I have been debating over the last few days of picking up another max for a daily driver. I am only interested in the 5.5 gen 6 speeds. I am rather picky in that it must have black leather interior. Seems like you really cant go wrong with them for a car under 10k. I had a 99 Sterling SE with black leather and 5 speed I sold about 4 months ago. Any persuasions or do not do's?

 

get one! i regret getting a 5th gen and not a 6mt 5.5 i still love the car but soo wish i would have gotten 2-3 years newer

 

If you can get past the interior styling (and some would say the exterior too), you should expand your sights into the early 6th Gen 6MT. They don't suffer from the defective 3rd gear synchros in the 5.5 MT, and they have an independent suspension.

 

..and it can outrun your 4.6 mustang

 

If you're looking for a 5.5, keep an eye out for the 3rd gear crunch (weak gearbox syncros) and precat failure which is said to lead to oil consumption because debris gets into the engine and damages the piston rings.

 

Which was my point in seeking out a 6th Gen 6MT.... but Moncef is right, you'll have to be sensitive to that. I'm guessing about 1/3 or more of the 5.5 manual transmissions have the 3rd gear syncro problem. If it's a MT you're looking for, there are people in the 5th gen forum who will insist you get a transmission with limited slip (HLSD). That's probably good advice, but I don't have it so I can't say first-hand.

The precats fail with age, the coil-packs fail with age, the engine mount bushings get loose with age, the throttle-body is overly sensitive and prone to damage, the MAF can fail...

...heck, we all fail with age one way or another.

 

You can swap the 6th gen 6MT to a 5.5. It's considered an upgrade, shorter final drive for quicker acceleration FTW

 

That's true. Um, Free the Whales.

And the lack of an independent rear suspension can be easily compensated for in other ways, the most simple being quality tires and a RSB.

 

I doubt that...

 

you must have some good mods on that stang then,..

guess you never drove in a 6mt 5.5 then

stock ppl have run 13.9

and with a few mods[no internals only boltons]/good driver.. this can happen ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrKNDx3p0Ps

 

whos car is that? mods? damn impressive!

 

dont be a cheater!!!. jk but go for it man they are great.

 

Alright, I've been on here since '07, but I'm not into modding my Max, just want to keep her looking good and original. Since I've only posted 2 times, I can't start a thread, so I thought this one would be a good one to hijack! Please forgive me. The problem is this. I have an '87, love her to death, runs like a top, 164,400. The passenger side headlight has quit working on low beam. Was able, for a while (after replacing headlamp bulb), to get low side working by turning on high beams, than back to low, but that fix quit fixing it.

So, I put my meter on the pins, and on the drivers side, the one that is working properly, I see no voltage on the outside pi, 12V on the middle, and of course ground on the inside pin. On the passenger side, 6V on the outside pin. Can anybody tell me what's going on, side to side? It would seem that the side that is seeing voltage is the one that would work. Relay?

Sorry to hijack, but when you need to get something out there to the experts, you do what you have to do...

Bob C

BTW, Big E, sweet looking Max, what kind of wheels?

 

jay_pee99

check the 1/4mile thread.. his post is right up top..im not positive on his mods,.. but i think most of the list is.. headers..3"catback..spacers.. vias delete..ssim..pulley..drag radials..fidanza flywheel/stock clutch.... i might be missing somthing but i know he put down 278whp 272wtq when he dyno'd

 

I have an 11 second street driven bolt on GT...

 

However that is damn impressive