I was browsing another forum and someone mentioned that Mustangs feel tired after 10,000 miles while Japanese sports cars start breaking in after 80,000 miles.
Now, what does he mean by "tired" and is this statement false? I ask because I have been looking at used Mustangs as my future daily driver.
Mustangs somehow feel loose after not to long a time. The bodies can pick up odd rattles/squeaks and the plastic dash can be especially noisy.
The 5.0 settles in and will seem to be a bit down on power, but really isn't, it's just the impression that the cars sometimes give.
You'll never get the extended performance or life out of a 5.0 that you would out of a Japanese ride, but that's just the nature of the Mustang. Rather simple car with a simple engine and drive line.
It sounds like someone that has a pre-disposition to not like a certain car, in this case the Mustang. I'll agree that the Japanese cars still feel fine (engine wise) at 80K, but I don't think the Mustang feels worn out. I mean common, 10K miles? This dude is a maroon.
I would call bullE36 M3 on most of that. I sure see a lot more 20 year old Fox Mustangs around here than, oh, lets say early 90's Subarus.
Thanks, what about a used v8 Mustang lx with 100,000 miles. How much life is expected out of the engine?
I grabbed a $75 ford 5.0 out of a pick n pull as a challenge car engine. It had 139,000 on it. When I pulled it apart the honing marks were still visible on the cylinder walls. The rest of the car had crapped out, but that engine still lives (it got new bearings and rings since I opened it up.
None left in that engine without a freshening up. At 100,00 it's all done.
Honestly guys, I LOVE Mustangs. Owned many of them over the years, currently own two and am putting a fresh 5.0 and T-5 package in my MGA.
I really DO think that the early ones wore out too quickly, the Fox bodies suffered from unibody rot and early engine problems (electronics especially, but the distributor modules and CFI were continuing problems) until after '86, I have a 2009 with very low mileage and have already had the hood break out in holes and bubbles because of poor primer adhesion and electrolysis setting in. Transmission problems, and loads of odd squeaks behind the dash.
Check the number of TSBs issued, a staggering amount and all turning up at very low mileage points..
The Legend Lime Forum (the color of my '08) covers much of this if you're really interested in a somewhat newer used Mustang. Worth a look for sure.
Of course, I'm planning on buying a 2008 Bullitt Edition this Spring, so I'm already sold on them, just cautioning you to look out when buying.
Did the 5.0 at the pick 'n pull come out of a Mustang? I just find that most often, the engines from Mustangs tend to be either already freshened up or beat to death.
Luck,
TC
I've got almost 100k on my 05 GT, and its rock solid. Daily driven, autocrossed, red line shifts and smoked tires. After an overdue plug change at 90k, it still feels as strong as the day I first installed the tune, and stronger than when I drove it off the lot with 42 miles on it.
There are a couple interior issues, and a couple rattles, but far far fewer than my wife's Cooper S of the same year and mileage.
The only nonwear, non-upgrade mechanical item I've replaced was the alternator
I've got a 97 explorer pushing 200k on an untouched iron 302. It pulls my camper at 75mph while getting 16mpg, can happily drag said camper over any mountain in north Georgia, and has always been the most reliable vehicle in my extended family.
Modern engines fall prey to poor maintenance infinitely more often than they do to bad engineering or production.
I agree with you Clyde.. I think a lot of the issues with the Mustang compared to most japanese cars.. most japanese cars are not designed to be cheap and fast. This puts the mustang on the hit list for every red blooded 16yo guy who wants to smoke the tyres from stoplight to stop light..
Usually Japanese cars have ti survive till about 100K miles till they reach that point in their depreciation and the kids get their hands on them.
There is a late 80s accord near me that a kid bought. When he got it, it was a fairly shiny maroon accord that looked good.
Today it has projector headlights, ricer tails, primer spots, is badly lowered, and has not moved in about 3 months. I think it died a quick death
Yeah, most cars are killed by bad owners, not bad designers. Any pushrod V8 is good for 250,000 miles if taken care of.
well there's your problem: you were browsing another forum! lol
My jy 5.0 was out of a lincoln lsc (often overlooked source for ho engines - mustang engine with different injection set up - forged pistons, crappy flowing heads, less hooning). Got junked because the air suspension died - but was driven to the yard.
Sounds like a load of crap to me. Sure Jap engines on average tend to last longer, but not that much of a difference, especially nowadays. Not a huge general build quality difference these days either.
It's going to depend a lot on the previous owner(s). A 5.0 that's got 100k miles on it, driven 1/4 mile at a time is probably going to be trashed. I've had several cars with the old 5.0 (aka 4.9) and they're pretty damn stout. I did manage to destroy one due to overheating, but that was on a racetrack.
