Gents, it was a good run

[Zee]

I knew I had rushed my decision when I initially purchased the car 3 years ago. It was supposed to be clear weather and on the day i went to go see it, there was an hour long rain storm the second i walked up to the car... on the day I went to go take delivery - the same thing.. poured the entire time i drove there, down poured as i finalized payment and continued down pouring all the way home. I should have listened to the universe and walked away but, didnt.
The car had just too much of a hardcore track set up, i spent way too much money on it for only 295hp :( paired with lots of electric gremlins and not much potential through the 2V platform. Last summer the car kept randomly shutting off with the Theft light flashing, car would be running perfectly then all of a sudden shut off at highway speeds with the THEFT light on... i suspected it was due to Ford's junk PATS system.
Turns out I had a few bad grounds and a terribly failing alternator ... seemed to have fixed the issue.

At this point I just didnt feel comfortable having my daughter in the car... and that is primarily the reason why I got it, so I could share memories with the wife and my daughter.
We love going to car meets in the summer and its something my wife and I have shared for a long time and want to continue sharing with our daughter.

I ended up selling the car to a 21 year old mechanic out in Alberta.

Now I'm on a patient hunt for:

- 03/04 Mach 1 ... 5 spd, must be black or DSG

or

- 98 to 02 Trans Am firebird or ws6, 6spd, must be black


What do you guys think of both of these cars?

[Uncle Buck]

My 2 cents

Both cars you mention are cool cars but they are aging so finding good ones without rust etc is getting harder.

Love the Mach 1 but you pay a premium for a lower production car and it is a bit unique so some mods will be more expensive

That gen of Pontiac was never my thing but I’ve heard they are great cars to own and of course mods are easy and cheap.

Personally, if looking for a reliable, good power car, that’s fun and won’t break the bank, I’d be looking to the early coyote mustang, maybe 13-14.

[MUSTANGWOP]

Sounds like you made the right decision selling and it's very justified.

[WidowrRacing]

I agree with Uncle Buck…..I’d skip both those cars and personally look for a 2011+ Mustang GT 5L.

03-04 Mach is cool and all but under powered and expensive to mod and still $ for a good one.
98-02 4th Gen I’ve owned and good bang for buck and decent platform but also hard to find a good one and not cheap for a WS6.

[Zippy]

If you're unhappy with the power of the 2v... the trans am won't be that much faster... same thing with the mach in all honesty.
Might be happier in a 2011-2014 GT with the coyote in it.
Even the 2015 GT range is starting to come back down to reality in price. Seen quite a few in the high 20s low 30s the past month.
Really just comes down to what is important to you...

[Ponyryd]

Mach is a cool car but the T/A is cooler imo, that being said, make sure you get some seat time in the T/A before committing-it’s a much different driving experience than a Mustang….much worse IMO. If it was me I’d go Mach and just do a nice catback

[FABMAN]

Honestly, from everything that you’ve said you won’t be as happy as you think with any of the choices you listed. I had a 2v GT coupe that I bought new, and I never looked back once I sold it after owning it for 11 years.

If you want to stay in a Mustang look at a 13-14 or 15+ s550.

Another option is to get a 13-15 5th generation Camaro SS or if you can swing it a ZL1.

Both are fun rides, both the coyote and the LS make great sounds and would make the cars you mentioned feel like antiques.

Happy hunting

[Laffs]

Mach is a cool car but the T/A is cooler imo, that being said, make sure you get some seat time in the T/A before committing-it’s a much different driving experience than a Mustang….much worse IMO. If it was me I’d go Mach and just do a nice catback

This, I owned a 4th gen F body and still think back to how I could never get comfortable inside it. If I'm honest I'd pick neither of the cars you listed for the intended purpose. The idea of putting a car seat in the back of a New Edge coupe or an Fbody would honestly make me give up and take my daily. Likewise either of the two options you listed are basically the same age as your car was so the potential for gremlins (Mach still has PATS and WS6 has VATS), old parts, and breakdowns are about the same. The Fbodys trunk/hatch is pretty useless for a stroller/wagon as well if the T tops are stored from what I recall. New Edge Mach trunk is decent enough I guess.

End of the day for a family fun weekend cruiser I'd much prefer a new car with more modern crash test standards, ideally the car seat LATCH system, and personally 4 doors. I've been starting to keep an eye out for gen 2/3 CTS-Vs, w212 AMG E63s and F10 M5's for this purpose.

[Zee]

My 2 cents

Both cars you mention are cool cars but they are aging so finding good ones without rust etc is getting harder.

Love the Mach 1 but you pay a premium for a lower production car and it is a bit unique so some mods will be more expensive

That gen of Pontiac was never my thing but I’ve heard they are great cars to own and of course mods are easy and cheap.

