Im wanting to buy an 89 Mustang gt 5.0 . What are some common problems of this year??

 

they all have the same little problems unless previous owner hacked it up
doesnt really have common problems, just common maintenance that i know of.

 

Everything,.. its a 22 year old car.

Unless the car was fully restored or meticulously maintained and/or with very low mileage (70 - 90k on the odometer is typically 270 - 290k on these cars) expect a host things that will need to be repaired, replaced or addressed. 20 year old hoses, vacuum lines, gaskets, under hood plastics, wiring, connections etc etc dont fair well for 20+yrs.

Rust is the primary problem with these cars. Any small rust that you do see,.. I promise you that there is 2 - 3 times more that you dont see. If the suspension is still stock then odds are the shocks and struts are shot, bushings will be in bad shape, motor mounts will probably be no better.

Mechanically they will run almost forever IF (Big IF) they were well maintained. The most common problem with Mustangs are the owners. They buy a 20 year old car for cheap and expect to be able to just get in and treat it like a newer car. Cant do that with these cars. Do not buy a fox body Mustang unless you can afford the upkeep and maintenance to properly take care of the car. So many people buy these cars and just run them in the ground, then end up parting them out when it was a perfectly good car to start with. They spend more time cleaning the interior and worrying more about how the car looks, all the while never raising the hood. Or they buy plugs and wires, a K&N filter, new coil and call it an engine over haul.

Common issues with these cars are electrical gremlins. Worn contacts in the ignition switch will cause so many different electrical issues its almost comical to spend the time tracing it down (Replacing parts in the process) and in the end it was just the ignition switch. 89's still had the smaller gauge wire feeding the fog lights and they will burn through in some cases. The rack and pinion if still original will be well worn and have some play in it. The valve covers, oil pan and lower intake gaskets will be leaking. The rear engine seal will probably be leaking. The rear tranny seal will be leaking. The rear axles will be due for new bearings, seals and a fluid change. Rotors will need to be checked.

All of that is a worst case scenario. There are some nice cars left out there. Expect to pay at least $6500+ if you want a car to just get in and drive with minimal issues. I havent seen a totally problem free Fox for under $5k in years. So if your looking for a $3k car expect to put another $2k - $3k to get it right. Sadly thats reality.

Word of advice,.. dont buy the first car you see. If there is anything about the car that doesnt feel right, walk away. Mustangs are a "Me Too" car. Everyone and his grandfather has one. There is another car exactly like what your looking for just down the road.

Hurst

 

That was my first thought as soon as I read the OP thread.

 

There are a lot of good deals out there if you can wait and have some money. My grey coupe bought for 3600 and drove for a year and never touched under the hood. I did some inside things, power door locks, trim, 1 window motor, little stuff. If your spending around 1000-2000 range well it could and will need some work probably but what car doesnt. do not be afraid to make an offer, I've been in car sales since 1988. My daughters 94 blk GT vert w/ white leather unmolested cant believe how nice it drives, was on Craigslist for 5000. dropped to 4500, I offered 3000, he said 4000 I looked at it offered 2500 (he needed to sell, dont be afraid to ask personal questions) I walked away few days later I get it for 2600. 1 year and all I replaced was the hydralic motors for the top and shocks and struts. yep there are winners and losers out there and I'm sure everybody can tell you they got a steal of a car or one heck of a nightmare. Just go slow and look at a few and you will quickly see things and notice what to look for. good luck

 

my green /white 92 vert i paid 700 dollars for it put a battery in it and a good cleaning .my wife drove that car for five years .no rust no problems but an elderly lady owned it and maintained it ....sold that car for 2800.00 and it needed a new top that was it .The guy who bought it liked it because it was rust free ....so there are definately deal s out there just be careful...

 

Thanks guys. Yeah I'm in no rush. I've looked at quite a few and haven't found the one I want yet. I know it's pretty hard to come across one that doesn't need any work. I've done some research and already have some knowledge so I'm not completely ignorant lol and I'm definitely not going to yet myself into something that I can't handle.

 

definitely look at the floor pans. I bought a car from a gentleman in sarasota that he told me was a florida car, didn't car fax it. did a lot of work to it, awesome car until I jacked it up and noticed the hidden rust under the undercoating. turned out to be a kentucky car that was misrepresented. I sold it because of that (and told the buyer about the issue as my name is more important to me).

 

I wish I didn't sell my 89 so cheap back in 05, that dude got a deal!
The chance of finding an original 89GT WITHOUT a rear main seal leak is 5 in a 100