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My 2005 Mustang for $1,300

35K views 374 replies 77 participants last post by  doublec78 
#1 ·
Ok so I bought another mustang (in addition to my wife's). BUT this was pretty much a deal I couldn't pass up. Since I'm driving the Saturn right now, I think that this will make for a better daily driver than the Saturn, and I have every intention of either dropping a 5.0 into it, or if I'm too lazy I'll just flip it for a profit when I'm done. And it's kinda cool cause it's the same model and color as my wife's.

Story is I had a girl trade this 05 mustang in for a Jeep. After much arguing with my manager who wanted to give her $5k for her car, I convinced him to give her $1000 for it. Had to replace the battery in her Jeep and since we weren't making any money on the deal in the first place, boss said he was tacking it onto the cost of the trade making it $1200. I get to buy cars for $100 over our cost, hence $1,300 mustang.

It's Satin Silver exactly like my wifes, even has the same black stripe and all. V6 Automatic with red leather. Now let's get into the bad. This girl was the biggest pig you've seen in your entire life. Here's some pics from when I first traded the car in.



The disgusting trunk








And yes if you're wondering, those are thank god unused tampons laying in the back.


Day 1
So after getting a ****ing mask and gloves, I start emptying the trunk out.


Yes that is her nasty ass old underwear and bra in the trunk



Along with empty vodka bottles, fast food wrappers, and more I found 9 of these in the trunk. Apparently she would just eat yogurt, and toss the empty container into the trunk.




Day 2
Moved to the inside. Let us look at how disgusting this ***** was.
The film of dirt on every inch of everything


That's not discoloration, it's a film of dirty nasty **** over it.


Yep, that black **** is mold on the leather


And yes that white **** you see in the back of all the trash, had some mold in the carpet.


I don't even know how the **** she got stuff down into the shifter.


So I pull out the extractor and scrub brush and hit the carpet with hot water, and some chemicals.


Day 3
Decided to get to work on some of the interior stuff. Let us look at the E-brake. Groce!




Not perfect, but much better.


Now lettuce see what made me almost puke. I start using a screw driver to chip the stuck coins out of the drink holder.

But one of the detailers gave me some all purpose to spray in and leave it over night.


I come back and find that some of it has drained. Oh great, now it's a sludge and where did the liquid go? Well I put some gloves on and start feeling around to find that there is what appears to be a hole in the rear of the cup holder. But it isn't. There is apparently and insert in there I didn't know about.


What I found under the insert almost made me puke.
cup holder liquid - YouTube

So I took the wet vac and sucked it out, then got to cleaning.
cleaning the cupholders - YouTube

They came out pretty good.


---------- Post added at 12:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:30 PM ----------

Moving on to the dash...
So much groce



Film on everything



But after many much scrubbing and a lot of all purpose


^Not to bad!

 
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#276 ·
I'm the same way, just stating that would be one of the few mustangs newer than our cars body style I'd buy. Personally, to me, the 05-09 mustang are by far the best looking mustangs since the classics...
If I had my way they'd still be making our body style...

Adventure till you drop
 
#279 ·
Didn't get as much as I wanted done yesterday. I wanted to take back to black to all my trim pieces, but unfortunately ran out of time.

I had originally wanted to purchase these caliper covers but I think we all know I'm way to cheap to spend $200 on a product that will do absolutely nothing for me and barely be seen.

However at work all our sport model fiats come with red calipers and it looks pretty cool so I decided to do the same to mine. Figured if it looks too dumb I can always just sand it down later and paint them black. Overall though, I like it.

Disclaimer: I'm the worlds worst painter. I mean I'm absolutely terrible.




So much red clay on it. Stupid Georgia clay. Had to sand it down a decent bit.



Used a can of compressed air to blow out most of the dirt after I was done scrubbing at it.





Decided to do it this way instead of spray painting it. Didn't want paint on the pads, or just all over. I'm terrible at painting so I just decided to do the more tedious way and hope it came out better.





