What would you do?

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

So, I have the slowstang as my daily driver. Pretty nice beater; 2001 GT convertible in true blue, but it's just not really my style. I have the oppportunity to buy either a 1999 Trans Am (high mileage, but well taken care of. Has C6 rims and is my favorite color- dark blue) or a 2004 3-door SVT Focus (mileage unknown, competition orange, needs a wee bit of body work)

Here are the options:

1) "Keep the Mustang you fool. Eventhough it's an automatic and needs some work, it's a solid car and great cruiser. Plus you got a he'll of a deal when you bought it at 3-4K cheaper than BB."

2) "Dude! Buy the freakin' TA! You've always wanted a last gen TA and this one is your color too. It does have that much maligned auto tranny that you swore you'd never have in a car again. And hey, who cares if it's high mileage because it's bad ass!"

3) "Buy the SVT. It's one of only 120 competition orange 3-doors produced that year. Plus; we all know you miss your ZX3 AND it's gas mileage. Not to mention, that nice 2K profit difference from the Mustang sell will do wonder for you 2 old Camaros."

Again, this is all hypothetical, for now.

Edited October 10, 2010 by FUTURE_OF_GM

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

Damn iPhone and it's small keyboard. Sorry for the typos.

[ocnblu]

Focus, and count yourself lucky it's a 3-door AND orange. Those SVT Foci were cool, hopefully it wasn't ridden hard and put away wet. Why on EARTH Ford refuses (so far) to send us a 3-door Fiesta and Focus is beyond me.

[Blake Noble]

I think we know what my vote will go to.

[Intrepidation]

1 or 3.

[Robert Hall]

Keep the Mustang. I would avoid any high mileage used car like the plague unless I were going to do drive it locally a few days a month.

[Camino LS6]

Mileage on Mustang?

Mileage on orange thing?

[A Horse With No Name]

I would lean towards keeping the Mustang, it's a known quantity and a ragtop....after that...the SVT...after that...just keep the stang.

[Drew Dowdell]

How long is your commute?

[A Horse With No Name]

A rational question by both Olds and Camino...

[vonVeezelsnider]

I'd stick with the known quantity.

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

The Stang is sitting on about 114K right now. I've probably put about 7K on it since I bought it. It's a REAL solid car mechanically; no leaks, runs like a scalded dog and has been event free. I've literally driven the heck out of this car the last few months because the convert is fun and to make sure it's trouble free before the winter hits. The reason(s) I want to get rid of it are 1) it's an auto. 2) it has a lot of minor issues (*could* use a top, needs a sound system, needs some work on the front leather seats, etc.) 3) Its just very uncomfortable. I'm a huge dude and recently my neck and sciatica have been really hurting. I think the car might be one reason why.

Not sure of the mileage on the SVT, but judging by the price, probably in the same range.

I really don't have a daily commute unless I want to. I usually walk to work. However, it's a 2 hour trip one way when I go back home to the mountains.

I've also been looking at salvage title GTOs, but those are still a bit over my head. Bear in mind, I'm looking for a fun, 100K ish car because 1) I don't want a car payment until I can land a career oriented job and 2) I'd like the majority of my $$$ to still be going to my old Camaros.

[Camino LS6]

Keep the Stang until something better than either of those two comes along.

I might have a different opinion if the T/A was a manual...

[regfootball]

i am a big ford guy, always liked the focus. i used to want an SVT focus. I test drove them a couple times. Between their slightly temperamental nature and the fact that the car didn't have a lot of grunt to me, I think i would pass on SVT focus. you'd probably have more fun waiting to get say, a 2012 Focus ST lol

trans am would be nice.

[Robert Hall]

I have a friend in Denver that actually traded an '00 Mustang GT convertible on an SVT Focus. He enjoyed both cars for different reasons. Alas, now after marriage and 2 kids, he's been PWed and drives a Honda Oddessey.

[A Horse With No Name]

For 100Kish cars...keep the Mustang.

If anything...find a relaly nice, older fulsize Chevrolet or GMC truck. Would tow a camping trailer, a boat, a race car, a Camaro project (three Camaro's would suit you fine) or whatever else you would want. Parts will be available for Chevrolet trucks until humans go extinct, there are a million of them in pick and pulls for cheap replacements or crash parts, fuel economy isn't that bad on say about 1992 up...

And it would be a comfotable vehicle for a big guy, better than the TA, the slowstang, the Foci, or most other cars.

Take your time, pay cash, and hold onto it forever.

Chris

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

I actually looked really hard at trucks before I bought the Stang. That's a great idea since it would be more comfy and it'd tow my Camaros and a camper when I get it. Problem was, everytime I found something in my cash range it was WAY up in mileage (like 200-250K) I could probably swing it now though, given the value of the Stang.

I've also found an all original 389 63 Catalina that I've ruled out. And a "hard running" 68 Firebird 400 for $2500.

Not sure why I've got the bug so bad right now...

Either way, in our perfectly sunny 75 degree Charlotte weather today, the stang managed to get tagged by a 5 inch diameter tree limb. Looks like I'll have an insurance claim and some body work before I progress with anything. Maybe that'll be the motivation needed to keep it. Weird sh*t always seems to happen with me and cars.

[Cory Wolfe]

I just saw one of those orange SVT Focus's today.

[pow]

I'd get the Focus, because that's the only car of the three that I like and could see myself driving. Well, minus the orange paint.

[A Horse With No Name]

The Orange 5 door is even rarer...

What I was saying is keep the Stang, get a truck at some point, and drive the stang, truck, and Camaro's until you are a rather old man. Paid for rides, cool...!

Good luck FOGM, whatever you decide. And yes, I am a huge SVT Focus fan, so that would be cool also, just not what I would do.

The 68 Firebird is too much of the same in the fleet IMHO....if you were to do another Camaro, something like a third or 4th gen might better "balance" your portfolia...probably even better than the firebird.

Chris

[A Horse With No Name]

And FOGM...GM crate motors are stupid cheap...a 250K mile clean Geogia truck, with a crate mill dropped in, nothing real high po...for say maybe 3-4 K you could wind up with a fairly friesh tow vehicle.

90's GM trucks are badass with a little finess. Guy who runs the shop next to our shop at work has a 95ish Chevrolet that is slightly lowered, decent paint, cowl hood, fantastic driver, Texas truck, he's got almost nothing into it....and it makes the hair on my arms stand up on end every time he pulls it into the lot.

Chris

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

Yeah, I think only 50 or 75 of the Competition Orange 5 doors were made that year.

68 Firebird has always been one of my favorite Pontiacs.

[A Horse With No Name]

Mine too, and if I were at a different stage of life, I would own one.