Well even I find this one hard to believe but I looked out this morning and yep it's there!

Years back when I met my wife, her mom had a 71 Superbee with the works 383 ram air.  She's been on a muscle car jag since.  Having restored one era car, 73 Charger since sold, I now have 69 Charger in early restoration and quite frankly don't have much spare time to work on it.  Friday night I take her to see Dukes of Hazard.  Boy big mistake!  

I won't go into all the personal reasons but I now find myself with a 35th Annivsery 99 Mustang GT 5 speed convertable  setting in my drive.  Keep in mind, I'm not totally nuts just a little.  We are selling our 92 Miata so it's kind of like still have a convertable but picked up back seat.

Though not a "big block" by no means, it definately has the feel of a vintage car and should buy me some time on the Charger, let's say a couple years.  It definately has the feel and is fun to drive.  It's no drag racer but will barkem if you want to.  Though an upgrades suspension from 98, the 99 still rides a tad rough and loose but also very reminiscent of the era cars.  

I have a question or two for you car heads.

What should I expect in the way of problems on the 4.6L if any?

What's your general impression of the Pony car?  Keep in mind, 99 was the first year of the engine power upgrade to somewhere around 260hp with 300 ft/lbs plus.  It is a torquey little car.  Looking for general comments here so I don't let my wife talk me into something stupid like upgrades or should I?

In light of the new body style indtroduction, do you think this body style will ever have a collector appeal?  Looking to decide wheter to ride it hard and trash it or run it for the longhaul.  This will impact what and how much I put into it during maintenence and repairs.  

Anyone know any special problems or prevalent problems with this car?

What the hell is traction control on a rear wheel drive anyway?

Thanks,

Tj

TJ..I think I love your wife!

Quoted: TJ..I think I love your wife!

Oh it's better,  I get to buy a gun today since she got a toy.

Quoted: Quoted: TJ..I think I love your wife! Oh it's better,  I get to buy a gun today since she got a toy.

Does she have a sister....oh Hi honey...

Quoted: Dont let one of the new GTO's bait you at the stop light drags. I understand even the new Mustang GTs are having their asses handed to them.

Quoted: Dont let one of the new GTO's bait you at the stop light drags. I understand even the new Mustang GTs are having their asses handed to them.

Take a bit of baiting bud for we know our cars.

My nephew is on his second six speed TransAM with Z1 ram air engine.  It's would be like picking a fight with a slightly heavy Corvette.

I test drove a TransAM with regular 350 automatic, (the car we bought is a STD shift) it's has a much higher rated engine but heavier than the Pony GT and the auto not as fast out of the hole.  I figure the Pony GT might be a decent match for that if not faster.  1/4 mile stock ratings are about the same around the mid-13s.

Keep in mind this is a 99' model.  The 4.6L considered weak even by minimal muscle car standards prior to 99' had a 225 hp rating.  With the addittion of the PI heads took the under power early 4.6L to 260 hp for 99'.  

We like the old "F" bodies a lot but really wanted something a tad smaller and lighter to get more of that 1960's feel.  Besides it's a tad hard to find "F" body convertables these days.  People tend to keep them and they didn't make as many as they did Pony cars.

What's funny is I'm a really a Mopar person.

Tj

Thanks bud, I stand corrected on the engine type (must have had a brain fart) but totally agree with your assessment on the performance comparrisons.   My quoted quarters are factory ratings which you know are always inflated and didn't include the higher performance engines, as you mentioned the LS1 for the "F" body and actually the 4.6L double OHC on the Mustang.  Our engine is the 4.6L SOHC which is 40hp less than the DOHC.  

I'm afraid we're a tad over our drag racing phase or we wouldn't have bought a Pony car to begin with.  We're of the old school where nothing replaces displacement.  

We're kind of just looking for newer car with a 60's feel without that bias tire feel of course.

Thanks for your input on the issues you've had.  That is one different master cylinder from what I'm use to.  Your comments on the GMs doesn't surprise me much for it follows most GM products I have had.  It seems it's always the little shit and the drive trains are solid especially the old 350 block.  

Thanks for your input.

