Thoughts from a Middle Ager

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45 years old. I was lucky in life to always have work and get a decent pay. As a kid I had 2 I-Rock's. Loved them but always appreciated the 5.0 liter Mustang's sheer straight pull. Sooo I'm pondering a few things and wanted to hear your opinions.

1. 2019 Z .... Since the 280 in my youth always had a thing for the Z.

2. 2019 Mustang 5.0 ... I don't think I could do an Eco Boost on the Mustang. I have the 5.0 on a 15 F150 but it isn't the same as the Mustang. Love the motor and I like the V8.

3. 90's Mustang GT rag top in either a maroon or black. Never have I wanted maroon!! Those years Ford got maroon right. This would be a total rebuild by a pro.

Or be smart, and use the cash to travel
smile.gif


I love mts and travel. I have a lot of bikes that don't require oil but cost as much as many cars. Looking foreword to hearing your thoughts and rants!
 
I almost bought a 2015 GT with the Performance Package. It was a really nice car- just not as track-ready as I'd been led to assume.
In the end only you can decide what suits you best- I looked at everything from a Boss 302 to a Challenger SRT to a Cayman S to an Elise before I landed on my CPO 2er, and I think I made the right choice for me; the only cars I'd consider to replace it are an M2 Competition or a Giulia Quadrifoglio...
 
Just remember that hindsight is always more rosy than you remember.

I had a fox body mustang back in the day, and when you go for a rebuild it better be with a lot of upgraded suspension bits to overcome how that body would flex under power. Remember people called it a "wet noodle" back then? It was a budget muscle car, cheap upgrades that gave great power. But if it's today, upgrade the suspension AND the braking system. Not to mention chassis reinforcement.

Now if it's a dream to drive like you remember, ok.. No one should stand in your way, I'm only helping you remember what it was like without modifications. And what I think it should be to today's standards.

The newer Mustang, have you test driven one? With the EXACT package you're thinking of. Then you could compare apples to apples.
 
New mustang. Everything you remember the old one to be without the letdown.

Old stangs are nice, but actually putting money into a build that gets you a 1980s rental car interior with all the attendant rattles and groans meh.

Cars have come so far in the last decade+ it's really not even funny. Classics may be nice to think about, in the real world so many more smiles on the latest iron.
 
Originally Posted By: DdDd
Cars have come so far in the last decade+ it's really not even funny. Classics may be nice to think about, in the real world so many more smiles on the latest iron.

100% subjective, if this were the case no one would build old cars. If you don't like old cars just come out and say it instead of implying that they are not fun.
Depends on nostalgia OP, new cars are cool but anyone can buy them. A built hot rod will always be cooler, has been that way since the 1950s. You can build the exact car you want exactly how you want it.
 
Originally Posted By: BISCUT

Or be smart, and use the cash to travel
smile.gif





As I tell my kids....you don't need "stuff". Use your money to buy experiences in life. My vote is for travel.
 
Originally Posted By: BISCUT
45 years old. I was lucky in life to always have work and get a decent pay. As a kid I had 2 I-Rock's. Loved them but always appreciated the 5.0 liter Mustang's sheer straight pull. Sooo I'm pondering a few things and wanted to hear your opinions.

1. 2019 Z .... Since the 280 in my youth always had a thing for the Z.

2. 2019 Mustang 5.0 ... I don't think I could do an Eco Boost on the Mustang. I have the 5.0 on a 15 F150 but it isn't the same as the Mustang. Love the motor and I like the V8.

3. 90's Mustang GT rag top in either a maroon or black. Never have I wanted maroon!! Those years Ford got maroon right. This would be a total rebuild by a pro.

Or be smart, and use the cash to travel
smile.gif


I love mts and travel. I have a lot of bikes that don't require oil but cost as much as many cars. Looking foreword to hearing your thoughts and rants!


