|
So I decided that after 7 years of it I am sick of commuting in my fleet model 4cyl Ranger, and bought a Mustang. It's pretty cool. "Sunburst gold metallic" is the color. I call it "can't-sell-it gold". It has the 4.6, 5sp, and the mach 460 audio system. I really like it so far. I figure the geriatric paint job will give me +2 stealth vs. LEOs. 
|
#
¿
Nov 7, 2012 22:50
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 13:26 |
|
|
coolskillrex remix posted:Wow I didnt even know mustangs came in that color.. looks like the camry "champagne" color. gently caress. Its so bad its good? maybe? It's grown on me since I first saw the ad, and it looks great in real life. The photo is blown out so it looks more champagne. I like unique stuff - it's why I painted my Buell green - so I think it suits me well enough. Learning to drive it has been fun. I've had fun owning a couple RX-7s and a Mk1 MR2, so it really amuses me with how slow I can turn this 4.6.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 8, 2012 19:04
|
|
|
frozenphil posted:Hydroplaning is just one of those things that you can't do much about, really. You can try to prevent it by driving for the conditions and you can try to correct it, but most of the time once you start you're pretty much along for the ride. The 245-section tires on (at least my) Mustang don't really help when it comes to avoiding hydroplane, but I can't really fault it for having ample rubber. Here on the wet slope of the Cascades, it's pretty much the norm. The 225s on my (same-weight) Ranger aren't as bad, but surprise lakes still make me pucker from time to time.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 28, 2012 01:11
|
|
|
frozenphil posted:I live in Portland and I don't have a problem with my 245s. Maybe look into better tires? The old Goodyear GS-D3s where loving phenomenal in the wet. The Toyo Proxes 4s on it now seem to get good wet traction marks for original replacements but I'm sure they aren't as good as they could be. They're getting close to the markers too so I'm definitely going to look for different ones this spring; I don't think I can get the same tires anymore. The GS-D3s, though apparently discontinued, are listed as summer tires which leads me to a question about that; how seriously would you pay attention to the "not intended to be driven in near-freezing temperatures, through snow or on ice" language? I simply don't drive in the snow so I don't need to consider that bit, but the temperature does dip below freezing in the winter when the clouds blow away...
|
|
#
¿
Dec 28, 2012 01:59
|
|
|
Krakkles posted:New Edge lights chat: That looks great, where did the housings come from? That'd look pretty swass on my '00 GT.  I am two months into owning this car and it's pretty great. Better gas mileage than my old 4banger truck, waaaay better highway performance. Drawbacks: can no longer feasibly curb hop to parallel park, takes twice as long to warm up the twice-as-large engine. With the way I use it, it's a comfortable, slow noisemaker. Ford definitely made an effort to make my ears happy with the exhaust. Goes faster than my Buell but takes a lot longer to get there and doesn't sound quite as awesome doing so. Next month the wife and I are taking a road trip down to San Francisco for a couple days in it. I'm going to get an oil change before we go, and likely also be doing the gearbox and differential oils as well, which raises a question: are there recommended gearbox and differential oils I should be planning to use? I think the service shop I go to has Royal Purple in stock and that worked well in the RX-7s, any reason I should avoid that on the Mustang? clutchpuck fucked around with this message at 00:22 on Jan 8, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Jan 7, 2013 23:50
|
|
|
Whoah, once again I am surprised at how cheap mustang stuff is. Thanks for the details.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 9, 2013 02:24
|
|
|
Rhyno posted:My best buddy is looking to buy a 2005 Mustang V6 Auto with 51,000 miles. (Silence Viggen, it's not for me). The dealer is asking $10,000 and my friend is expecting him to drop it to $8000, very unrealistic. A low mile new edge GT with a proper gearbox and no accidents will cost less than that V6 sow, plus much more fun to drive. Pre-facelift 5th gens already look a little silly, they won't age well.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 10, 2013 19:35
|
|
|
Got my '00 GT back from the shop today after its fluid change. Found out it has the limited slip differential, so the diff fluid was more expensive than I initially expected. Woo hoo! They say they found some movement on the outer tie rod ends but it's not dangerous, just makes noise, should fix it eventually. Is this a major job on a Mustang? It was a giant pain on my MR2 and I am trying to gauge whether to plan on tackling it myself when it gets warmer out, or just take it in when I get too annoyed by the noise.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 19, 2013 00:40
|
|
|
What's the story with aftermarket grease-able tie rod ends? Worthwhile? The non-serviceable factory ends on mine are about done for and my thinking is this: instead of having to replace the new ones in another 80,000 miles (as if I'll have the car that long but who knows), why not order some upgrades from Summit Racing?
