[02MustangV6e9]

Well I love my car, it's my baby, my 2002, Laser Red, Mustang v6. However, I want something with a little more gusto, in the words of Tim Allen (Home Improvement) "More POWER! ruh! ruh! ruh!" I have to finish out my final year of highschool with the car I have because well, as a teen paying all my own cell phone/ car/ clothing/ recreational expenses, thing are tight working for minimum wage. My mother works at RIT (second best tech school in the nation, next to MIT) so I get free tuition, since I may be commuting I will have free living to, so I get a college education for virtually nothing. With being a college student I will get ore hours, and a pretty hefty raise at work, without any increased expenses (books can be paid with graduation money). With that in mind I want to look for my car with "More POWER!" I've had the 5.0 Fox bodies recomended but I find the Foxes very unattractive, to say the least. I did some research and found that the 5.0 is also in the 1994-5's which I like, I'm thinking that I may try to find one of those. And of course, with buying the new (older) car, my current would be sold. Suggestions? Comments? Both on the car, or my choice of buying one.. etc.

[02MustangV6e9]

Something else to ponder. I do not know how to drive stick, and am DYING to learn but of the 4 cars my family owns, not one is stick. Do I buy a stick shift to force myself to learn? Or stick with the automatic? Alot will also depend on what I can find for sale.

[delgadog]

i'm not very Knowledgeable, but i would say driving a stick is a blast. now, driving conditions can also determine if you should get an auto, is the college you're going to very congested with traffic? it might be prudent to get an auto just for the simple fact that it would be easier to drive with less headache. my personal opinion on the hatchback 5.0's, they're my favorite body style by far, they're very light, very cheap to build up and relitively cheap to buy. i actually own a 95 5.0 and am very happy with it, so just go with what you want and enjoy!

[02MustangV6e9]

Thanks. It's not much congested with traffic as it is with stop signs.

[flamedstang95]

Originally Posted by 02MustangV6e9 Thanks. It's not much congested with traffic as it is with stop signs.

Or the snow I grew up in upstate NY.

[02MustangV6e9]

Yeah the snows a bitch. But I'm not so much worried about it, I was with my current car, but my father assured me that once... it was all they made. So I'm not so worried. So yeah I'll probably stick with the auto.

[Ryno8705]

I have a 94 5.0 GT Conv. 5-Speed ~230 HP @ the tires. Daily driver from March-November... I live in northern IL

Your V6 Mustang will do better in the snow than a V8 Mustang, hands down. My family had a 94 V6 at one time, same year as my GT just a smaller engine and an open rear-end. On the same day and road conditions I took both cars out to see how they differed in the snow. My GT's traction-loc just kept both wheels spinning and the rear end loose. The V6 just wanted to spin one wheel, so lack of traction for both, but the V6 didn't want to fishtail as much or as easy. With that said, Yes, a V8 Stang could survive a winter as a daily driver, but you are going to have days where you won't want to, or can't go out. Not to mention, possibly dangerous. Big PITA, IMHO

I store my GT in the winter because of how ridiculous it is in the snow. You may not be worried about it but you’re only 18-19 years old and probably never experienced how fast a V8 Stang can stick you in the ditch or how much they want to slide around. Given I haven't ditched mine in the snow, I did experience how much it wanted to slide around. Side note: I do run 275 rear tires, a very tight traction-loc, and 3.55s--all of which I know do not help in the snow, but... It hasn't seen snow since I did the V6-V8 snow test.

The auto vs. 5-speed thing... stick with your V6 until you learn how to drive a stick... V8's are boring as hell with an automatic. You don't need to take my word, look at how many people ask about or do the auto to stick swap... Only the hardcore drag racers attempt the 5-speed to auto swap and they do it for a different reason all together. I also don't care at all about traffic conditions so the 5-speed doesn't bother me there, but I could see how a lot of people would get annoyed in bumper to bumper. Plus, if you plan to add an exhaust, the 5 speed will sound better if you drive it right. That's just IMO.

The only other thing I have time to throw in now is that you need to do your research on 94-95 Mustangs, and for any Mustang for that matter, because there is some GARBAGE out there and you don't want to get stuck with someone's sugar-coated hack job.... And don't get all hyped up to buy the first thing that looks good, do your research or you may end up with more of a project than a daily driver.

[95StangMX]

I have an auto that I can assure you is not boring and sounds as good or better than most 5 speeds...and if i am correct your post was not debating between 6 and 8 you are selling your 6 to get an 8 and trying to decide between stick and click...its all personal preference what you like better and what you are more comfortable with dont listen to people tell you about sound or say that autos are not as fast....with a good yank converter and valve body/shift kit you will stay right with a stick and handle double the power

[96gtponyred]

ok sell your car and def get one of these. I had a v6 mustang and they suck lol sorry, i loved mine until i got my 1st gt. o and def get a stick and learn its easy to learn just practice, you have to know someone with a stick. ask them if they will let you drive there car. its a muscle car, auto muscle cars just aren't the same but it is a preference thing. the whole traffic thing isn't as bad as people make it out to be either i drive in Boston all the time and it doesn't bother me.

[TKOTLARZ]

i would go with 93 and back if you want a 5.0..they respond alot better to mods..i like the 92 notchback's..they look really clean...the computers in the 94-95 blow..buy a stick, ull learn it in a hour and be fine driving it..

