I don’t know what draws me to the SN95 (1993-2004) Mustang so much. They are relatively slow, the driving position is unacceptably bad, and they don’t really look all that great. But none of that stopped me from buying yet another one in the summer of 2012.
This is a super detailed (and especially nerdy) summary of my ownership experience.
What it was like to drive a 1996 Mustang GT for 4 years / 10,000 miles
I stumbled across an insanely clean 1996 GT on Craigslist for $3500 in August 2012. My budget was $3000. This car was red (which was unfortunate because I wanted white) but otherwise it was exactly what I was looking for: 5-speed manual, low miles, 100% stock, and ridiculously clean.
Most importantly: It appeared to be leaps and bounds better than the 1997 Mustang GT that I owned 10 years prior.
I managed to negotiate the price down to $3200 on my immediate all-cash offer. The seller accepted without any hesitation, which made me worry a bit. I couldn’t help but wonder “what does this guy know that I don’t?” as he firmly shook my hand and tried to shoo me off his lot. Other than a weak battery, the car ran perfect.
| Trim package | GT |
| Color | Rio Red |
| Engine | 4.6 L SOHC EFI V8 (215 hp / 285 lb-ft torque) |
| Transmission | 5 speed manual |
| Date purchased | August 2, 2012 |
| Date sold | February 25, 2016 |
| Length of ownership | 3.5 years |
| Purchase price | $3,200 |
| Sold price | $1,500 (I just wanted it gone ASAP – price be damned) |
| Total miles driven | 10,000(ish). The odometer was broken, so it was hard to tell for sure. |
| Average miles per day | 7.9 |
| Issues | Broken odometer, faded paint, inoperable air-conditioning, leaky right front tire, drivers seat would go forward but not backward, driver side seat belt wouldn’t fully retract |
| Maintenance costs | $1,500-ish (I never kept detailed records) |
| Repair costs | None. Other than the battery, I never ended up fixing any of the issues. |
It wasn’t until I was driving it home that I figured out why I got such a good deal: the odometer didn’t work! That’s right – the odometer had broken at 113,000 miles so there was no telling how many actual miles were on this car.
I had seriously considered turning around and demanding a refund. But in all honesty, it was perfect in every other way. The previous owner obviously treated it as a garage queen and it ran very well. I decided to chalk it up as a lesson learned and to enjoy it for what it was.
The first year and a half of ownership (late 2012 to 2013): Yeehaw!
The first 16 months lead me to believe that this may have been the best used car purchase of my life. Other than routine maintenance, this Mustang didn’t ask for anything in return. It started every day and ran strong, despite the fact that it was stored outside in all sorts of weather conditions.
The best thing about this car, by far, was the sound that it made. Who cares if it wasn’t fast? The 100% stock 4.6 L V8 sounded mean.
Perhaps the thing that annoyed me the most was the driving position. The steering wheel and the drivers seat are not actually aligned with one another.
Year two (2014): Basically basic and perfectly imperfect
I couldn’t have been happier with this car going into my second full year of ownership. Yeah, it had a really nasty old car smell, the paint was fading fast from being left out in the southern California sun, and the awkward driving position was still bugging me. But it sure was fun to row through the gears when pulling away from a stoplight.
This old ’Stang’s front seats were far too spongy, it groaned and creaked louder than an old man, and I was always worried about it leaving me stranded somewhere along the side of the road.
But you know what? it was dead reliable and I eventually came to appreciate it for what it was: a fun cruiser. The snarly V8 and heavy clutch provided a raw / visceral driving experience that you just can’t get in a newer car. It was fun!
If you couldn’t tell from the pictures by now, the interior of this thing was spotless. The leather seats were a little worn out, but everything else looked almost new:
The final year of ownership (2015): Who says old cars aren’t reliable?
The only thing that needed attention by early 2015 was the passenger side front tire. It had a very slow leak. Nothing serious, but noticeable enough to be annoying. The bigger issue was the fact that both front tires were starting to go bald.
There were 3 other slightly less annoying issues with the car at this point:
- The power function of the drivers seat. It would go forward – but not back. I think. I wasn’t about to test it to be certain.
- The air conditioning had officially stopped blowing cold air. It was a good thing that AC isn’t really necessary here in San Diego along the coast.
- It was burning about a quart of oil every six months.
Other than a very minor scratch on the front driver’s side front fender, there was no damage. My hopes of ridding myself of the faded red paint were crushed just as badly as the car that was parked next to me (which took the brunt of the hit).
It’s worth noting that this wasn’t my only car at the time. I also had a 2010 Honda Fit for daily driver duty, so I didn’t drive this Mustang all that much. Most of the action it saw was a 15 mile round-trip drive to work and back three times a week
The nice thing about driving it to work is that it got to stay in a parking garage all day. At home though? She sat outside completely exposed to the elements.
January 2016: Putting it up for sale
By January 2016, I decided that it was time for an upgrade. I ended up purchasing a 2012 Mustang GT from Carmax. I’ve got a thing for Mustangs, OK?
While I was there, I decided to hand them the keys to the ’96 just to see what they would give me for it. It wouldn’t hurt to ask, right?
It was the fourth week after I bought the 2012 that I finally decided to get serious and list the ‘96 for sale. The first order of business was to get it smog tested, which is a requirement for selling a car in the state of California.
The next order of business was to get it cleaned up and listed.
Long story short, I ended up listing the car for sale on my company’s internal bulletin board system for an insanely low price of $1500 – just to see if there were any takers. Several people were interested right away. I had it sold by the end of the day.
I loved this car so much that I couldn’t help but to make a video about my final days with it:
Final thoughts
And that’s where my time with this 1996 Mustang GT came to an end. I owned it for 3 and a half years (42 months to be exact) and put approximately 10,000 miles on it. In all that time, it never broke down on me or left me stranded – except for the final day.
I had only intended on keeping it for a year or so when I bought it in 2012, but it ended up being such a good car that it was hard to justify selling it and stepping up into something newer.
So long ’96 Mustang. You were a little smelly, a lot slow, but you sure did sound good.
