Found a 'New Edge' Mustang I like, any input?
 

Last year, I bought a flogged 2002 GT Mustang as an experiment. Dirt cheap. I liked it, but it was to far gone to fix up. So I've been kicking around the idea of getting another one, the key being that I want one with a supercharger already on it. I think I might have found the car.

Not perfect, but lots of good stuff, and the price is right. 2002 GT, vortech (no intercooler) supercharged. Looks like it was done right. Zero rust, undercarriage looks good, guy said its a summer only car, and I believe him. Metallic paint job is starting to fade, but its even across the car. Everything looks straight. Door gaps are off, but that's not uncommon. I haven't run the VIN yet, but as long as the title isn't tagged, I don't care if it's taken a hit.. It tracks straight.

109k on the engine, no smoke or scary noises. Pulls like a train on the throttle, but has a light stumble off throttle. Could use a tune. Easily broke the wheels loose in 2nd gear, my 'ass dyno' tells me it's making about 350hp. Off road X pipe and Borla Atak 'mufflers'....holy hell, it is obnoxiously loud. Those will need go. Shifts perfectly, clutch feels right.

Interior looks very good in person. I was pleasantly surprised. Highend stereo install that I could care less about, big bass box in the trunk.

By my count, it needs tires, a tune, oil leak on engine fixed (might need an intake manifold), and the exhaust from the cats back changed. Good 10 footer but could use a respray at some point.

He's asking $8500. I was thinking of offering him $6500 in cash and see if he bites. Seems like a lot of barrel full of monkeys fun for not much $. I might even grow a mullet! :D

Link: 2002 Mustang GT Supercharged

Oh yeah, it will need LOWERING SPRINGS. Holy wheel gap Batman!

http://images.craigslist.org/00v0v_4...y_1200x900.jpg

Back in March, I picked up a 2004 triple black Mustang GT convertible for next to nothing. The P.O had 4 kids under 8 years old, and traded me for my 1995 Saturn SL2 and $1000 because it had 4 doors, and gets better mileage.

This car has 149,000 miles and runs real well (14.8 @ 93 MPH at Norwalk dragstrip)
even with it's automatic trans. Everything works, and it is a pleasure to drive when it's sunny and the top is down. Mine is not supercharged, and I really don't want to do so, but a few bolt on mods are in the future (Ported plenum with larger TB, underdrive pulleys, 3.73 gears, Magnaflow full exhaust with X-pipe).

Show him 65 $100 bills. I bet he takes it.

Needs lowering, yes. Bigger tires?

Have you taken up pool?

Hah!

Just discovered a sizable negative. The color of the car (E9, Laser Red Metallic) is a three stage paint with the tint in the first coat of clear, so you can't simply respray the car.

Vinyl wrap it.

Maaco can do it!

Well, they could spray it something kind of close, if you don't mind a bit of overspray on the chrome trim, wheel wells, mirrors, glass, tires, antenna, grille, lenses, yada yada....

This!

Okay, I gotta ask, what is a "new edge" mustang? I thought I was pretty knowledgeable about cars but don't remember hearing that one.

99-2004 Mustangs. Ford introduced new 'edge' styling to the car over the more rounded look of the previous model. Mainly a cosmetic upgrade. All of the Mustangs from 94-2004 were built on the same SN95 chassis.

(sorry tangent- That asphalt looks sanded and waxed or some type of sealer. Skim coat on concrete?)

Lowering springs alone won't cut it. You will need shock tower plates in order to get camber right in the front. The pinion angle will need to be adjusted or u joints will go.
You'll find that the rear axle will shift to the left with the shorter springs, so an adjustable panhard bar is needed. Probably will need adjustable rear lower control arms as well.

Yeah, I researched this for my S197 'stang. Decided to stay stock since I don't autocross or do club things these days. In stock trim it serves me well as a way to get to my favorite pool hall and back home.

(edit) Read more here: I'm sure this place could design a good street setup for an SV95...

http://www.vorshlag.com/product_info.php?cPath=141_142_179&products_id=559

Doesn't look good to me at all. Retail blue book is under $6K and stuff like a supercharger doesn't help. Carfax is clean, but doesn't show much service history (which just means it doesn't show). Not keen on the idea of a 100K motor with a supercharger and no intercooler on it. Needs too much work- tires, mufflers, engine problem, and you'll still have crummy paint. Take all the money you'll be in it and buy a nicer original one with good service records and put a supercharger on it.

^^^^this too

AFAIK, cars with superchargers don't normally need/use intercoolers. The S/C is belt-driven.

Cars with turbochargers do... because exhaust gases are used to spin the vanes in the turbo.

If you don't mind travelling a bit, here's the Bullitt board used car lot. Bullitts were made only in '01 or '08-'09. Makes them $pendier than the GT's of the same year, but they do have a few goodies the GT's don't. Note the first one listed is a 45K miles original asking $9K....

Steve's Car Lot - IMBOC

(edit) FWIW, many mustangs with blowers do run intercoolers...

Belt or exhaust driven, compressing the air heats it...you are better off with an intercooler. It is not absolutely necessary.

Turbos build boost exponentially. Superchargers tend to have more linear boost, but less ability to run amok at the higher RPMS. On older cars with lower compression ratios, they often don't effect engine lifespan to any appreciable degree. On other cars, the sizing of the unit and the drive pulleys is what makes a reliable system.

Generally speaking, intercoolers allow you to run more advance on the ignition, or more boost. Sometimes they prevent a loss of HP in warm weather. A modest system on a V8 should make a significant increase in HP without any loss in reliability.

What about running a water or methanol injection system in lieu of an intercooler? Ideally it would be better to run both, but it wouldn't hurt.

I was using a Kokeln intercooler on my 930 and after a dyno run, it was so hot I couldn't keep my hand on it after the run. My next step was the water or methanol injection system to coll the air.

Sadly, I agree. I slept on it and came to the same conclusion. I would take it on for a lot less money, but the guy already told me that he's turned down $5k. The lack of any sort of service records, and zero info on the build itself is too unnerving.