|
|
#
¿
Jan 24, 2013 22:01
|
|
|
Wouldn't greasing them be the point of putting in greasable parts?
|
|
#
¿
Jan 25, 2013 18:51
|
|
|
ApathyGifted posted:So, I'm getting a squeaking noise somewhere in/near the steering rack of my '03. Only happens in certain weather conditions (typically below 55 degrees, wet). Seems to be coming from both ends of the steering rack, somewhere inside the dust boots. My 2000 does what you describe and I had it diagnosed: dried-out / failing tie rod ends. My quote was $300ish to change out both outer ends. If it's just a little squeaky, it's probably not dangerous but it'll eventually wear down to metal-on-metal and that's bad news bears.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 16, 2013 00:37
|
|
|
Just got back from a Seattle-San Francisco round trip with the mustang. It's a totally sweet 2-man road trip car. Burned zero oil but now my tires that were almost gone prior to the trip are toast. Its been a while since I drove a manual... Going 5 hours without touching the clutch pedal is something else. A gold (not champagne) car is an occasionally entertaining ice breaker... Some random dude in the central valley has a gold El Camino. We chatted a bit even though I'm not really a Chevy dude. Anybody successfully cleaned their IAC? Mine seems to hunt for idle a lot...
|
|
#
¿
Feb 20, 2013 03:31
|
|
|
I was looking at that, too. I guess some people run a restrictor plate on the IAC to get the revs to drop faster off throttle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEDwJEEBbS0
|
|
#
¿
Feb 20, 2013 19:14
|
|
|
I think it starts with "inner" and ends with "tie rod ends". 
|
|
#
¿
Feb 22, 2013 00:53
|
|
|
My Mustang is going in for tie rod end work, alignment, power steering/brake booster fluid, and engine oil tomorrow. I called the shop (a really good, small, independent Ford specialist) to ask about putting re-greaseable tie rod ends on it, and apparently they use Moog serviceable parts as their standard replacements. I take it to them for oil changes, too, so they'll grease them for me. Got new tires Saturday; Nitto Motivo or something, nothing amazing, supposed to last a while though, which is what I am after. I don't really dong around in the 'stang, that's what the Buell is for, so I'll save money by buying "reasonable" tires. Granted, I am comparing them against who-knows-how-old Toyo Proxes 4s that were absolutely roasted in back, but they feel really nice; sharp turn-in and they feel nice and comfortable. With all that, I am pretty much caught up on maintenance. I don't think I've ever been caught up on maintenance with a car. e: washed it, too. It was nasty after schlepping me through the Central Valley last weekend.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 25, 2013 20:31
|
|
|
Got my car back, apparently the technician didn't detect enough run-out to want to replace my tie rod ends... for now they're merely making noise. Less noise now than with the old tires, too. I can live with this.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 27, 2013 22:01
|
|
|
Lowclock posted:Can anyone recommend a good street/mild performance pad for an '03 V6? I run PBR ULT Ceramics on my e34 and I love them but I can only seem to find them for GTs and up and not the base v6. This is just for dad so it won't get anywhere near a track, but he's always put lovely autozone pads and rotors on it and I'd like to get him something nice for once that isn't going to be loud or twitchy. I would stick with AutoZone stuff if not Ford/Motorcraft on a 03 V6.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 5, 2013 02:50
|
|
|
I put down the best Mustang time at the autocross last weekend; there were 3 other Mustangs, all SN197s; a Roush, a 4.6 GT, and a 5.0 GT. I gotta say this car has been pretty good to me. The blackout bar is the best part in my opinion; don't see many with it, and I've never seen another gold one with it. Brakes on the car are way too small though; I would characterize them as "sufficient" but just barely. Is there any inexpensive braking upgrades I should consider doing on a '00 GT? 
