Daily drive a fox with no smog pump? Yah sure, sounds like fun
Daily drive a hobby car without a hobby car budget? Yah sure
Do you have snow any months of the year where you are?
They arent hobby cars to everyone... I see two 4 cyl foxes running around as DD's on my way to work each morning.
Any car can be a reliable DD if it is properly maintained. The trick is finding a good enough car to begin with.
I drove a fox to college after work twice a week for four years. It was about 200 miles round trip and it left me stranded twice during that time. Once on the highway in rush hour traffic when the fuel pump died and once in the parking lot at 11 at night when the transmission refused to upshift out of first.* The difference between my situation and yours is that my car was new back then and had less than 60,000 miles on it at the time.
No matter what decision you make, have a plan for when the car breaks down. They all do, it's just a matter of when.
* yes, it was the bushing.
No matter what decision you make, have a plan for when the car breaks down. They all do, it's just a matter of when.
* yes, it was the bushing.
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7upstang91
10 Year Member
Back in Highschool I used to go back and forth between TWO foxbodies, because one was always broken. No way I would drive one 62 miles a day. Go buy a cheap beater and call it a day. School is way more important than having a fun car at this point in life.
I don't think I could DD a fox 62 miles each way anymore. I'm sure it could be done, but that's about an hour and a half of pure highway drone that will get old fast.
20 years ago when I actually did DD my fox, I used to not enjoy the car because I was always in it sitting in traffic or droning on the highway.
These cars are pretty simple and reliable so I have no doubt it couldn't be done. Just make sure the suspension is intact, the brakes are in good shape and you aren't going to burn 2 quarts of oil as you cruise at 3k rpm and you should be on.
20 years ago when I actually did DD my fox, I used to not enjoy the car because I was always in it sitting in traffic or droning on the highway.
These cars are pretty simple and reliable so I have no doubt it couldn't be done. Just make sure the suspension is intact, the brakes are in good shape and you aren't going to burn 2 quarts of oil as you cruise at 3k rpm and you should be on.
The reliability of a college education is more of a concern than the Fox IMO. If you have tools, mechanical ability, and the car is mechanically sound then I say go for it. People play it way too safe these days. We're not talking about getting a DD for your dream career job that you wouldn't want to mess up, we're talking about school. The same school that will hand you an overpriced degree and land you a job waiting tables at the local Red Lobster or driving a forklift. Enjoy life and drive the car you love if you want (I did), or, get a civic and save on gas (I did this too at one point). IMO, that 5.0 looks pretty clean, it must've been well cared for. Look for cut wires, missing or mismatched parts, etc.
I think buying that car is pretty much a terrible idea.
The gas mileage won't be very good, I really don't care how many people say they get 25mph in a foxbody, I don't believe it.
It's going to be awful in the rain and considering that you really have to be at college you are going rain or shine.
No anti lock, no traction control etc..
It's just a bad commuter car by modern standards.
As a toy it would be great, just not as a college commuter car.
Buy something that looks decent, has working AC and gets 30mpg or more.
The gas mileage won't be very good, I really don't care how many people say they get 25mph in a foxbody, I don't believe it.
It's going to be awful in the rain and considering that you really have to be at college you are going rain or shine.
No anti lock, no traction control etc..
It's just a bad commuter car by modern standards.
As a toy it would be great, just not as a college commuter car.
Buy something that looks decent, has working AC and gets 30mpg or more.
A few questions. You said it’s well with in the budget. Is it possible to buy the fox and look for a beater with a heater. As far as the fox goes, is it something you plan to buy and keep or just drive for awhile? Is a newer more reliable mustang an option? Do you still have the truck as a back up?
- Jul 7, 2005
- 1,563
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I am probably the odd ball out of the group as I still DD my fox and have been for the past 15 years. You just need to have mechanic experience of some sort and be able to use Google since most of the problems on these cars have been ironed out for years. Personally I wouldn't trade for a economy car since I hate driving them because they are no fun at all and boring.
I do agree if you go this route have an alternative route to and from school just incase something does happen.
I do agree if you go this route have an alternative route to and from school just incase something does happen.
mikestang63
SN Certified Technician
You do realize I'm being sarcastic, when someone asks 'should I buy this or that' or 'what color should I paint this or that' what do you say? I just want to make sure they have an array of choices to make, good and bad.and you have this to look forward to as a career path
I do know of a guy that started at mickey ds at 16yrs old and by 30 he had a bachelor s degree and owned three franchises but he rode a bicycle to work and collage till he was twenty before he bought his first car and no it was not a mustang. His first car was a hugo, go figuare.
Listen not, to these BLASPHEMERS!!!
Take it to a good mechanic and have the whole thing looked over.
Replace the soft parts, the leaking parts, and the parts that show any sign of dry-rot to include suspension bushings.
Put all the smog crap back on the car.
Replace the stereo and speakers.
Drive it another 100k miles.
Don't let these guys spend your money on upgrades.
Oh... and it needs sub-frame connectors if it doesn't have them already.
...and Cobra brakes.
and drive the snot out of it!
With a very small amount of work I'd drive my junk across country and back!
With a very small amount of work I'd drive my junk across country and back!
I remember after the patriots won the first Super Bowl back in 2001, everyone at my college was outside doing stupid college kid
. At one point, any car in the dorm parking lot light enough to flip..got flipped. I woke up the next day to 3-4 cars on the side. Then you were screwed if you had a nice car in campus and parked it overnight. Used to see shopping carts placed on the roof of M3s.
My buddy had his car stolen 3 times at college. The last time he found it a homeless guy was living out of it and using the backseat as a toilet. Finally got totaled out then.
My fox stayed home, I drove a beater Lincoln mark 8 to school that nobody touched, and when I graduated I bought myself a new 2003 GT.
Actually the parking brake handle is the cup holder, big gulp yes. Double gulp, nope.
88LXSleeper
Active Member
- Jan 6, 2016
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I have driven my 88 with 120k miles to work, about 45 mins each way, mostly interstate, and only in the summer, for the past three years. Been to several track days and driven pretty hard on the street, she's been very reliable, only failure was the radiator cap and think it was original. Be sure that it wasn't botched up with mods and check wear items like belts, hoses and such. Forget about ever driving in snow and have some decent tires. I drove a 93 Corolla a few years and now a pos 03 Stratus in the winter and can't wait for nice weather to return and get the Mustang back out.
For a commute like that, I'd get something fuel efficient that I don't care about. Commuting, and parking on a college campus, is hell on a car. My nephew's 2010 Camaro looks like it's been in a battle, between his efforts (curbs, gas station poles), and the efforts of his class mates (door dings, break-ins). Leave the commute duty to some old Civic or Corolla.
Listen not, to these BLASPHEMERS!!!
Take it to a good mechanic and have the whole thing looked over.
Replace the soft parts, the leaking parts, and the parts that show any sign of dry-rot to include suspension bushings.
Put all the smog crap back on the car.
Replace the stereo and speakers.
Drive it another 100k miles.
Don't let these guys spend your money on upgrades.
Oh... and it needs sub-frame connectors if it doesn't have them already.
soooo...replace everything?
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