What's the story with your 'stang?

[FrankenStang]

TEH NOTCH: Used to have an '89 notch back when I lived in KCMO (circa 2001), and like an idiot I sold it off for some dumb reason. Regretted it ever since. Found this one in May of '05 (I think) for $2,000 for sale by some kid way out in Surprise, AZ. Had a few things done to it here and there by the owner before him, but all the kid did was have a shop hack-weld in some cats to the off-road H-pipe and throw on some crappy tailpipe and then drove the holy hell out of it. Some Mexicans (according to the kid) broke the sunroof to steal his stereo one night, so he used silicone house caulking to glue in a sheet of Plexiglas in its place. But the car had a recently rebuilt motor and everything else seemed in order, and I was really eager just to get my hands on another notch, so I went for it. Car looked like this when I bought it:

My ex was with me at the time and her first words upon seeing it were, "You're paying HOW MUCH for THAT?!?" She totally didn't understand my excitement.

I rattle-canned the car white with black trim at first, then later redid it in the Rustoleum Gloss Black that it now proudly wears (and is holding up well after almost 4 years). After about $6,000 worth of miscellaneous repairs and upgrades, basically rebuilding the car from end to end a piece at a time - King Cobra clutch, new flywheel, hardened input shaft, steel input shaft bearing retainer, FRPP driveshaft, injectors from a '95 4.6L T-Bird, damn near every sensor/sending unit/switch/relay under the hood, new sunroof, gauges, tires and wheels (twice), several exhaust setups, motor/trans mounts, tail lenses, etc. - this is how it now sits (before I waxed it the other day):

You left out the part where you traded it off like a dumbass D)for an '86 GT and the person you traded it to decided it would be a cool birthday present to trade it back to you for your truck.

 

[MAC'n89Blckstng]

I was in second grade, always loved cars. I had to write a lil kid book thing in my class and we had to write down what I wanted to do when I grew up. I said I wanted a customized Mustang GT and to be a truck driver. Somewhere in middle school I found F-Bodies. I wanted a Firebird so bad, knew I wouldn't be able to afford a 2000 Trans Am WS6 so I fell in love with the late 80's Firebirds. I REALLY wanted one.

Then my brother bought his black 88 GT, after the first drive I knew I wanted one. It was auto with 2.73's but one day he got it sideways and I was hooked. My first car was a 84 Chevy Caprice 2 door with 79,000 miles that I got for 12 dollars from my next door neighbor. I learned how to drive on that car and it was a beast. Sold it for 1100 bucks a month after I got my licence. I looked at a 87 TTOP that I really wanted (it was shiny) that I wanted more than anything but it was a huge shady deal, looked at another beatbox but then looked at my 89 GT, bone stock with 181.000 miles on it. I spent every dime and spent my best moments of highschool and college in that car. If I didn't have that car I wouldn't be where I am today.

Well I guess I was half right back in 2nd grade, I'm sure as hell not a truck driver (although I still think it would be cool) but I do have my customized 1992 minus 4 years Mustang GT/LX/Cobra that I've been building. I wish my 89 didn;t rot out but now I have ttops and a nice engine bay lol. I think I will always have a Fox and if my newly acquired 91 LX lasts, I will drive it daily for a LONG time. I just feel most comfortable and at home in a fox.

 

[Ozz]

I know huh...

 

[Dizzy_ax]

My life was going nowhere fast and i fell in love with a 87 GT, tried everything i could to buy it but couldnt. then sat on craigs list for about 4 months and a 1995 GTS poped up in my very low price range, so i said if i can get this car i will quit my current job and go out and get a better one! So i talked to the guy and it was a 1 owner and he loved his car! 103k on it. 3k and it was mine with snow tires too! now its a 418+ HP monster. Oh yeah... i got a way better job...pretty much everything fell into place

 

[Darkwriter77]

You left out the part where you traded it off like a dumbass D)for an '86 GT and the person you traded it to decided it would be a cool birthday present to trade it back to you for your truck.

