[rs2sensen]

I'm currently a college student in Grand Rapids, MI and drive an '02 Pontiac Grand Prix SE (100k miles). For many years, I've felt a certain pull towards vintage cars, especially Mustangs, even moreso after I missed out on a chance to by one owned by my neighbor in near perfect condition (I can't recall much specifically about it, except it was blue and stunning. I know that tells you very little!) for only $5k.

My Grand Prix is a good car, but I'm also aware that it could easily be sold for more money than I would need to buy certain mustangs. Still, it would certainly be a radical change, so I have a few questions...

1. How safe are they? I drive in snow a fair amount, and although I consider myself a safe and cautious driver, accidents happen.

2. What sort of gas mileage can I expect? I'm fully aware that my Grand Prix will win by a landslide in this category.

3. What about insurance? I can anticipate that for the next few years, my driving will be at most 5-10 miles per day. Can I qualify for any sort of vintage/classic insurance that might be cheaper than what I'm paying on my GP now? ($110 a month, just basic liability, Michigan No-Fault).

4. Is there anything specific I should be on the lookout for, positive or negative, when looking at different Mustangs? ie. Common mechanical faults, really good models, really bad models, etc.

5. What can I expect as far as reliability and how expensive/complicated can I expect repairs to be? I've done some auto repair, although am far from an expert mechanic. I can follow directions well.

5. What sort of budget is reasonable for a first mustang? Can I effectively do it for the cost of my Grand Prix or less (I'm guessing I can get $6k-$8k for it. Highish miles, but spotless physical condition). I'm not particuarly concerned about getting the "best performing" Mustang; I'm sure that just about anything will be enough for me, but would like something that can be somewhat reliable, not too difficult to maintain, and in fair physical condition.

6. Have I lost my mind?

Thanks!

[Preacher17]

Welcome! Well let me take your concerns one at a time .

1. They are not as safe as todays cars. The only safety appliance on some are lap belts and in a bad acident you can find yourself impaled on the steering wheel...BUT there are kits avaliable to upgrade things like seat belts and head rests, but they are never going to be as safe as todays cars.

2. Depending on the motor and mods and how you drive anywhere from 10 to near 20 mpg, not great but if you think about it not bad for a car that's 30 to 40 years old.

3. Coverage is avalible that will pay the value of the car call around for quotes Geico covers antiques I think most companies do but their rules and such differ.

4. Rust. Your buying an Old old car, make sure it is structually sound, in some cases its easy to hide and its always expensive to fix.

5. It's gonna cost money, the more you pay for the car the less work you will have to do but for 6-8 K figure on doing at least some work, steer clear of local cars I've lived up north finding a solid one will be tough.

6. No your mind seems intack but you may have to be very patient.

As much as you may want a classic now it may be more wise to wait, a classic as a daily driver up north isn't such a great idea, rust kills cars and for what you are going to pay and invest I'd hate to see the car ruined by northern winters and road salt. Classics also require time, money, tools and space to work on them, something that as a college student you may not have. A better idea may be to pick up something like a mid '90 or Fox body 'stang which can be had at very resonable prices and start saving for that classic, graduate get established in what you do and then pop for the car. I waited 20 years because of a military career to get my 66, I don't think you'll have to wait nearly as long but it probably is best to wait for now, in the mean time think about the other stangs, they are affordable fun cars.

[mustamike]

Agreed to with preacher. Vintage would be fun but it may not be practical enough for a college student in the northeast. Below are some answers for a later model if you are also considering buying one of those.


No you haven't lost your mind, I'd say you're just coming into the right frame of mind I have a few friends with Grand Prix and although I love Mustangs, I wouldn't bad mouth a Grand Prix by no means. They are a bit more luxorious and the last time I checked they weren't too slow either >> not a bad car in my opinion. But lets not be irrational here, nothing is better than a Stang (more a statement of passion rather than fact) :shiny .... Anyways I'm a college student as well and I too live where snow is a possibility everyday for about 8 months out of the year, so I understand a lot of your concerns.
If you can get 6-8K for your Grand Prix I'd say that you shouldn't have any problems finding a decent stang. The first thing you need to do is decide which models years are the most appealing to you. When you decide which years you like best, shop around, do some research on this forum(and any other resources), and then decide if the models you like fit into your budget. For 6-8K your best bet is to go 98 or older I think. It is possible that you could find a 99 or newer for this amount, but theres a good chance that it will be a V6 (again, decide how much power you need). I got my 1996 GT, no rust no damage, good paint, runs great, etc(check my pics) for 4700$ from a guy in Michigan and I'm sure theres plenty for sale especially during the winter months. That brings about your first question:

1.) How are they in the snow ? Not too many people brag about their mustangs awesome winter performance so it's likely that your Grand Prix would be at least a little better. Personally I like fwd in the snow but I couldn't stand the thought of salt slush oozing off my fenders so I dont drive mine in the winter. I live on campus so I dont need a car at school, but if you do need daily transport I'd suggest waiting the winter out with the Grand Prix or purchasing a winter rat for the season. If absolutely necessary, get some awesome snow tires and keep that baby as salt free as possible.

2.) MPG for a mustang is the same as any other car for the most part, meaning your Grand Prix wouldn't necessarily win by a landslide. It depends on how you drive. I've gotten better than 27 mpg outta my GT but outta the same car i would have no problem getting it below 12 mpg (such as when a friend gets in for the first time and you have to show him/her why they should get a mustang too). Plain and simple, if you drive responsibly you can get good gas mileage, but if your always high in the rpms your gunna feel it in your wallet.

3.) Insurance. I'm pretty sure that mostly depends on your provider and your specific stats. People ask how I afford it being 20 years old with red sports car. I only pay 45 a month for basic liability and around 100 with collision, fire, theft, etc. Drivers education classes, defensive driving, day time running headlights, abs, car alarms,..all those things should help to lower your insurance to a reasonable rate. As long as you dont have a lot of points on your license your insurance will be afforadable.

4+5) Common repairs and faults ? Thats gunna depend on the model and year that you choose, I haven't been around enough of them for long enough to make any comments here. I'm sure there are some moderators and gurus in here that will provide some helpful info for that issue. What work I have done, brakes, exhaust,some electrical, cai, etc is pretty basic and shouldn't be a problem as long as you have patience and some guidance from a book or friend.

Hope this helped and good luck in your search.