Greetings all. I have a question in regards to buying a 1988 Mustang 5.0 LX hatchback. Are there any specific things I should look for before buying it? Also, how hard is it to convert an auto to a 5 speed? Thanks for any info and take care.

 

Relatively speaking, no. Converting to a M5 is not that hard, depending on what your skill level and patience are.

Best part is, all the hook-ups are in place for the conversion which means no major wirring jobs or hole cutting, hardest part is removing the predal cluster (secured to master cylinder and up under dash, spedo cable need to be rerouted, but all holes are there)

 

Basically on a car that old just check for major rust. Also find out what if any mods were done to the car.

 

get a certified mechanic to check it out trust me its worth the money

 

Thanks for the info. Hard part about getting a certified mechanic to look at it, the car is in another town. It's a 1987 Ford Mustang 5.0 LX black, new tires, brakes & front end work, $2500 obo. I haven't seen the car in person yet. I was wanting to know if there was anything I should look for, before I went to see the car. Thanks for the input. Peace.

 

Well then, a car fax report?

 

First Hello and Welcome!

Second in regards to the car being in another town, you could always locate a mechanic/Ford Dealership through the internet/yellowpages on the town in which the Mustang is located.

I am by no means an expert, but some of the items I tend to "look" for:

Rust
oil leaks (rear main seal, heads, etc.)
Smoke from the tailpipes (on start-up, and under full throttle)
You may want to take a spark plug out of the engine to verify how the engine has been running
Little things in the interior . .(how do all the switches function? trim condition, etc.)
Has the heater core been replaced? Does the car have A/C? Heater core will be more expensive to replace if car has A/C . .


You may want to look into a B&M AOD shift kit and slap shifter in stead of switching to a 5-speed. Just a thought. (One of my Capri's had a B&M shift kit and a B&M slap shifter (now out of production), and it was a blast to drive!

These are just some thoughts.

Good luck . .take some pics!!

 

yeah a switch to a 5spd isnt trhar hard. but for the cost you'd be better off loking for a car that is a 5spd. main places for rust are along all the bottom edges of the doors, trunk hatch. and if you can get the car on a lift do it. that way you can check for floor pan rust and leaks. otherwise just crawl on the ground and look. let the guy starts it and stand behind it and look for blue smoke