Earlier this week I posted (Another Pony To Feed?) about a 1985 Mustang GT that a friend found for me on Craigslist and how it sold before I had a chance to look at it. Subsequent to missing that Mustang, I went back to Craigslist to see what else was available. It was probably a good thing that I missed the first Mustang because it gave me time to research Mustangs more. Because of my research, I expanded my search to newer cars. After 1985, they just seemed to get better with more power and features. Sure enough, I found a 1990 Mustang GT that was listed as a "project car" at a low price. The seller is in the military and just did not have time or money to finish all the little items that need attention.
So today I drove to Spanaway to look at this Mustang. My first impression was that the body was really straight. Someone had painted it white and the paint job was OK. I also was pleasantly surprised that the interior was better than what I was lead to believe. The seats were in great shape, the carpet looks new. The downside is that some trim pieces are missing, some pieces not installed and laying in the trunk, the electric locks don't work, headliner needs replacing, but probably the worst was how dirty and filled with clutter it was. The engine started right up and sounded good.
I took it out for a drive. It ran good, has lots of power, but did have a vibration that seems like a worn universal joint. Not a big deal if that is what it is.
All in all, it seemed to have good potential, so I made the owner an offer and after a couple of counter offers, we agreed on a cash price below the listed price. The owner drove it home for me and I returned him to Spanaway.
After returning home from dropping off the seller, I washed the exterior, vacuumed out the interior and got rid of the clutter. What a difference! With the dirt washed off it has a good appearance. And other than installing interior trim pieces, the interior looks good. Some of the electrical issues will take some troubleshooting. The first item will be to determine what the vibration is.
So, I feel smug about my purchase. This is my next project but if I get tired of it, I think now that I cleaned it up, I could sell it for more for it than I paid.
This is only the second "car" that I have ever owned. After my first car that I bought in 1971 while in high school, I have had only pickups and 4 wheel drive vehicles. I did buy a "car" two and a half years ago, but I only owned it long enough to extract the engine and transmision to put in my Bronco. That car was picked up by the hulk hauler and sent to the scrap yard.
The 1990 Mustang GT before I washed off all the grime. The picture does not adequately show how dirty it was.
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