allyolds68

I posted a couple months ago that I brought my dad's 87 Mustang 2.3 convertible home from my mom's where it's been garaged for the last five years since he passed away. I've been feverishly been looking for a 5.0 T5 swap for it. I'd prefer a whole car because I need everything. Clutch pedals, clutch cable, T5, engine harness, computer..... you get the picture.

I've followed a bunch of wild goose chases; people that cancel the night before when I have my trailer loaded and ready to go at 6 the next morning (twice)..... dragged my trailer 300 miles round trip to look at crap...... a guy that spent a half hour on the phone with me and then couldn't get him to return a call or text when we agreed to look at the car, only to finally hook up with him on a lark because I happened to be in his area, turns out the car hadn't been started in months and the coil wire wasn't even there.....I make a deal on an 88 GT convertible 8 miles from my house but I tell the guy I need the title. He assures me he has it (I just want to make sure it wasn't stolen, the car was only $750). When I press him on the title he flakes out and won't sell it.

But yesterday took the cake.....

I decide to go to VT to look at a 78,000 mile, original, untouched 91 5.0 LX yesterday. It's a six hour drive. each way..... I get lots of pictures and ask lots of questions..... I called the kid at 9am, told him I was leaving, told him to make sure he has the title.... he can’t find it.... I told him I’ll come anyway if I hold $400.... he agrees.... I drive 3 hours of the 6, he calls me all excited, he found the title..... calls me back five minutes later, the car has 178,000 miles, not 78,000.......what a friggen moron. At this point my day is shot and I’m over half way there so I just go with it. I get there and the shock towers are shot. Toe of the floor boards are rusted through, CEL on, runs like crap..... I offer $1200 and he refuses..... I’m not sure who’s dumber, him, or me...... If he wasn't such a moron I would have paid the $1600 he was insisting on. It probably still was worth it. I was so pissed after driving six hours I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of selling it to me.... aaaarrrrrgggghh!

I'm just about ready to give up. It's not that I'm not finding anything, its just that apparently I'm finding only the morons that have these cars for sale....

Vintage Chief

They're everywhere. Insist sellers provide pictures/images before making those long distance trips.

allyolds68

I did, I would expect that I don't have to ask for a picture of the title to prove that it has 178,000 miles and not 78,000 miles...... Nor would pictures have picked up the overspray on the the headlights but it was certainly obvious when I popped the hood so he should have known it had been painted. The shock towers I knew about, the floor boards I didn't (but I asked if they were rotten and he said no)

I hate to make a generalization but these cars are owned buy a lot of Gen Xer's and Millennials and they don't have a clue about cars and don't really care. They get in them and drive until they break and then they sell them.

The kid told me it had an overheating problem because he ripped the thermostat housing gasket putting a new thermostat in, that was a red flag for sure.

Olds64

People are dumb.

edzolz

I have found that if you search around, there are people in the business of inspecting cars for clients. It might cost $150 or so but that is cheaper than losing 600 miles of gas and then be pissed off when the deal isn't what it was advertised to be. You should make it plain that if the car isn't as advertised, your lawyer will take it from there.

oldcutlass

This really is nothing new. I bet its been this way since the dawn of advertising used $%&$.

83hurstguy

That sucks. I would imagine it's going to be pretty tough to find what you're looking for, especially the T5. I had a family member with a 5.0 LX convertible project with a fresh engine, but it was an automatic as well, he dumped it dirt cheap last year or it would have been close to what you need. I'll have to keep my eyes out around here, they used to be everywhere but have kind of disappeared lately.

jcdynamic88

https://providence.craigslist.org/ct...837784398.html not mine

allyolds68

Luke,

It's pretty easy to convert to a T5. The GT that I had a handshake deal on was an auto. Use can use an auto computer for a T5 but not visa versa, so the harness works. You need the tranny, bell housing, clutch cable and the pedals (and a few other things). The big thing about buying an entire car is getting the front brakes (larger than the 2.3) and the rear end (7.5 vs 8.8).

allyolds68

FWIW I'm fortunate that I don't pay for gas.... It's just my time. If these cars were worth real money I'd consider it, but they're not....yet

allyolds68

Thanks. I just sent him a message. He wants $3500. He's going to own that for a long time

Koda

80% of the world is comprised of idiots. Also, cars tend to attract certain people. Corvette owners are widely known as jerks. I haven't seen anyone accuse 80's mustang owners of any positive qualities, lately.

jcdynamic88

probably why he didn't post a price in the ad,i hate that

jcdynamic88

https://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/...841241904.html did you see this one?

rocketraider

Decent Fox-body Mustangs are common enough that if you REALLY want a GT 5-speed convert, you could find one for decent money- just not on Craigslist.

That said, my advice is save your dad's car as it was made and find yourself a real GT from a Fox-body enthusiast to play with.

Vintage Chief

Agree w/ ya.

droptopron

IDK if its too far but there are a bunch of leads on NY & LI CList

https://newyork.craigslist.org/lgi/p...831030736.html