YACT: How do you feel about mid-'90s Mustangs and 3-Series's?

[b0mbrman]

Thinking I might get one of them as a different sort of beater...or something else entirely

Any thoughts or experiences?

 

[b0mbrman]

3 Series

Mustang

 

[raptor13]

If you're willing to do your own wrenching, a 325 would be really fun. A good friend has a '94 318 which he absolutely loves to death but it is seriously down on power. That's the only complaint he's ever had about the car. The solution? 325!

 

[sniperruff]

tough choice... the 90's mustangs are POS's and the BMW's cost a lot to fix. the mustang would be the lesser evil financially, but the BMW has a lot more class (not that it would matter when it's 10-years old anyway).

 

[ElFenix]

the e36 325i is kinda nice, though the engine is very high strung

 

[notfred]

The Mustang (I'm assuming you'd get a GT - don't get a V6) is probably more fun as a recreational car. It's easier to modify if you're into that. It's also cheaper to maintain. The BMW might be nicer to drive to work everyday, though.

I've owned several Mustangs, but no BMWs so I can't really compare.

 

[Black88GTA]

My brother has a 1994 V6 Mustang. POS. Perpetual problem with airbag light being on - had it "fixed" twice, but is still on. Blew 2 head gaskets in the time he's had it (3 years) although the first time it was fixed, I'm betting the mechanic didn't resurface the heads like he should have - hence the second failure. Head gaskets are a notorious problem on the V6 in the Mustang of those years as well, so that didn't help either.

I don't know about the V8 Stangs or 3-series, as I have no experience with them, nor do I know anyone who owns one.

 

[Twista]

i got a 97 v8 stang.. and wouldnt consider it a beater If you want a beater get a BMW =) or get a silly ole v6 mustang and beat the hell out of it.. let store push carts hit it.

 

[Looney]

I have a 98 V6 mustang. Boring to drive. But i haven't had much problems with it, even though it's a Ford (A/C is down now, but i'm pretty sure i just need refridgerant).

 

[m2kewl]

'95 - '99 M3

they're GREAT....when they're working

 

[sniperruff]

Originally posted by: m2kewl
'95 - '99 M3

they're GREAT....when they're working

they're also great when you have $15k to throw away.

 

[jcovercash]

Originally posted by: notfred
The Mustang (I'm assuming you'd get a GT - don't get a V6) is probably more fun as a recreational car. It's easier to modify if you're into that. It's also cheaper to maintain. The BMW might be nicer to drive to work everyday, though.

I've owned several Mustangs, but no BMWs so I can't really compare.

Yep. I say Get a 87-93 Mustang, Can't beat the body Style is the best IMO. Or If you are set on that body style mustang, then at least get the 94/95 GT Since it has a 5.0 Motor in it still. DONT GET A V6 Though!

Josh

 

[Twista]

Originally posted by: AMDman12GHz

Originally posted by: notfred
The Mustang (I'm assuming you'd get a GT - don't get a V6) is probably more fun as a recreational car. It's easier to modify if you're into that. It's also cheaper to maintain. The BMW might be nicer to drive to work everyday, though.

I've owned several Mustangs, but no BMWs so I can't really compare.

Yep. I say Get a 87-93 Mustang, Can't beat the body Style is the best IMO. Or If you are set on that body style mustang, then at least get the 94/95 GT Since it has a 5.0 Motor in it still. DONT GET A V6 Though!

Josh

Just wondering if you know the stock esimated HP on 5.0 sn95 compared to the 4.6L 96 and up to 98 sn95? (both hard top)

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: Twista

Originally posted by: AMDman12GHz

Originally posted by: notfred
The Mustang (I'm assuming you'd get a GT - don't get a V6) is probably more fun as a recreational car. It's easier to modify if you're into that. It's also cheaper to maintain. The BMW might be nicer to drive to work everyday, though.

I've owned several Mustangs, but no BMWs so I can't really compare.

Yep. I say Get a 87-93 Mustang, Can't beat the body Style is the best IMO. Or If you are set on that body style mustang, then at least get the 94/95 GT Since it has a 5.0 Motor in it still. DONT GET A V6 Though!

Josh

Just wondering if you know the stock esimated HP on 5.0 sn95 compared to the 4.6L 96 and up to 98 sn95? (both hard top)

5.0 sn95 cars were the same as the fox body cars - 215-225hp, 285-300ft. lbs of torque. The numbers for 4.6s were pretty much the same. The differences depend on exactly what year car you get.

 

[Twista]

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: Twista

Originally posted by: AMDman12GHz

Originally posted by: notfred
The Mustang (I'm assuming you'd get a GT - don't get a V6) is probably more fun as a recreational car. It's easier to modify if you're into that. It's also cheaper to maintain. The BMW might be nicer to drive to work everyday, though.

I've owned several Mustangs, but no BMWs so I can't really compare.

Yep. I say Get a 87-93 Mustang, Can't beat the body Style is the best IMO. Or If you are set on that body style mustang, then at least get the 94/95 GT Since it has a 5.0 Motor in it still. DONT GET A V6 Though!

