Nature or Nurture?

An inquiry into values and attitudes.

Just one man's experience and outlook. (You can take that as a kind of disclaimer.)

At first I was going to launch into one of my very favored, but very tired subjects, "What kind of car should I be driving?" Blah, blah, blah, blah. I stopped myself just in time to have some mercy on that poor horse. So I redirected to another question; "What do I expect and want from a car, any car?" This might be a more profitable question to pursue, since I have my own individual ideas of what will satisfy my needs and my inclinations. These ideas are a product of my experiences. So hands off the poor horse and let's proceed.  

Where do we get our attitudes about cars? How we feel about them and what we expect of them? 

Keeping in mind all my grammar school teachers that told me that they "didn't like my attitude!"

First, I want to restate my first commandment of the car hobby; that everyone will experience and participate in the hobby in the way that is fulfilling for them. There is no right or wrong way. Nobody's choice is right, better, or the only way to participate in the hobby.

I was looking through the current issue of Hot Rod magazine. On the front cover there was a '54 Chevy that was totally tricked out. The big blurb on the cover spelled out the words: Pursuing Perfection! The entire magazine has features on this perfection, a show winning Camaro, the Good Guys car of the year. Then there was a '57 Corvette, a decrepit, forgotten barn find that was rebuilt into a high dollar show stopper. Only the basic body was retained. 

These articles did not particularly impress me, automotive perfection has never been a personal goal of mine, and it fails to elicit a lot of fascination or admiration.

In the article describing the '54 Chevy, it detailed the years of painstaking work that were done to it. The entire suspension, front and rear, and steering was reconfigured, the frame was modified until almost nothing of the original was left. The engine and driveline was totally changed and a high horsepower engine was installed.  The body and interior were very tastefully constructed and meticulously detailed. It was quite a transformation, almost nothing of the original vehicle remains as it was built. The author stated that this was the usual procedure for this particular builder.

I found myself asking "why?" Why spend so much time, effort, and money to turn a hum drum '54 Chevy into something that it was never meant to be? I mean it wasn't like it was a Mercedes Gull Wing, an Auburn Boat tail Speedster or even a '32 Ford. Why ?

There was an column on the last page of the magazine about being realistic when getting your car painted. It stated that every owner tells the shop that he wants his paint job to be "show worthy."  Well, at least until they tell them the price! Why? A paint job like that is extremely expensive, and unless the rest of the car is also going to be completely upgraded it really doesn't make any sense. The original paint job applied by the manufacturer wouldn't have been considered to be show worthy. How can spending more on a paint job then the car is worth, make any sense? 

Why do I think that all this stuff is wrongheaded and maybe just plain dumb?

For one thing, why should anybody want a car to be better than it was when it was new? That '54 Chevy was the best that it was going to be when it rolled off the assembly line in 1954. Trying to bring an old car back to it's original state is called restoration, that is expensive and difficult enough. Why try to make it something that it never was?

That Chevy was the cheapest and lowest feature car that was offered by GM. If you wanted a better car you would have chosen an Oldsmobile, a Buick or especially a Cadillac. It certainly wasn't a sports car, Chevy had just introduced the Corvette, the year before. There were other sports cars available from Europe, for example the Jaguar XK 150 was available. Not to mention even more expensive cars like the Alfa Romeo or Ferrari. 

For the most part, the best paint job that a car will ever have is the original. It is applied to pristine new steel, before the car was assembled. The finish was baked on to the component parts before the car was put together, so all the body was painted the original color, the door jambs, under the dash, the floorboards, the trunk etc. 

There was an article years ago in Hot Rod where a famous builder stated that if he couldn't make the underside of the car as pretty as the top side, then he wasn't interested in building it! The pictured '67 Mustang had glossy custom paint everywhere, the frame rails, floor boards, under the hood, with chrome and polished stainless steel components. Obviously this was a high dollar, show only car. Again I have to ask "why?" 

Is that thing really even a "real" car anymore? If it's considered a sculpture of a car, then that might make sense. But it would never be operated and driven like a real car. The underside of a Rolls Royce doesn't get that treatment, the underside of an Mercedes Benz doesn't get that treatment. Why should an old Mustang? 

Back in the days of coach built cars, the frames were suitably painted and finished, The bodies were painted top and bottom. The engines were painted, with porcelain finishes on manifolds, with chrome and polished brass fittings. 

