Engine Siezed Up...ergh!

[Stangman]

Well, yesterday my 1996 Mustang took it's last coughing breath. Was just getting ready to shift into third and pull onto the interstate when suddenly I heard a loud knocking noise. If it had been doing it for some time, I hadn't heard it. I wasn't really getting on the acclerator hard, but as I rose in RPMs suddenly I felt the car bog way down. It was then I noticed that the oil gauge was fluxuating like crazy, it hadn't done that before.

Of course, I pull over, pop the hood and then I can hear the knocking again. I just stay real slow with the flashers on hoping to reach the nearest shop, but it died suddenly. Got it restarted, clanking was louder this time but I just stayed around 20mph. Anyways, saw a mechanics shop ahead with the open sign still hanging and pulled in, but I guess they didn't feel the need to flip it around when they left. So I went back to the car, and it was dead. I couldn't restart it.

I checked the oil again, as well as the guy that towed it and both of us had it at the fill line on the dipstick, but the next day the mechanic said that there was absolutely no oil in it and he couldn't find any leaks. I had just had the oil changed within the last 5000 miles and I had checked only about a week ago and it was fine. There hadn't been any fluxtuation to the oil guage either until yesterday when it was too late, and it didn't over heat either, or at least it didn't show on the temp it was even though I'm sure thats exactly what happen was that things just got too hot and welded together.

Guy thinks my best bet is to just buy a new car, I mean it had 100,000 miles and had become a daily driver. Not sure how I didn't have any oil in it, and the knocking wasn't loud enough to hear until it was too late, hadn't driven it hard, so I guess it must have just been it's time to go. Too bad I still owe money on it...ugh!

[TJ4Cam]

I would want to know the extent of the damage/cause of the problem. And most likely I would want it fixed so I could put another 100K on her....dont give up on your Mustang, she has taken you 100K miles and just needs a freshening...............unless of course you are talking about getting a NEW Mustang, well then I say go get a Bullitt.

[Star Driver]

Keep it, install P-51 engine, party.

[Shay]

Sorry to hear the news about that, been there myself once.

Good news is that an engine transplant is a good cure. There are a lot of options.

[Mustanger]

My condolences too...weird on the oil level...synthetic oil? I am guessing so as being the reason for the 5000 mile interval on changing it...I vote for a nice new engine! Far cheaper than a new car and a great opportunity to gain significant horsepower. Good luck.

[RickRoush03]

dude, i am sure you can pick up a 4.6l engine a dime a dozen, good luck though!

[Stangman]

Well, my idea is basically to pick up a 4.6l real cheap somewhere and swap it out, part out the other engine of what I can, such as the supercharger and see what I can use for my brothers 94 Mustang. Then I'll see what I can get on a trade in. Ford has some money back incentives for some of their new cars, especially the 08s so they can get em off the lot.

Problem is, I dunno if I really want a brand new Mustang (wierd huh). I'm partial to the 99-04 body style, and more so to the Roush. I've had my eye on a couple 03 convertibles that were both stage 1, both basically 25,000 or so with less than 5,000 miles and in mint condition. I couldn't exactly fathom spending $30,000 on a brand new GT Mustang, when the car of my dreams essentially mint condition also with less than 5000 miles was less than that.

Problem is, the bank would rather give me $35,000 at a low interest rate for a new car than 20,000 for a used car that they don't think is worth that much (no blue book value) for a bit higher interest. I don't even think that has much to do with the economy, that's just how banks roll.

The other problem I have is that I'm only 20 years old. I mean I have what I would consider perfect credit. I guess I don't fully understand credit scores, but I just figure if I make my payments on time it'll all work out. Somehow I don't have a perfect 800, but I figure that's just something I can't exactly help. Anyways, besides that I basically just started my job about 5 months ago as a drafter, and will graduate with an Associates in drafting in the end of October. Despite having a great work history, they don't trust only working there a few months, and understandably so.

I live with my parents still, it's cheap, and it allows me to save up for my toys ya know and a down payment on a house, at least til my girlfriend graduates college in the next couple years and we get married. So really, if I were to default on the loan, there wouldn't be much for the bank to take away either, and that causes problems.

I know I'm way off track now, but here's what I don't understand. When I worked at a car dealership, there was day a couple walked in with an average Mercury Sable. They wanted to buy a brand new Impala. Okay, so I over hear the salesmen talking about their terrible credit. But despite this, at the end of the day they basically had the keys to their brand new Impala. So here you have a couple that has terrible credit, and perhaps yeah they have high interest, and perhaps they had a small downpayment, but they're able to walk away with a new car.

Now you have me, who works full time, doesn't really have living expenses for the next couple years, and except for insurance and gas doesn't really have any expenses walks in with great credit looking at either a new or practically new car of roughly the same price and I can't get approved for a loan. Even at a young age I've shown my financial responsibility, my work history is great too (only 2 places I've worked at, 1 closed up shop on me without letting me know after a year, and the other after working there nearly 1.5 years I had to move on to better my life) and yet it's hard for me to get a loan.

I'm sorry I just had to vent. As far as the 5000 miles, yeah it was synthetic, but I travel nearly 3 hours a day on the interstate to go to work, school and to home after that. I knew it needed a change eventually, but I just kept checking it to make sure it was at the correct level until I had time to get around to doing it, I was legitimetaly busy. I mean just think of all the cars that don't get changed even once a year ya know. It's just thought if anything, there was still oil in it, maybe not extremely clean oil, but at least something to get me through a week of driving.

[Bill H]

Sorry to hear about the car...its always a bummer when it happens to you. If the car is in good shape aside from the motor, engine swap is a solid idea.

MPS autosalvage in winder GA specializes in stangs. Years ago, I got a low mileage 2000 4.6L PI engine to put in my tbird...cost me $1800 and had everything on it. their website has a lot of stuff to fill your xmas list with.

or you could get this:

MPS Auto Salvage, Inc. - Products - Engines - 2004 ROUSH S/C MOTOR - SUPERCHARGED 2004 ROUSH STAGE 3 4.