What to watch out for when buying?

[PrestonK]

I’m trying to arrange to look at a 2013 Boss 302 that’s for sale locally. I have past experience with mustangs, but not with S197 mustangs. This is a higher mileage example. Is there anything I should be keeping an eye out for on these cars, both in general and specifically for Bosses?

 

[08TorchRedShelbyGT500]

I would have a hard time advising on what to look for. If you read all the new threads and all the issues covering the S197s, it is mind-boggling. Get the car in the wrong hands, and they tend to ruin a car pretty quickly. Find a low-mileage gem, and you are doing pretty well. Many times, the advice is to buy the seller, not the car. That can apply here if possible. I hate buying used cars, as most previous owners are clueless about what to do to properly maintain these cars. Having said that, there are deals out there. Heck, I spent 14 years searching for a nice, well-maintained, low-mileage GT500. (That's 14 years.) Do your research, take your time, and expect that, no matter how well you study, you will run into issues. It's a used car after all. Good luck on your search!

 

[Samos3]

If any work has been done, ask to see receipts. If only to see what brands of parts were used.
On a 3v, obviously not what you are looking at, if someone said it had the timing components replaced, id certainly want to know if they used Ford parts or non-Ford. Makes a huge difference if they used an Ebay set.

 

[JC SSP]

Carfax and qualified third party inspection is usually a good start.

 

[08TorchRedShelbyGT500]

All good advice from the above posts. If it were me, one thing I would require is that when I bought a used Mustang, I would not buy it if it was storing/throwing DTC CODES. Your new (used) car should be at least functioning properly, and one easy thing to check is the DTC Codes. I've seen quite a few new members on here say they just bought a Mustang, and it had 6+ DTC codes on it. That's a RED Flag in my book as far as purchasing.

 

[Samos3]

All good advice from the above posts. If it were me, one thing I would require is that when I bought a used Mustang, I would not buy it if it was storing/throwing DTC CODES. Your new (used) car should be at least functioning properly, and one easy thing to check is the DTC Codes. I've seen quite a few new members on here say they just bought a Mustang, and it had 6+ DTC codes on it. That's a RED Flag in my book as far as purchasing.

And the Readiness Monitors. If they aren't all 'ready', then codes were cleared for some reason and and the monitors haven't all reset. Some specific monitors are not required for emissions inspection , but most are.

 

[Juice]

Unmodified, no different than buying a family car.
Modified - this is reason for concern.
Always scan, I can tell with my phone if monitors are complete AND how many miles since last pcm reset was done.

 

[08TorchRedShelbyGT500]

My last thought. Given that your (location) appears to be in California, your emissions equipment must be intact and functioning properly. Many Mustang mods remove emission equipment, and I would think that would not be a wise car to purchase if anything has been altered, if you live in an area or state with strict emissions testing. Just a thought!

 

[skwerl]

Bring a code reader and check codes. If it has a P1000 then that means they cleared the codes and it hasn't reset yet. NEVER buy a vehicle with a P1000 code.
Check the electrical panel in the front passenger footwell. Look for signs of water intrusion (a common problem in the S197).
When pulling the oil dipstick on the engine, note if it has a lot of dark brown buildup on it. Some light brown coloring is normal but excessive dark buildup indicates lack of regular oil changes.

 

[Juice]

Never buy w/p1000?
It maybe a deal, might risk if runs fine.
A new battery would set that code.
Just sayin', there are a few legit reasons for a reset, and a 30 mim ride will either throw the light, or set 7 of 8 monitors.

 

[StockishS197]

I would buy a higher mileage unmodified boss, no question so long as it has been maintained and looks clean/straight.

If it’s modified/tuned, you need to look at it very closely and if you can’t get specifics from the owner, it could become a headache quick and would pay for a PPI.

On the two S197s I have bought, I specifically bought single owner cars who documented every mod it had so I knew what I was getting into.

These cars are very stout, especially the Boss 302s and it takes a lot to make them not reliable.

That said, the MT82 is a weak point, so make sure you drive it and get it hot and it goes into gear well. Try and get both a cold start and warm start, and get it up to temp and look for any odd sounds or smells. Bring a code scanner for any saved/pending codes. Check fluids and all the things and if all that checks out, you should be fine

 

[PrestonK]

Thank you all for the tips. From what I can see on the listing the car appears to be stock apart from a McLeod clutch the owner states they have 15k miles on, and in general I try to avoid modified cars for the same reasons you all gave above. To give a better idea of what I meant when I referred to it as a higher mileage example, this particular one has 124k on it. I have a code scanner and was already planning to check the codes, so I should be covered in that regard. The mention of water intrusion is interesting, I haven't heard of that before. I'll have to look into that more in preparation, but we don't get much rain here so I wouldn't anticipate it being a major factor on this car. I still have a little over a week before our planned meetup, so if any of you think of anything else it would be highly appreciated.