Personally, if looking for a reliable, good power car, that’s fun and won’t break the bank, I’d be looking to the early coyote mustang, maybe 13-14.

For some reason i'm in absolute love with that firebird/ws6 design ... i've ridden passenger and I understand the car is literally 10 miles long in teh front end lol but that t-top is so fun.
Unfortunately my budget is about $16-$17k all in, so that doesnt allow me to get into a 13-14.

[Zee]

Honestly, from everything that you’ve said you won’t be as happy as you think with any of the choices you listed. I had a 2v GT coupe that I bought new, and I never looked back once I sold it after owning it for 11 years.

If you want to stay in a Mustang look at a 13-14 or 15+ s550.

Another option is to get a 13-15 5th generation Camaro SS or if you can swing it a ZL1.

Both are fun rides, both the coyote and the LS make great sounds and would make the cars you mentioned feel like antiques.

Happy hunting

My big draw towards the Newedge is my addition to their styling lol... and the fact that i would pay $30 for insurance.
The over all budget only allows for something less than $17k

[Zee]

If you're unhappy with the power of the 2v... the trans am won't be that much faster... same thing with the mach in all honesty.
Might be happier in a 2011-2014 GT with the coyote in it.
Even the 2015 GT range is starting to come back down to reality in price. Seen quite a few in the high 20s low 30s the past month.
Really just comes down to what is important to you...

Unfortunately anything 13+ is not in the budget and is alot with insurance. With the newedges i can have it insured for $30/month under Hagerty.
I will literally be driving the car on sunny Sunday's and put on around 1000 km/year.

[Zee]

I agree with Uncle Buck…..I’d skip both those cars and personally look for a 2011+ Mustang GT 5L.

03-04 Mach is cool and all but under powered and expensive to mod and still $ for a good one.
98-02 4th Gen I’ve owned and good bang for buck and decent platform but also hard to find a good one and not cheap for a WS6.

I'm seeing the prices ... oh man the Ws6 is hitting the pockets hard, especially if its manual and ESPECIALLY if its black in color.
I've got some pretty stringent requirements, car must be dark grey or black and must be manual lol

[FABMAN]

Zee, it would probably cheaper to hold off for another year and try to save another $6-7k to get a coyote GT or 5th gen SS.

It will likely be much cheaper in the long run as you won’t have to spend as much to modify it to make it what you want.

[Zee]

Zee, it would probably cheaper to hold off for another year and try to save another $6-7k to get a coyote GT or 5th gen SS.

It will likely be much cheaper in the long run as you won’t have to spend as much to modify it to make it what you want.

Hmmm, you may be right about that option.
I did speak with my insurance and looks like a 3V option up until 2010 works.

Do you have experience with the 3V's? How is the over all platform when compared to a 03/04 Mach?

[Uncle Buck]

I had an 06 Gt and liked it very much.

It’s a good car and power is on par with an 03 Mach 1. I boosted mine and it was plenty of fun on a safe 440 rwhp tune but of course, a supercharger kit isn’t a cheap mod and all it gets you is coyote na power. If you turn up the boost too much on a 3V, you will grenade it for sure. With your budget you may find a 3V with tasteful mods done.

If looking at 3V cars I’d look 07-09. Earlier ones were ok but more gremlins and 2010s are a bit of a unique car so mods are less available and more expensive.

[FABMAN]

I had an 06 Gt and liked it very much.

It’s a good car and power is on par with an 03 Mach 1. I boosted mine and it was plenty of fun on a safe 440 rwhp tune but of course, a supercharger kit isn’t a cheap mod and all it gets you is coyote na power. If you turn up the boost too much on a 3V, you will grenade it for sure. With your budget you may find a 3V with tasteful mods done.

If looking at 3V cars I’d look 07-09. Earlier ones were ok but more gremlins and 2010s are a bit of a unique car so mods are less available and more expensive.

+1 (Ditto on everything UB said).

Side note about the 3v, it’s one of the best sounding Mustangs with an axel back. Platform is much improved from 07 onwards with the 2010 giving you the more modern look and a slight bump in power.

[RedSN]

Just bought an 08 GT :)
Extremely happy with my purchase, got the color i wanted, the mods I wanted and the car is mint.
Super pumped to bring her home tonight.
That was a short vacation.

[ZR]

Congrats.

[Zee]

That was a short vacation.

It literally fell in my lap lol.
It was the right color, the owner is older and meticulous about keeping every single record, all the work is done at DSR ... the DSR boys know the car and know its clean as hell and modified well.
I just decided, pull the trigger and enjoy the season HAHA.
I'm sure i'll regret it later on when i start getting the daycare bills but hey, you only live once and this is something i can enjoy with my family.

[Zee]

Congrats.

Thank you!