|
|
#
¿
Mar 18, 2013 21:33
|
|
|
Bumming Your Scene posted:after 5000 I couldn't hear any motor or exhaust over the wind. Poor aerodynamics
|
|
#
¿
Mar 26, 2013 00:21
|
|
|
SanitysEdge posted:I've got some questions of my own too: I have a '99 v6 that is awful in the wind on the highway. The only comparison I have is my old '95 escort which seemed way more stable in crosswinds. I would say that my car is blown around so much that it's almost dangerous to drive. Passing semis blows my car at least half way across the lane if you don't try to correct it. Is this normal? Could it be worn suspension bushings? Worn dampers? A property inherent to RWD live axles? lovely aero design on 1st year new edges? Never had that on my '00 GT. How are your tires doing? I went from "hard to keep straight" to "planted as gently caress" when I replaced my lovely worn out tires.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 16, 2013 22:56
|
|
|
A local club just dumped a bunch of photos from the last Autocross I ran at. Good way to shred tires.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 17, 2013 00:50
|
|
|
Cage posted:Hello there mustang thread. Ive been keeping an eye on the craigslist mustangs in my area lately to get an idea of the prices and I just had a few questions. Im looking at used 2002-2008 models, regarding general reliability are the late model 4th gens more trustworthy than the early 5th gens? I could go either way on my preference for looks but the only thing I know how to do is replacing brake pads and rotors so Id prefer the platform with less chance of breaking down. I picked up my 2000 GT 5speed w/ 76,000mi for $6300 a few months ago. On one hand I think that's a decent price for a V8 stang (good price on any car with those miles, these days it seems) - on the other hand it's gold so I'll never be able to sell it.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 22, 2013 22:27
|
|
|
I know, different car and everything, but my '00 GT clunked going from 1 to 2 and sometimes locked me out of a gear unless I clutched it in neutral... until I had the gearbox oil changed out. With fresh, fancy fluid it shifts like warm butter.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 24, 2013 00:35
|
|
|
ultimateforce posted:It took me FOREVER to find a GT in manual and I paid $500 as a premium in the end to get one. The T5 sure is the grindiest transmission I've ever had, that's for sure. Get some good synthetic gear oil up in there. It was like a night and day difference when I had the fluids changed in my '00 GT. Cage posted:Im currently looking at 03-04 mustangs in my area and although there are quite a few GTs theyre mostly automatics. Would anyone in this thread ever recommend going that route? Automatic, I mean. Ive always driven an automatic, but now that I have a decent job I have the benefit of shopping around a bit more and Ive always wanted to drive a stick. As far as MT vs. AT - if you're asking, you want a MT. If you don't give a gently caress, get that AT. But never get a pre-'10 V6. Reality check: you probably won't be shifting the manual much faster than the auto can - at least with mine I have to wait for my syncros to spin up or the revs to drop when I shift so it's all sort of an at-the-car's-pace affair. The gears are massive. If you rush it, it'll clunk and grind. But it's not really a car you should be banging through the gears really fast with - it's big, lazy, highway cruising boat. My MT GT coupe was the cheapest, lowest-mile V8 Mustang out there when I was shopping... but it's a limited edition who-would-buy-this gold.
|
|
#
¿
May 13, 2013 18:57
|
|
|
vote_no posted:What the hell are you talking about? If you're making the transmission rev-match for you, no wonder you can't shift quickly. The SN-95 isn't amazingly fast by any means, but "big, lazy, highway cruising boat" is ridiculous. My stock '98 still pulls 0-60 times of between 6 and 7 seconds, has enough power to break the rear tires loose in most situations, and weighs 3227 lbs. It is loud and bumpy on the highway, the steering is tight, and altogether it's the opposite of what you're describing. I've seen automatic GTs shifting, they are slow as hell. I'm talking about putting the clutch in, the IAC holding the revs up for a second (which is apparently normal and it drives me a little crazy), and waiting for the engine speed to drop and match the next gear so it doesn't have to spin up the syncros as much. I don't really control how slowly the engine drops revs. If I rush it and shift as soon as the clutch goes in, the shifter gives me lots of resistance in the next gear up until the revs drop - I listen to the car and do what it likes. I can sure as hell blip up and downshift quickly enough, but with the way the emissions are set up on a stock 4.6 and the big gears in that T5, it doesn't happily bang up through the gears very fast. I have no idea how I'd go about making the transmission rev match for me... that's something you do with the engine isn't it? I didn't say it was slower than the AT. All I meant to point out is that a speedy gearbox, the T5 is not - mostly in response to the "grindiest transmission" and similar comments. In my experience, if you're grinding it you're rushing it and it's a pretty dang slow MT. I stand by its boatyness though. After driving 2300lb Mazda coupes around that'll snick-snick up and down without the clutch if you want, 3200lbs with a T5 on a 4.6 is big-bertha molasses status. Heck I've driven trucks with faster gearboxes.
