Ford Mustang (5th gen): PH Used Buying Guide
Ford's pony car can make a good alternative to the usual European fare, here's what to bear in mind
Ford rediscovered its pony car mojo with the 2004 Mustang and quickly gained interested beyond its usual North American fans. As a result, plenty of this S197 generation - 2004 to 2014 - have found homes in the UK and elsewhere. That makes them a viable alternative to other performance coupes and four-seat convertibles from the period.
Ford didn't officially import this Mustang to the UK, nor was it ever built in right-hand drive, though some cars have been converted. Unless you really can't cope with a left-hooker in the UK, there's little to be gained from this conversion and it's not reflected in stronger prices. The first S197 cars arrived in 2004 with either a 210hp 4.0-litre V6 or a 4.6-litre V8 with 300hp. You could choose from five-speed manual or automatic gearboxes and Ford added the Convertible to the range in 2005. The drop-top is a decent four-seater, though rear leg room is a little restricted for adults.
While some road tests at the time pointed out the solid rear axle seemed antiquated, this Mustang was built on a purpose-designed platform and handled well. As with all Mustangs, there's a wealth of tuning and modifying options out there to improve the handling, braking and performance. Most will have had some upgrades carried out, so choosing the right car for you comes down to taste.
If you can't find the right car already in the UK, it's still worth looking to the USA as the choice there is huge. Importing a car is relatively simple and can be handled by an agent, including the IVA (Individual Vehicle Approval) test to make it road legal.
In 2009, Ford increased the V8's power to 325hp with the GT model, while a facelift in 2010 brought LED rear lights and moved the front indicators into the headlight units. For 2011, the transmissions gained a sixth gear and the V6 was replaced with a 3.7-litre unit with 309hp, while the V8 was now the Coyote 5.0-litre motor with 418hp. Ford also offered the Boss 302 model with a 440hp version of the V8 and a supercharged GT500 with 550hp from a 5.4-litre unit.
Thanks to dimensions much the same as a current BMW 3 Series saloon, the S197 Mustang is easily capable of daily duties, helped by combined fuel economy of up to 33.6mpg. Prices start at around £10,000 for V6 or V8 models and rise to £40,000 for a Shelby GT500.
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Buyer's checklist
Bodywork and interior
Check all of the lights work properly as they are operated through a computer. Some may have been bodged to get the car through SVA (Single Vehicle Approval) or IVA (Individual Vehicle Approval) depending on when it was imported. Also make sure the cruise control works as some cars will have had the brake light wire cut to pass IVA but cruise needs this to operate properly.
Make sure the windows drop and rise when you open and close the doors.
Failed door seals can let water into the front footwells and short circuit the electronic control board on the passenger side.
Look for rust on the bonnet's leading edge where it's double-skinned and can trap water.
Standard radio will not tune in to all UK stations and won't pick up traffic announcements, so don't be surprised if an aftermarket stereo is fitted.
Engine and transmission
Spark plugs are in two sections in cars made from 2004-08. They can snap when being removed, so a special tool is needed to extract them safely. There's an improved plug made by Champion to solve this issue. Some lower mileage early cars may still the original plugs fitted though.
Alternator diode can fail and cause the engine to hesitate at low revs. A new alternator costs from £160.
Second gear can crunch on manual gearboxes when cold due to a worn synchromesh.
Look for any leaks from the rear axle pinion seal, which is a cheap part to replace but pricey as it's a full day's labour.
Ford states the engines should run on 5W/20 oil but most owners prefer 5W/30 and change the oil every 5,000 miles, which is easily managed at home. Replacement filters are inexpensive and easy to source.
Most aftermarket cold air intake conversions require the engine to be remapped, so check this has been done by a recognised tuning firm.
Suspension and steering
Rear lower control arm bushes wear and give sloppy handling. New items are inexpensive, but you might as well upgrade; polybushed items cost from £88. Adjustable Eibach arms are also available from £166, while a complete SR Performance coil-over kit is £650.
