Question for car guys. . .

[fallensaviour]

Gotta say I'd go with a stang!!!
I had a stang and never should have gotten rid of it.
Easiest car to work on and fix up to pump out the juice!!!
5.0 all the way!!!
Parts are rampantly available because dumb kids trash there stangs all the time because they underestimate the power...
Even now I am tempted to pick one up again,also they rarely ever loose value.

[Captain]

I would only put money into the Probe if it was truly a labor of love...Otherwise, its honestly not worth it.

funny side note for all the Mustang fans...The Probe was meant to bethe next Mustang, and very nearly made it through wearing that name. Word leaked out, and there was a groundswell of protests. Fudd..err..I mean ford changed the name to Probe at the last minute and kept the old fox body model around a bazillion more years.

[Zemo]

I eat those new stangs, camaros and challengers for breakfast and crap them out my exhaust.

Now on the other hand, I have a 66 coupe that will be finished shortly, that's gonna be sweet for the price 8-9k. 302 4-speed.

[Spyweb007]

Zemo, I wish we were neighbors so I could get some tips from you, you do awesome work from what I've seen.

[jds1911a1]

Spyweb007,
there are 2 answers here - monetarily it's not rare or "valuable" enough to justify alot of expense BUT you've had this car a while and you know how much of a money pit it is or isn't and what you've already replaced.
BUT if you really love the car and you are proud driving it (as opposed to saying to yourself Boy I wish I had a ... fill in the blank car when you drive it)then fix it. The car you'd buy for a grand probaly wouldn't be as reliable as this has been for you.
I Love my 96 T bird and plan to completely restore it (dings paint new headliner) it'll cost me WAY more to rehab than it'll ever be worth but it's my car and I love it so it's worth the cost to me

[Adam West]

I would say keep it as it seems you really love the car and can do the work yourself.

Hopefully, worst case is that you spend $1,000 and if you can get 6 months to a year out of it without additional problems, it is worth it because it would be similar to a $100 or $200 car payment

[Spyweb007]

I figured that if I bought a used car for 2 or 3 grand I'd run into things that need repair or replacing, and if I put the same amount into this car already knowing what has and hasn't been replaced, It would be in really nice shape. I can do some work myself, and already started doing the minor body work it needs. Looks like the Probe will be prowling the streets for a while.

[Spyweb007]

Also, curious as to what people mean when they say the Probe is a bad car. Without specifics it seems like an arbitrary statement. For example, I know the Automatic Transmissions on these cars are fragile, but I've got a manual transmission on mine, and there have distributor problems are common, but the engine is one of the smoothest I've driven and they seem to run strong for a long time when taken care of. It was also Car & Drivers car of the Year in 93, but I understand a lot of people don't like them.

[livnxxxl]

collecting cars is even more expensive than collecting Megos

I can definitely atest to that. I have more fun with the cars than the Mego's though. The Mego's pretty much sit on the shelves and do absolutely nothing, but give a bit of eye candy. At least my carded figures do anyway. FAST Sports cars and luxury cars on the other hand....Woo Hoo! Lots O fun and guaranteed to pick up more chicks than ANY Mego.

[Brad]

I eat those new stangs, camaros and challengers for breakfast and crap them out my exhaust.

Now on the other hand, I have a 66 coupe that will be finished shortly, that's gonna be sweet for the price 8-9k. 302 4-speed.

I have two customers who have streetable Stangs (they drive them to the tack) that are in the 8's in the quarter. You better bring a big gun to beat these guys.


We have done a bunch of fast cars including another 8 second car that's a V6 GNX! We make custom carpet for the rear of the cars where they have been tubbed and around all the cage points where they meet the floor. Some rule about a streeet class that they have to be fully carpeted and have a real interior. I love it because it makes me some extra $$$ but hanging over the roll bar to mark out the rear carpet sure gives you a sore mid section the next day!


Most of our customers spend around $20-30,000 just on the drive trains by the time they're done.


I just tossed up a couple pics for everyone to see. They are thumbnails so you can click on them to see the bigger version. The red Camaro runs in the 8s, the blue Nova in the 9s, and the Challenger is a true V code, 440 six pack, 4 speed car that is now over 500 cubes, blown, injected, NOS, very complex ECU that is programable from inside the car, with a 6 speed manual. It is just sick!!!