I am same age, also love mountains and travel. I have had muscle cars, diesel trucks and even a ricer. But.. my passion lies in offroad. Where i live there are thousands of miles of offroad trails.. people travel from all over the USA to ride here.. and people from here travel to ride the many places in the US.. not sure if thats your cup of tea but life begins where the road ends..lol.
 
I'm 50 now...

And my big thing is that "you can't go back".

The places that meant everything to me as a kid have changed...I've found that I can't take anyone new to tose places and get them to experience anything like what it means/meant to me.

Same with cars...My thing was Holden Toranas...making them fast and handle. When I went to go back 11-12 years ago, they were slow (compared to those I was driving for work), expensive (everyone else's memories), and heavy to handle. I went back, and I was disappointed.

I realised that I spent the 80s modifying 60s and 70s cars to be the 80s Euro offerings - I got a beater BMW323i for $1,300 (it didn't have air con either), and thrashed the daylights out of it. It went and handled and braked, and I wasn't emotionally invested in it.

2010 Hired a Camaro (if they had a Yellow SS, I would have got that), and drove SFO, across the bridge, up to point Stuart, Guyserville, Reno, down half of Lake Tahoe, and back...I treasure the memories...wouldn't buy a Camaro 'though...especially at Oz prices.

2014 we had the family road trip, Nissan Maxima...was great, I loved every moment with that car (including topping it up with MC 5w20)...wouldn't for a minute contemplate that as our family car. Forever glad that I didn't get an econobox like all my peers do when they travel.

Travelling and renting something that I wouldn't consider for my normal life gave that extra flavour to the trip.

When I was playing with my Toranas, I liked the fact that when I got home Friday, I would start a repowering process that HAD to get me to work (50 miles away) on Monday morning...now that would fill me with dread, rather than excitement.

So again, in Summary, you can't go back.

Insert cheesy motivational pic here...(only because when I watched Vikings with my son, it resonated so strongly)

713890978406097522


OR to not insert...
 
Originally Posted By: Greggy_D
Originally Posted By: BISCUT

Or be smart, and use the cash to travel
smile.gif





As I tell my kids....you don't need "stuff". Use your money to buy experiences in life. My vote is for travel.


Even better.. travel and rent one at your destination!
 
Buy a new Mustang with a V8 while you still can. Don't put too much faith in the media or me for that matter concerning the future. However, Ford may discontinue V8's in cars and light trucks 5 years from now. Look at how many vehicles that offered a V6 no longer do as an example. Life is good right now.
 
Originally Posted By: Greggy_D
Originally Posted By: BISCUT

Or be smart, and use the cash to travel
smile.gif





As I tell my kids....you don't need "stuff". Use your money to buy experiences in life. My vote is for travel.


A third vote for travel. "Stuff" comes and goes,but fun and adventure will last a lifetime within you.
 
I'd go for the new Mustang GT. I also love the old Fox bodies but the new ones are so much better from a performance and comfort level (with the exception of the rear seat).

The new 5.0 is amazing - pulls like a freight train all the way up to the 7500 RPM redline and sounds great doing it. Even returns decent fuel economy too.

Get the Active Exhaust - you can go from crazy loud (track mode) to church mouse quiet. And as you get on it, even in normal mode it will sound great.

The digital dash is cool and worth it. IMHO.

Then once you get the car take some money and travel - ROAD TRIP!!!
 
Do whatever you can afford. Life can change in an instant, and sometimes the change is not good.
 
Get the 5.0

It’s an amazing car. I dd mine 100 miles 5 days a week. Comfortable and refined on the hwy. It’ll get 28 mpg cruising at 75.

Or take the back road, turn off stability/traction control and use the 460 hp.

These v8 powertrains will not be around long. Get one while you still can.
 
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I've had a couple Mustangs, and I keep looking at getting a new one. One thing I'll say about the older fox body is... they're not very safe. And thats true even before you chop the top off. I see clean convertibles pretty often and consider them. While growing up we had a 92 5.0 in the family and I'd love to have one just like it. but they have noodle chassis and I'd hate to be hit by a soccer mom on her phone in that car.
 
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