But they weren't finished as nice as the body. They were designed to be exposed to road hazards, debris and weather. To make the the underside too pretty would have seemed quite unwise and a display of vanity. Totally unnecessary.

So why do I feel this way? 

Maybe because I used to build cars. My entire family did. I saw them come down the assembly line, bit by bit, piece by piece. They emerged freshly painted, with spotless new interiors, all brand new mechanical components and they smelled so good! They were as good as they were ever going to be. 

They might have been only Chevys and Buicks, but they were nice and new. Nobody expected them to be finished like a Rolls Royce or even a Lexus! So why would you try to do this thirty years later? 

I feel a similar way about a car's performance. What level of performance do I expect from a car? Of course I am influenced by my personal history.

My Father always drove full size or intermediate American cars. Chevys and Pontiacs with V8 engines and automatic transmissions. My Dad did not like the base six cylinder engines or manual transmissions. Certainly not a wheezy foreign car with an under powered four cylinder engine! 

I have always had a thing for Cadillac. Up until the mid 1960's the fastest cars on the road were always Cadillacs, Lincolns and Chryslers. Have you ever heard of the Pan American road race? What cars were winning that race? I always planned to drive a Cadillac and I did for many years. These cars were surprisingly quick, and effortless high speed cruisers. If you drove a Cadillac, any year Cadillac, you already had a perfectly suitable road car. There wan't any real need to increase the performance. 

As the 60's progressed the Big Three upped their game and built specialty cars like the Corvette, Thunderbird, Chrysler 300, and the Buick Riviera. Later in the decade the muscle car emerged. 

These cars fulfilled a different mission, but all had adequate power to deliver effortless performance. 

There was a time when the car hobbyist had to build their own high performance "special." These were the classic hot rods, they were built, not bought. At the time there were not cars like this available for the average American consumer. 

Perhaps it can be seen as a personal failing, but I have never enjoyed competition. It may be a result of my personality, personal experiences, or something else, but I've never enjoyed competing against others. That may explain my lack of interest in sports, whether engaging in actual participation, or just watching as a fan. That extends to automotive sports as well. 

I'll admit that a lot of my automotive attitudes were formed and influenced during my prolonged exposure to motorcycles. Motorcycles are built in a lot of different configurations; touring, street, dirt, or sports. But perhaps the biggest thing is that they are built in distinct engine displacements and power outputs. Small motorcycles are slow and under powered, unsuited to many tasks. Larger motorcycles have an excess of power, they could do most tasks easily. I was well acquainted with how that the lack of power in the smaller models really restricts your usage. The first bike I rode was a 5 hp. Honda 50cc. Top speed was only 40 mph. Acceleration from a stop was glacial. There were hills in my neighborhood that I was unable to climb. I was limited in the territory that I could explore. I remedied that by buying a bigger motorcycle. Now I could expand my territory and wander further. That process was repeated until I achieved the 750cc and 1,000 cc level. 

I didn't really try to hop up my smaller bikes to make them more powerful. Though I did dream about it. The most obvious and easiest way to obtain higher performance was by getting a larger, more powerful motorcycle. 

My general orientation has been to select a vehicle that was already engineered to handle the specific tasks that I need. My Dad's advice was very simple but very true- If you want a faster car, then just buy a faster car. 

Despite all that being said, it's not as if I'm against making improvements to a car for increased performance, which for me translates to over the road performance.

Also in this issue of Hot Rod was an article about the Optima Ultimate Street Car Challenge. This is similar to the SCCA auto cross and Time Challenge competition. The pictures were great, almost every different kind of vehicle you could think of. Classic muscle cars, modern pony cars, even pick up trucks! Seeing these vehicles being used to drive hard on a track is really gratifying. 

For me it all boils down to one thing. Cars are meant to go places, preferably places that are far away. Anything that adds to the success of this mission is okay with me. Obviously, different vehicles will do it differently. Some will transport an entire family and gear, some will transport a load of parts to a swap meet, others will transport the driver, or a couple in snug comfort on a driving adventure. It could be racy, rough riding, and fast. It could be silent and smooth, it could squeeze the most distance out of a gallon of gas, it might deliver the most distance in the least amount of time. What matters is that it's taking it's driver somewhere that they want to go.

