I'm planning on buying an 89 SC this weekend, potentially. I haven't seen or heard the car yet and would like to get a sanity check from the forum members here before I travel down to see it.
I've owned a lot of different makes and models of performance cars over the past 30 years and have always wanted to pick up an 89+ T-Bird SC to play with. I found a white one about an hour or so out of town with 175K miles on it that's going for $900. The only issue with the car, besides the higher mileage and a few small spots of surface rust, is a bad clutch. The motor, tranny, electrical, brakes and tires are all supposed to be in pretty good shape.
I've done a fair amount of research on the forum here and elsewhere on the Net on replacement performance clutches, like the SPEC Stage 1, 2, 3's and others, as well as common repair issues and potential problems. I'm a DIY kind of guy and enjoy doing most of the work on my cars.
I get obsessive about my cars. When I think I want something - like I think I want this car - then passion and obsession take over for logic and reason. I'm sure some of you know what I mean. So, I really need a sanity check from you all, so I can better understand what to look for on the car, potential repair issues with the 89 at 175K miles, what I should consider ordering in terms of the clutch kit and related parts, etc.
I'm not so concerned about the mileage, unless I really should be. Do you think $900 is a good price for the car as I've described? Realistically, what am I looking at in terms of part costs only (labor cost is wrench time for me and beer and steak for my mechanic) to do the clutch and clutch-related parts properly? Any suggestions on particular performance parts I should consider to fix it up right?
Thanks in advance for your input.
I've owned a lot of different makes and models of performance cars over the past 30 years and have always wanted to pick up an 89+ T-Bird SC to play with. I found a white one about an hour or so out of town with 175K miles on it that's going for $900. The only issue with the car, besides the higher mileage and a few small spots of surface rust, is a bad clutch. The motor, tranny, electrical, brakes and tires are all supposed to be in pretty good shape.
I've done a fair amount of research on the forum here and elsewhere on the Net on replacement performance clutches, like the SPEC Stage 1, 2, 3's and others, as well as common repair issues and potential problems. I'm a DIY kind of guy and enjoy doing most of the work on my cars.
I get obsessive about my cars. When I think I want something - like I think I want this car - then passion and obsession take over for logic and reason. I'm sure some of you know what I mean. So, I really need a sanity check from you all, so I can better understand what to look for on the car, potential repair issues with the 89 at 175K miles, what I should consider ordering in terms of the clutch kit and related parts, etc.
I'm not so concerned about the mileage, unless I really should be. Do you think $900 is a good price for the car as I've described? Realistically, what am I looking at in terms of part costs only (labor cost is wrench time for me and beer and steak for my mechanic) to do the clutch and clutch-related parts properly? Any suggestions on particular performance parts I should consider to fix it up right?
Thanks in advance for your input.
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