Yes ... but in the Capri's story you forgot to mention this dude that helped turn the Capri from a poor Fox with a dangling tailpipe and a gone-all-to-hell blue paintjob into a Fox with a nice-sounding exhaust, black paintjob, SVO sail panels, a groovy shifter, no fluid leaks, and an engine that runs better now that it doesn't have a hundred different vacuum leaks. Oh, and also that the Flowmaster cat-back on that very Capri led you to meeting your current boyfriend.

 

[FrankenStang]

Yes ... but in the Capri's story you forgot to mention this dude that helped turn the Capri from a poor Fox with a dangling tailpipe and a gone-all-to-hell blue paintjob into a Fox with a nice-sounding exhaust, black paintjob, SVO sail panels, a groovy shifter, no fluid leaks, and an engine that runs better now that it doesn't have a hundred different vacuum leaks. Oh, and also that the Flowmaster cat-back on that very Capri led you to meeting your current boyfriend.

Stop doing that!!

I know. I was only messing with you anyway. I'm sure everyone on here already knows that story.

Here's the thread that started it all.
http://forums.stangnet.com/692620-mustang-down-count-its-capri-ftw.html

 

[venomous5oh]

I saw my car for sale, and instantly decided that I wanted it! but for some reason and much unlike I am I waited a few days before calling the guy, thank God!!! when I finally called him he told me 2 guy's were coming to drive it before me! and he was looking for $4850 obo so i figured there was no way in hell someone would pass up buying this car! complete paint, nice hood, and clean rust free floors! it did need some work but it was a great start! Okay so the guy I bought my Stang from must have had some serious bad luck or someone put a hex on him! He bought the car and spent a small fortune on paint/body only to have a guy swerve into his lane 1 week after getting it repainted, so back to the bodyshop it went! 2 weeks later its out with a new bumper, ultra clear headlights, a double cowl svo hood, and driver side fender! Then he decided to go away for a weekend and leaves the car unlocked at home! someone get's into the car and steals his car stereo, and the GT front seats just the front's! unreal... he pick's up some ratty Lx seats and is debating selling the car! 1st potential buyer comes to look at the car and the owner forget's to put the hood pins back on before they take the car for a test drive end result is a broken windshield, damaged cowl, broken cowl cover, and a damaged hood. It was the owner fault! but the guy didnt buy the car after that... 2nd potential buyer takes the car for a testdrive and the engine seizes up! When I get there the guy is flipping out and is ripping pissed! he tells me what happened and that the car is coming on a flatbed, and the engine just seized up! wow I thought I couldnt believe this all happened to one person in 1 day, so I took this opportunity as this car is trully not meant for him! and will be mine! I told him, I will make 1 offer and 1 offer only, sight unseen due to all the incedents of your horrible day, I will give you $2500 cash and have the car out of here within 15 minutes after it arrives! this car obviously needs quite a bit now and is not worth anywhere near $4000 the guy was so pissed at his situation and with the car that he said take it! I dont even want to see the car ever again! I gave him his $2500 he gave me the title and keys, and as I saw the flatbed arrive I asked the driver to follow me, since it was a AAA call I told him I would give him $50 to drop it off at my house instead! so I paid $2550 for my fox!!!

here is the car as soon as the flatbed left!

View attachment 263884

here is the car as it sits today!

View attachment 263885

 

[skunk21]

really cool stories, keep them coming! It's interesting reading how some of you came upon your stang. I'll tell mine.

My story starts like most of yours, my stepfather came home with a brand new 1982 Mustang GT, red with black interior, it had the checkered flag recaro's and T-Tops. TRX suspension, etc. I loved going for rides in it and the sound it made( I was 13 at the time). I got to drive the car when I was 17, we still own the car to this day. I remember test driving a 88 GT at sarat ford and just loving it but I couldn't get the car......fast forward years later after marriage, kids, divorce, re-married, etc. I had been working for the Fire service for close to 16yrs when I became badly injured on the job that took my career away, about 2yrs after (went through alot of rehab, etc. I twas rough) I decided life is short and unknown, I told my wife I'm going after my dream I want a fox mustang.

I searched for about a year through want ads, ebay, etc. I want and looked at alot of foxes but they where really rough. I was going through craigslist when I say my white Gt's add, it was in connecticut (brooklyn) about and 1hr from me. I called the guy up who it turned out to be a kid in his early 20's. he had purchased the car from the original owner, the car was always garaged and pretty much mint. He owned the car for about 2yrs, had gotten into a minor fender bender and replaced the drivers side fender/ and door with used stuff (the door was off an LX so wrong moulding) and spary bombed the parts white, anyhoo I called my buddy up to ask if I could use his repair plate. I told him if this car is has good as it sounds shape wise it's coming home.

I throw a floor jack, comp. tester and some tools in my buddies truck and head out. He told me antoher guy was coming to look at it also. We spent close to 3hrs at the kids house going through the car, it was totally solid, floors, frame rails, everything. It had about a 104,000 on the clock and for it's age had survived well. I gave him $4,000 he wanted $4,500..while we wher doing the paperwork the other guy had showed up and was looking at the car, he told him it was already sold to me. The guy offered him more money than I paid but it was to late, he looked pissed. he was just a few hours to late . I got it home and the project began and my wallet started to bleed . This is what as been done sofar,

1st year,

New gas tank, fuel pump, Ford racing front lower control arms, kyb ajx struts/shocks, oem quads, had the T5 rebuilt(broke again though), flo-fit seats, new stereo/speakers, fix the non working blinkers, Cobra wheels, king cobra clutch kit, mms qaudrant, fwa and oem cable, and other minor stuff.

2nd year

T-Moss ported upper/lower intake and he had some E7's that he had done up so I purchased those too. 3g alt, maf upgrade, fms 65mm TB, mac cai, new injectors, changed all the sensors under the hood, waterpump, a/c delete, battery cables & tray, JBA headers + custom exhaust with high flow cats/flows, 3:73's, autometer gauges, police fan clutch/new oem fan, mms 4 point k-brace, mms strut brace, fms drive shaft, this is just the short list.

this year

rebuilding the rear end ( I should of just done it when the gears where done, oh well), all new bearings/seals, brand new 03-04 cobra 31spline diff, 31 spline axles, fms girdle cover, mms lower control arms, fms uppers, 2001 bullitt springs, astro performance super high alloy T5, ssbc front brakes, mms caster plates. post and pics coming.

next year,

into the body shop, more to come on that.


engine bay when it 1st came home..

engine bay now,

 

[wythors]

I've owned a Mustang for longer than most of you have been alive, having gotten a 69 coupe in August of 78 right after turning 16. I owned that car until after I got my LX in 99. A couple of years ago I met up with some guys that had Fox body Saleens and thought those cars were pretty cool. I started dropping hints to The Wife about wanting one and her response was always "and just how do you plan to pay for that?" Dammit! She had me there. So I pretty much gave up on the idea. Then came our car club Christmas party in 2007.

YouTube - Best Wife Ever!

 

[mineralgsvt]

Bought mine new in December of '88 in San Diego (red / red interior) - I was stationed there and was 19.

Then got stationed in Pearl Harbor, so we loaded it up on a boat and sent it to Hawaii. I put about 50k miles on it for the 3 years I was stationed there. After that I returned to the mainland. I daily drove it for the next several years, including Indiana winters, pretty much stock with flowmasters until it had about 200,000 miles.

Then added 5 lug conversion, new suspension..

At about 250,000 I finally had it painted and added Cervinis Saleen kit..

Around 260,000 I added a GT40 Crate engine, and new T-5Z

Next came interior.. seats out of an SVO covered in black leather (yes, the Red-Black conversion was done.. new door panels from 50resto, among other things, carpet, etc.

New wheels.. 18" Roh 8" fronts, 9"rears

And most recently.. Vortech V3 Si

View attachment 263801

Currently at 272,xxx on the body...

 

[NIKwoaC]

New rule: Every body has to post like mineralgsvt. Short text, lots of pictures.

 

[Beasty306GT]

Well mine all started about 5 yrs ago when i wanted to sell my 99v6 in order to buy a 89gt.
So that didnt work out so i went on with my 99...i then traded it in for my ford rangerfx4 4x4.After a while i got the itch to buy another mustang so after goin to a car show 2 yrs ago i decided it was time to find a 5.0. So it was just qawinceadince (however u say it) this kid i was workin with told me about this mustang his buddy had bought like 2 yrs beofre i bought it.It sat the whole time the kid had it cuz he was in the service overseas. So basically after the car show i told my buddy to call his and ask him if he wanted to sell it. SO he called me back and said if i want it i can have it. So i set up a day to go look at it and ill be damned it was the same mustang i wanted to buy the first time...I always wanted it because of the way it looked and color and just everything about it.....So basically i gave him an offer...his mom brought down the title for it and off i went... I was so happy...one of the best days of my life....Cuz as a kid i always wanted a GT ...and my dream came tru.....Now little by little its looking better than it did they day i bought it..... :SNSign:

 

[Foxfan88]

i used to be hardcore into video games and computers back when i was in high school. never really had an interest in cars.

in 2004 when i was 16 i was at my cousin's house, his buddy had a black 90 GT. i dont know what it had done but i think it had alot of bolt ons and etc etc. i remember it was pretty fast.

at the time i knew NOTHING about cars. but i remember riding around in that car and it was pretty fast. alot of my friends at school were into cars somewhat. all the car jargon and talk confused me.

anways after leaving my cousins i didnt think of much of the mustang.

but a few weeks later. for some reason i started getting and interest in cars and mustangs more speficially. i started looking at 5.0s on the internet, i got really into them and i WANTED one pretty bad, but at the time was 16 and working at Long john silvers so i had no means to get one.

i would always freak out when i saw a 5.0 doing down the road, thats how cool i thought they were.

then one day at school a bud of mine mentioned that a teacher at school had a fox mustang for sale . i went to the teacher and talked to him, ended up going to his house and he had a 88 lx hatch, 2.3 with an auto. they thought the trans was shot. we got the car running and i wanted it just because it was a fox, my dad thought it would make a good project. so we ended up ******ing the car up for 300$

we got it back and flushed the trans and filled it back up and the car ran. turns out a fitting going into the tranny was leaking, but the trans was fine. me and my dad worked on the car together, i spent around 400-500 bucks just fixing it up. replacing shocks and tires etc etc.

soon i really wanted a 5.0 car so i kept my eyes out and started hoaring my money and saving all i could. then one day my dad called me and said there was a 5.0 GT on the highway and that i could go with his to look at it. we pulled in and it was my car, a white 91 GT, AOD. at first the wasnt there so we had to come back.

went and checked the car out, i remeber when the guy started the car up. the car at the time had headers, catless pipe and flowmasters. i remember i almost crapped my pant, the car just sounded SO LOAD and MEAN to me at the time (it honestly wasnt) but it just was awesome how it sounded. after that i WANTED the car

drove the car around and ended up getting the guy to sell it to use for 3100$ (he was asking 3500)

we went and got the car and i started driving it and eventually started some mods and after almost 4 years here i am now. i have loads of stories about me and this car, after bolt ons, t5 swap, engine rebuild. supercharger etc etc, and am going to go turbo now. ive had the car apart time and time again and its all fun to me. and i have learned alot!

 

[cenok is family]

no interesting story about how i got my current mustang, just bought it off my brother for 3k, so i'll tell you how i got into mustangs in the first place.

i grew up chevy. chevy this, ford sucks that, etc. etc. well in 2001, for my junior year of high school, i got my first car which was a 1970 chevelle malibu, white with black stripes. my dad bought it from a friend with a REALLY high mileage 350 for $3500. drove it like it was for about 6 months until the motor went out on it. after that, it sat in my garage for the rest of my junior year while i saved up for a new motor. ended up ordering a crate 350 and found a freshly rebuilt th350 tranny. this was my first time really working on cars so i was learning as i went. i got it all in and fired it up. ran great for about 2 months then something went wrong with the cooling system. back into the garage it went. summer of 02, my dad said i needed a more reliable car for my senior year so he took the chevelle back and sold it to my uncle, and gave me a 3000$ limit to find a car. i was pretty pissed about it, i remember asking my brother what fast car i could get for $3000 and he mentioned 5.0 mustangs. i didn't believe him so i looked them up on auto trader and found my first mustang ever, (kinda cool cause it was located in Mustang, Ok) a white w/red interior 1987 mustang GT with t tops. we went and looked at it, and bought it that day. i should have shopped around more cause that thing was a BUCKET and much to my father's dismay, broke down more than my chevelle. haha. either way, after i got a taste of these cars, i never looked back.

