[Lord_Jesus_Of_Pringles]

Hello yall! I'm new here and I have a question that I hope you guys might be able to help me out with.. I found a ad in my area for a 2005 mustang GT convertible that I took interest in but it has a few problems.. The big thing is the ad states it has a bad torque converter and will need replacing asap.. I have a little bit of mechanical knowledge and know if you drive with a faulty torque converter it can cause damage to the transmission.. Second thing that is wrong with it is the soft top has a tear it the fabric.. I looked it up and a new torque converter and top would put me in the 600-700$ range.. Here's where my question is.. are these problems able to be fixed at home rather than at a shop? I want to do all the work by myself to save myself a nickle or two but if it's going to be to much then I'll just look for the next deal.. I'm wanting to get a idea of what it will take before I ask for questions to the seller so i don't waste their time or mine.. From what the ad states it has 140,000 miles on the odo which sounds pretty good for the year.. any tips would be appreciated!
Thanks!

 

[kenv]

From the pics, that car looks pretty rough. Why did they leave it sit outside with the window open? You have to pull the trans to change the convertor. It has 140,000 miles. What else is going to be wrong after you spend the money for the parts. Can the car be fixed at home instead of the shop? Sure! Should you do it? Depends on your mechanical skills. I have seen vehicles bought where the seller thinks it`s going to be a quick fix for a few bucks & the vehicle winds up sitting behind the house/barn for years because a host of other problems were found.
"I" would not touch that car with a 10 foot pole unless the seller was selling it really cheap. Just my two cents. YMMV

 

[ONEZ ST]

OP: I agree with kenv. Pass on it. If you have patience, time and the mechanical aptitude you can replace the top. A razor blade, torx bit set, ratchet, trim tool, staple gun and a some muscle. The torque converter I would farm out to a shop to replace.

I just don't think you will get off so easy on a car with 144.000 miles. If there was an exemplary service history maybe it will work out if the selling price is right.

 

[JBert]

same as above ... unless it is really cheap and you are prepared to deal with lots of unknown potential issues

 

[my89foxbody]

Unless it's $100.00 run really fast!!!!!

 

[Lord_Jesus_Of_Pringles]

same as above ... unless it is really cheap and you are prepared to deal with lots of unknown potential issues

Talked with the seller for awhile now and I got him down to $3400.. From what you guys are mentioning it's to much of a gamble to buy it.. What scares me the most is I asked many questions about the car like "how's the motor running does it have any problems"? And the replies were fatigue they were like "no problems". I think there is some sort of hidden damage that the seller is trying to hide so I think I'm going to move on and find another ride.. Thanks yall for your tips!

 

[Cobrajet67]

You don't even know if the converter is the real problem with that trans or not. With 140k miles that trans is likely shot at this point. The 5R55S automatic is known to be a terribly designed trans unless the inherent engineering problems were fixed. With that much mileage it would certainly need a rebuild.
$3400 for a 2005 GT with 140k, a bad trans, a bad top, nonfunctional rear windows, lots of paint problems, and likely water damage to the interior is ridiculous. I can see all the water dripping down the inside of the windshield and the 2005-09 cars are known to have inherent water intrusion issues besides the top and window problems this car has. You'd wind up spending more than the car is even worth on just repairs alone not even including what you buy the car for. Forget about this car.

 

[Lord_Jesus_Of_Pringles]

You don't even know if the converter is the real problem with that trans or not. With 140k miles that trans is likely shot at this point. The 5R55S automatic is known to be a terribly designed trans unless the inherent engineering problems were fixed. With that much mileage it would certainly need a rebuild.
$3400 for a 2005 GT with 140k, a bad trans, a bad top, nonfunctional rear windows, lots of paint problems, and likely water damage to the interior is ridiculous. I can see all the water dripping down the inside of the windshield and the 2005-09 cars are known to have inherent water intrusion issues besides the top and window problems this car has. You'd wind up spending more than the car is even worth on just repairs alone not even including what you buy the car for. Forget about this car.