After my first coat, it came out a little rough. Like I said, I'm just awful.



My wife on the other hand, figured she could do a better job than me. And she wasn't wrong. So I let her to the 2nd coat.



The back one came out a little rough, mostly due to my first coat, but she made it look much better with her 2nd coat so I had her do all the other ones for me. I prepped the caliper, and she painted.








And with the wheels back on, I don't think it looked too bad.

Rear caliper:


Front caliper:
 
#280 ·
That looks pretty damn good honestly.
 
#285 ·
Oh man I like that. Are those amr or the pony package ones? I thought mine were amr's but I've since been told they are the 2013 pony package wheels.
Mine are AMRs. I agree, yours look like the pony pkg versions, which I think look great. The pony package only came chrome. AMRs are painted silver.
 
#286 ·
Your wheels look great as is. I have the same on mine. Polished aluminum wheels are too nice to paint over. They are not aftermarket wheels BTW. They are Ford wheels that were standard on all pony package Stangs from 2012 on. Same goes for your p-zeros, they were the tires that came with mine too.
 
#290 ·
Need some help guys. What should I use to get this stuff off of my door panel? I want to get the red vinyl put on soon. In the mean time, I need to get this fabric and sticky stuff off of here. It's the backing that was on the factory vinyl.




Here's a few close ups so you can see what I mean about it. It's not just a sticky residue, it's got fibers all over it.



 
#291 ·
Hmmm... see when you do the vinyl repair you generally never actually remove it because that stupid armrest is plastic "riveted" on. I'd assume that a good "goo-off" would work but not 100%. I'd just leave it as is and do the vinyl cover and you'll never see it.
 
#293 ·
I'm concerned that it won't hold up well. What I was going to do is first tape off this:




Then tape off this




Scrape all the fuzzy off and get the sticky off.

Then I was going to spray it down with this


and finally just place this on it
Mustang Door Insert Covers - Red (05-09 All) - Free Shipping



Is there a better way to do this?
 

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#292 ·
Had the same problem with my 07 GT. The covers were coming off so I just rubbed the remaining glue off of the fabric type area (came off with minimal effort just using my thumb) and then used this stuff to reapply the covering. You put it on both surfaces (material on the door and back of the material you'll be using to cover it), wait 15 - 20 minutes and then put on your new cover. Seemed to work really well.
 

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#294 · (Edited)
That actually is probably the best way and if its legit leather vs vinyl it will look better. Just need to make sure there is enough material on those to push under the door handles so there is no fugly gap.


Redline also makes 10-14 style inserts for the 05-09 cars. The installed pic they have on the site is obviously from someone who should have taken it to a professional to have it done because its wavy and looks like **** but its not the product's fault the guy who got it was an idiot.


http://www.redlinegoods.com/Mustang05shiftboot.php
 
#295 ·
That actually is probably the best way and if its legit leather vs vinyl it will look better. Just need to make sure there is enough material on those to push under the door handles so there is no fugly gap.
It's vinyl. I'm not about to spend leather money on a $1300 car. I'm getting both leather inserts precut for $76. Guy says he leaves a little extra fabric on to tuck under too.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Mustang Evolution mobile app
 
#296 ·
Ah ok. Well see my edit for more goodies you can get from Redline although I think most of them are kind of pointless TBTH. I really DO like the e-brake boot though. That is literally maybe the only gripe I have with the entire 05-09 interior, that stupid giant exposed wavy piece of plastic E-brake handle.


They also make an automatic shift boot if you don't want to go through any more sessions fixing yours you can just cover it up.
 
#297 ·
I've read that the 3m spray adhesive doesn't work nearly as well as the Weldwood contact cement. There are numerous threads on this subject out there (not sure if on this site or not), but that's where I got my info from. I just used a cheap, thin paint brush to put it on both surfaces, waited 20 minutes, and then put it on and used a credit card to smooth it out. I didn't even attempt to scrape off the fuzzy stuff, just the dried left over glue, and that came right off. Held up well in the Florida heat.
 
