I've had my 86 GT hatch back A/T since august of 2005 and ever since it was given to me as my first car I've had plans of restoring it as well as building the motor. Four years later I'm done with school and nothing has been done to my GT other than mild exhaust and new stereo. What do I decide to do when I get a decent paying full time job? Buy a 2004 mach 1. After 8 months with the mach I started to realize that the car had been wrecked and fixed under the table, so it didn't show on the carfax but I blame myself for not doing a better job inspecting the car or not paying to have it done. After selling the mach I bought my 2010 GT which I loved for three weeks and then some one decided for me that it didn't belong on the same road as them and the car was a total loss. So now I am faced with the decision of either finally getting some work done on my 86 or get back into a car payment and get a 2011 GT.

Long story shot fix my 86GT I've been happy with for 4 years or replace my wrecked 10 with an 11.

 

I'd still take the 11 GT for a daily driver, but keep the old fox and slowly work on it as you get spare money or even in a few years after the 11 is paid off. An 86 just doesn't seem like a good daily driver ;(

 

Do you want a project to work on & drive on the weekends or a daily driver? I'm driving a very nice and modified '96 Cobra convertible as a daily driver and have been driving Cobra SN95's since 1995, but it's so out dated it's rediculous. I'm 35 and ready for a more civilized ride. The new 5.0 is what I've been waiting for!

 

I would get an '11.
It all lies how comfortable you are.

 

This.

 

I love four eyed fox Mustangs, especially the 85-86, but it will NEVER be as much car as the 2011 GT.

If you can swing it, keep both and work on fixing up the fox while you enjoy driving the 2011 every day.

 

I would drop the money into the Fox body and stack up money for the 2014 Mustangs. Honestly I like the Foxes better than ANY Mustangs including the '11s so I may be a little biased.

 

I drove a Fox as a daily driver for 10 years. It's not like it's a 65 or something. They're totally comfortable cars if you keep them maintained and put a few bucks into them.

After the excitement over the 11 wears off, I honestly think a nice clean and well modded Fox is a more original and cooler car anyways.

Spruce up the Fox, and save for the 2014.

 

If you can afford it, get the '11.

 

Take $20k of the insurance check and put it down on a 2011 V6 (loaded) or GT. Keep your payments low. Take the other $10k from the check and throw it at the 86. There you go .

 

Man I got a check for $30,000 laying around? I wish I knew where it was. But I think you may be confused about what happened with insurance. Insurance paid what I owed plus and extra $3,500, I have yet to be released by my doctor so I'm a ways from reaching a medical settlement. If I get a 11 GT I'd be financing for about 26k by the time I took delivery.

 

Gotcha, for some reason I was thinking you paid cash for your car. What about a 2011 V6 and then build the 86 on the side? You're not going to drop much power over the 2010 GT and you'll still have your 86 for your V8 fix?

I'm thinking of doing something similar once I find a new job. I'd get a 2011-2012 V6, have some 3.73s, coilovers and Steeda fascia installed before I take delivery, then my current 00 V6 will go under the knife and come out a weekend-only Termie-powered show car.

 

I've been pondering Ford Racing's 306ci 340hp crate engine for my 85 5.0 its about 3500msrp, you'd still have to install it and fix whatever you feel is wrong with your Fox already. But after spending 4g of your own cash along with your insurance check, you'd have no car payment and a pretty reliable car for a few years.

 

what happened?! Did someone run you off the road or something?

 

Some guy pulled out right in front of him.

 

I had actually considered that as an option, but right now I need to focus on having the exterior fixed followed by the interior before I want to focus on the engine. Since I have gotten the car I have seen items for the pre 87 foxes disappear in what seems like no time at all and on rare occasions some new ones pop up.

Here is a link to the thread I stated just after the accident along with some pics, btw the first post is a copy/paste from the thread I made a week or two after I got the car just six days before my wreck.
https://themustangsource.com/f726/just-wrecked-483454/

 

Oh and to put things in better perspective the 86 GT has about 114k miles no major leaks although I have good reason to believe it is burning coolant ever so slowly, I don't believe the trans has ever had a filter change and flush but I must admit since I got out of school I have been dieing to drop and rebuild the trans( I love taking working on autos and feel like that's what I need to be doing since a lot of people refuse to touch one), the car sat for four years before I got it and it the paint has suffered as well as the interior(the rear interior 1/4 panels are dry rotted) and I've already been quoted $3k for the paint and body work plus about $1800 more to purchase new weather stripping, under hood insulation, front bumper cover, new hardware for the sun roof, carpet, upholstery all around and seat foam for the driver's seat.

 

This might help restore your '86 http://www.autoblog.com/2010/06/07/f...parts-for-res/

 

Yah just read it. Man, that is terrible. Glad you are okay. My vote is for the new 5.0. Enjoy all the new bells and whistles (and new technology). But thats definitely dependent on your preference!

Good luck and heal well!

 

What the heck, have both if you can!