Yea I told the seller I wasn't interested anymore.. got to thinking about it and yall pointed out things that I had not noticed like the rear windows.. Appreciate yall looking out for me yall saved me some $$$

 

[Ric66fb]

Hello yall! I'm new here and I have a question that I hope you guys might be able to help me out with.. I found a ad in my area for a 2005 mustang GT convertible that I took interest in but it has a few problems.. The big thing is the ad states it has a bad torque converter and will need replacing asap.. I have a little bit of mechanical knowledge and know if you drive with a faulty torque converter it can cause damage to the transmission.. Second thing that is wrong with it is the soft top has a tear it the fabric.. I looked it up and a new torque converter and top would put me in the 600-700$ range.. Here's where my question is.. are these problems able to be fixed at home rather than at a shop? I want to do all the work by myself to save myself a nickle or two but if it's going to be to much then I'll just look for the next deal.. I'm wanting to get a idea of what it will take before I ask for questions to the seller so i don't waste their time or mine.. From what the ad states it has 140,000 miles on the odo which sounds pretty good for the year.. any tips would be appreciated!
Thanks!
View attachment 790879 View attachment 790880

Were I you I'd move on to the next deal.
Fitting the new soft top yourself is not a job I'd recommend to the unexperienced so that alone could cost $1500/$2000 to have done properly.

 

[AndyEckel]

That's an easy pass - especially if you have never replaced a transmission yourself.

Also, with that kind of obvious water intrusion, andbeing open to the environment, you could (should) have also easily assumed a myriad of other electrical problems are waiting to be discovered.

There are better 'Stangs to be found. That one looks like a donor for parts......

 

[Lord_Jesus_Of_Pringles]

Hello yall! I'm new here and I have a question that I hope you guys might be able to help me out with.. I found a ad in my area for a 2005 mustang GT convertible that I took interest in but it has a few problems.. The big thing is the ad states it has a bad torque converter and will need replacing asap.. I have a little bit of mechanical knowledge and know if you drive with a faulty torque converter it can cause damage to the transmission.. Second thing that is wrong with it is the soft top has a tear it the fabric.. I looked it up and a new torque converter and top would put me in the 600-700$ range.. Here's where my question is.. are these problems able to be fixed at home rather than at a shop? I want to do all the work by myself to save myself a nickle or two but if it's going to be to much then I'll just look for the next deal.. I'm wanting to get a idea of what it will take before I ask for questions to the seller so i don't waste their time or mine.. From what the ad states it has 140,000 miles on the odo which sounds pretty good for the year.. any tips would be appreciated!
Thanks!

Hello yall! I found another mustang I'm hoping you guys could give me your opinion on.. Keep in mind i am looking for something not In 100% condition so I can get a good deal on it..This car had 135,000 miles and according to the owner runs perfectly.. Only problem is it got in a little fender bender and bent the hood back.. Here's the deal though, is it possible for the hood to he bent back into shape? Because I don't wanna spend 600$ on a new hood for me to have to paint match it and put a new stripe on it.. does it look repairable? Anything else I should look into just going off of looks? Any tips would be appreciated!

 

[Hazey]

The best deal you will get on an '05-'09 will likely be the lowest mileage, best maintained car you can afford. These aren't high value collectors vehicles so the cost of repairing a beater will usually end up being higher than what you could have bought a nice one for in the first place.
As far as the hood goes, it's an aluminum panel. They are not easy to repair. You may be able to get it closer than it is in the photos but it will likely never be perfect again.

 

[Lord_Jesus_Of_Pringles]

The best deal you will get on an '05-'09 will likely be the lowest mileage, best maintained car you can afford. These aren't high value collectors vehicles so the cost of repairing a beater will usually end up being higher than what you could have bought a nice one for in the first place.
As far as the hood goes, it's an aluminum panel. They are not easy to repair. You may be able to get it closer than it is in the photos but it will likely never be perfect again.

What would be the range of best mileage for me to look into? I've had vehicles last me over 250'000+ miles so hearing that 135,000 is considered somewhat high concerns me on the reliability of these years of cars.. end of the day I want a good looking pony that wont leave me on the side of the highway lol...

 

[Hazey]

Low mileage is only one factor and is less of a concern than how well it was taken care of on a car this old IMHO. An '05-'09 with 150k miles, shiny original paint and a stack of maintenance and repair records might be a great buy. A weatherbeaten 80k mile car with 3 bent wheels and it's original coolant has a good chance of turning into a money pit. The problem with the two cars you have asked about is that they don't look like they were loved.