It has to be as reliable as possible, maintained in ready to go condition. If the driver doesn't have confidence in it, then it's worthless. Likewise if it's too valuable, too pretty, or too fragile to be put to the test. Sometimes this expense is not monetary, sometimes the excessive value is emotional. 

You can love a car too much to actually drive it. That's why I know that I could never own an Aston Martin DB7. I would worry about it all the time, worried that "something" might happen to it. I recall how Doug DeMuro described owning his Ferrari. He said that he would drive it somewhere than straight back home. It wasn't a car that he'd drive to the mall, the movies, or park out of sight at the curb, while he had dinner at a restaurant. He was either engaged in driving it, or it was in his garage. I'm not judging him for that. Most regular car enthusiasts would have to make a lot of sacrifices to acquire their dream car and they are very protective of them.

I remember a lady that I met who had an older 1970's Corvette. She had owned the car for years, it had been her daily driver and it had sustained the normal wear and tear that all cars pick up in daily use. Then she decided that it could use a really good new paint job, so she had that done. Now it looked great but she constantly worried about it. After parking it at the store she would come out and look for door dings or marks that indicated that someone had backed into the front or rear bumpers. While driving it she was deathly afraid that a rock would be kicked up and chip her shiny new paint. For years she had enjoyed driving her car without an excess of worry. Yes, it was a Corvette, but it was just her old car. Now it was beautiful and she was miserable.

Years ago on the last page of a Street Rod magazine their was a cartoon strip illustrating the process of starting up your car after a build. The last panel instructed the owner to pick up a handful of gravel then walk ten feet in front of their finished car. Now throw the gravel at it! Painful to be sure, but at least you didn't have to worry anymore about when it was going to pick up that first chip! It was already done and you could quit worrying and enjoy driving your car. 

And that should be the most important thing.

 Sometimes you just have to do the work. Part Two

What would I have done if I couldn't find the rebuild kit? 

There are usually industrial supply houses in most cities. They sell the parts that most service people need to keep their machines and equipment up and running. There are stores that sell fasteners; nuts and bolts, electrical and electronic supplies, welding supplies, brass fittings, belting and chain, raw metal, and even bearings and o rings. McMaster-Carr has a very interesting webite worth browsing, but sometimes you need to pick up a part or item. I used to go to a store called King Bearing. I found many things that I needed for my Harley Davidson. Wheel bearings, oil and grease seals, drive chain and even o-rings. Most of these items have regular industrial id numbers and are cross referenced with dimensions. So I could buy the identical fitting item usually for less.

I would have taken the cleaned up parts as well as the old o rings with me. The countermen is usually familiar with the products. He will measure the grooves that the o ring sits in with a caliper and the diameter to find an equivalent. He knows the different composition of the materials and can find one suited to the task. I would hesitate to use general duty o rings as found in those "o ring storehouse" sets sold by Harbor Freight, primarily because they might not last that long, and this job is such a pain in the neck to redo.

The o ring kit arrived four days after I ordered it. It had a clear diagram plus instructions. There were several sizes of o rings used. I had found a pretty good video that described how to disassemble the cooler and I watched that a couple of times. 

The disassembly was the hard part, it took more force that I expected. As it came apart I could see why. There was a deposit of corrosion on the bottom of the housing, but more concerning, there was corrosion evident on the edges of the sealing surfaces. Of course this motor is a quarter of a Century old, with almost a quarter of a million miles on the clock! The recesses for the o rings were a bit crusty looking. This was where potential leaks could occur.

I scraped the scale that had been deposited on the wall of the housing very carefully. I used a wire brush, and a small screwdriver to clean the o ring grooves, finishing up with a sharp pick. All the time being very careful not to gouge or scratch up any surface. I cleaned the internal fins with the screwdriver and pick, then a small toothbrush and wiped it down with Castrol Super clean. I used a wad of fine steel wool wet with the Castrol to clean the corroded areas of the edges. It worked pretty well, I was fairly certain that I would avoid any leaks. Now I can see why Ford treated this as a wear item, but hopefully this repair would last another 200,000 miles.

Once all the components were cleaned up I applied silicon grease to the o rings then assembled the unit. Installation was not too bad, as I had cleaned up the area beforehand. I removed the left front wheel which allowed direct access to the oil filter area so that I could use a torque wrench to tighten the mounting bolt.