|
|
#
¿
May 13, 2013 22:11
|
|
|
Weinertron posted:I should try tuning to see if I can get the revs to drop faster. It seems like the revs hang forever when I take my foot off the gas. I'm able to shift noticeably faster with the A/C on because the compressor drag makes the engine drop revs faster when it drops. The hanging revs is in large part why I upshift it only as fast as it wants to upshift. People make the revs drop faster by making (or buying) IAC restrictors or block-offs. Doing that can also make the engine pop on overrun more than it otherwise would. I've also heard that it can make your OBD throw codes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEDwJEEBbS0
|
|
#
¿
May 13, 2013 22:22
|
|
|
Cage posted:edit: So far the only "mod" I want to buy is rear window louvers. Its silly but ever since I was a kid Ive had a weird obsession with them. Excellent. My wife has all but demanded I get louvers for my '00 GT. Used to have a set on my RX-7 and it was 
|
|
#
¿
May 23, 2013 23:20
|
|
|
goodfuldead posted:Man this is nuts. I had the same Autolite battery in 65 comet for 10 years before I finally had to replace it. The new one has been in there about six years now going strong. With an electronic ignition. I replaced my 2000 Ranger's original battery this year, it had a good run. I was also pretty baffled when I pulled the dead battery out of my 2006 Buell and it was the original Harley-Davidson unit - that high-comp vtwin is rough on batteries, that it lasted 7ish years is a small miracle.
|
|
#
¿
May 30, 2013 23:30
|
|
|
Which louvers did you get? My wife has all but demanded I get them for my 2000 GT. Also, anybody have any wisdom they're willing to dispense with regard to an apparently failing rear wheel bearing or axle bearing or something on a '00 w/ the T-45? I've noticed a dull "wob wob wob wob" noise as the car rolls, tied to the ground speed (not engine speed). Today I got extra curious about it and pushed on the wheels - the left/rear wheel squeaked when I pushed on it and there seemed to be a little movement. Is this an easy job to do over a weekend with a jack and some basic tools? I've done wheel bearings on my Buell and they seemed easy enough.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 27, 2013 20:53
|
|
|
Dang. I heard a rumbling from somewhere under me when I was driving, so when I brought it in for its oil change and lube I had them look at the wheel bearings. One wheel bearing is shot, not the one I thought it was. They fixed that one and test drove it. Still a'rumblin', from the differential. The inboard axle bearings and all but one of the bearing races in the rear end were looking bad too. The gears and axles checked out A-ok though, guess I caught it early enough. July just got expensive.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 9, 2013 01:49
|
|
|
My '00 has probably had bad bearings in the differential since I bought it 10k miles ago. I accepted the rumbly nature of the car as normal; the RX-7s I had in the past were also pretty noisy and clunky so I figured that was just character. While having a wheel bearing diagnosed during an oil change, my mechanic noticed the rear end noise and I told him he might as well fix it too. Anyhow, now that I am financially ruined and the rear end is all fixed up, holy crap this car is quiet and smooth. I even have a set of Flowmaster 40 series on this thing and it's pretty much eerily silent at a cruise.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 12, 2013 18:21
|
|
|
thebigcow posted:I saw a 2001 Bullitt sitting at the corner of a dealer and started getting crazy ideas of buying it. From what I've read it was a GT from that year with a few exterior mods and better brakes. Will I be cursing myself for buying this thing the first time some Bullitt exclusive part breaks or can I mostly replace things with GT parts and a little work? If I could have found a good Bullitt when I was shopping, I would have got one instead of the GT. The cosmetic package on it looks nice and tidy and the better brakes would be - and I say this as someone who enjoys driving the GT as is - a really, really nice thing to have.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 26, 2013 19:30
|
|
|
I almost always prefer cloth seats to leather.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 31, 2013 20:23
|
|
|
