Hey all,

I have a 2005 V6 Premium that has a whopping 15,800 miles on it. I love the car and it admittedly it might be a bit too babied. Either way being that the car is ten years old.....I can't believe that....I was wondering what your thoughts were on some maintenance items. Everything is original. Meaning brakes, tires, etc. I intend to upgrade the shocks and struts and add front and rear sway bars (for better ride quality and handling) in the spring, but it got me thinking about brakes, tires, etc. Is there any rule of thumb with these as to what might be the best time to change them? Or should I just wait until I see a possible issue?

Thanks for reading!

 

Tires are a must. I would also think about replacing fluids, especially brake fluid, possibly coolant as well depending on how it looks. Check anything rubber, time can cause it to crack so any hoses and such should get a once over to make sure there's no leaks.

Brakes should be fine, time doesn't effect them. If the pads and rotors look good let them be.

 

What he said.

 

I certainly agree also with what has been written. Those tires should be GONE already.
My GT just went over the 30,000 miles mark during a 6,000 miles trip to western Canada this past summer. I have almost no city driving on this car. It is all highway mileage. The coolant, brake fluid, power steering fluid have all been changed along with the fuel filter. I was surprised to see the dirt come out of that filter since I use only name brand gas. It was the best $40 I spent on the car (local shop). I also would not worry about the brakes themselves unless you are having issues. One recommendation for tires (since you don't drive much) is to get a good set where the rubber doesn't deteriorate too fast. Cheaper tires sold today are meant to be 'used up' in a few years of 15,000 miles per year driving. The rubber gets hard after that. Since I drive very little as well (all my cars) I stick with top of the line Goodyears (I have the all-season high performance Eagle GT on my Mustang) that don't get too hard from sitting. Michelins are also good and the BFG G-Force is decent too. The BFG was the original tire on my car.
I have not replaced any hoses or belts on my car yet. They seem fine and my mechanic feels the same way. It helps to have the car in the garage 24/7. I imagine a car left outside would have to think about replacements.
Continued good luck with everything! Get those new tires first! 11 years old is really pushing it if you plan on any high speed highway driving. While they may look good, the insides (belts, etc..) may be ready to bite the big one. The tire companies suggest 6-10 years for liability reasons. It isn't sales talk, but legitimate reasoning that is backed by many.

** One other thing. Almost forgot. If your Mustang has a cabin filter, replace it. I was stunned to see the filth on that thing at 24,000 miles or so. I don't even live near a big city.

 

Tires have a life of about 6 years then they should be replaced.

 

Thanks alot for the input guys! On the note of tires do you have any suggestions? I have the stock 16 inch wheels. Right now they have B.F.G.s. Do you have any recommendations for all season performance tires for these wheels? I know they are not the most performance oriented, but I like the retro look.

 

I gave 3 in my prior post. Others can chime in with their experiences. Check Tire Rack for what's available in your 16" size. The choices are certainly getting limited (recently went through this with the 16" on my Trans Am). I got the BFG G-Force 'all-season'. They are fine overall, just not my first choice (Goodyears no longer available in 16". Not the performance version anyway). Good luck!

 

The tires I have any experience with aren't available for 16"

 

I have the same problem with my 2006 GT at 15,150 mi.
Buying too many others cars has kept the miles down.
Not totally stock, but close.
This year I put on new wheels and tires. I don't like running tires over ten years. I have seen previously unused 15 yr. old tires shred on the highway in only 20 mi. of driving.
I keep the car in a heated dark garage and don't drive in the rain. From keeping another car for decades, I know this minimizes deterioration. Watching rubber parts and changing fluids are the most important things for me. I probably will do the coolant in the next 3000mi. and the brake and power steering fluids.
Brake fluid is the most important because it can collect unseen water and cause expensive repairs to the anti-lock system.

 

I've used:

The stock BFG Traction TA Spec. Good tire. No complaints here.

A replacement BFG Traction TA (since the stock was a special *very slightly different* version, but essentially the same tire). Also a good tire, good grip. No complaints.

Falken Sincera SN-828. Decent tire. Grip wasn't the best, but it was ok and it did the job. Cheap tire. I also just bought another set of these for my beater.

Goodyear Assurance FuelMax. I have these currently, cuz I got a great deal on them. Nothing special. Fuel mileage is the same, and grip is also not awesome but it does the job. Note: after several years of having them, they look to have the slightest bulges on the sidewalls. Defect? Maybe just bad design of the "graphics" on the sidewall? Not sure. Makes me uncomfortable though.

I've also used (on a different car - '99 Camry):

Michelin Destiny. Good tire. Ride is nice. Grip is good. Sidewalls are very soft, and it makes them always look low on air.

Michelin Defender. Bought as a replacement for the Destiny. Exactly the same.

 

You have a V6, take a good look at your thermostat housing. On the V6 engines those are sheet metal and are known to fail prematurely.


Check for rust/rot - as a matter of fact, for preventive measure you should probably just replace the entire housing and thermostat.

 

Thanks for the tire recommendations stupidgenius36 and NC07GTCS! And I will keep that in mind mrkabc. I've had the car so long always kept in as close to perfect shape as I can. It is crazy to think it could need work/ preventative maintenance. haha

 

You're more than overdue for a battery change too. I find they typically last from 5-7 years.

 

I've got an 08 GT/CS Vert that just hit Five Thousand Miles, and this thread made me realize I've never changed my power steering fluid, coolant, battery or tires.
I know get out and drive the car, but I take train to work and only have weekends to drive it, and life gets in the way, it's obviously not my DD, it's garage kept (heated) never seen a drop of rain or snow, real garage queen.
Come Spring I'll replace those fluids and look into new Tires and a battery.
Whose running an Optima battery out there?
LJS

 

Not sure I would worry too much about the coolant or power steering fluid with just 5,000 miles. The brake fluid, YES.
My Ford Motorcraft battery was on the higher price side but it sure has been good and strong in the 3 years now since I replaced it. Good luck w/ everything. You may have the lowest mileage 4.6L GT/CS left in the country.

 

There is (was?) a member here who bought two 2009 Stangs, one to use as a DD, and the other was stored. IIRC it only had something like 46 miles on it.


If he's still around, maybe he can chime in with the current mileage/status of the car?