What to look out for on a 1998 mustang GT

[Cadcom]

My son is looking at buying a 1998 Mustang GT. Car has 100k miles on a 4.6l and auto transmission. Car has always been adult owned and “looks” to be in great shape. I’m not a Ford guy, I’m pretty much exactly the opposite and would buy Hitlers VW beetle before a Ford. But he has worked and saved for it and I don’t want to stand in the way IF it’s not just a terrible mechanical purchase. Online reviews seem mostly positive and the car only made 225 Hp when new so I’m assuming they aren’t hard on rear ends or transmissions. Any pointers or gotcha would be great if you have any!

 

[rockyfatcat]

https://www.mycarspecs.com/problems/ford/mustang/1998/base

 

[harrycalahan]

Does the owner have service records? Kept the coolant fresh? Plugs ever been changed?

 

[Spas-12 Owner]

For Fords of that time line, the fuel pump, alternator seem to be the biggest issue ( which car doesn't have those issues) .

Also look at the suspension system, ball joints etc. It will help determine if the mileage is correct as well as see how the vehicle is maintained. Ford wasn't known for good suspension back then. That's why you hear the older ford's while driving squeaking.

 

[Cadcom]

Does the owner have service records? Kept the coolant fresh? Plugs ever been changed?

I’ll have to ask.

 

[fast306stang]

Does the odometer work? They use a worm gear and are notorious for breaking. I had to get one for mine 20 years ago with that same mileage, it's not a hard repair assuming you can still get the part. I think I had a window switch go bad on mine, also a simple repair. No other issues with mine, reliable and good gas mileage with the 5 speed. Mine had a noisy throwout bearing but that won't apply to his.

 

[Cruisers460]

Transmission shudder. Usually not a big deal and can be treated with a bottle of friction modifier.

 

[NWSharpshooter]

Do you have a decent scanner? If not, get yourself one, or a laptop with Forscan. The first thing I would do is check and see how long it has been since the DTCs were cleared. If it was in the last thousand miles or so, I would ask why were they cleared.


With an old car like that, you accept the fact that it may throw a rod tomorrow. Look for things like oil in coolant, coolant in the oil, age of battery and condition of battery terminals, etc. Basic stuff. But most importantly, plug a scanner in and see how many miles have been driven since DTCs cleared.


My buddy bought a piece that started throwing lights on the dash like it was Christmas a couple of days after getting it home and he called me up asking if he could bring it by and have me scan the codes. The first thing we noticed after checking the codes was the DTCs on the car had been cleared 10 miles before he bought it. The guy he bought it from knew it had issues, and cleared the DTCs right before my buddy went to look at it.

I take a scanner with me even when looking at cars at the dealership.

 

[Freshly Minted Georgian!]

I have a little bluetooth OBDC transmitter that I plug in which transmits to my tablet where I run Torque (usually) to take a looksie.

Those little transmitters are cheap, like $10 or so. Torque Lite (feature limited) is free. Torque Pro (feature rich) is about $5 in your app store.

 

[Stampede]

I had a '98 GT with 5 speed manual for 6 yrs. Fun car to drive....

Biggest problem I had was the intake manifold leaking coolant - a very common issue with earlier 4.6 V8s. There was a recall on them and extended warranty. The intake is composite (plastic) and they will fracture over time where the coolant passage is. Mine was replaced twice, once with a standard intake and next with the new style one.

The new replacements have a aluminum tube running across the cylinder banks cast with the intake (on the front). This fixes the problem. I'd look for a newer intake and see if they have paperwork showing the replacement. If not, then be ready for it to leak (it will fail at some point). While they will usually just drip into the open valley below, it is a fairly expensive fix. It requires a lot of labor to strip it down and reinstall the new one. I think it was $600 many years ago.

They do have 290 ft lbs of torque so they can be hard on rears if he has a heavy foot on launches. However the rear end gearing was usually pretty high during the SN95 years for fuel economy, so that helps some. Mine was a 2.73.

Overall mine was a good car and was about 8 yrs old when I got it. Fixed some small things too and just drove it.

Look for the basics - leaks, uneven tire wear, worn brake rotors, blue or white exhaust, feel for worn transmissions and slipping, etc.

Hope it works out for him and it's a reliable car.