drove a '96 Stang GT 5spd yesterday-WOW, slow!

[Mykl]

Originally Posted By: Clevy
You're crazy. The 2v heads only have 3 threads holding in the plugs. Recipe for disaster. I'm talking from experience. The 3v 4.6 were fine though.
Even in my 99 silverado the rear plugs are a pain to do,so I use iridium tips for the longevity.
I do like the charger for ease of changing plugs. My mustangs are all pretty easy to get at as well.


I'm crazy because I don't want a car that has routine maintenance items that are massively annoying to deal with?

Three threads holding the plugs in sucks, but using anti-sieze and a torque wrench should mean that you never have an issue.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Routine maintenance?

The stock plugs in an LS last well beyond 100k miles. That doesn't seem routine to me, but I am known as odd around here...

 

[Mykl]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Routine maintenance?

The stock plugs in an LS last well beyond 100k miles. That doesn't seem routine to me, but I am known as odd around here...


I'm used to changing them every 40k to 60k, but I've got a pretty heavy foot. If they last 100k with track days and autocrosses then I could deal with it.

 

[Clevy]

Originally Posted By: Mykl
Originally Posted By: Clevy
You're crazy. The 2v heads only have 3 threads holding in the plugs. Recipe for disaster. I'm talking from experience. The 3v 4.6 were fine though.
Even in my 99 silverado the rear plugs are a pain to do,so I use iridium tips for the longevity.
I do like the charger for ease of changing plugs. My mustangs are all pretty easy to get at as well.


I'm crazy because I don't want a car that has routine maintenance items that are massively annoying to deal with?

Three threads holding the plugs in sucks, but using anti-sieze and a torque wrench should mean that you never have an issue.


Plugs are already nickel plated,so no anti-seize.
Torque wrench is also irrelevant. The issue is cross threading. And if even slightly rammy the threads will deteriorate and a visit to napa for a heli-coil kit will be in your future.
It doesn't even have to be you're handy work,some come pre-cross threaded right from ford. A low mile engine would scare me more than a high mile one.
The low miler may still be on the original plugs whereas the high miler will have be done already and if any issues were going to present themselves they would have already.
I do agree wholeheartedly that ohc motors are easy to do for the most part its just that single head that presents potential issues.
My charger was easier to do than my truck was. The truck had the brake reservoir on the drivers side that made those 4 a total pita but the charger was smooth sailing.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: Mykl
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Routine maintenance?

The stock plugs in an LS last well beyond 100k miles. That doesn't seem routine to me, but I am known as odd around here...


I'm used to changing them every 40k to 60k, but I've got a pretty heavy foot. If they last 100k with track days and autocrosses then I could deal with it.


Just depends on the platform. My last Vette was a C5 that had many a track day on it, basically stock with some minor mods and a nice dyno tune. Checked the plugs twice while I had it and the last time at 75k miles they still looked like brand new. Factory AC Delco.

The Chrysler has over 200 drag strip passes and dozens of HPDE's all over the country and at 80k miles the plugs also look like new. Note that the 5.7 Hemis have cheap plugs and require service every 30k miles by the book. 6.1's ship with the NGK plat/Iridium hybrids.

We run 5.3 and 6.0 GM trucks here and have run the factory plugs 200k miles without misfire or any issues. Just depends on what your mfgr gives you...

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: Clevy
My charger was easier to do than my truck was. The truck had the brake reservoir on the drivers side that made those 4 a total pita but the charger was smooth sailing.


I know someone that was quoted 200 bucks for LABOR only on a Charger 5.7. Talk about robbery...

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: Spazdog
The F-bodies have a bed pillow size airbag with a small instrument cluster. Don't try to take a quick glance of the tach while turning. You won't see it.


I can see the cluster just fine... through the three small spokes of my Sparco wheel.

(Joan Claybrook be d****d!!)

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: Mykl
I'll take a Mustang over an LS/T1 F-body for one reason...

spark plugs

As an owner, I kind of agree with you on that one, even though I know people who can do an eight plug change on an LS1 4th gen in under 45 minutes (some even under 30 with aftermarket headers), with NO bloodshed, as opposed to my 6+ hours, and shredded arms and hands.

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
As dreadful as the build quality is (and is it ever dreadful!)


^^^Usually, it is the import nameplate worshippers on here one hears/expects this from.

Amazingly, most of THEIR cars I have ridden in (including; Camrys, Accords, and G35s) actually have MORE; squeaks, rattles, knocks, etc. than mine EVER had, despite the MUCH harder life my 4th gen has suffered.
But then, I do have a no option, HARDTOP (NO T-Tops), crank window car which I PURPOSELY ordered that way.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Originally Posted By: Clevy
My charger was easier to do than my truck was. The truck had the brake reservoir on the drivers side that made those 4 a total pita but the charger was smooth sailing.


I know someone that was quoted 200 bucks for LABOR only on a Charger 5.7. Talk about robbery...


Plugs on my Mag would cost $240 at the dealer, parts & labor. (IIRC, it's a 3-hour book job.)

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: dailydriver
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
As dreadful as the build quality is (and is it ever dreadful!)


^^^Usually, it is the import nameplate worshippers on here one hears/expects this from.

Amazingly, most of THEIR cars I have ridden in (including; Camrys, Accords, and G35s) actually have MORE; squeaks, rattles, knocks, etc. than mine EVER had, despite the MUCH harder life my 4th gen has suffered.
But then, I do have a no option, HARDTOP (NO T-Tops), crank window car which I PURPOSELY ordered that way.

My Cherokee (which rides as rough as any F-body!) was tight & rattle-free at 180,000 miles...it has a few now, since the dash had to come apart for a heater core job. My wife's best friend has a 2001 Z28 SS...it had ~55,000 miles when she bought it. It creaked, popped, squeaked, and rattled. The worst was the constant, mind-bending squicksquicksquicksquicksquicksquicksquicksquicksquick from the parking brake handle that just WOULD NOT STOP! (She finally replaced the assembly, which fixed it.) Also, she wound up having a dealer adjust both windows after discovering that the car emitted a sustained wind noise on the highway that sounded like, well...flatulence.

 

[ls1mike]

I will admit they use some cheap stuff. I also had a 98 GT and I did not like the shifter feel or placement in that car or the seats.

I was more talking about rattles. None of mine have rattled.
Jaraxle, I have been around the 3rd and 4th gen cars since the early 90's, have been in clubs and still race with a ton of them and while cheap materials is the order of the day I can't recall one that rattles like you describe. I would suggest that that one is poor example.

 

[itguy08]

Funny, I remember the Magazines having very close 0-60, 1/4 mile, and skidpad for the 96+ Cobras/Mach 1 and the LSx powered cars. They all pretty much said the winner is up to the driver and yes the Mustang was slower but it was very close.

And, IMHO while neither won interior awards, the F-bodies were the worst of the bunch. That passenger hump always amused me as did the contortions you had to go through to get into it. But it did have nice seats though.

For the OP you may want to look into a Cobra of that vintage - they were fast, fun to drive, and got decent MPG's. I know because I had a 97 Cobra.