Ultra Budget S197 Mustang GT Has Us Jealous
At only $2,500, including the price of the car, this S197 Mustang GT might be the best project car deal of the decade.
The Ford S197 Mustang GT is an icon. For good reason, too. It brought back some of the most iconic Mustang styling cues and combined them with glorious modular V8 power. Even before the mighty Coyote came to fruition, the 4.6-liter powerplant in pre-facelift cars made all the right noises and had plenty of punch. That’s especially true given that Ford released it 20 years ago. Despite their age, they can still be fairly pricey. That is, unless you’re willing to settle for an automatic or stumble on a deal of a lifetime like this one.
Youtube channel The Backspeed Boys purchased this Mustang as a non-runner for just $900. Unbelievably, the hosts Lenny and Noah just replaced a fuse and managed to get it to fire up. With just some new plugs and coilpacks, it was running happily and cooking tires. Obviously, the next logical step once you’ve got a running and driving $900 Mustang GT is to do some modifications. However, The Backspeed Boys kept the low-budget mindset throughout the modification process.
$2,500 Budget All-In, Including the Price of The Car
“The goal of this video is to be under $2,500 total cost in the car,” said Noah.
That’s a tall order for any project car. However, starting with a $900 chassis gives you a good head start. Noah outlines a handful of parts they’ve acquired for the Mustang inlcuding coilover suspension, a used Hurst short-throw shifter, and new slotted brake rotors.
The first stop was suspension, and that’s a good place to start. One of the biggest drawbacks to the S197 chassis is its ancient suspension setup. To be honest, though, the choice to go with “Flashark” coilovers to lower this particular car is a bit questionable. We understand trying to keep the budget in check, but we can’t really endorse running these cheap (and in our opinion, sketchy) coilovers. Finding a decent used set of a more reputable set would be our first choice. We digress, the end result does look quite nice!
After installing the short-throw shifter and the brakes, Noah takes the Mustang out for a spin, quite literally. If you’ve got a really cheap Mustang with a manual transmission and a V8, it’s damn near impossible to keep yourself from throwing a couple of donuts and big smokey burnouts down the very moment you get a chance. It’s a right of passage!
““You don’t need big money to have fun,” said Noah.
We concur! In a world focused on who has the most power, who has the fastest quarter-mile time, and who has the most followers, it’s easy to get wrapped up in what other people enjoy. That’s a shame, because all that should matter is whether or not you’re having a good time with your car. We have to applaud The Backspeed Boys, because they’re truly living their automotive lives the way we wish we could!
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