Cleaning this area took quite a bit of effort, but was worth the hassle. The oil will damage the rubber components of the steering rack. It is also hard to be proud of your machine when it was so filthy. I read some accounts on the Mustang forum where the poster said that he was adding a quart a day to the motor! In one of the videos the driveway could be seen in the background, and it was an oil soaked mess. I'm pretty happy on how it turned out.

Clean!

Likewise!

Then I installed the radiator hose, and installed a new oil filter. I added fresh oil and coolant. The moment of truth was rapidly approaching. Whenever you complete a big repair you always wonder if it will turn out right. Now it was time to lower the car and fire it up. 

I backed the car out of the garage and let it warm up in the driveway. I knew that I would have to recheck fluid levels and top up the oil and the coolant. As it was warming up I knelt down to look underneath for possible leaks. None seen! I took the car for a ten mile test drive and rechecked for leaks. Again I found the area was clean. 

Once the motor cooled off I found that the coolant level had dropped quite a bit as all the air pockets had to bleed themselves. 

I will monitor the coolant level for the next few days to be sure that it is still topped up. It does feel good to spend some time and effort to keep my Mustang in good shape.

 Sometimes you just have to do the work, another installment in the never ending series. Part One.

Looks simple, right? How hard could this job be? 

When I bought this Mustang I thought that as a '96 model, parts would be even more easily available. Even more than my old '70. This has not exactly been the case, which I find kind of surprising. Luckily we have the internet. I spent a couple of hours scouring the web looking for information about my car's oil leak. 

I went to my local indie NAPA auto parts store Winchester Auto, where I have had good results with the knowledgeable and helpful staff. The counter man looked through his computerized listing but couldn't find the appropriate gasket. He was undaunted and pulled out the old printed catalogs and found the gasket by cross referencing applications used in similar 4.6 powered models. I wasn't aware at this moment that there were a couple of different gaskets used, as there had been a change made in the oil filter housing/to block designs over the production run. After watching several videos about gasket replacement I realized that what was under my car wasn't what I was seeing pictured in the videos. 

The 4.6 engine runs coolant around the base of the oil filter which aids in keeping the oil temps down. However there was also a design (pictured above) which has a more elaborate intercooler built into the base of the oil filter housing. This is even more effective in controlling oil temps. This is probably one of the reasons that these engines are known to be long lived. 

I found that this intercooler was used on the '96 DOHC Cobra motor as well as late production regular GT models. I did find a video where this intercooler was disassembled and the O ring seals were replaced. It seems that Ford treated this as a discrete item and was sold only as a unit. The diagram doesn't show the individual components of the cooler. 

The all purpose Homer bucket.

After I came home with the gasket, I jacked up the car and placed it on ramps. I like using these as they open up a lot of working space under the engine. I had placed some cardboard under the engine area. I also have a couple of large trays, 4 ft.x 21/2 ft, that used to be the tops of large storage boxes. I knew that I was going to have to drain the coolant and the oil first. The radiator doesn't have a drain petcock, I have to pull the lower hose to drain. I've done this a couple of times already and it can be messy. Luckily a five gallon bucket will fit under the car which can easily contain the deluge. 

After that I had to drain the oil. Truth be told, I haven't changed my own oil in years, at least fifteen! Oil changes are usually a pretty good bargain, costing just a bit over the materials. Shops like the idea of getting a customer's car in the shop on a lift. It often leads to sales of other services and items like tires and brake jobs. I don't like dealing with the mess, especially transferring the drained oil into a storage container then cleaning everything up. I also don't care to leave a couple of containers of waste oil in front of the house for the trash/ recycling pick up. I've always been concerned about some vandal tossing the container of oil and making a mess. Luckily, I've never had this happen.

Of course I couldn't remove the oil filter by hand. I figured that I must have some oil filter wrenches in my tool collection, somewhere. I thought that I had one that slipped over the bottom and had a fitting for a socket wrench. After spending an hour combing through my stuff, I only found a metal strap wrench, which didn't fit anyway! Then I remembered ( or at least thought!) that I'd included my oil filter wrenches in my tool donation to the Salvation Army. Another trip to Winchester Auto where I ended up buying an oil filter pliers. Forty bucks! But I needed them, and I like having the right tools. 

The oil filter pliers are on the left, the hex wrench sockets are on the right.
I bought two new tools to complete this job.

Note: Later as I was straightening out the locker that I store tools in after this job, and found my oil filter wrenches! None of them would have worked on this filter anyway.