 

[Cobrajet67]

Hello yall! I found another mustang I'm hoping you guys could give me your opinion on.. Keep in mind i am looking for something not In 100% condition so I can get a good deal on it..This car had 135,000 miles and according to the owner runs perfectly.. Only problem is it got in a little fender bender and bent the hood back.. Here's the deal though, is it possible for the hood to he bent back into shape? Because I don't wanna spend 600$ on a new hood for me to have to paint match it and put a new stripe on it.. does it look repairable? Anything else I should look into just going off of looks? Any tips would be appreciated!
View attachment 790950 View attachment 790951

You didn't state the year of the car or the asking price.
The hood definitely isn't the only thing broken on the front of that car. The grill, driver side headlight, and lower grill insert are also obviously broken and the bumper along with all the unseen structural parts too. I can clearly see that the grill and light are misaligned so the mounting tabs are cracked off. The grill is popped out, the headlight is pushed back and drooping, the lower grill support is popped out. The bumper impact absorber is at the very least broken and the bumper support, side support bracket(s), bumper to fender bracket(s), radiator core support, etc are all likely broken and/or bent.
As mentioned already it's not worth fixing a 2005-09 v6 when you know that you have to dump a few grand on repairs and paint. This isn't one isn't even a GT.

What would be the range of best mileage for me to look into? I've had vehicles last me over 250'000+ miles so hearing that 135,000 is considered somewhat high concerns me on the reliability of these years of cars.. end of the day I want a good looking pony that wont leave me on the side of the highway lol...

135k miles for a 4.0 Cologne v6 isn't bad but the issue here is even most engines, either Ford or other brands, that go for 250k+ miles require maintenance. Both the 4.0 v6 and 4.6 v8 will go for 250k+ miles as I and others can attest to. I had a 4.0 that went for 272k miles before a head gasket blew. Others have well over 200k+ miles on their 4.6s. All that mileage comes at a cost of maintenance though.
The 4.0 has timing chain parts that often need to be replaced at higher mileage as does the 4.6 in the GT. However, reliability with the 4.6 at higher mileage is a definite concern unless the required maintenance was already done. With the 4.6 it's absolutely necessary to replace those timing parts when you're at about 150k miles or your engine is on borrowed time. The 4.0 is a little different in that those engines can vary pretty wildly in how much mileage that you'll get before the timing chain parts start making noise or cause engine issues/trouble codes.
Also, with higher mileage comes wear on everything else in a car, not just the engine. Struts and shocks, strut mounts, tie rods, ball joints/ front control arms, rear control arms, etc will all need replacing after 100k miles unless already replaced by the previous owner.
You might just be better off financing a more expensive and lower mileage used car instead of paying outright for a lower priced but higher mileage and broken one.

 

[Lord_Jesus_Of_Pringles]

You didn't state the year of the car or the asking price.
The hood definitely isn't the only thing broken on the front of that car. The grill, driver side headlight, and lower grill insert are also obviously broken and the bumper along with all the unseen structural parts too. I can clearly see that the grill and light are misaligned so the mounting tabs are cracked off. The grill is popped out, the headlight is pushed back and drooping, the lower grill support is popped out. The bumper impact absorber is at the very least broken and the bumper support, side support bracket(s), bumper to fender bracket(s), radiator core support, etc are all likely broken and/or bent.
As mentioned already it's not worth fixing a 2005-09 v6 when you know that you have to dump a few grand on repairs and paint. This isn't one isn't even a GT.

135k miles for a 4.0 Cologne v6 isn't bad but the issue here is even most engines, either Ford or other brands, that go for 250k+ miles require maintenance. Both the 4.0 v6 and 4.6 v8 will go for 250k+ miles as I and others can attest to. I had a 4.0 that went for 272k miles before a head gasket blew. Others have well over 200k+ miles on their 4.6s. All that mileage comes at a cost of maintenance though.
The 4.0 has timing chain parts that often need to be replaced at higher mileage as does the 4.6 in the GT. However, reliability with the 4.6 at higher mileage is a definite concern unless the required maintenance was already done. With the 4.6 it's absolutely necessary to replace those timing parts when you're at about 150k miles or your engine is on borrowed time. The 4.0 is a little different in that those engines can vary pretty wildly in how much mileage that you'll get before the timing chain parts start making noise or cause engine issues/trouble codes.
Also, with higher mileage comes wear on everything else in a car, not just the engine. Struts and shocks, strut mounts, tie rods, ball joints/ front control arms, rear control arms, etc will all need replacing after 100k miles unless already replaced by the previous owner.
You might just be better off financing a more expensive and lower mileage used car instead of paying outright for a lower priced but higher mileage and broken one.

