$9,000 5.0?

I have about $9000 that i can spend on a car and i was wondering how fast of a 89-93 5.0 Mustang i could get a for that much (including the cost of the car). I can do all of the work myself so all the money can go streight into parts/mods. I asked a few mechanic friends and they say with about that much, i could be in the 10's if i can find a cheap enough 5 liter! Is this true?
My other choices would be the Toyota MR2, or the 1st gen GSX Eclipse, what are your opinions on these cars?.
Oh yeah and how reliable is the 5.0 Mustng on average? And is the Lincoln MK VII the same as the ford 5.0 mustang?

Thank you.

I have about $9000 that i can spend on a car and i was wondering how fast of a 89-93 5.0 Mustang i could get a for that much (including the cost of the car). I can do all of the work myself so all the money can go streight into parts/mods. I asked a few mechanic friends and they say with about that much, i could be in the 10's if i can find a cheap enough 5 liter! Is this true?
My other choices would be the Toyota MR2, or the 1st gen GSX Eclipse, what are your opinions on these cars?.
Oh yeah and how reliable is the 5.0 Mustng on average? And is the Lincoln MK VII the same as the ford 5.0 mustang?

Thank you.
Try to find a 5.0 in the for under 5k. You will have about 4k left, then save 1k more and buy a TT kit.

I say look for one that is done, you save more money that way.

You can pick up an unmolested 5.0 for cheap now a days. My buddy just grabbed a 90 GT for $2,100, in about 95% stock and great condition.


With 9G's you can make one killer car, depending you know how to build and where to concentrait on when building. Suspension, power, and saftey not just one.

I have about $9000 that i can spend on a car and i was wondering how fast of a 89-93 5.0 Mustang i could get a for that much (including the cost of the car). I can do all of the work myself so all the money can go streight into parts/mods. I asked a few mechanic friends and they say with about that much, i could be in the 10's if i can find a cheap enough 5 liter! Is this true?
My other choices would be the Toyota MR2, or the 1st gen GSX Eclipse, what are your opinions on these cars?.
Oh yeah and how reliable is the 5.0 Mustng on average? And is the Lincoln MK VII the same as the ford 5.0 mustang?

Thank you.


$9000 can make one very serious and tricked out 5.0L mustang, but speed is not everything. Yes for $9000 you can get a 5.0L into the "10's".

You meantion that you have other choices, the Toyota MR2 and 1st gen GSX Eclipse. Those two cars are not in the same catagory as the Mustang. The competitor car to the MR2 is a Miata. You can stick a 5.0L into a Miata. There is a company in that does that in the aftermarket world, or you can do it yourself. They call them Monster Miata's.

Monster Motorsports
2312 Vineyard Avenue
Escondido, CA 92029
619-738-7592
FAX: 760-738-7593

Those Miata's kick the crap out of Mustangs. It's like a AC Cobra. Fast as fawk!

The Eclipse competes with the Probe, Maxda 6, Celica and Prelude. My wife and I had a Turbo Eclipse with AWD... it was fast, but we had lots of issue with it. I did like it thou, I was pretty comfortable in it.

As far as the 5.0L Mustang. I have seem some go from $500 POS and get turned into some potent predator on the streets. I roll with a guy that turned a 81 Four Eyed Fox into a mean monster. He bought the car for $200. stripped everything form the car and sandblasted the whole thing, inside and out. Added thru the floor subframes and a roll cage. Smoothed out the entire body. Took the chassis on a chassis roller to Miracle paint and body. Rented out the booth and shot the car himself.
He spent about $1200 for all the work, booth and materials he used.

He bought a Viper spec T56 which if I remember right came out to $4000 and $6000 from Coast High for a 331 stroker and he already had a Vortech blower from before. He also had the full Maximum Motorsports suspension, and Willwood brakes with a Currie 9inch rear end. I believe he spent about $18k total on the whole car, inside and out. I know he is putting down 444hp and 450tq, I do remember that from his last dyno.

That is about $9k more than what your planning on spending, then again thou, the only thing old on his car was the chassis itself. Everything else was replaced, the hood, fenders, decklid, engine, suspension, brakes, rear end, interior, glass, electrical, exhaust... everything.

For 9K I would buy a 4 cylinder notch, build a mexican or boss block 331/347, some modest heads, vic jr. intake + carb, and get a pair of turbos, throw a home built glide behind it and kick some ass.

In your case, considering you're barely out of high school, buying a clean 5.0 car, sticking on a novi/vortech/procharger and having it tuned, maybe throw in exhaust should suffice. Cost of upkeep rises exponentially with how fast you're going, and a 10 second car isn't cheap on the long run.

Those miatas are pretty impressive (although it'd be cooler if it was a 240sx IMO) but but now that ive researched it more i found that the most DSMs are a bit unreliable, and its tough to find a turbo MR2 so im for sure gonna get the 5.0 mustang.
Thanks for your help.

You meantion that you have other choices, the Toyota MR2 and 1st gen GSX Eclipse. Those two cars are not in the same catagory as the Mustang.
100% agreed.

The competitor car to the MR2 is a Miata.
Completely disagree.

The Eclipse competes with the Probe, Maxda 6, Celica and Prelude.
Completely disagree.

What kind of competition are you talking about?
The AWD Turbo Eclipse has significantly more potential than the FWD cars you listed (exception being the turbo AWD Celica).

flip888, you may want to take a second look at the turbo MR2.
There are many advantages that the MR2 has that none of the cars you have listed have.

MR2s are great if you can do without a backseat.