When buying a used Mustang…

[jd_cobra]

What do you look for the most (besides upkeep with maintenance) that would make you either want to buy, or not buy said vehicle?

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[lo-fi]

Loosely:

1 or 2 owners
Overall appearance
Cold start sounds/smoke
Low mileage (subjective as to what qualifies)

Absolutely Non-Negotiable
Engine and transmission (if automatic) unmodified (reversible suspension mods are fine)
No after market tunes (No I don't want your shitty NA tune that adds ten HP, maybe).
OEM clutch/PP/flywheel if manual, no aftermarket chattering.
Factory exhaust or something without drone

Overall. I'm not buying a heavily modified car, absolutely not. Never.

 

[Swtbabybilly]

A ford warranty for atleast 3 years or im not touching its but thats just me

 

[Strokerswild]

Low number of owners and low mileage always top the list.

 

[warnerwh]

Low mileage and preferably stock or close to it. I check all body panels, stick my head next to the engine and listen while it's running and look at overall care it has been given judging it cosmetically. Carfax records can be helpful but I don't trust them 100%. Good Luck!

 

[Tang]

I paid a couple thousand for my warranty and I needed all sorts of stuff that amounted to over $10k in parts and labor. I would've been sunk without a warranty.

Wheel bearings
ABS sensors
AC compressor and core
Water pump

 

[MachNroll]

What do you look for the most (besides upkeep with maintenance) that would make you either want to buy, or not buy said vehicle?

If I were in the market to purchase a used Mustang, I would (and have twice before) look for:

Body paint condition (signs of undocumented paint/body work) including panel alignment. Careful here for sure.

Low mileage, for me that's 6k or less but would consider higher depending on the car (i.e. sweet GT350 in immaculate condition).

Tire condition to include comparing mileage to rear tire wear. Worn rears with low mileage is a consideration. Thinking burn out city which for me = thrashed car.

Exhaust mods are iffy. Just a resonator delete and x/h pipe install not so concerned.

Tune is a no-go.

Ideally, 1 owner with oil changes per manufacturer spec. If done like every 800 miles I'm wondering if it was tracked regularly.

Car history report shows multiple trips to the dealer for electrical. For me, no thanks. Chasing electrical gremlins is no fun. On same topic, a clean Oasis report is a must.

Lowered is a no-go for me.

Looking under the front seats, what do I see? If chunks of food, hard pass as I don't want a car where the owner was sloppy.

Head liner burns = smoker = no go for me. Same for heavily perfumed car interior to mask smoke odor.

If bolts on the motor are scratched/evidence of torquing, and car history report doesn't match said activity, hard pass as it may mean someone messed with the motor.

Bottom line for me; be patient, find just the right well maintained car.

 

[Gen 6 Mach1]

It's all been mentioned above . Good luck, be patient, if you miss a good car , because you want to have it checked out, another one will become available. Part of the fun of owning is the process of purchasing. If it takes a bit to find the Car , that's the fun of the adventure.

 

[Bob Lob Law]

If I were to be on the market again I would definitely buy used and modded to what my end goal was already or close to it. Plenty of REALLY picky people who like the build more than the actual usage. Take your time and be picky and you can get a really sweet deal on a well put together build! Possibly one of the really nice ones that were posted on here over the years. It can be so much cheaper. I understand that you are also buying a project from someone, which can have it's own issues. That's why the previous owner is almost as important as the car itself.

 

[sk47]

Hello; Educate yourself for water damaged cars. Lots of them out there. There are shops who specialize in cleaning up a water car. They do a good job. Look at the title for salvage or water.
look in places where mud might linger if you suspect such a car.
I was close to buying a 1995 Camaro with a V8 and a manual trans. They told me it was a low water car. The car had been driven by the shop owner's daughter for several hundred miles. Before the deal was set I offered to pay to have the manual trans oil changed. The oil was milky. I walked. Did not get to checking the rear end but it had some noise which was a clue.

 

[MAGS1]

If done like every 800 miles I'm wondering if it was tracked regularly.

I would also say to compare the oil change mileage to the mileage of the car. If it’s a super low mileage car, it could be that car wasn’t driven much and the oil was changed annually with low miles actually driven.

 

[sk47]

Pre-Purchase Advice 2018 GT350 | 2015+ S550 Mustang Forum (GT, EcoBoost, GT350, GT500, Bullitt, Mach 1) - Mustang6G.com

Hello; This thread is recent with lots of good points. Guy is looking at a GT350.

Try to not get the "big eye" or be afraid to walk away. A thing i do is to leave after the first look. Preferably go home then come back. It is amazing what you miss in a first look but pick up the second time. Give time to be calmer. Not good if the car is far away.

 

[G.T.]

All of the above!

I also like to look at tires. Super cheap tires make me look harder if there are other areas of the car that were cheaped out on.

 

[FLMustangMan]

A lot of times dealers put cheap tires on cars though before they sell them. I don't usually see them throwing Michs on them.

 

[samiamdamustangman]

One thing to look out for in the higher .ilage cars is the pinion seal. It's a $600 repair. If you plan on doing it yourself the writeup I found required 3 special tools. Including the rear end had to be lifted with both wheels removed and a specialty tool breaking the rear end.

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