New Edge GT or LS1 T/A?

Hey guys! Just wondering if anybody has any input here on what's the better buy. I'll finally be buying a second car this spring, and I haven't had a fun car for a while. I want a pony car and the New Edge GT and 4th Gen T/A seem to be my favorite options.

It seems that Mustangs are around $4500 for a clean one all day. Plenty of options at that price. Decent power, rwd, and I like Fords.

The 4th gen t/a seems to be around $7000 for a decent driver if I'm willing to be patient. This is the absolute top of my budget. I like the t-tops and the look better and the ls1 is a no brainer...

Main uses will be weekend fun/autox/occasional hpde when the bank account allows it.

Keep in mind that this is a second car, so reliability is not a huge factor, but I want to drive the car as much as possible and I'll likely have pretty limited funds to repair the t/a due to the initial cost, but I should have a bit to contribute to the repair fund on a regular basis. I think the only other thing that might be of importance is that I'm 6'3" tall.

Have at it and thanks in advance for the input!

The interior ergonomics on the Trans Am suck, and they are a pain to work on under the hood. But, its worth it for the LS1 engine and the absolutely vicious styling. I'd avoid the T-tops though, just a bigger opportunity for leaks and reduced chassis stiffness. Also, the 7.625" 10-bolt rear is pretty fragile.

In reply to NickD:

Yeah, I had a 3rd gen at one point and it is pretty annoying when the wheel is almost directly over the pedals! It's been a while since I've been in one but I assume the Mustang driving position etc. isn't much better which is why I didn't consider it a major factor but maybe I'll try to find one of each car to at least sit in.

I rode in a New Edge Mustang but the drivetrain really didn't enthuse me, and there's lots less performance parts for that engine. I think the interior ergonomics were a little better though. You could have the best of both worlds, and jam an LS engine in a New Edge.

Agree with NickD. The 4th gen cars have nicer stock suspension than the Mustangs and can run 315s on all 4 corners. Engines are a pain to get to.

A nice New Edge + the extra $2500 for mods (due to the cheaper purchase price) might be a nicer overall package, just depends on your preferences.

$3000 new edge V6 with $4k leftover to LS swap!

I'm hoping I can avoid doing a swap at least for a while. That's partly the point of getting a pony car. I want to get something that I can turn the key and have decent power with.

IMHO, a preference for the looks and hard top of the New Edge are about the only reason to buy one over the F Body, aside from the cheaper buy in. So since you actually prefer the looks and t tops of the GM, I'd go that way. The LS is simply a better performance engine hands down and the cars actually come from the factory with a functional rear suspension design.

I'm 6'3 as well (with a 34" inseam) and actually think the ergonomics of the 4th gen F body fit me quite well once the seat is adjusted where it needs to be. Plenty of legroom and my helmet just barely has clearance, even with the t tops in place. But I think I've only auto xed with them on once anyways.

Reliability has been fine with mine over 2.5 years and ~35k miles. Replaced the battery, PS pump (fried the stock one during auto x, a common failure), front calipers, and I think that's it, aside from purely performance mods. Pulls low-mid 20s for fuel mileage in my usual mixed driving, and will get close to 30 on the interstate if speeds are kept close to the limit (yea right lol.)

Wanna buy mine? I'm planning on putting it up for sale within the next few weeks anyways, once I'm moved into my new place.

I'm planning on waiting until the spring so I don't have to insure it over the winter and I can keep saving up but I'll definitely get the details on your car.

New edge. Add the money you saved into a rear suspension that works

I haven't driven either, but have ridden in them. The Mustang, IMHO, is easier to get in and out of, and seems like it'd be easier to live with. If you're looking for ultimate performance, the F body is the better choice(except for the previously mentioned rear end).

this makes me glad that GM finally seems to have gotten over their infatuation with the T-top

Is there any reason you aren't considering LT1 T/A's as well? Yeah, I know they don't have the outright performance or bragging right of an LS1 T/A, but they're still no slouch. They should also be closer to the New Edge GT in price, while arguably looking substantially better than the LS1 (or New Edge) cars...Although if you start considering the more gracefully aging pre-facelift variants, the SN-95's could be added to the mix as well.