#299 ·
#301 ·
The jeep probably smells like a combination of thai food and long john silvers by now. Except she will not have had either in months...
 
#302 ·
Well I haven't updated in a bit. Car was out of commission for a bit. Wife took it in to get the new wheels balanced, dropped the car off at work Tuesday last week. I get a call that my cellphone has come in, so I start driving home, and realize I'm cruising on battery power. Alternator is bad.

So car sat in the Publix parking lot for a few days until I went on vacation and could get up there to repair it. Didn't really take any pics of replacing the alternator because well, it's literally 3 bolts, 2 wires, 1 tensioner.







Somebody remarked that my engine bay was disgusting so I decided to finally clean it up a bit. Red clay all over it. The girl that had it lived on a dirt road. I've found this dirt ****ing everywhere!

So I got some of this


And sprayed it all down. Cover up the alternator and coil pack.




I let that sit for a while and moved on to buffing the car.



The goal was to get these parts that looked like somebody took a scratchy pad to the car fixed. I was incredibly amazed by how well the rest of it came out.

Disclaimer: I'm not very good at this. This is like my 3rd time in 10 years buffing a car.






So I took a couple pics of the changes, but it was a little time consuming so not a lot of pics here. Unfortunately some of the most amazing changes, I didn't get before pics on because I didn't expect the scratches to come out.





I was incredibly shocked this came out.


Figured I'd go spray the motor down some more.


All this and more came off my motor


Got the roof




Shining up




This looks like a burn in the paint. Anyway, it's much less noticeable now. Still there, but doesn't jump out at you as bad.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6P4lE1AXqw

Buffed but not waxed yet


All waxed up. Feels so smooth.







Next on the agenda is to take some "back to black" to the trim pieces.
 
#309 ·
Well I haven't updated in a bit. Car was out of commission for a bit. Wife took it in to get the new wheels balanced, dropped the car off at work Tuesday last week. I get a call that my cellphone has come in, so I start driving home, and realize I'm cruising on battery power. Alternator is bad.

So car sat in the Publix parking lot for a few days until I went on vacation and could get up there to repair it. Didn't really take any pics of replacing the alternator because well, it's literally 3 bolts, 2 wires, 1 tensioner.







Somebody remarked that my engine bay was disgusting so I decided to finally clean it up a bit. Red clay all over it. The girl that had it lived on a dirt road. I've found this dirt ****ing everywhere!

So I got some of this


And sprayed it all down. Cover up the alternator and coil pack.




I let that sit for a while and moved on to buffing the car.



The goal was to get these parts that looked like somebody took a scratchy pad to the car fixed. I was incredibly amazed by how well the rest of it came out.

Disclaimer: I'm not very good at this. This is like my 3rd time in 10 years buffing a car.






So I took a couple pics of the changes, but it was a little time consuming so not a lot of pics here. Unfortunately some of the most amazing changes, I didn't get before pics on because I didn't expect the scratches to come out.





I was incredibly shocked this came out.


Figured I'd go spray the motor down some more.


All this and more came off my motor


Got the roof




Shining up




This looks like a burn in the paint. Anyway, it's much less noticeable now. Still there, but doesn't jump out at you as bad.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6P4lE1AXqw

Buffed but not waxed yet


All waxed up. Feels so smooth.







Next on the agenda is to take some "back to black" to the trim pieces.
And Jesus H. Christ, I just re-read this again... dude you got that thing looking like a car that was garaged most of its life and really well taken care of. There is a Coyote out in our parking lot right now that doesn't look half as good.
 
#310 ·
Thank you sir! :thumb:

This thread is so inspiring, I mean it really is... I even joined S197 forum because of it. Such good work and honestly... really makes someone like me who always was like "its a V6 it doesn't even count" re-think that entire position to the point of I might even be looking at one for a commuter car if we move 45 min away from my work again. People claim that they get near 30mpg with a manual trans on the highway, I can only assume that is close to accurate.
It is a very inspirational thread. I also like how he showcases all these products that he's been using and showing the before/after results, and giving honest opinions of how they work. Better than looking through reviews on Amazon or American Muscle. Very impressed with the Meguiar's buffing product that he just used.