Tj

TJ
Put a cold air induction system on your car, headers and a good catback exhaust and like mentioned above..a good aftermarket shifter (Hurst billet pro) and you will have a ball.

Yea guys I looked into the bolt on performance package which is basically a tad more than a performance chip and cold air induction system.  It was $700 for picking up a whole 28 hp.  Though touted as a heck of a bargain for hp, it's not in my book.  The factory chip that year doesn't governor until 130mph which is way plenty.  

Part of the problem is how the air induction is ran which is out the side quarter panel.  Other than the fact that it is plastic, it's like a factory cold air induction.  The K&N is the same hookup except metal air filter housing and low flow filter.  Heck even the factory filter is this big ass round monster very similar to a low flow filter.  

Keeping in mind Ford was trying to overcome the low performance rating of the prior engines on this years model, besides the PI heads, I think they squeezed where they could squeeze.  I'm afraid the cheap bolt on approach won't buy me that much and not all that cheap.  

Did the once over this weekend and came to the conclusion the previous one owner was either a girl or someone who has limited hands on car experience.  Both the passenger side headlamp was out and the passenger side fog light.  They had broken the light retainer on the fog light.  It was very obvious they didn't notice the light only went in one way and tried to force it.  They broke it then gave up.  When the headlamp went out, it's behind the big ass air filter so I figure they just threw their hands up.  

Both repairs took me about 20 minutes labor.  The headlamp was actually a breese for the big ass airfilter came out with one bolt.  I used my "Jury rigging degree" on the fog lamp and simply took off the gasket on the replacment light and used silicone glue which it will hold it in fine barring an accident but easy enough to pull of when time to change again.  

Car is amasingly sound.  Everything works which for high miles and number of years is a shocker.  The motor is tight as hell with no unusual noises.  AC will flat freeze your ass off but no obvious engine pull down or compressor noise so not overcharged (sign of a leak compensation).  Back "U Joint" is starting to sing a little but not clanking so can hold on replacing that for a while.  They put a performance exhaust on the car which makes it rumble like a muscle car but fell short of doing headers.  Paint job is great with a few chips but luckily white so an easy finger touch up.  Really the rubber is the big issue but made new tires part of the purchase deal which if the lot keeps it's word should be in the AM.  P245 45R 17s aren't cheap.  Actually going with Kumho's instead of Goodyears.  I like the Kumhos they have a good traction rating and slightly better tread wear, 360, than Goodyears. They're not as hard as Yokohomas and definately not as soft as Dunlops.  

Did the VIN check and everything matches.  The car was actually one of the last Mustangs made that year and only 1 of a little under 14,000 35th Anniversery convertables.  Leather intererior is perfect.  

Amasingly a little touch up paint, black the Mustang letter indentations on the back bumper, add the black hood intake accent, and actually tonight adding smoke headlamp lense covers (one is sand etched a little) and this car should be show quality. The windows were already spray darkened.  Got lucky I guess.

Tj

Thanks everyone and yes I find the brakes a tad wanting.  In fact, the stopping distance makes me think I'm driving my 89' Dakota 4X4.  That's bad in light of the fact Ford touted improving the brakes for 99.

Thanks ZW17's grilfriend.  I have a high suspicion a lady had this car before me.

I've noticed the reverse goes in kind of hard on this one but it does stay in.  

Doesn't matter much Yellowv.  The cars not really suited for the track and wouldn't want to a take 283 cu/in up against 350 cu/in anyway.  If my wife wants to get froggy she can race the rice burners.  We have enough of those that are stock engines with loud exhausts and spoilers to sink a battleship.  

Tj

Quoted: TJ, if you read "Muscle Mustangs and Fast Fords" magazine, they can tell you a lot about how to modify your 'Stang how you want it, and there are lots of manufacturers that have advertisements in that magazine.

Thanks Deej, that's an great idea.  

If I get the wife to start reading Muscle Mustang maybe she will stop reading Mopar Muscle and cut me some slack on restoring the 69 Charger.

Tj

Thanks will look into it.  Just put some 245 45ZR 17 95Ws on it which was a major improvement.  