Wheels, tyres and brakes
Uprated brakes will be needed for track days or lots of fast road driving. Better front discs and pads are widely available, cheap and easy to fit.
Traction control is fitted but is slow to react, so check rear tyres for wear.
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SPECIFICATION: FORD MUSTANG (5TH GEN)
Engine: 4,009/3,726/4,601/4,951cc V6/V8
Transmission: 5/6-speed man/auto
Power (hp): 213/309/304/418@/5,250/6,500/5,750/6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 240/280/320/390@3,500/4,250/4,500/4,250rpm
MPG: 33.6/na/30/30
CO2: na
Price new: $19,215
Price now: £10,000 upwards
How can you write a buyers guild and not even be close on the facts.
Great research
Either way I bought a new 2010 GT and it was a lot of fun both in the states and when I imported it to yerp. I don't think I'd be interested in buying one now though they've retained too much of their value!
Apart from that and perhaps the interior quality, the 5.0 is an exceptional all-rounder. The in-gear acceleration is savage and good enough topull on a V8 M3 up the hill at Laguna Seca, even if the gearbox and body roll means the entry speed is way behind. And I think the back seat is good by coupe standards.
They looked great when new but seemed to have dated worse than the other retro car designs from the early 2000s.
I hit a bridge join, in the dry, at 70, in 6 th gear. Que massive tail slide across the second lane.....never driven anything that got as upset with road bumps.
Obviously I held it like a pro and kept my fag in my mouth as i recovered, powering onto the next junction. else it wouldnt be on Pistonheads!
I hit a bridge join, in the dry, at 70, in 6 th gear. Que massive tail slide across the second lane.....never driven anything that got as upset with road bumps.
Obviously I held it like a pro and kept my fag in my mouth as i recovered, powering onto the next junction. else it wouldnt be on Pistonheads!
When this model came out in late 2004 a standard V8 GT could be bought new (in the US) for approx £13k, the amount of after market parts is a massive business, the Mustang has been a huge money maker for Ford which is why they have not dropped it from production
Oof! That’s a lot of money for a 2004 coupe.
Can buy a lot of nice 6-series or Jag XK for similar money (or less).
Would love to own a Mustang at some point, but can’t get past the American Car scene tax.
Insurance even for a heavily modified car was cheap; last year was £365 all mods declared, VEL is £250. A full set of tyres lasted two years if you rotate them front to back every 5000 mile oil change, and the last lot of Hankook Ventus V12 Evo2’s cost me £165 a corner and suited a daily driven GT very well, they were better on road than the Toyo T1 Sports and Goodyear Eagle F1’s on a car with factory 18” wheels imho.
The only parts failures I had:
Original alternator (would have been replaced under warranty in the US as it was a known fault with the rectifier bridge).
Rear boot lock mechanism, cost me around £100 (part plus overnight P&P and taxes) and 30 minutes of my time to replace.
Yeah it was heavy on juice; £65 a week (my current R56 Mini Cooper uses £20 to do the exact same journeys), but if you take the fuel out of the equation it costs a similar (or less) to a hot hatch of the same era to run annually.
On top of what it said to check in the article also check the rear diff cover, the OEM gaskets are paper and can leak after a few years, it's not a big job to re-seal (use black RTV and all will be well).
Things to bear in mind:
The mirrors don’t fold (they are on sheer bolts)
The doors are thick and long so getting in and out of it in a tight car park can be tricky if you are on the large side or not very mobile.
You might have to wait a bit longer for parts if you want to cut out the importer middle man (for bigger stuff it’s easier to let them handle it).
The boot though cavernous has a small aperture, so stick to soft bags and holdalls for trips.
If the idle is rough clean the throttle body, it takes minutes to do and costs only a can of throttle body cleaner and a rag.
The build quality is (other than the niggles mentioned) fine, yeah it's not going to be up to the same standard as a 6 series but then it cost over $30,000 less so what do you expect. You can't base your buying decision on one of these cars using a US rental as a reference point either as from what I have heard they are hideous compared to even the most basic of private cars.