As much as I want to prefer the LS1 f-body to the new edge, I have a hard time buying a 7-8k T/A over a 10-12K c5. I think, in this equation, the new edge wins based solely on the fact that a decent manual one can be found south a 5k. 2 grand worth of suspension work will "fix" it and typical bolt ons yield a 300whp. Both the f-body and new edge are saddled with superfluous plastic garbage ground effects, but the new edge is easier to live with IMO. I also think that the interior materials are of better quality, engine bay access is much better, and I personally prefer the sound of a tuned 4.6 over the LS1.

I think what it comes down to is preference. If you're looking for bang for the buck, new edges have the advantage. If you want a 4th gen T/A, the only thing that will scratch that itch is a 4th gen T/A.

As a guy who dailies a Fox body 5.0, between the two cars being discussed the answer is clear:

Unless you are getting a Cobra or Mach I, that whole generation of Mustang is pretty "meh."

Thanks for all the responses guys! Still haven't come to a solution but I'm leaning new edge just because the cost is lower and I think if I want the ls1 experience I'd be happier doing a swap later on down the road in a chassis I love instead of the Trans Am which I think has looks going for it and that's about it.

As for the c5 discussion that was actually a car that I had seriously considered saving a bit more for and buying later because of the reason you stated: much better car, not much higher price. I just can't justify spending over 10k on a car with that build quality though.

Driven5 wrote: Is there any reason you aren't considering LT1 T/A's as well?

The LT1 cars (especially the ones that aren't 97s) are heavier. And they're a little more nose-heavy too. They're not as good all-around, it's not just a power difference.

Just to complicate the matter: 2500 T/A

I'm not necessarily sure I agree with the New Edge being better value. Cheaper buy in, yes, but not necessarily better value given the performance gap. Of course, it all depends on what you intend to do with the car.

Two grand worth of suspension components and you're pretty much at parity in price just to get a rear suspension that doesn't bind under normal loading conditions. Throw some decent shocks, big sways, and big tires on the f body (all of which the Mustang will also need btw) and be done with it - no need to correct horrendous factory geometry just to function properly.

And after the $2k in suspension you're still at, nominally, a 40 hp deficit. In reality, it's more like 70 hp. The PI 4.6 Mustangs generally seem to dyno somewhere around 220whp stock, while even the early LS1s rated at 305hp typically dyno around 285-290whp. Once you get into modding, the performance per dollar gap only widens. Headers, cam, and a tune and you're knocking on the door of 400whp in an LS1.

These were two of the four cars that were "finalists" the last time I was shopping for a fun car (the other two being Miata and SW20 MR2, interestingly enough lol.) I spent many hours weighing these same arguments in my mind and ultimately have not regretted or second guessed my choice. Yes the interior sucks, the build quality is not the best, the engine bay is tight, and GM uses 3 different types of fasteners for the 4 bolts that attach the front upper control arms to the shock tower (seriously, wtf), but IMHO the f body is hands down the better performer of the two.

BTW, mine's a 98 Camaro, 6 speed, t tops, black ext, tan int, 108,xxx miles, Koni shocks, Strano springs, 35/24mm f/r sway bars, OE Speedline Z06 wheels w/275/295 tires, Flowmaster catback, MGW shortshifter, SLP air lid...ect. I'll likely have a posting in the for sale section in a few weeks.

I have another idea: what about a c4 vette? You can generally source a nice 6 speed, LT1 car for about 6-7K.

Do you like to mow down people after leaving Cars & Coffee ? If so, you have your answer.

Furious_E wrote: Yes the interior sucks, the build quality is not the best, the engine bay is tight, and GM uses 3 different types of fasteners for the 4 bolts that attach the front upper control arms to the shock tower

All of this is a deal breaker for me.