Not enough to go on...

"Car I have wanted for alot of years"... A Fox-body Mustang convertible? A
GT convertible in particular? Or just a ponycar configuration (small car,
big engine)?

If the Turfster has his heart set on a 1979-1993 Mustang GT convertible,
there are plenty of opportunities out there. This is only one of them.

Mileage here doesn't seem excessive. 162,000 kilometers (ASSuming, of
course, that it's not really 162) is roughly 100,000 miles, not overly much
for a car that's coming up on 16 years old.

The rust bit was a mistake. A car of this vintage in Canada (or, heck, the
entire Northeast U.S.A.) should have a rust spot here or there, but putting
the word "rust" in an ad is the kiss of death. Is it there because the rust
is obvious? And where? A rust spot on the edge of the door isn't really as
much of a concern as elsewhere...

The extra body panels are troublesome. Sounds like the car took a hit in its
hindquarters. If the owner has those body panels, why? Did he do the repairs
himself?

Without seeing the car, it's difficult to know whether US$4600 is high.

When I was shopping for a ragtop for my daughter (and again later, for
myself), I saw plenty of abused ponies. "White leather interior" usually
meant an ugly, stained, cracking ancient leather in desparate need of
replacement. I was never overly concerned with the condition of the top,
itself, since that's easily replaced (c.$750), and a new top changes the
look of the car dramatically. More important is the mechanism, itself, and
how effective the motor is at raising and lowering that top (and the
windshield clamps need to be solid).

Whether spending $4600 or $20,000 on a used car, this is no time to be
cheap. If Turf is serious about buying, he needs to have the car given a
once-over by a trusted mechanic and, optionally, body man. I would expect
any used Mustang to have been driven hard, possibly too hard on occasion.
And if the car was improperly stored, won't start, or can't handle a test
drive, then I'd say walk away.

"He could easily sell it in the spring" only means that he'd have an easier
time of it in the spring, since that's when most potential ragtop buyers
start thinking about one. Sounds like typical seller pressure ("I have
another interested party coming in a day or two, so you better act now").
The seller, of course, wants to sell the car, so anything he says is
irrelevant.

I don't know how things work in Canada, but if the car is out of insurance,
then it's probably sat for anywhere from a week (since the policy lapsed) or
years. If it's been neglected, why? What else is the owner driving in the
meantime? My own convertible has lived in the garage most of this winter,
but comes out on a regular basis on days like today (50+ degrees in Philly).

When shopping for an aging Mustang convertible, I recommend looking at mind,
body, and spirit.

Mind - The engine and drivetrain. Aside from looking for leaks and spotting
underneath the car, check all fluids. Start it up. (Does it start easily, or
does it have those annoying idiosyncrasies that owners like me put up with?)
Let it idle a minute, see how long it takes to come down to a normal tone.
Check the transmission, making sure to hit all the gears. Drive to reverse
to drive to reverse. Does it shift well or does it "hunt"?

Body - A 16-year-old Mustang should have scratches and little dings. These
are normal. But does the paint not blend well in specific areas (those
hindquarters?), where it's been smacked and poorly repaired? Look deeply
into the paint to see how well the owner took care of the car over the
years. Did he take pride in its appearance, or is there a healthy coat of
oxidation? Has the dashboard been slathered with ArmorAll to hide
imperfections, or worse - has it been painted?

Spirit - When you take a seat in the driver's seat, do the little hairs on
the back of your neck stand up? As you drive the car, you'd expect a certain
amount of acceleration and power, but does the car exceed those
expectations, leaving a stupid grin on your face? Does the car sound so
good, even at idle, that you feel you could listen to it all day?

I always expect to spend a good deal of time going over a car, but I've
walked away on many occasions after about a minute. First impressions should
be listened to. On the other hand, you can't afford to fall in love, either.
Buying a used car is not an emotional experience, it's a cold, calculated
business proposition. You're hoping to find the best, but you spend all of
your time looking for the worst - looking for any reason to say thanks, but
no thanks.

As for "power windows, locks, mirrors, trunk release and top, AC, lumbar
seats, alarm, etc.", that's all nonsense. When someone advertises a car as
having power windows and door locks, I have to wonder. (When a commercial
for a new car has to resort to "race-inspired suspension", I usually believe
that they have nothing good to say about the car, other than that it has
struts and shocks.) People don't buy Mustangs, especially used Mustangs,
because they have power door locks. If I were placing an ad for CFrog, there
is plenty of other stuff I could say about the car, other than that it has
power door locks.

I hope Turf comes back with a report on this car. Now I'm curious...

dwight
www.tfrog93.com