1994 Ford Mustang V6 3.6L V6 from North America

Summary:

Fun To Drive and a Real Head Turner!

Faults:

I have only had a couple of problems with my mustang. The headers cracked at 105000 km and they had to be replaced. However I would suggest that all mustang owners be aware that this will happen on the original heads at about 100000k. (There were three other mustangs in the shop for the same thing with the same miles!!!) I also had to fix a pinhole puncture in my gas tank. (This was my fault though.) I have the characteristic automatic transmission rumble that the V6s have that is caused by the overdrive trying to engage. I have a couple rust spots, but what can you expect on a 12 year old car that is driven about 120 km a day?

General Comments:

The car is so much fun to drive. I find that it has enough power to do whatever I need it to. It has a 6.8 second 0-60mph time and a 15.8 second 1/4 mile. The transmission power shifts well when you drop it into first and the 175 foot pound torque is a wonderful thing. I bought the car for 5200 dollars and have only put about 1300 into it since. I find that the car handles extremely well and when it slips it does so very predictably. I am going to be upgrading the brakes because I would like to see it stop a little faster. The car looks amazing and the interior is amazing. I love the contours of the car and it turns heads. For the six banger it puts out a beautiful sound from 2500 to 4750 rpm levels. I also find that I get about 28 MPG highway and about 25 MPH city if I drive without punching the gas all the time. (I can get about 600 km on about 45 dollars worth of gas.) The engine is still as clean as it was the day it rolled off the production line aside from a little dust from the road. No leaks, squeaks, or problems with the car at all!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 8th August, 2006

9th Aug 2006, 13:18

You mean heads... not headers.

And that's a HUGE problem and should NEVER happen on a car.

28th Jul 2008, 09:36

First off... it's a 3.8L V6 engine, not a 3.6.

Secondly, the cars have 215tq, but probably 180 to the wheels with age.

And the heads WEREN'T the problem.

It was a combination of using crappy head gaskets, crappy head bolts and aluminum heads on an iron block.

Those 3 things caused the head gaskets to tear, or bolts to stretch.

It was a recall paid FOR by Ford.

So if you fix these heads yourself, GOTO FORD and get the NEW bolt torque specs, because they ARE different from the originals, since the fix requires new stronger head bolts.

It's NOT really a big deal, TONS of manufacturers have had recalls on heads or head gaskets! (it's simply a design or material issue, NOT defect)

Think of it as a blessing, because while you're down there, you can just throw some stage 3 ported heads, or supercoupe heads on the Mustang!!!

Talk about some power!

1994 Ford Mustang Pony 3.8L V6 from North America

Summary:

Do yourself a favor and buy a V8

Faults:

Oh where to start... The engine was the first thing to go. The tiny V6 started burning antifreeze and I had to install a rebuilt engine. That was quite spendy at $3000 (with labor). Shortly thereafter the transmission decided 2nd gear was a luxury I didn't need, that was another $2000 to rebuilt it. Did I mention that I only paid $5000 for the car? Since the Pony already matched it's buying price in repairs it was time for the rotors to warp, another $400. The paint also grew small rust spots all over it, they were easy to clean and cover up, but were still annoying.

The interior and exterior stylings were this car's high points. It's a beautiful car inside and out and people will notice you. Unfortunantely it isn't enough to compensate for the poor construction.

General Comments:

The V6 is WAY too small for this car. It couldn't accelerate up a steep hill at all. I loved the way this car looked, but hated the way it drove. If you're set on buying a mustang do yourself a favor and buy a V8 (GT or Cobra or more recently Mach 1). I feel that all of these problems were due to the fact that the engine and drive-train weren't powerful enough to accommodate this car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 25th May, 2006

26th May 2006, 21:55

The automatic is the main reason why your car feels so slow. Pair that V6 with a 5 speed and it'll feel much faster.

9th Aug 2006, 01:50

I totally agree with the last commenter. The automatic box drains all sportiness out of this car, cars with the 5 speed manual are completely different to drive. The 150hp 3.8L with the 3 speeder automatic was never meant to be sporty, but was meant to haul grocery getters like the Taurus. Interestingly I have the same experience with a 2003 rental, also equipped with auto and V6, but the 2003 have 50 more hp (200 vs 150), still this auto-box is able to zap every power out of this car. The Ford 3 speeder is a of pre historic design, and you may wonder why they have used this unit for so long. And why did not Ford offer a more efficient 4 or 5 speed auto-box as an option?