-taken care of Fox's go for so much. Sometimes i say "Why is this guy asking $6K for this Mustang", and then i look it over and everything's been replaced, new bushings, rubber trim, door strikers, all the little stuff.

9 times out of 10 when you see an ad for a Fox Mustang, they just list all the mods on it and fail to tell you the door is falling off the hinges until you go to look at the car.

At that point, i walk away. :shrug: