Upgrading my ride

Alright, I don't know much about cars. Really, I don't.

This is what I HOPE to be driving in a week or two(link) (http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=163589563&dealer_id=104438&car_year=1997&make=FORD&distance=100&max_price=2500&model=&end_year=2005&advcd_on=n&min_price=1500&address=64068&search_type=used&advanced=n&start_year=1984&color=&cardist=8) (if the dealer doesn't get a better offer by that time, it's mine) and I wanted to know, what can I do to increase gas millege, turn capacity, engine performance, just overall improve the thing.

Please help, unless I can prove to my parents I can take care of this thing, I can't have it. (It's MY money, but it's THEIR garage, plus they threaten to throw me out if I buy it without meeting their expectations.)

PS, also, if you guys could put into simple terms what these mean/do

PSI
Suspension
Drive Shaft/Train

others to come

PSI = Pounds per square inch. It is a way to measure pressure, like in Tire pressure.


Suspension = the parts your tires bolt to, which in turn bolt to the car. The suspension is made of many parts, to include shocks, springs, control arms, etc etc.

Drive Shaft = What you get from a chick while driving. Not really. Drive shaft is the long tube that goes from the transmission to the rear differential.

Drive train = a generalized term that includes the engine, tranny, diffs, etc.

I see that car has almost 180K miles on it, and its a 97. That's quite a few miles for the year. The average american driver puts 12-15K miles on a car.
In your case, that car has had over 22K miles put on it per year, if we average that.

That's a lot of miles. Make sure you spend $50, and take it to a mechanic for a thorough check-up. Compression test, have him do a water test on the oil, a pressure test on the cooling system, etc. etc.

Don't jump into the purchase just because you have to have a Tbird.

That's my 2 cents.

He is right becareful. Have everything checked you can have checked on it. Try to see if it has been serviced regular or not and also find out if it has been wrecked.

Let us know if you end up with the car. There are literally hundreds of things you can mod on the car. Fuel economy should already be +/- 24 city and 29 highway which is pretty good for a v8. Turning radius is already on of the best on the market and should be able to do a uturn from curb to curb on an average side street. Just my 2cents, that car with that many miles is an $1800 investment, no more.

Thanks for clearing up those terms, they kept me from sleeping at night, seriously.

Thing is, I really don't want to take this to a mechanic. Even if he checks it out for $50, then what? I have to spend another 500 getting the thing in shape? He will probably just do what my doctor does, he'll state the obvious, then say its xx.xx amount of dollars to fine tune it. I want to just be able to tell whats wrong with it by myself, THEN take it to a mechanic if its serious.

When I DO get it, I just want my parents to know that I'm not going to go racing/getting myself killed. I want this thing simply because I hate chevy so much I do this -> :banghead: everytime I get in my blazer. The Tbird would erase all my bad memories. Plus, chicks dig a v8.

Do you think I'll need to replace anything? What could be worn-out? It hasn't been in any wrecks, nor does it have a history of needing repair.

(and on the subject of mods), what can I do to improve (even if it's already good) gas milege? Prices only go up now-a-days. I also want to paint it, add a set of under-body lights. I know not how to acomplish the above, so if you know how to complete the said objectives, PLEASE post.

Why would you want to put those underbody lights on it? That will so ruin the car's looks...

Not to insult you, but if you have limited knowledge like you state, you will probably not have a clue to some problems that may arise with cars. The dealer should let you take it BEFORE you buy and may credit the cost of the checkout to any repairs he makes if you buy the car. It's cheap insurance and if the mechanic comes up with a $1200 fix it price and you still want the car, then you have a bargaining chip to get the car for even cheaper. If you still don't want to take it, check the basics. What color is the coolant, trans fluid, and oil? Does it smoke on start up? Does it smoke under acceleration or deceleration? Does it start right up first time, everytime? How does it brake from 80mph during a panic stop? Does it pull left or right at cruise or during braking? Does it have a tendancy to wander? How does the tranny shift? Does it go into gear immediately from neutral or park or is there a delay? Does it upshift and downshift smoothly? If it has a TracLoc rearend, do both tires spin under hard acceleration? Does the rear end tend to chatter going around corners? How does the suspension sound when going over bumps, around corners, into driveways? The list goes on....

The last few vehicles I have looked at I took the car home for a couple hours. I put it up on jacks stands, pulled the wheels and checked the whole suspension, brakes, etc. I pulled the plugs and checked compression. On the 4x4 truck I bought I even pulled the front hubs to make sure it was all okay.

The car has really high miles which indicates alot of highway use which is a good thing in most cases. But it is never a bad idea to be cautious. We really would hate for you to buy this car and start having problems and turn against Tbirds. I have now or have owned an '88, 3 '93's, and a '95. Love(d) everyone of them. But then my cars never go into a shop unless it is for tires, a/c, or an alignment. I do all my own work.

Best of luck with the car. If/when you buy it let us know and we'll run through some mods. And like Oxy said, why on God's green earth do you want those lights?

By the way, the car appears to be in amazingly good shape, even the paint. Why a paint job? Save your money for a rainy day and if you do want paint, stay away from the Maaco's and the Earl Scheib's, you will regret them later.

If you get this car you love almost everything about it I've owned 2 a 92 and my current 95 I loved them both and still miss the first.

As a general rule (for me) with these cars If you take care of it, it will take care of you.

Just my 2cents, that car with that many miles is an $1800 investment, no more.

shit. My 'Bird with 120K miles only cost $1500..

BTW..neons are the Shizzle y0! (j/k)

For a little more performance from the engine, start with simtple stuff. Remove the silencer, its free, and easy. Get a cold air intake, or conical filter, remove the mufflers, and replace them with straight pipes, get a larger t-body and spacer. Oh yeah, and pulleys, and if your feeling lucky, get some PI heads and intake.