How do the 99 Gts compare to the 00 and up? Looking specifically for engine, exhaust and suspension. Any major TSBs or recalls? Any quirks? Squeaks? I am looking to get into a 99 or better and I want to know what to expect. I test drove one earlier in the week. It pulled like an animal, which is the main reason I turned it down, afraid of someone elses mods. But it taught me what this car is capable of. Some things I noticed:
Squeaks in the interior.
Some vibration coming through the body but none through the steering wheel.
The tightest shifter I have ever felt. I LOVED this. Clicked like an auto into every gear.
Dealer said it had 3:11 gears. 3:11 gears? is this a normal ratio?

any help at all would be great.

 

99 GT will be the same as 2000+.

as for squeaks and rattles, almost all will have them at one point or another.

sounds like it maybe had an aftermarket short-throw shifter.

stock gears are 3.27. Other commonly used gears are 3.55, 3.73, 3.90 and 4.10.

if it pulled really hard maybe it had 4.10s, and the vibration could be due to not having an aluminum driveshaft.

 

Yep, 99's the same as 00's...my 1999 GT is still very tight, but I don't abuse it either and with just over 56,000 miles it has been a pleasure.

 

the 99 that i looked at was in great visual condition and the power was awesome. had it been clean (un-modded) i would have bought it in a second. but the cervini ram-air hood without its guts, the straight pipes with the crappy weld, and the apparent gear change just made made me and my 8800 nervous about who might have done the work and why you would pay to have that work done and then sell (although, i suppose it could have been a repo). one thing it did do was sell me on the 99 and up, which is why i need the info.

 

Like Jason's my 99 is never beaten so she rides really tight. She actually rides quieter than my wifes 2003 Element.

Take the car to a trusted mechanic to check out. Just because it looks good on the outside doesn't mean its not hurting on the inside.

 

on that note: is it difficult to assess engine probs from a drive? the engine was quick and responsive, no odd noises clicks ticks pings knocks or other typical problem signals. no smoke from the exhaust, cel was on but I attributed that to the lack of cats. Beyond hooking up the cpu and reading prob codes what will a mech do? Cant do a tear down right? Just want to know so I will have an idea what to look for as I shop for another stang. Matter of fact, I think I am going to move this question to a new topic.

 

Yes and no. You can notice a lot of obvious problems from a test drive but a mechanic can delve deeper into the car and look at the whole vehicle, brake system, suspension, valve covers, axles and so on. They even may be able to tell if it was damaged cosmetically or not. It sounds like you have a really clean car on your hands, but its always best to have an expert look at it just to be sure.

 

awesome. thanks

 

No problemo

 

yeah man, worse comes to worse if a MIL light is on run by advance auto on the testdrive. tell them my engine light is on and they will come pull the codes for you free of charge