Blown383LS1

iTrader: (23)

I have had plenty of both cars and I will say this, the Mustang is the better car. The build and ride quality were light years ahead of an f body. My 94 GT's odometer broke at 167k and probably has 200k on it now and it still rides tight with zero squeaks and rattles. It doesn't have sub frame connectors on it either. The seats are not ripped or worn out, both power windows still work, the dash and the door panels are not cracked, and I am still on the stock rear with tons of launches with slicks. I have had plenty of f bodies and they were just flimsy and put together with cheap parts from the factory. No bias here, just the facts from someone who has owned both for years. The LS1 is a great platform to say the least and GM hit a homerun when they came out but that is the only place where the f body is better. I think the 98-02 ram air TA's are some of the baddest looking cars to ever roll off of an assembly line. I sold my last Z/28 to concentrate on building my Mustang, it had less than half the miles and was only modded with a few bolt ons by me. Driving both cars was like night and day as far as quality. The f bodies have the older Mustangs beat in power for sure but that can easily be overcome. Aftermarket parts are a lot cheaper for the 5.0. Just my .02.

Edit - I had one 4.6 sohc that was built and supercharged that I hated. When they put out the 4.6 it was the worst thing they could have done. There are some fast ones out there but I will never own another one.

mannyman84

iTrader: (2)

If you are into comfort and you Dont like the rattle then you should of bought a corolla. Camaro and trans am's were made to perform, I really doubt they had in mind the plastics and other stuff they put into them. My 90 GTA is at 300k and has minor rattles that can easly be fixed but love the torque on it. The ws6 is at 118 and doesn't rattle much because I try and take care of it when I hear it... But yet! Who the hell is going to care about little rattles here and there when you are hauling *** down the track/street when you have a mustang in the rear view mirror. And I've driver crap load of stangs and I hate the seats and how the shifter sits all the way in the front.

1ltcap

plastics?

door hinges, leaky t-roofs, hatch struts not holding, rear suspension rattles to name a few.

that said.....i can't believe the guy you quoted has 200k on a sn95 mustang, and doesn't need front end work. their struts go bad, ball joints, tie rod ends........

mannyman84

iTrader: (2)

So far I haven't had that leaking problem.. (knock on wood) but anything can be fixed.....

And these f bodies aren't new. Any car with this age will need lift supports at 10 years plus. You are naming wear and tear parts. In that case everyone would be complaining that their brakes wear down

mustangless

I fail at reading. To get an sn95 in 11s with gt40s will take lots of work.

Blown383LS1

iTrader: (23)

No need or want for a Corolla. I don't like the squeaks and rattles in any car I drive. I fly down the track or street in the Mustang just fine in a tighter car that is all. I am 41 and way past brand loyalty. The Mustang is the better built car, the LS1 is the better motor platform.

Blown383LS1

iTrader: (23)

Never said that wear items last 200k in any car made.

HioSSilver

iTrader: (8)

My car is still pretty nice after 13 yrs and 110k. The only thing I've replaced tbat I didn't tear up is the lt window motor and I just recently put a new set of headlights in it. The way I figure its mostly how you take care of a car. With that said be honest about how crappy ford headlights and plastics are that fade, seats that break and lack of handleing until very recently.....not to metion a poopy 4.6.

Blown383LS1

iTrader: (23)

I agree totally on the head lights but I have not heard about any breaking seats. Handling was crappy on the foxes but was greatly improved along with braking on the SN95's. The 4.6 to me was a total joke. I had a 2000 GT with a built motor and a Vortech but I hated it and swapped it for a 99 TA. Like I said, I love the LS engines and will own a Corvette before it's over. I don't care what the wife says, lol.

flattusmaximus78

iTrader: (1)

Handling isn't good for sure, but my fox was light years ahead of my 02 z28. Head lights were clean as hell too. Mine were shot. My window motors are turds as well. Idk, I'm over the brand loyal stuff. That is why I bought my camaro and I love it dearly. I wont hide that I think the fox and sn95 chassis were nicer and the interior is held together a little better. My Z only has 65,000 miles so I'd like to think it's a good comparison.

Mike Morris

iTrader: (55)

I have both and agree-my Mustang is a better built car. Then again my fox doesn't have that many miles on it.