The oil intercooler is held on by a threaded pipe that the filter attaches to, and passes through the adaptor housing into the block. It is tightened by an internal 1/2 inch hex drive. Of course I didn't have any large hex wrenches, of any type. I thought that I'd run down to the auto store and pick up an inexpensive set so that I would be ready to tackle that part of the job tomorrow. 

It was already late, almost 7 pm. I figured I'd hit the local O'Reillys. I rolled up and they were closing because they were having a problem with the computer system.

So I doubled back to Winchester Auto and they had closed a at 7 pm. Oh well, there are three Harbor Freight stores in San Jose, so off I went. I went to the closest location and found exactly what I needed for 16.00 plus tax. HF can be a real life saver! 

The area next to the steering rack mount is cleaner
 because it was constantly washed by the stream of oil!
The cylindrical aluminum item under the oil filer is the intercooler.

After draining the fluids I decided that I should clean up the bottom of the motor, cross member, and steering rack. The leak has been going on for a couple of years and there was a real mess under there! The best thing to do would have been to find a shop that could steam clean the area before I even started. Steam cleaners have kind of disappeared around here, since regulations prohibit running the waste water down into the sewer or storm drain. Back in the Day we would take our cars down to the coin op car wash and blast the motors clean, now there are signs posted prohibiting that practice. There usually isn't anyone on site to enforce this, but if the random cop caught you doing this you'd be facing a pretty stiff fine. 

I 'll bet that most gearheads my age remember this stuff.
It left you smelling like kerosene all day long after using it.

We also used to buy cans of GUNK, which was a water soluble solvent that I have used on my motorcycle engines. Spray it on, brush it, and hose off! I never liked that it didn't rinse off cleanly, leaving an oily residue on the surface. I'd wash that off with detergent afterwards. This all resulted in all the greasy, dirty water staining your driveway, as well as going down the storm drain. Not doing anything good for the environment. Probably illegal now too.

I have a process to clean off the chassis and motor that doesn't call for the use of a stream of water.

First I lay down some cardboard, then put a large tray filled with a layer newspaper under the area that I'm working on. I scrape off the thickest deposits, using putty knives, screwdrivers, and old hacksaw blades to get in the tight spots. Then I spray on a biodegradable degreaser  and let it soak in. Then I start in wiping the area down with pieces of old towel . Then it's back with scrapers and old tooth brushes. Spray, scrape, wipe, repeat. Eventually the area is cleaned off enough that repeated spraying dissolves whats left and it runs down into the tray. Yes it is messy and a LOT of work. But it does work and it contains the mess to the area under the car. I'll let the residue dry out for a day or two then put it in a sealed plastic container and put it in the garbage can. That's the best that I can do. 

The next morning I went back to Winchester Auto armed with a diagram of the oil cooler as well as the print out of an E bay ad selling an O ring kit. My counterman looked high and low, and even found the same ad I had printed out. The warehouse and affiliated supply houses didn't carry the item. I thanked him for looking then went home and called the local Ford dealer parts dept. The parts guy looked in their system and told me that the part was obsolete and no longer available. They never suggest any ideas on how to locate the needed part. Since I had already found the kit on E Bay I just ordered it. My hopes for next day delivery were shattered when the best they could offer was expedited three day delivery for 25.00, almost ten buck more than the part cost. At least basic shipping was free. 

After cleaning up the area and putting away my tools I figured that this this would be a good time to take a break.

 Sometimes you can ignore an oil leak.

photosource: San Joaquin Valley Geology

Sometimes you shouldn't.

For the most point I don't fret about one of my old cars dripping a bit of oil. I'm not hyper sensitive about a small amount of oil on my driveway. It's going to be inevitable with older cars. But it can reach a point that it needs to be addressed.

My '94 Seville developed a pretty common leak from the front and rear main engine seals. The fix was to remove the sub frame, engine and trans combo, flip it over and remove the oil pan. Then replace the front and rear main seals. Why not just replace the engine with a rebuilt one at that point?  the helpful service writer at the Cadillac dealer offered. 

The leak was chronic and pretty bad, The oil dripped onto the exhaust pipes and burned, lending an atmosphere of burned crude to the interior. My Daughter hated the smell and constantly complained. It took a while, but I cured my problems with the leak by selling the car! 