As for the original comment about a car being "tired" at 10k vs. Japanese cars being just broken in at 80k, that's just a tad exaggerated. I wouldn't think any car would feel tired at 10k. However, it's true cars like the Mustang and most other American cars from the 00's on back start feeling "loose" faster than Japanese. The interior will have squeaks, rattles, trim falling apart, etc...suspension/steering may start feeling sloppy. If you're talking 5.0LX 'stang, it's obviously an older car. Old Mustangs weren't known for quality assembly when new, let alone 17+ years later.
Not to say you can't find a nice 5.0LX, there are plenty out there. But expect to pay a premium if it's been updated/restored, or expect to have a lot of work on your hands if it hasn't.
ultraclyde wrote: Modern engines fall prey to poor maintenance infinitely more often than they do to bad engineering or production.
This.
As for Japanese cars not being "broken in" until they have 80K on the clock, tell that to my buddy who has a Mark IV Supra with 100K on it. That thing has lived a hard life, and it shows.
import vs 5.0..... Oh boy. Whoever said it's done at 10k for the 5.0 is a moron. It is like a new pair of shoes. When they are new, they feel oh so right, but as they age, you get used to them. Same thing here with the 5.0. Once you figure out how to drive it, you lose the sense of the torque the V8 in a "lightweight" chassis and it becomes a "boring appliance". So many will think it has lost power, but in reality, you have just gotten used to it. Most of the imports, /me dons Nomex flamesuit at this point, are boring appliances straight out of the box. None of them are not any different from the others.
Not a Mustang but most of my Fords seem to start running better when they approach 40'000 miles.
This high mleage thing is not new. It is just that owners were not used to it. Back in the late '70's I had a customer with a 6 cyl , 170 cu.in Comet. that insisted that it needed an overhaul, even though it was running fine, beacause it had high miles. On dissasembly, there as no measurable wear on the cylinders or the crankshaft.
In reply to Ranger50:
I notice a similar feeling with my rotary. Granted I built the engine out of 5 "dead" motors.
Now its a little slower, oil is a bit gassier, harder to start in the cold weather (even with full choke) slight hesitation after sitting at a light too long, more fireballs than usual. Its on its last leg I can sense it...
Ranger50 wrote: import vs 5.0..... Oh boy. Whoever said it's done at 10k for the 5.0 is a moron. It is like a new pair of shoes. When they are new, they feel oh so right, but as they age, you get used to them. Same thing here with the 5.0. Once you figure out how to drive it, you lose the sense of the torque the V8 in a "lightweight" chassis and it becomes a "boring appliance". So many will think it has lost power, but in reality, you have just gotten used to it. Most of the imports, /me dons Nomex flamesuit at this point, are boring appliances straight out of the box. None of them are not any different from the others.
I was thinking of something along those lines too, just couldn't figure out how to put it to words effectively.
the best way to feel it.. drive something else for a while and then get back into it
Gearheadotaku wrote: Yeah, most cars are killed by bad owners, not bad designers. Any pushrod V8 is good for 250,000 miles if taken care of.
Here! Here! I bought a '92 5.0 in '97 with 50K and I was the second owner, later it passed on to two other owners after me before I lost track of it. The car had over 205K when this was occured! The body was rusty but living it's life in Chicago and being a DD the whole time will do that.
If a modern car was "tired" or "worn out" after only 100k, let alone 10k, it would fail the emissions standards (the ones the OEMs have to pass, not the jokey state inspections).
In reply to mad_machine:
yeah after driving my mazda2 daily for almost 2 years, I got to drive my friends 300awhp STI.
It was scary.
In reply to fidelity101:
Or go the other way.. jump out of that Sti and into your two for a few months.. especially if you had gotten so used to the STI, it seemed boring
Sky_Render wrote:ultraclyde wrote: Modern engines fall prey to poor maintenance infinitely more often than they do to bad engineering or production.This. As for Japanese cars not being "broken in" until they have 80K on the clock, tell that to my buddy who has a Mark IV Supra with 100K on it. That thing has lived a hard life, and it shows.
Your buddy could just as well be me. I've owned a lot of cars and had an mkiv supra that was a pile, even with relatively low miles. I owned an MKII that was a lot more solid, so toyota may have slipped on quality with the MKIV....IDK, but still wouldn't mind having an MKIV TT. The 95 GT I had with 150k plus on the original 5.0 was a much more reliable car.
that being said...having owned a lot of German, Japanese, and US cars I've had the best luck out of the US cars and my current crop reflects that, but none are perfect.
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