Hey, my name is Eric, im turning 17 this march, ive been looking for a good first car, i found a 1991 Mustang LX for $2700 in excellent condition, the only thing that is keeping me from buying it is its a 4 cyl.

Is this car worth buying cause of the 4 cyl. or can it hold its own, thanks in advance

 

First off, welcome. Now to car buying stuff. I have some questions, what is your overall budget? how much of that budget is for purchasing the car and how much is just in case you need to fix something? knowing how much you really have to use is the most important thing. $2700 is a lot of money for a car that is nearly 20 years old, especially a 4 banger mustang. here is quick link to the KBB (kelly blue book) value of a 91 lx hatchback. the value is $1375 in excellent, which no 20 year old car is, and $775 for fair, which is more likely.

http://www.kbb.com/KBB/UsedCars/Pric...uizConditions=

I would not buy this car based on that alone. Look for something slightly newer. I would say 96 or newer so that it is OBDII compliant, that means if you get a check engine light any auto parts store (like autozone) can scan it for you for free. doing your homework is huge with buying a car, you're young and thats ok. Ask as many questions as you can think up, most of us have all been there. Better to learn from our mistakes than from your own.

 

thanks, yea the guys said the only reason he is selling it for so much is he has a an extra set of aluminum rims with tires (right now it has the steelies with the wire hub caps) and he also said he has a V8 in his shop that he can give me if i want it

i just dont know if its a direct bolt in, but the 4 cyl. already has a CAI and a SLP exhaust, but its an automatic, not a manual, but the motor that i get with the car extra, has a 5 speed tranny with it

and my budget is an (as you go) i only make $550 a month, so ill be buying more for it as i go

 

nah not worth it imo
look around
check craigslist.com for car
just take someone with you who knows about cars if you do
and just check other locally used stuff or auto trader
if your makin 550 a month then you should have money in no time
dont get hasty and buy a car u dont want and/or cant afford
btw im only 18 and i amde the mistake of doin what ur about to on my 1st car haha so i learned the hard way

 

I found mine using cars.com/auto trader I would look for something a little newer as said above 1996- and up. A v6 is slow enough I wouldn't want to imagine a 4 cyl mustang

 

true, i have been asking around, and looking around, i saw another 91, but it was a 5.0 for $1500 and i almost bought it, but some guy got to it before me, i think i might settle on this one if the v8 is a direct drop in, but if not im gonna do some more shoping around

 

swaps are never just a drop on at least with newer ones I know theres a lot of changes that need to be done rear end.. ect I don't know much about the older ones but I would keep shopping around. Also keep in mind insurance and the other stuff so you make sure you get something you can afford.

 

still not a good deal. so he gives you a V8, that is going to cost more to put it in than its worth. you'll have to get a new rear end, $1500-$2000 there, any missing parts for the engine, say $500 there, install, another $1000..it adds up fast. walk away from this car, there are so many more that will fit what you need. making 550 a month is not that much, you need to make a smart purchase. you have to think about gas, insurance, and up keep costs. the most bang for your buck is going to be a private seller. I would not be a payment shopper, know exactly how much you can spend. set your budget at something realistic, like $3000 and stay within it. most dealerships that sell lower priced cars, under 10k are known as B lots. stay away from these, a car selling there for 5k is only really worth maybe $2500. With people leasing cars like crazy now the used car market is soft and good deals are everywhere, you just have to look. Also always take someone with you that knows cars and how car sales are done. Never sign anything, even though you're a minor and they are not supposed to ask you, still don't ever do it. Like I said before its great that you're asking for advise, this can be tricky topic for some people, and the only real loser will be you if you mess up.

 

thanks for all the advice guys, i do believe im just going to walk away from this car, i do have $4500 saved up, plus $3000 in hand right now (been saving since the begining of last year) i was going to make this a good street/strip car, but ill see if i can find something cheaper

 

heck yea! i just got off the phone with the guy and he appolagized for trying to rip me off, so i just scored the car (wich is taged and inspected) the extra motor and tranny (wich is complete) and the extra set of rims and tires all for $750, idc what yall say, im getting it, lol

 

is this a good deal? should i get it? i mean i really want it, and at that price, id be an idiot not to get it, right?

 

i guess if you really want a 4 cyl mustang things only got 91hp to the crank thats like probably 77wrhp. I would at least get a v6 but as I said if thats what you want go for it thats a better price at least.

EDIT: you also never said how many miles the things got on it. unless i missed that part

 

it has 23,000 original miles, some old guy had it and never drove it, and i plan on putting the v8 in there, along with the 5 speed tranny and 4.10 gears it comes with, the gears are brand new, so i think its a steal for that price

 

I'm guessing its automatic. Do you have any idea how much its going to cost you to find the parts for a 91 to convert it into a 5.0/v8 5 speed. We told you its not just drop it in and call it a day. Make sure you do research before you make this purchase. A cliff notes to the research is if you want a v8 buy a GT

 

ok, lets look at this objectively. $750 seems fair..on the surface. but there are some major questions that need to be answered first. what is the mechanical condition? Does it need a tune up, brake job, or anything else along those lines? has a mechanic, not anyone related to the seller, checked this car out and given you the problems? are the spare tires any good? do they have signs of dry rot? what size is the extra motor, 5.0 or 4.6? whats the real deal with that motor? any problems, such as blown gaskets, compression problems? there is no such thing as something for nothing....remember that. How are you going to get the motor home...where will you store it?

so lets say you buy the car for $750. but it needs about $500 of work off the top, say for brakes and a minor tune up. now you're up to $1250. you drive around, everything is all good...blam trans goes. another $1500 at the car total investment is now $2750. $2750 invested into a $750 car is bad math. I understand the allure of the "freebie stuff"....but its just a ploy to make this all seem like a deal. The V8 will sit in your garage for years taking up space. Too much is involved with such a swap to be reasonable for this car and you'll find that out the hard way.

Don't buy this car, you said you have $3000 on hand with $4500 in the bank. I would say make your max budget for the car $5000 this includes purchase and any repairs needed at the time of purchase. That way you can buy a newer, more reliable car. you could for sure pick a 96+ V6 mustang for that....I'd bet my left nut on it. I'm not trying to dog you, I'm trying to help you from making bad purchase. You are going to buy your first car, but it wont be your last.....remember that. You'll have time to get what you really want down the road, right now its all about wheels for getting from point A to point B

 

+1 with what 03DSG said. Even the gears aren't free you need the 8.8 rear end which I am just about positive he isn't giving you that also. Gotta think about all of that stuff. I agree get a sn95 v6 or something like that. It will be affordable and much more reliable. That thing could have been sitting in the shop collecting dust for all ya know

 

i see, but i have test drove the car twice, both times i was rompin the gas, just driving it like i stole sumthing, but it has yet to let me down, it is a really good car, but to answer your questions

i hang out at this guys shop just about every day

*i have not had a mechanic look at it
*spare tire is fine
*the spare motor is fine, i was actually
there when he pulled it out of his car
*it is a 5.0
*and over all me and my father have considered it to be a good deal, i just want something that can get me places, and also something i could have fun with, and this car just seems like what im looking for, i know the swap isnt going to be easy, ive been paying attention to what you guys are saying, i just think this car would be a fun car, and for $750, i dont think its a bad deal

 

had a friend with a v4 mustang. if u want somethin from place to place go for it, and sell the motor to some other chump. if u want to build up one hell of a drag/road car. just buy the dam gt.

with 5000 bucks as a buget, get a dam fox with a 4v motor in it.(thats the cobra engine jus incase u dunno)

but hey. if u do get it what ever u do.... DONT waste ur time droping anything in it. make it a parts car, sell everything piece by piece. maybe u can end up makin some money off this instead of it bein a money pit.

good luck and welcome

 

hey man do what you want. If you feel comfortable with it, then go for it. I was only offering a "devils advocate" view for you so you could see the whole picture. Keep in mind the things I stated before, they should always be applied when buying a used car. Its the people that don't do the fundamental things about how to buy a car that get burned. FYI, I still say don't get that spare engine...its still not worth it. the hassle out weighs the gain by a ******* country mile!!!!

 

i was just gonna re-sell the spare engine, i think i am going to get it, its just a matter of time, but im not looking for a full blown drag car, just a DD that i can have fun with

so when i do get it, is anyone interested in me posting pics of it?

 

i know that u want a car real real bad man ive been there and if u wait longer u will just end up saving even more money and then a car will come along and you will know its the right thing to do, just wait for a little wile longer.
plus i have a 6er and i cant even imagine wanting a 4 banger. just give some of these replies u got some thought.

 

ok..you hang at his shop, but then admits to ripping you off on the price so stop going there!! also, you seem confused on what you want and seems like you just want a car ASAP thus making you want to spend it on a wack car! you said you wanted a good street/strip car but now just a DD car!!??to me its a waste of your money and is gonna end up costing you money to make it what you want!!!save your money on something else and then remember to thank us when you do=)!!! but DONT GET IT!!!

 

well, some of you are probably gonna loose respect for me, but i got the car for $550 without the spare motor and gears and all, so.... with that out of the way, i getting ready to order the fallowing for the rear end

*Moser 31 Spline Mustang Axles for 8.8in Rear w/ Studs---- $252.50
*Eaton Posi Limited Slip 8.8in 31 Spline Differential---- $449.99
*Venom High Performance Fuel Injectors 24lb---- $219.99

total is $922.48


my question is, Are the fuel injectors worth getting? i know the LSD and axles will fit the car, right? just wanna know before i order all this

 

lol ur right about the respect thing. most of the time the people are tryin to help and givin u the best advice they can. if your still tryin hard as hell to build up ur car then y u say no to the engine?

cant member his name but in another thread he said the 8.8 isnt necessary....it isnt. ESPECIALLY for a v4.

talk to the guy and if your still this serious about building it up then get that motor off him and just do work.

good luck

 

If I'm not mistaken...a 91 LX I-4 doesn't come with a ford 8.8, so your are going to need a housing with that plus gears. The injectors are pointless right now, you don't have the HP to warrant them, same with the 31 spline rear end. I say drive the car for a couple months first to see if any issues arise. Then if you really want to mod it, which I'm pretty much against with this car, you need to develop a game plan. Don't just go buy random parts that don't serve any real purpose at the time of purchase....like a 31 spline axle and new injectors. Your inexperience is gleaming right now.

 

For $500, you get what you pay for ....plain and simple. Everyone has to start somewhere and there is nothign wrong with that.

The mods that you have selected are pointless and overkill on that car. I know you have money burning a hole in your pocket. I have a 450 hp Mustang and I don't have...nor need an upgraded rear end. Now, I know the 4 banger is not as beefed up, but unless you have immediate plans to make gobs more power, don't waste your money or time.

This is what I would do.....assuming you want to make it a much better car.

Drive it for a while. See what is wrong with it. Put some miles on it and give it some time.

If you have plans for the motor, you need to upgrade the suspension and tranny first, but I would first make sure I like the car and the ideas.

Keep in mind that if the car truly has 23k miles (have you verified) and if it is in terrific shape.....I mean TERRIFIC, it has some potential to be worth maybe $6k. But, the guy dropped his price too much....something seems fishy.

You really do not want to spend much more then $5k on any parts or labor. Otherwise, you could just buy one that way. Even if yu made it exactly like a GT, it will never be worth quite as much, because it did not start life that way.

However, 23k miles is low by any definition, if it is true.

Do you have photos to post?

 

yes, i know, im poor minded, sorry, i was just curious about it, all, but hey, at least i asked first


EDIT: im still new to the whole RWD thing, ive been toying around with FWD vtecs so sorry for my in-experince with mustangs

and i will have pictures possible friday

 

No....ask all you want. 17 is young....you have to start somewhere. Just pace yourself and think through this. Your money will go further and you will get a much better finished product.

When you are 17 it is easy to think you are good at everything. Hell, if I had the smarts I have now, with the energy and body I had when I was 17, there is no telling what I could achieve.

 

true, i wasnt gonna do it tho, i was just going to have my dad help me

 

well put......+1 fur yu