I took my XJS to an Indie shop for an inspection and they came up with over seven thousand dollars of work, primarily replacing gaskets in the engine! You would be correct if you think that I declined that offer. 

I have noticed that my '96 Mustang has started to drip quite a bit of oil. I thought that it might be from a cam cover and that the oil filled a pocket or  area of the motor, that dripped down as the car moved. 

The Internet being a wonderful thing, I Googled common oil leaks on the 4.6 V8. There were a few references to real main seals, but the overwhelming culprit was a gasket between the oil filter housing and the engine block. 

I read several threads and watched a couple of videos and I bet that is what is leaking on my car. 

Tomorrow I will take a look. 

The 4.6 is unique in that they have an oil to coolant heat exchanger built into the base of the oil filter housing. This transfers the heat from the oil to the cooling system. It is not the usual oil to air intercooler which looks like a miniature radiator, these were common as add on transmission oil coolers for towing packages. This cooler no doubt contributes to this motors amazing longevity.

According to the videos, this can really gush oil. Looking at the gasket in the video, it reminded me of how the intake manifold is sealed. Obviously it can break down over time, I'm already on my second replacement intake manifold, so I shouldn't be too surprised!

It's definitely worth replacing the gasket, this oil leak is making a mess and making the car smell like burning oil. I still like this car, I don't want to let it degenerate into junky car status. 

Still, I have been looking for a replacement newer model Mustang. It's not so much that I don't like this car, it's just that I didn't want to have to restore it to keep it nice. However, the first thing that hits you about newer Mustang GTs is the high price. Base V6 and now, four cylinder models are much, much, cheaper. Performance from these models is pretty outstanding, they've got 300 hp, same as the '05 to '10 V8s. 

My Wife has even been open to the idea of me buying a brand new GT, though that is a lot of money, over 50K. A new car would definitely outlive me. 

I just wonder if it is worth it. A good, low mileage, late used model GT would be just as good. Something like my Flex which we got with only 30,000 miles on it. 

Then again, do I really need a car with over 400 hp? I rented a '21 and drove it back from Southern Ca. It sounded like a beast and felt very aggresive, but I drove it like a sane individual. I only exceeded 85 mph. a few times coming back on I-5. I was cruising at a steady 78 mph. and achieved fuel economy readings of 28 mpg. beating my '96's 25 mpg. My conclusion was that I wasn't likely to drive it any faster than my '96. Though I might drive it a bit quicker, as it does accelerate much harder! It would have the bragging rights, though. 

There are some new features on my Flex that would be shared by a newer Mustang. I've deactivated the stop/start and easy driver entry features on the Flex. I'm not too crazy about the push button start and key less entry. The transmitter is four times as big as an old remote fob. I would accidentally open the rear hatch when the fob came into contact with the stuff I carry in my pocket. Like my pocket knife, flip phone or other keys. I carry a fair amount of keys on my key ring and combined with the large transmitter it becomes cumbersome. Which I find somewhat irritating.

Excuse me while I go outside to yell at a cloud!

I would really consider a 2015 V6 Mustang, I'm even thinking about test driving a brand new four cylinder model. I am open to alternatives. But I can't imagine that I would ever buy something like a Dodge Challenger. Especially since they don't have a convertible model. I couldn't even consider a Camaro, I've never liked their interior design. 

Back in the mid 1990's I bought a 295 hp. NorthStar Cadillac STS. That thing was a rocket, much quicker than any car I'd owned before. That level of performance was a revelation, but even then, it was only used occasionally. (Well at least until I became accustomed to the extra power.) I don't think that I need to pay a high premium for a level of performance that I find to be excessive and unnecessary. 

I can't honestly say that I've ever been disappointed with the performance of my V6 F150, and I've driven it everywhere. 

All of which brings me back to my '96. It is a GT and it has that personality, sound, and feeling of a high performance V8 car. In absolute numbers it's not anything outstanding, it wasn't that outstanding even when it was new! But it's probably enough, at least for me. And it's a thoroughly modern car, with fuel injection, overdrive, four wheel disc brakes, rack and pinion steering, dual airbags and ABS. As well as all the comfort and convenience features. Don't forget good gas mileage. 

I can't really ever see myself buying another "classic" Mustang, they just don't measure up. They also cost as much as a brand new one. 

So I think that I'll be holding on to it for a while longer. 

Time to get my hands dirty.