I have never bought a used car before let alone an American muscle car.
BHPian rahul002 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
Hi everyone,
I am looking to buy a used Ford Mustang (new ones are not available anymore).
Could use some help on how to check the car’s condition, who to reach out to for parts and service assistance?
General pitfalls to avoid?
Never driven one, and any advice on Indian roads v/s Mustang and ownership experience will also be helpful.
The one currently available with Big Boys Toys is a black 4th owner, 2016 – 21,000 km
PS: I have never bought a used car before let alone an American muscle car with the company no longer operating in India
Thank you in advance for all the help, advice, and assistance!
Here’s what GTO had to say on the matter:
Mustang, go for it. It’s one of the most useable sporty cars in India. Lusty V8 engine, timeless styling, good reliability, runs just fine on regular petrol (although higher octane is preferred when available), and clears most bumps & bad roads…Team BHP was part of an all-India highway tour in the Mustang.
Remember, the Mustang is a daily driver for lakhs of people in the USA.
Three main downsides = resale values are holding steady & not dropping with time, dumb AT gearbox if you are used to the ZF-8s and interior plastic quality is comparable to a Civic. Not premium at all.
I’d love to own one. It’s very mod-friendly and because of its popularity in the USA, you’ll have ample spare parts support for years to come.
4 owners, wow! I would avoid it. Also note that the actual number of owners might be higher as many people buy such cars & drive them, without transferring them to their own name.
Look for a 1 or 2-owner car, follow our used car checklist (including service history, checking past insurance claims, etc.) to the T and you’ll be all set.
Enjoy your American muscle while you can. It is perhaps your only chance to own a modern American muscle car in India. Ford & GM have both left the country with no plans to come back.
Here’s what BHPian Jeroen had to say on the matter:
Great car, go for it!
Just google “what to look for in a used Mustang” and you find many very useful links.
I would also suggest joining a couple of the American Mustang owner’s forums. The American car fora tends to be very friendly with a huge amount of collective wisdom and knowledge.
There are also some excellent books about Mustangs of all generations. You should be able to find them all on Amazon and EBay.com
Here’s what BHPian shankar.balan had to say on the matter:
The Mustang is 7 years old. And the chap wants 65 lacs for it. I believe 65 lacs was the ex-showroom price of this car in 2016. But what the others said is true. Many of these high-end eye-catching cars end up getting used by a lot of dodgy wannabe hoonigans including the showroom folks themselves, especially late nights, weekends, party nights, and all and there is absolutely no record of all these activities. And most definitely these are likely hard used by those short-termers.
I also love this car and can empathize with your desire.
But in this case best to tread cautiously, be sure of yourself, and only then proceed.
Here’s what BHPian Himanshu809 had to say on the matter:
It’s like a thumb rule. How do you tell someone NOT to buy a Mustang?
It’s a Mustang brother. You can never be wrong with it. And like someone said it sells a lot in the US at least so overall parts and service won’t be that big a deal.
But beware of these big multi-brand luxury showrooms, it’s 4th owner on paper so it will be definitely more than that in reality. That’s their business operandi, they rent these cars a lot on a short-term basis to cover their business and vehicle maintenance costs and obviously, they don’t go through the trouble and cost of transferring the papers for every short-term user, also it depreciates the car. And for every short-term wannabe user, you can expect rough usage only.
Either get the car checked out at an FNG or at a Ford service center capable of performing diagnostics on a Mustang. Wouldn’t want an abused V8 import now, would you?
Keyword: Want to buy a used Ford Mustang: Tips & advice to find the right one