Josh

Just wondering if you know the stock esimated HP on 5.0 sn95 compared to the 4.6L 96 and up to 98 sn95? (both hard top)

5.0 sn95 cars were the same as the fox body cars - 215-225hp, 285-300ft. lbs of torque. The numbers for 4.6s were pretty much the same. The differences depend on exactly what year car you get.

Thanks. You owned a white snake @ once right?

 

[JulesMaximus]

I've owned both. What do you want to know?

 

[NFS4]

Didn't I just see this post over at TCL?

 

[MasterAndCommander]

Mid 90's Mustangs (GT's) are hella fun :thumbsup:...my friend got his '95 in the 12's w/o boost or NOS. He had bolt on mods, and racing slicks.

 

[MikeMike]

you prefer stangs over maro/bird?

maro/birds can be cheap and fun. LS1/LT1's depending upon year 96/pre96 respectively.

but id get the stang of the two you listed SOOOO much cheaper to fix, SOOOO much more reliable than a BMW 3 series.

 

[Black88GTA]

Originally posted by: nourdmrolNMT1
you prefer stangs over maro/bird?

maro/birds can be cheap and fun. LS1/LT1's depending upon year 96/pre96 respectively.

but id get the stang of the two you listed SOOOO much cheaper to fix, SOOOO much more reliable than a BMW 3 series.

The LS1 was available in the F-Body from 1998 - 2002. 93-97 was LT1, 87-92 had the L98.

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: Black88GTA

Originally posted by: nourdmrolNMT1
you prefer stangs over maro/bird?

maro/birds can be cheap and fun. LS1/LT1's depending upon year 96/pre96 respectively.

but id get the stang of the two you listed SOOOO much cheaper to fix, SOOOO much more reliable than a BMW 3 series.

The LS1 was available in the F-Body from 1998 - 2002. 93-97 was LT1, 87-92 had the L98.

eh i was off by 2 years my bad. i forgot. but mid 90s was about what i was referring to with the LT1. those are prolly some of the better engines. the LT1 might actually be more reliable than the LS1.

 

[Ronstang]

Originally posted by: nourdmrolNMT1
you prefer stangs over maro/bird?

maro/birds can be cheap and fun. LS1/LT1's depending upon year 96/pre96 respectively.

but id get the stang of the two you listed SOOOO much cheaper to fix, SOOOO much more reliable than a BMW 3 series.

There is a 98 camaro in my driveway. It is by far one of the biggest pieces of crap I have ever seen. Low quaility hardly describes the junk level it attains and the only reason it is there is becaue it belongs to my stepdaughter and her dad bought it for her. Fox body Mustangs (79-93) are not exactly the pinnacle of quality either but they are leaps and bounds ahead of the Camaro/Firebird. I have worked on both cars and I won't work on the Camaros/Firebirds anymore, they are nothing more than GM's white trash flagship vehicle.....hmm, but they couldn't even make them profitable and had to kill the line. That should tell you something.

 

[thedarkwolf]

The foxbody stangs may not have the nicest interiors and the plastic may break if you look at it funny but the drivetrain is rock solid and when something does break its cheap and you can actually fix it. The sn95 body style, 94+ is a bit heavier and slower, atleast till 99, then the 93- but they are a bit more refined, have a better suspension setup, and better brakes. Just depends on what you want to tweak more power or suspension. I prefer the unrefined lightness of the fox coupes myself which is why I have an 89 5.0l coupe plus they stand out a little in the sea of mustangs.

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
I've owned both. What do you want to know?

Basically how they'd do as a daily driver...

Moderate to little traffic most of the time, gotta haul a trunk full of gear most days, and a road trip every other weekend...

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
I've owned both. What do you want to know?

Basically how they'd do as a daily driver...

Moderate to little traffic most of the time, gotta haul a trunk full of gear most days, and a road trip every other weekend...

They're both great daily drivers. The Mustang is tough if you have a manual and you are sitting on the freeway for an hour moving up a few inches at a time. BMW automatic transmissions are fvcking horrible. You'd be lucky as hell if you got 100k miles out of one and you can expect a $3k rebuild or $5k replace at a BMW dealer. Mustang auto trannys aren't much better if at all. I wouldn't buy a V6 Mustang and I wouldn't buy a BMW auto.

If you like lots of power, get the Stang. If you like leather and the more refined chassis, get the BMW.

I will warn you though, the BMW will nickel and dime you if you want to keep it running in tip top shape. Shocks/struts cost me $1200 to replace, brake jobs...expect to do them once a year and expect them to cost a couple hundred dollars...expect other minor repairs as well. The mufflers are prone to wearing out, the internals just rust out and you end up with a tin can full of metal bits that do nothing to quiet the car. Expect the radiator to wear out because the inlet/outlet where the hoses clamp on are made of plastic and it gets brittle after a few years and falls apart.

Mustang has loads of aftermarket parts in its favor but it's easy to fvck up a perfectly good car if you do the wrong things. I bought a slightly used '94 Stang GT coupe in '96 and the guy who owned it prior put some crappy MAC headers on it, a short throw shifter and underdrive pulleys. I wouldn't buy a modded Mustang and it's hard to find one that hasn't been messed with.

Good luck either way. Let me know if you have anymore questions.