 

[jstanger89]

how i got my favorite stang

Well, here's the quick version. As a small boy, my father had a Grabber Orange 70 Boss 302. It was in need of repair and after my mom left, my dad needed money, so he sold it. I was a mustang nut from birth and this only made it worse. I always was bugging my father to get another one. I'm 16 years old, inherited my old man's 83 Crown Victoria and I'm on my learner's permit. He took down to a place to practice driving and in rolls the most beautiful color combo for the fox hands down, Midnight Blue/Titanium Mustang GT. My best friend is driving it. I about crapped my pants. My heart sunk and I was instantly in love. The 3 of us spent alot of time cruising around(my buddy, me, and the car). Every time we drove it my love grew more intense. I went through a series of cars, 83 capri 5.0(still own it), 88 AOD GT twin to Rob's car, that i stupidly sold after buying it from the original owner, because i had to have a five speed. Haha. Regretted it ever since. Then i bought this R title 90 GT 5 speed, then a 99 New edge 35th anniv. GT. Low and behold Rob tells me one day that he has outgrown his baby. The second he opened the door i ******ed it up. I just rolled over the 100k mark, and yes i low balled my best friend for his garage kept 89 GT. So in April 2003 I bought her. Wow just realized its been six years. The car means more to me than anything i've ever owned. I really think he's regretted it ever since, but his loss was my gain.

 

[90notch_5.0]

Well how i got my first and only stang was when i was 19. As soon as i graduated i went back with my math hight school teacher and ask him if he will sell me his clean one owner 4 cylinder automatic notch. He said no that it was for his kid, then came back again and said no, then came again and said go see it and if you like it come back. I went to go see it and love the car it was clean. That same week i bought it for $400 drove it back to my house. The rest came in slow. Took it all apart went to the junkyard to get a 2000 Explorer engine order a few mods from summit. RPM Air Gap, Super 40's, full msd, gagues, gaskets, clutch, 750 dp (mecahnical secondary) ford motorsports tall valve covers, K&N air filter. Then on my local carigslist got short throw shifter, upper and lower control arms, drag radials, and 3 inch cowl hood. Now iam 20 and was thinking of selling it but maybe i just will keep it. Since i will have to drive to the university soon. I'am working on my math major.:SNSign:

[/IMG][/IMG][/IMG]

 

[DocG]

Nothing too exciting here either. Ever since I sold my 04 I've hung around this joint wanting another car to toy with. Out of the blue I just started looking for something and came across many cars that were selling for a few grand that just needed more work than I was wanting to do right now.

I came across mine on sale for $7k. The motor was rebuilt, the suspension built to the hilt, recent body work, all new interior, trim, etc. Still has its small issues, but it was a lot of work and car for the price. Talked the guy down to $6200.

Also came with a set of brand new rims/tires I managed to sell for $900.

So I got about $5300 into this car and I'm very satisfied with what I got for the price.