[02MustangV6e9]

Well. I wont buy a 93 or older, I REALLY do not like the body style, I know you can mod them, but I dont think it's worth it. Still in the air about the stick/ auto, I'll have a friend teach me stick before next summer if thats what I decide, I know the concept, just don't have the coordination. Even with my v6 my father wants me to put sandbags in my trunk for winter, and I also have 4 WinterForce tires, which are some of the best snow tires on the market. How much should that help? And finally, what does IMHO, IMO, and PITA mean? I appreciate all the posts, keep them coming, if you're sole purpose is going to be to persuade me to get a Fox, dont post, because I wont. But you guys are helping me see this from all angles.

[02MustangV6e9]

So, another thought, perhaps I'm getting in over my head. What if I save up, buy the 94/5 that needs some good fixing, for 2k-2.5k, however, keeping my v6. That way I can run the v6 in the winter, and once good weather hits, pull out the v8. It'll also give me some good hands on experience?

[Ryno8705]

95 Stang MX...
Autos do not sound as good with a louder exhaust as a stick when the automatic trans gets all confused on what gear it wants to go in. Yeah, you can fix some of that by keeping it out of over drive until it needs it, messing with torque converters, and adding a shift kit yadda yadda yadda... But by that point you may as well get a 5-speed and not spend the extra money on the additional automatic parts. I'm sure you could assure me that your auto is fun to drive but I'd rather drive a 5-speed because they are not as boring, period. The kid has already shown interest in wanting a 5-speed and asked for input, I gave him my opinion and I think that's what he’s looking for. Why tell him not to listen to people? Let him evaluate what he wants. Either way you can't argue with me on the amount of people that do an auto to stick conversion over the opposite...

02MustangV6e9:
IMO=In my opinion
IMHO=In My Humble Opinion
PITA=Pain in the ass

IMO, if you are going to keep a second car for only the winter months, I would get something that is better in the snow than any Mustang. Front wheel drive, SUV... Something like that. Just get something mechanically sound with a good heater and you'd be set.

[Ryno8705]

Originally Posted by 96gtponyred its a muscle car, auto muscle cars just aren't the same but it is a preference thing.

+1

[95StangMX]

I didnt tell him to listen to opinions I told him not to listen to the garbage about the sound....there is absolutely no difference in the sound in the two cars unles you are talking about the pushing in the clutch and reving it up ...and if thats what you like in an auto you can just drop it in N and do the same....I agree at times the stick is more fun and when I was younger all my cars were stick....I love the look on peoples faces when they think that cause its an auto its gonna be slow and then wonder what the hll is going on when I leave the hole at 3500 .... 1 question you ever seen a 5 spd dragster?

[Ryno8705]

Not up close, but I know manual drag cars are out there. I was just making a comment about many people like to launch off an automatic if they drag race a lot... Hence why you see some guys with automatic Cobras.

I didn't mean the tone of the engine is different, just the automatic doesn't sound as clean when it doesn't know if it wants to stay in or out of over-drive. It also doesn't sound as good when you are cruising at <45-50 mph and get on it a little bit but not enough to downshift... It sounds sort of like a slipping clutch. MAYBE with your torque converter it doesn't do that but it sure as heck does it on a stock torque converter. Plus, automatics can be a PITA when they downshift when you don’t want them to.

[95StangMX]

I do see what you are thinking and I am not being a dick and manual cars are probably more fun to drive around town and stuff especially a stock stick vs. a stock clicker....the 5 spd would be more fun and more responsive of the two with no mods... its just people always seem to think that autos are slow...when i bought the car my wife and I were going to do a auto to 5 spd swap but I was checking on parts cause our reverse was out and found out from some guys at Click Click Racing that you can build the AOD and AODE to hold 700-1000 HP and fairly reasonably on price and we were building a 347 stroker for it and now want to go with spray or a turbo and since its going to be mainly for the track we thought it was a better route as far as dependability...and what you were saying about searching for gears yes i understand but we have a custom valve body and shift the car manually most of the time....

[flamedstang95]

To the guy that said 94/95 computers suck....GET A DIFFERENT TUNER. These cars are just as easy, if not easier to tune then the foxes.

[HELLRAZR94]

no bro i have a good tuner and that guy is right the computers suck the first chance i get i will be upgrading it but other than that i have have almost had every mustang from 86-94 and i love my 94 the most, mainly because if the better ride but when you go from a fox to a sn95 you can feel the weight difference

[Ryno8705]

I'll throw in my 2 cents about the computers, they both need work. A tuner helps (if the computer doesn't go bad first) but the computer can be the main piece holding everything back on both Foxes and SN95 5.0s.

+1 on feeling the weight difference. IMO Ford should have bumped up the HP more in the GT and Cobra when they switched the body style in 94. I would have liked to see the GT's HP about where the Cobra sat and the Cobra around 270-280. Especially when they knew the 4.6 was taking over in '96 but also to help compensate for the extra weight over the Foxes. Either way I guess this thread isn't the thread to post that, but there is some more "input" for you 02MustangV6e9.

95StangMX... I'm don't think you are being a dick, I just think you missed that this is going to be Kid's DD, not a track car. He's just out of high school, has a minimum wage job, and pays for all his stuff. To change the torque converter, change the valve body, and add a shift kit takes a lot of $, especially if he can't do it himself. To clarify something, I never said I though autos were slow. With a stock rear-end (~2.73s) and stock HP they can be slow... With 3.73s or more HP they can hold their own. Anyway, being the kid showed interest in "DYING to learn" how to drive a 5-speed, I figured he wouldn't benefit spending the extra $ on the automatic upgrades and gave him input based on that. I think we were looking at it from two different angles, that's all.