well i was looking at mustangs which i love and i really want one which i cant afford right now
i feel that if i was to buy one i could afford i wouldnt be happy with it

my other option is an eclipse
i wouldnt mind having a decent eclipse but i'd hate having just a decent mustang
this would be a temp car (1-2 years?) untill i can afford a mustang which i would be satisfied with

some things i think the mustangs have going for them:
more powerful
sounds alot better
would have one of my fav cars

some things eclipses got going for them:
4 cylinder so less on insurance and better on gas
everyone around here has cheap 4 cylinders they race so i would actually be able to race ppl unlike in a v6 or v8 mustang

other comments: a $12,000 mustang would leave me completely broke because im 18 so i would have about $2400 insurance a year
a $5,000 eclipse would leave money in my pocket which means saving power towards my true dream car

what would you do?

 

well, if you're looking to save up for your dream car, go with the Eclipse

 

What about an old Stang from the 60's? Not the ones that are really desirable, maybe just a 6 cyl or something. Or what about a 5.0 Stang from the 80's or early 90's?

 

a fox body would be nice

 

you can get a decent 60s V8 stang for around the price of that eclipse.
and then theres the foxes.
check your local classifieds, you're bound to find some good deals. i've seen nice 65-66 coupes w/ mild 289s go for around 4-5K. dont give up!

dont settle for less. you can still get a nice stang for cheap good luck on your search pal

 

I think you answered your own question. Go with the Eclipse, especially if you'd be stretching for a Mustang. Think of it just as you said, the Eclipse is just temporary. Earlier, someone suggested a 60's stang. The problem here is reliablility. For $5000, you're not going to get a turnkey daily driver. I guarantee things will break, and those things cost money. Unless you can wrench, look to be paying someone else--that's an additional expense. Just my 2 cents. Good luck man.

 

exacty what i was thinking. a classic will certainly have problems, especially at that price tag. go with the eclipse, and if you'd like a fox body or an early sn95

 

go find a cheap mustang or dont buy anything and save until u can get a stang

 

If those are your only choices go with the Eclipse. Save your money and get what you want later.

 

the eclipse is a pretty nice car

 

i found an 89 mustang i kinda like but it needs a little work
it has a rebuilt engine with 28k on it
its a gt 5.0
automatic
its 26 miles away
$1,000

he says it needs transmission work but it runs as it is now
do you think its worth it?

take into consideration:
gas prices
cost of new tranny + labor
insurance (im 18 they kill me on insurance)
if he needed to rebuild the engine and needs a tranny what problems are soon to come

also, i love 89 gt's
and the body is in great condition

 

I would go for an LX 5.0 You get all the performance but not all the add ons the GT had. The LX coupe was especially nice- the motor is SWEET. I remember test driving one in 1993 and couldnt believe the power. It was my first time ever driving a fast car.

 

Transmission work can be expensive. Buy something affordable and reliable to last you. A friend of mine had a 95 escort that he bought for 2500 and it lasted him 90k on top of the 150k that were already on the clock. Subaru also makes reliable cars that might be in your price range for a 1990 - 1993. Had a 93 myself that just kept going and going....

Good luck!

 

would the cost of the 89 +the cost of the tranny work cost more than the eclipse? if not, i'd go with the stang

 

my grandma called up the insurance place got got some quotes for me
im 18 so i was expecting $2400 a year on the mustang and $2000 on the eclipse
here are the results:
for an 89 mustang gt $2916
for a 98 eclipse $3234

will someone please explain this to me?

 

it could be that the eclipse being newer and more "popular" than a fox body stang has a higher chance of being stolen and being driven faster according the insurance co.'s

 

With all the recalls and scandals Mittsubishi has I wouldn't touch any of their cars with a yard stick. All I can say is if you buy that Eclipse, prepare to bend over and take it up the butt because you are going to become some mechanic's best friend!

 

No way man, insurance can't be that high for a 16-year-old Mustang. I got my Mustang 4 years ago. At that time I was 17 and Mustang was only 1 year old. My insurance was $1,200/year.

 

Yeah, what kind of insurance are you getting? Not even full coverage should cost that much. Keep looking around. Do you have several accidents or tickets or something?

Are you looking for a beater until you get your Mustang, or are you looking for a car. If it's the first, there are a million used cars our there that can get you from point A to B, and for a little more $ those that can get you there in a little more style (and be more fun like an older Mustang). However it kind of sounds like you want the Eclipse, and not just some car. Get whatever works for you, but keep in mind, no matter what you get, you could have it longer, or shorter, than you planned...so is life.

If insurance remains to be an issue, you should stay away from cars that will aid in more tickets, or will cost a lot for insurance on their own (eg. a Mustang or an Eclipse). If you get yourself a beater not only will you save the $ on the cost of the car, but also on the high cost of insurance. That all adds up to more for you future Stang. Just some food for thought.

 

Some insurance companies also go by the age of the vehicle. They assume that the eclipse being newer will cost more to replace and fix if you have an accident. And yes popularity and theft can also have a factor in the price. Look around for a better price and ask them to explain their reasons for the price difference. There are so many factors that it will boggle your mind Good luck!