[Brad]

I almost forgot, that is my white Dodge minivan behind the Challenger. It runs in the 30s!


(I go fast on 2 wheels, not four. It's much cheaper that way!)

[livnxxxl]

Hey Brad, That is cool. Neat stuff right there. What is the name of your shop if you do not mind me asking? The reason I ask is..Years ago I had one of my Transam's trailered over to a place in IL and they installed a turbo charger on it for me.

[Brad]

Hey Brad, That is cool. Neat stuff right there. What is the name of your shop if you do not mind me asking? The reason I ask is..Years ago I had one of my Transam's trailered over to a place in IL and they installed a turbo charger on it for me.

Our shop is called Sew-Clean Upholstery. While you might find us on the net we are not listed in any phone books nor do we do any advertising. All of our business is from repeat and referrals. It cuts out the time wasters that way. We started this in 94 as a side line and by 2001 we had to make it legit with partnership papers, resale tax id, and FEIN. My partner started working for us full time around 2003 so it has been good for him. Our claim to fame is that we come to the customer. Many of the cars we work on are fresh out of the paint booth with no drive trains installed yet so it saves them the hassle of trailering it to our place. Plus it lowers our liability so our insurance isn't so expensive.


Where did you have your TA sent too? We are in Rockford although I am actually just North of the city.

While I sure can't afford most of the cars we work on at least I can drool over them!

[livnxxxl]

Our shop is called Sew-Clean Upholstery. While you might find us on the net we are not listed in any phone books nor do we do any advertising. All of our business is from repeat and referrals. It cuts out the time wasters that way. We started this in 94 as a side line and by 2001 we had to make it legit with partnership papers, resale tax id, and FEIN. My partner started working for us full time around 2003 so it has been good for him. Our claim to fame is that we come to the customer. Many of the cars we work on are fresh out of the paint booth with no drive trains installed yet so it saves them the hassle of trailering it to our place. Plus it lowers our liability so our insurance isn't so expensive.

Sounds cool. That is pretty smart business practice all the way around. I know what you mean about eliminating the time wasters out there. There are plenty of dreamers and they do like to take up your precious time. It sounds as if you guys will do well. Best wishes!

Where did you have your TA sent too? We are in Rockford although I am actually just North of the city.

You know it has actually been some years ago now. The name of the city escapes me. I know it was not Rockford though. I will have to check my archives and see where I had it done.

While I sure can't afford most of the cars we work on at least I can drool over them!

Do you charge extra for that? Nothing wrong with dreaming a bit. Who know's maybe someday you just may own one that you have drooled over.

[Zemo]

I have two customers who have streetable Stangs (they drive them to the tack) that are in the 8's in the quarter. You better bring a big gun to beat these guys.


We have done a bunch of fast cars including another 8 second car that's a V6 GNX! We make custom carpet for the rear of the cars where they have been tubbed and around all the cage points where they meet the floor. Some rule about a streeet class that they have to be fully carpeted and have a real interior. I love it because it makes me some extra $$$ but hanging over the roll bar to mark out the rear carpet sure gives you a sore mid section the next day!


Most of our customers spend around $20-30,000 just on the drive trains by the time they're done.


I just tossed up a couple pics for everyone to see. They are thumbnails so you can click on them to see the bigger version. The red Camaro runs in the 8s, the blue Nova in the 9s, and the Challenger is a true V code, 440 six pack, 4 speed car that is now over 500 cubes, blown, injected, NOS, very complex ECU that is programable from inside the car, with a 6 speed manual. It is just sick!!!


http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...SuperSport.jpghttp://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...h_69Camaro.jpghttp://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...rollbarpad.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...s/th_Nova1.jpghttp://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...s/th_Nova5.jpghttp://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...s/th_Nova7.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...h_P3300011.jpghttp://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...h_p3300006.jpg

Brad Brad brad, You seem to have miss read my post, I said NEW, Don't see anything new there.

But I'll buy newest baby up against anything, I didn't to take it any to get anything done, except the paint.






There is no car on the road I won't race and don't need a bs bottle