 

[NotQuik]

when I was growing up in elementry and middle school I always had an infatuation with mustangs because of my dad's dark blue 87 hatchback with h/c/i and a vortech atrim at the time. I always dreamed of having a clean coupe. I was working mowing lawns and cleaning cars so i managed to save about $2500 for my new car but I lost hope in getting a msutang because my mom and dad always said "No". I was looking at fieros, dakota's, s10's...something fairly practical but something that I would like. My uncle gave me this '82 ford EXP for free that sat on the back of his farm but it needed alot of work so of course I was excited as could be regardless. I turned 16 and went to visit my dad (parents divorced since it was 2) and he had a friend that lived near my mom and me and told me he had to show me something. He drove by this house and it was a red 89 coupe that he told he was getting painted and he was his yet he was swapping the drivetrain into (by this time his car and an incon kit) so i thought to myself "cool" and i'd love to own that or maybe he'll sell me this blue 87. Neither was mentioned and I got my hopes up and bummed myself out when he put the 87 for sale and wouldn't sell it to me. Eventually it sold and he had gotten another 87 coupe with a t-trim and the car put down 603 to the rear wheels and one again he had a freshly painted coupe to sell. Basically he suprised me and took everything performance related off the car and put stock heads, intake, all the way do the stock air intake and told me if I gave him all the money I had saved I could buy it and we would be square. Of course I did and had the car for 4 years until I watned a daily driver so I could work on the coupe. I bought a 97 sonoma zq8 to drive for a year or so while the msutang sat. I did cam,intake...and drove teh car on nice days and my dad called me and told me his friend was selling his 95 gt which I had seen but didn't pay much attention to because the car was not cared for. Needless to say I sold my 89 coupe to buy the 95 I have now and I miss the coupe greatly but I've now had the 95 for 5 years so I can't make myself sell it. The current owner of my old 89 is selling it currently but the interior is shot (was near perfect when i sold it) and he's asking 10k when the car is n/a, and gutted. I've decided to keep my 95 and my wife talked me into my 07 over an 03-04 cobra which is okay because this car has also grown on me greatly. Now to do an lsx swap in the 95 Sorry my story is all over the place as I'm at work and finishing up break so i had to hurry.

My '89 coupe

97 Sonoma

my current 95..the seats were so dirty the interior IMO looked tan, carpet was stained. My wife scrubbed the seats and plastics and in went new carpet. This is before 5 speed swap, looks the same to this day minus the auto.

after ALOT of waxing and retinting the windows

this is the last time the car ran about 9 months ago

on the prostars

the other current monstrosity

I still miss my coupe, but I have decided to keep the 95.

 

[NIKwoaC]

Did nobody see my rule?

New rule: Every body has to post like mineralgsvt. Short text, lots of pictures.

 

[trbkrb]

Back 22 years ago, on March 28, 1987 my wife and I were out looking for a new Acura Integra for her. We bought a new Mazda Cab Plus pickup the prior year (which was to be mine, but she drove it because I wanted her to have the new vehicle). So we went to a dealer on the other side of town, close by where she got her hair done. Picked out a nice 2 door dark blue Integra, just what she wanted and put down a $200 deposit.

So on to get her hair done. While she was busy, I took off to the Ford dealer across the street. Wouldn't you know, they had 5 5.0 LX model Mustangs, with the only options being AC, radio, and the 5.0 package. The dealer ordered them to sell to the "local racers". Almost every other 5.0 Mustang I had seen was a loaded GT automatic, and out of my price range around $14K. These cars were under $11K sticker! So we took a short test drive down a side street, more like a test "drag race". LOL! I told the salesman, "If I'm buying one, I want to see how it does!" It wasn't much, just a slow take off and then a quick run through 1st & into 2nd. That was enough for me to know, I had to have it.

So now I had to go beg. LOL! "But honey, they are going to quit making these V8 cars, they already have a 4 cyl replacement coming out in a year (the Probe) and if I don't get it now, I probably never will." It worked!!!! LOL!

So on Monday I told the salesman to hold one of them for me and I will come by Tuesday and sign the paperwork for the loan application and stuff. "Which one?" he asked. They had two black ones, a yellow one, a white one and a Medium Cabernet one. I test drove a black one, but didn't really want black, so I said" The red one."

Well on March 31, 1987 I went up there and signed all the paperwork. They wanted me to drive it home that night, but since I was in the Mazda and my wife was not with me, I decided to wait. So we both took a long lunch break the next day and drove out to pick up my car.

And so far, I have had the pleasure of daily driving my 5.0 LX Mustang for the past 22 years and almost 300,000 miles. I've owned the car for just about 1/2 of my life.