Whats sad is my Toyotas from the late 80s are better built than both by a long shot

1ltcap

10 years? i see the lift supports bad in less than 3 years. to be honest though, it's not just chevys......it's nearly anything that uses them. i think it just stands out a bit more on them, due to the size/weight of the rear glass, and the same for the hood.
door hinges aren't wear/tear items either. the most common car i've ever seen with bad door hinges, is the 80's camaro/firebirds. same for leaking t-roofs.

but then........like i said about the ball joints on fords.......it's like "jesus christ!! can't you people put a zerk fitting in these dam things?!". i've done more ball joints and tie rods on fords over the years than anything.
in fact, ford engineers have done such a great job with their "permanently" lubricated ball joints, they actually often require a different test method. and have you ever seen a ford....like a crown vic, or an explorer....that gives this little squeak when the driver turns the wheel? that is either one of the ball joints or a tie rod.

1ltcap

just checking........because as much as i like my fords........they seemed to me to need certain front end parts earlier in their lifespans than they should have.

1ltcap

the headlight issue isn't just ford. in the past month, i've polished the lenses of 2 camrys, a taurus, a rx330, and a buick. they all seem to do it.
in the last few years, the only broken seats i've dealt with, are a dodge ramvan, and a jeep wrangler. fox body mustangs used to have problems with the seats ripping out of the floor.....mostly the police cruisers, as those were generally drivin by bigger guys. i think ford had a tsb on that, and a repair kit. in fact, my 89 had that kit installed......which would lead me to believe that a fat guy owned that before i did.

1ltcap

funny you mention toyota. had a camry in the shop last year. 624k on the odometer. 2.2 liter 5sfe engine. i asked him if it was the original engine. he said the original let loose at 330k, and that this one was a junkyard engine....it had about 70k when installed. you'd have never known this car had 600k+ to look at it.
by that same token......another customer has a buick century(91 i think) with 317k. original engine.

adamantium

iTrader: (3)

My mom owns a 96 2v GT, shes owned it since 2000. Odometer stopped working at 88k maybe 10 years ago. No way in hell would i trade my car for it.

Mike Morris

iTrader: (55)

My 89 Camry with the 3sfe had 398K on it when it was stolen back in November-great cars

Blown383LS1

iTrader: (23)

I would not drive it if it was given to me. The 96-98 GT's were pathetic. The newer 4.6 wasn't much better. The 96-98 4v Cobra's are a fun car to drive though, I have had two if those over the years. They rev like no other factory car I have ever driven. They are even better with 4.11's. The 5.0 was a much better platform even though I always thought Ford should have put the 351 in the GT's to start with.

adamantium

iTrader: (3)

Cars bullet proof reliable, but as far as interior and all that i feel claustrophobic in it lol. Never been in a 4v cobra though.

It'llrun

We were expecting pretty much what Ford sold, except 1 little thing. We expected this new 4.6L to be easily modified, like our old 5L was, for much better performance. It simply didn't happen that way.

Could be a poor driver(usually is) or any number of things, such as bad track prep.

C'mon now... Those 2 claim to be stock long block cars? And that just means they unquestionably are? Aside from that, I see Fox body Mustangs there, not SN95's, which are clearly heavier(by like 300 lb).

Iron GT40 heads really aren't good, and they really are bad in many ways. No matter what is done to them, they just can't be stretched into "par" heads when considering available options. As for working better with boost... Well which head doesn't?

450hp... Using stock iron GT40 heads and intake? Idonno which cam you're thinking of or which Vortech. I do know that much power with those parts on a 302HO is something I'd call "higher than normal" in the Fox 5L world. I never spent much time looking into(or converting) fwhp vs rwhp. I remember seeing a bit over 300rwhp using GT40 TurboSwirl heads with an extrude honed intake along with a Vortech S-trim and supporting build parts. That was considered good DD capable power at the time(2001) with those parts.

You don't like the word Cleveland? Okay then, but Cleveland heads as compared to iron GT40's is like comparing the cylinder heads of a 2011 Mustang GT(as the Cleveland) to a 1998 Mustang GT(as the GT40). Cleveland heads are far superior to the almost halfway worthy iron GT40. I'll put it this way. I don't think the iron GT40 can flow as well on the intake side as the "C" head can on exhaust.

Heh... plenty of problems!

That pretty much seals what I said... I can see a supercharged version of the Fox running 11's with GT40 stuff... not an SN95 though, without the S/C.

Eh... No parts for the LS1 in 98. F-bodies had OBDII since 1996, just like every other American sold vehicle. Remember a time before LS1 edit? I do. Pricing generally favored the Mustang till June, 2002.