Scotty, if you want 30+ mpg on the freeway you can totally do it, and not even need to baby the car that much. Though it does depend a lot on the ambient air temperature and humidity. This picture of my gauge was taken after I reset the meter and drove about 100 miles, about 90 of which were on the freeway at 70-75 mph:

The fact that the Meguiar's worked so well for me speaks volumes because I really had next to no clue what I was doing. My wife walked in last night and says, "omg babe, when I first saw this car I really didn't think it would look that good without having the panels replaced and a new paint job."

Then she came back in today and says, "Hey babe your car is even shinier in the light. It looks great."

So I would absolutely suggest the Maguire's to any newb buffer.

Also, I'm quite sure that's a 3.7 V6 you have there isn't it?

This is with the 4.0L? Because I keep looking for a project and I also need a commuter car. Truck is just killing me at 13mpg... A 4.0L 05-09 would tick both boxes. Get 30mpg on the way to work/wherever, do all the cosmetic/suspension/non-engine related upgrades over the course of a few years and then drop a Coyote drivetrain into it at the end when its all ready to go.
Honestly, I drive with a heavy foot on the gas pedal and I only average 13 mpg in the city. My wife has a manual 4.0. She doesn't drive as heavy as me, but she has I/H/E and I'm pretty sure a tune, and she only gets like 12.4 mpg in the city.

Once I drove from Savannah to Atlanta doing 79 the whole way and got 24 mpg in hers. I've heard rumors of people who get 28-30 in the 4.0, but it's not me or my wife. This is the largest V6 Ford put in a Mustang (not the same as the most powerful) and it seems to get pretty crappy MPG, though admittedly the wife and I both have a bit of a lead foot.

For what it's worth... I get 25 mpg with my coyote religiously. I record every fill up manually. Not saying not to go the v6 route but the Mpgs on these cars have come so far.

Op, you continue to do great work. I always enjoy seeing your progress.
WTF man I can't even get that kind of MPG in my 4.0. And thanks :thumb:
 
#304 ·
This thread is so inspiring, I mean it really is... I even joined S197 forum because of it. Such good work and honestly... really makes someone like me who always was like "its a V6 it doesn't even count" re-think that entire position to the point of I might even be looking at one for a commuter car if we move 45 min away from my work again. People claim that they get near 30mpg with a manual trans on the highway, I can only assume that is close to accurate.
 
#305 ·
It is a very inspirational thread. I also like how he showcases all these products that he's been using and showing the before/after results, and giving honest opinions of how they work. Better than looking through reviews on Amazon or American Muscle. Very impressed with the Meguiar's buffing product that he just used.

Scotty, if you want 30+ mpg on the freeway you can totally do it, and not even need to baby the car that much. Though it does depend a lot on the ambient air temperature and humidity. This picture of my gauge was taken after I reset the meter and drove about 100 miles, about 90 of which were on the freeway at 70-75 mph:

 

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#308 ·
Oh yeah I know the Coyote will get great mileage. But I'm talking a near future commuter vehicle that won't run much in $$$ and is a legit viable project for down the road.


Anyway getting off topic, but its nice to see that a car that was literally beat within an inch of its life by a disgusting person can come back as well as this one has.
 
#311 ·
I am currently intending to keep this 4.0 motor in the car and build it up. I know it's a 4.sl0w and I'm ok with that. I'm developing big plans for it, and I will gladly put the 4.0 emblem on the side of it so everyone knows what it is when they get spanked. Will it be cost effective to make this faster than a 4.6 mustang? No. Will it be fun? Hellz yea!
 
#312 ·
Yeah I just noticed the redline on that pic... definitely a Cyclone. But if you got 24mpg going 80 then I'd for sure be able to get at least that or better because I usually do 65-70 with the cruise on on the highway unless I really really need to be somewhere or I'm just having fun.
 
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