My '00 GT's battery died I guess... I started it up no problem and drove it 16 miles home from work. Between stopping it at my house and going out an hour later, it woudn't start. Typical low battery trouble - relay clicking when it's trying to power up the Mach 460 amps, nothing/no lights when I hit the starter. It took a jump start from the truck but kept flashing the battery light when I hit the brakes/locks/windows/anything electric. The charge gauge on the dash is where it should be so it seems like the battery is simply not accepting any appreciable charge at all. Car has 86k mi, no idea on the age of the battery. Does that seem right? Do these cars tend to have sudden battery deaths? My Ranger telegraphed its battery failure pretty obviously, but it also has half the size engine and basically no electronics onboard so I guess that might make sense... good excuse to ride the Ulysses around though.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 6, 2013 21:49
|
|
|
wallaka posted:Go to Autozone or whatever and have them test your battery for free. This sounds like good advice on paper. Autozone guy: I think my tester is broken, hey other autozone guy bring this to the back and test it on the big tester. Other autozone guy: I think my tester is broken. Maybe O'Reilly can test it for you? O'reilly guy: It won't test, I can put it on the charger and test it in an hour. Alright. O'reilly guy (an hour later): your battery is all good, here you go. So I put it in the car and nothing. Battery is flat. Took it to Batteries Plus and they told me it had 50CCA, rated at 540. Time for a new battery. I got one rated at 590CCA. UPGRAYEDD
|
|
#
¿
Aug 12, 2013 19:31
|
|
|
On the HVAC dial, are "off" and "vent" the only positions that do not run the AC compressor? The other positions are A/c, Max a/c, windshield, mix, and floor. I almost always have it on vent but today I had it blowing on the floor and noticed that both the air was pretty cold and the engine was acting like the AC was on. This is a 2000 and I assume the HVAC logic applies to other ford vehicles of the same vintage. My truck has the same dials but no AC so I've never got cold air out of its floor vents.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 15, 2013 01:44
|
|
|
Since I have stuff pretty much sorted out and am up to date with service with my '00, I'm thinking about suspension improvements and have a couple questions. The idea is to maintain a stock-ish ride height because I like how the bumper clears curbs, but stiffen it up a bit and give it less floppy handling characteristics - no track time intended, just improvements for the commute, occasional pleasure cruising, and maybe 1-2 time-only autocrosses a year. I am specifically after a non-adjustable setup because if not I will endlessly fiddle with adjustments and I just want to drive the car. I'd like to put on some progressive rate springs. Looks like the M-5300-B (http://www.fordracingparts.com/parts/part_details.asp?PartKeyField=271) lowering kit from Ford Racing fits the bill for springs - close to stock rate (425-530lb in front vs. 450 linear stock), minimal drop. The other spring I was looking at is the factory Bullitt springs, which are about as low as the Ford Racing set but have a 650lb linear rate for the front and I suspect it may be too harsh for me - are they harsh? Would Tokico HPs be a good match for stockish-rate springs or even recommended for a Mustang? I was also looking at Bilstein HDs, but am not sure if they're worth the considerably higher cost. Any general suggestions on street/sport dampers? I am told just about anything is better than stock, is that right? clutchpuck fucked around with this message at 20:45 on Aug 26, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Aug 26, 2013 20:37
|
|
|
Bumming Your Scene posted:I would probably just do springs first and see how that feels because dampers don't affect how far the noise dives down, they just affect at what rate it dives down. I was thinking that better dampening could help over washboarded roads that are common around here, I feel like the wheels tend to bounce over the crests rather than stay on the road.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 27, 2013 00:11
|
|
|
If you know the specs, http://www.mcmaster.com/
|
|
#
¿
Aug 27, 2013 09:18
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 13:26 |
|
|
CarForumPoster posted:And thats exactly what you have when you buy it. Not sure if that's worse than an SN197. Gwaihir posted:On hot days of if I've been driving for a while (Longer than it takes the engine to come up to temperature, usually more like an hour), it's perfect. This is far from perfect.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 30, 2013 05:48
|
|