Don't really need the W (169mph) tire rating since the car has a 130mph governor and wouldn't plan on going that fast anyway but hey it's all I could get at the time.  

That tire size is hard to get around here for some reason and couldn't wait to order since the tires were maypops.

On the other topic (hp), there appears to be alot of confusing information out there.  Depending on who's site you read they rate flywheel and at wheel and the numbers really differ.  The standard engine in the GT was the 4.6L SOHC which is the 260hp.  The Cobra in 99 has the DOHC which was rated at 300hp. The engines are very different.  The SOHC has black valve covers and plastic intake manifold while the DOHC has metal valve covers and an almuminum much larger intake maniforld.  

The modular engine concepts are tad difficult to keep track of.

The bolt on options I have researched show an addition of a performance chip, K&N fliter, and larger mass flow sensor can raise the Hp by 28hp without touching the exhaust.  Best price I've seen on a kit is $700 which IMHO although touted cheap Hp is not.  

Oddly the car hood on the 99 GT's came with the raised fake intake and lower fake intake both and Cobras typically didn't even have a fake intake.

Interesting diddy on the engine is that the 5.0L was still being considered for a come back until the 99 with increased Hp more of less put the 5L in it's grave.

It's been interesting learning about this car even though I may just keep it stock.  There's always hope it being a 35th Anniversery it may have some value someday and it more than meets our performance jones for now.

Tj  

Quoted: A 96 triple black convertible with the aforementioned wimp 4.6 BUT... add: chip K&N kit pulleys B&M torque converter and tranny kit... ... and about 105,000 miles of smiles, even for an old fart like me . Not a 5 speed but lousy traction for about 15 feet out of the hole and the auto barks 'em HARD hitting 2nd at about 55 MPH (P245-45 VR 17s).   Problems?  One time I accidentally hit the turn signal while cranking the engine over and burned out the smart-stick contacts.  Typical weird Ford electrical - almost as good as Lucas.  Also, after almost 10 years, the interior black plastic parts are getting quite brittle but that's probably just a black car in Florida item since it sits outside all day while I'm at work . ETA:  Forgot the 2-chamber flowmaster cat-back

Oh yea bud but with those mods that took you somewhere really close to the 99.  I've barked this one accidentally in first and second even rolling.  That's a lot of torque on such a small car.  

Surpising, the wife just got back after our first fill up and around town not riding it hard, we go 18mpg.   I would kill for that on my Jeep.

Really fun car.  

Really concerned about the scraping noise in the back.  I figure "U" joint but hey I'd rather rebuild an entire rear end side to side than a damn front end anyday and I can do a "U" joint in minutes.  I'm a product of the 60's and you couldn't keep "U" joints in a big block car.  

Any ideas on that noise?   The brakes look fine.  

I figure I will grease the joint first and if that takes it down then I known it's replacement time.  I'll do the same with rear end treatment prior to tearing it down.  

Tj

Reallly nice looking Pony cars guys!  

ZW17,

Remember the 4.6L is very modular thus if you don't know it's hard to tell what is what.  The bolt on package, cold air/larger mass flow/performance chip, claims a 28 hp improvement on the Single Overhead Cam stock GT engine.  That would take it up to 288.  Pretty darn close to 300.  Other upgades include the Ford Performance intake and high flow exhaust.  I haven't seen anything yet that will quantify that improvement increase.  Of course, any mixture of any of those options is going to be somewhere inbetween.  It's all pretty subjective unless you actually dyno it.  Those of us who modify cars usually don't know unless we dyno it.  We can only take our best guess based on results others have got.

The ultimate measure in any performance car is as you posted it does what you want it to do.

Tj

Thanks Delta, I'll look into it.

Well I did the easy stuff and had the rear end fluid changed and treatment added.  It needed it and was very low.  Didn't help the noise though.  I guess I'll be breaking it down this weekend.

It sounds dead center in the back so highly suspect the "U" joint is dry and grinding the bearings.  At least it's a rear one which is easier to change.  

Tj

Thought you guys would like seeing the subject car.

Quoted: I think I would have to go with a GTO.

LOL, Not unless you have 3X the money you won't.

You're cracking me up.

Here's mine!



Tj