I didn't bother to even start a conversation with the seller so I don't know much about the car.. All I know is it's a 2008 mustang.. Most of the mustangs in my area are in better shape persay, but are at a minimal of 170,000+ miles.. From what yall have described is around 150 000 miles it's usually time for timing chains to be redone.. Biggest downfall for me is the fact that it requires you to remove the motor to replace the rear chain.. I've done engine rebuilds before so timing chains are not new territory, but I'm also one who's tired of buying a good looking car but has a million hidden problems I don't know about.. I'll keep looking for bigger and better deals out there and hope I can find one... Thanks!

 

[Hazey]

Only the V6 has to come out to replace the chains. A V6 car that needs timing chains should be selling for parts car money. I personally wouldn't bother with a 4.0 unless it had crazy low miles or receipts proving the timing components were fresh.
The timing job on a 4.6 can be done in car. I would still rather let the last owner deal with it but would consider an otherwise excellent 3V GT in need of this work. The parts are around $1000 ($600 for the cam drive kit, $400 for the lash adjusters and rocker arms). Throw on a $120 Melling M540 GT500 oil pump while you're in there and you should be on your way to that 250k mile mark.

 

[Cobrajet67]

From what yall have described is around 150 000 miles it's usually time for timing chains to be redone.. Biggest downfall for me is the fact that it requires you to remove the motor to replace the rear chain.

Engine removal for the rear chain is necessary with the 4.0 v6 but it's impossible to tell when that mileage would be unless the chains are making noise or trouble codes are registering. Some engines will require changing them at under 100k miles and others like mine go for the entire life of the vehicle without changing them(272k miles).
The 4.6 3V v8 is different though in that the timing parts are guaranteed to start failing at around 150k miles and will start causing damage until engine seizure unless they're replaced with the revised Ford brand parts. If you can find any v6 or GT that comes with proof that the timing parts were already changed out then you will have a reliable engine for many thousands of miles.

 

[AndyEckel]

Lord_Jesus_Of_Pringles -

Do yourself a big favor and look for better condition, lower mileage Mustangs.

Based on this thread and the pics, I think it is safe to assume you are on a limited budget. Been there, done that. I lived on rice, beans, hot dogs, bread, peanut butter and eggs in a tiny apartment for a VERY long time.

You do not want to purchase anything even remotely like the ones you referenced here. Those two were basket cases.

When you find a better example, perhaps when you can afford something better, please take the vehicle to a shop for a pre-purchase inspection. That will cost you no more than 2 hrs of shop labor.

I disdain being a broken record here, because I've posted this so many times. If you cringe at the thought of the cost of a pre-purchase inspection, you cannot afford the vehicle in the first place.

Best Wishes

 

[Lord_Jesus_Of_Pringles]

Lord_Jesus_Of_Pringles -

Do yourself a big favor and look for better condition, lower mileage Mustangs.

Based on this thread and the pics, I think it is safe to assume you are on a limited budget. Been there, done that. I lived on rice, beans, hot dogs, bread, peanut butter and eggs in a tiny apartment for a VERY long time.

You do not want to purchase anything even remotely like the ones you referenced here. Those two were basket cases.

When you find a better example, perhaps when you can afford something better, please take the vehicle to a shop for a pre-purchase inspection. That will cost you no more than 2 hrs of shop labor.

I disdain being a broken record here, because I've posted this so many times. If you cringe at the thought of the cost of a pre-purchase inspection, you cannot afford the vehicle in the first place.

Best Wishes

Reading all of these comments gives me the information i need to know about looking for a new mustang... For this I very much appreciate all of your guys tips and suggestions.. To respond to your statement it's not that I'm persay in a budget when looking for a new pony as much as I'm trying to find the best bang for my buck.. I just finished my last project car and it's time for me to find something new for me to work on.. I am looking for a fixer upper mustang that's not in 100% condition so I have some things to work on.. Only reason why I'm asking so much questions, is with my previous project I was told a simple engine tune up would make it the ultimate off roading beast (upgraded nissan xterra).. Yea well turns out the engine was held up by a thread and i had to do a whole engine rebuild on it.. spent way to much money and time on that suv.. What I am hopefully trying to do is get me a good looking pony with some minor problems so I can spend a lower amount and fix me up a good working car.. Once again I appreciate all the tips you guys have suggested me and hope to get more from yall!
Thanks!