Modifications that are (imho) a must on a bog stock car:
1) BMR rear LCA (cheap and easy to fit, instant cure to the axle tramp on the rear
2) A set of lowering springs, 25mm or so, again cheap easy to fit and massively improve the woolly cornering
3) Fit some powerslot disks and pads once the OEM ones wear out; the braking performance improves massively.
4) Decent tyres (not really a mod but worth doing, as is going up to a 101 sidewall rating on an 18” wheel).
5) A basic remap, it gets rid of throttle lag and on the automatic models improves the response and shift firmness of the gearbox.
Nice to have mods that I would fit over time:
1) A decent stereo head unit (double DIN) as the OEM ones can’t receive UK radio signals and tbh the quality isn’t great.
2) A nice exhaust system
3) A Decent cold air induction system (really gives nothing more than increased intake roar but that alone is worth it – trust me)
None of those mods will harm the resale value, in fact I’d say they improve it as many owners will do them anyway (unless they are a stickler for a totally stock car).
However, they do not suffer fools push too hard in the wet and it will try and kill you, a patch of diesel on a roundabout and too much right foot and you will be facing the wrong way, even with the traction control turned on because (certainly on the late 2006MY car that I had) it is useless for anything other than stopping wheel spin out of junctions and imho best turned off in inclement weather all it does is chop the throttle, there is no active yaw control, alternate braking or any of that “fancy” bits. The basic Deluxe no option V6 model didn’t even have ABS.
I would have loved to have kept it forever but unfortunately an upcoming house purchase means I had to choose between the Mustang and flying and flying won (it was always going to) and if I am ever in the position to be able to afford to buy and run one again I would have another in a heartbeat.
http://www.rustygaragemilano.com/portfolio/mustang...
bought it for 45k$, put 45k$ into it and sold it for.....$45k
I have had two, the first an 05 GT model ordered new in October 2004 that arrived in March 2005. I kept it until 2009, during which time it underwent many modifications culminating in a Saleen supercharger. These cars respond so well to a bit of tweaking, a simple cold air intake and a re map making a really noticeable difference.
The GT was sold in 2009 ( subsequently the new owner wrote it off going backwards through a wall!) My current one is an 08 model GT500 that I found located in Miami with 7 miles on it sitting in a showroom. This was shipped over to the UK like the previous one and I registered it in October 2009.
This one has had control arms, dampers & springs, TSW Nurburgrings and a VMP tuning TVS blower. It dynoed at 670 hp, ran 11.2 at Santa Pod & has been to Le Mans 5 times. With the old supercharger it went 179 at VMax. Never fails to make me smile! Definitely a keeper.
I have had two, the first an 05 GT model ordered new in October 2004 that arrived in March 2005. I kept it until 2009, during which time it underwent many modifications culminating in a Saleen supercharger. These cars respond so well to a bit of tweaking, a simple cold air intake and a re map making a really noticeable difference.
The GT was sold in 2009 ( subsequently the new owner wrote it off going backwards through a wall!) My current one is an 08 model GT500 that I found located in Miami with 7 miles on it sitting in a showroom. This was shipped over to the UK like the previous one and I registered it in October 2009.
This one has had control arms, dampers & springs, TSW Nurburgrings and a VMP tuning TVS blower. It dynoed at 670 hp, ran 11.2 at Santa Pod & has been to Le Mans 5 times. With the old supercharger it went 179 at VMax. Never fails to make me smile! Definitely a keeper.
How can you write a buyers guild and not even be close on the facts.
Great research
They arrived with 210hp v6 and 300hp v8 as per article v8 had 315hp in 09 before the 412hp 5.0 arrived in 2010 along with the 305hp v6 3.7
that's got a soul and an endless catalog of affordable mods
...and not sat in mum's basement sniffing their fingernails and stewing in the politics of envy
that's got a soul and an endless catalog of affordable mods
...and not sat in mum's basement sniffing their fingernails and stewing in the politics of envy
h about them.....that's got a soul and an endless catalog of affordable mods
...and not sat in mum's basement sniffing their fingernails and stewing in the politics of envy
h about them.....
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