Low miles and a manual gearbox make today’s Nice Price or No Dice Mustang a pony that still has plenty of potential. Let’s see if its price tag makes it a one-trick pony.
Yesterday, I challenged your fortitude and the perilous depths of your bank account. The object of this drawn gauntlet? A 2005 Audi S4 Quattro Avant, one of the neediest to maintain, but conversely, rewarding to drive when in top form used German cars on the market. Our candidate was par for the market, having had a good bit of wrenches turned in its benefit, but more work needed to make it presentable. The asking price to take on this task? That was $6,500.
I needn’t have called your temerity into question as common sense and a can’t-fool-me attitude permeated the comments and, in the end, resulted in the Audi earning a hefty 74% ‘No Dice’ loss. Your collective judgement never fails to impress.
A green machine
The first time I vacationed in Hawaii—the island of Maui to be specific—I rented a Chrysler Sebring convertible. At the time, that appeared to be the official car of visitors to our 50th State. Years later, I went back to find that Sebrings had become as rare a sight as the Nēnē, its position usurped by the Ford Mustang convertible. Of course, those Mustangs, while great for hopping over to Hāna or a cruise to Hilo Hattie’s for a requisite aloha shirt, were inevitably rental-spec. That meant a punky V6 engine and automatic transmission, matched to poverty-spec suspension components.
Today’s 1999 Ford Mustang GT, on the other hand, looks like something any of us could live with, be proud to park in our driveway, and not just forget about the moment we drop it off at a lot near the airport. Painted a sedate Dark Satin Green metallic, this GT offers a contrasting parchment top and matching interior with leather seating and lots of bells and whistles. It also has a set of amazingly handsome factory alloy wheels.
Happy anniversary?
Before we get into daydreaming about the potential purchase of this GT, we need to address one minor discrepancy in this Mustang’s ad. The headline describes this GT as a 35th Anniversary car. Now, it’s true that 1999 was the Mustang’s 35th Anniversary year, having first been introduced on April 17th, 1964. It’s also a fact that Ford built a series of special edition Mustang GTs—2,318 coupes and 2,310 convertibles—in 1999 to commemorate this event. This car, however, is not one of those special editions. It is a 1999 Mustang, which makes it an “anniversary year” car simply based on the year. In that aspect, the seller is being truthful, just not wholly accurate.
The Anniversary cars are differentiated by different wheels, a blacked-out section on the hood ahead of the non-functional air scoop, and model-specific two-tone upholstery. They also only came in four colors: red, silver, black, or white.
This car, while less noteworthy as an acknowledgment of the model’s anniversary (Coral is the traditional gift for this milestone, BTW), still has a lot on offer. That includes a clean title and tidy appearance, and a modest 64,000 miles on the clock.
Rollin’ in my 5.0
This is also, it should be noted, a GT with a stick. That means there are five cogs and a clutch to play with, something that should prove pretty fun considering that’s mated with the Mustang’s party piece: a 5.0-liter (302) Windsor V8. Mustangs have always offered a V8 (save for 1974, but let’s not talk about that), but those V8s have varied widely in output. At the Mustang’s nadir, the 302 only made a paltry 125 horsepower. Fortunately, Ford found the Mustang’s mojo in the 1980s, returning to both the GT and the 5.0 the respect each deserved.
In this model year, the fuel-injected, naturally aspirated 302 made 260 horsepower and, by happy happenstance, 302 pound-feet of torque.
According to the ad, this GT “runs and drives excellent,” and has “no mechanical issues.” The engine has benefited from the recent replacement of a number of rubber bits, including the serpentine belt and radiator hoses. Both the heater and A/C are claimed to be in fine fettle, and the car has already passed its smog test.
Aesthetically, it appears to be in awesome shape. It’s not perfect, of course. There are some minor scuffs on the bumper caps, and the driver’s seat shows an expected amount of crazing in the leather. That could stand a cleaning, but the car otherwise seems ready to rock. It’s also fitted with power for the windows, mirrors, locks, and top, so even lazy people would be happy to own it.
Mustang money
Ford’s Mustang is the most successful pony car of all time. Heck, it defined the category, meaning all of its competitors start off as also-rans out of the gate. Originally, the Mustang’s success was based on its ability to be many things to many people. These days, most people want SUVs and crossovers, so Ford has constrained the Mustang to its performance basics, serving a more limited, but perhaps dedicated, audience. While older, this GT is an example of those basics, and we’ll now need to decide if its $7,500 asking price is a basic deal.
What’s your take on this well-kept pony and that $7,500 price tag? Does that feel like a deal to get a jump on summer fun? Or are there too many better cars to be had at that price, including more modern Mustangs, meaning this one should be more manageable?
You decide!
San Francisco Bay Area, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
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