Driving a Mustang convertible on a hot summer night is like skinny-dipping: it’s a sensuous experience that’s guaranteed to bring a smile to your lips. But unlike swimming naked, it comes with few worries. Low cost, high reliability and modern engineering make 2.3 liter Mustang LX convertible an almost issue-free sporty car.

Mine is a second-owner , 1991 LX. It cost me $1,100 a year ago, and has been totally reliable in daily use since then. With 140,000 miles on the clock, it’s showing its age, but the original paint still holds a shine. And it still makes people smile. The Mustang’s handsome styling transcends generations and culture. My eight-year old daughter always specifies I pick her up from school in the Mustang. And her friends think the car is cool, too.

Tooling around town, especially with the top down, is the Mustang’s high point. It’s simply fun to drive. With the top up, expect to hear plenty of squeaks and rattles – mostly harmless. The structural integrity of all convertibles is less than that of comparable sedans, and even more so in cars with more than 100,000 miles.

Car and Driver magazine once said driving a Ford was like “riding a burlap bag full of tin cups.” Yah, it’s a little like that. But put the top down and you’ll forget all about it. The squeaks and rattles all go away and are replaced by the sounds of the real world. Gliding silently thorough your neighborhood, you’ll hear kids playing and birds chirping. Put the radio on low and you have a magic carpet ride.

Because this car cost less than a set of 20-series tires and dope rims for a Honda Civic, I don’t have to worry about it. I never lock it and often leave it parked with the top down. What is somebody going to do, steal it? Actually, it’s not likely: so no worries.

The LX convertible is not as fast as the LX 5.0 or the GT, but it has plenty of power to keep up with real-world traffic. Freeway onramps and two-lane passing are the only times I find myself wishing for more power.

All 1991 to 1993 Mustang four-cylinder convertibles are basically the same. While every 4-cylinder Mustang came with the 2.3 liter Pinto engine, Ford added 16 horsepower for the last three years. This extra oomph results from a redesigned, eight-spark-plug cylinder head. This extra spark plug per cylinder makes the difference between “painfully slow” of the early cars and “slow” of the later cars.

On the other end of the scale are the muy macho V8 powered Mustangs of the late 80s and early 90s. With twice the power and nearly the same weight, the 5.0 motor transforms the car into something entirely more brawny – and entirely more expensive.

Everything else being the same, expect to pay nearly twice as much for 5.0 Mustang as for a 2.3. This extra money is not for nothing. Where the four-banger emits a wheezy purr, the 5.0 trumpets an erotic eight-cylinder symphony. The late 2.3 can keep up with traffic, but the 5.0 begs you to pass everyone in sight (none-too-subtle warning here for parents of 16-year-old youths). Traffic tickets aside, the 2.3 is will cost you much less to own.

My 2.3 automatic gets 25 mpg on regular in mixed rural-city driving – expect 18-20 for the 5.0 V8 in the same circumstances – less if you have a lead foot.

Beginning in 1964, there have been complaints that the Mustang have a “rough ride,” “small trunk” and “cramped rear seat.” Well, duh; these are not minivans. Every Mustang is a 2+2 sports touring car, even those with Pinto engines. Be that as it may, the trunk of my 1991 convertible can hold five bags of groceries and two kids are quite happy in the back seat. And as for the ride, I don’t think it’s that bad. My car is a daily driver on a 100-mile-per-day commute – it’s as comfortable as my last Volvo. With a four-star crash rating and a driver-side airbag, it’s almost as safe a Volvo in a front-end collision.

About that Pinto engine: it’s underrated and overbuilt. As a “non-interference” engine, it’s not going to smash its way to Valhalla when the timing belt breaks – it will just stop running. Change the fluids according the owner manual, and you can expect this engine to be peppy and happy well past 200,000 miles (325,000 km). Regrettably, the rest of the car is not as robust.

The youngest of these cars are now more than a dozen years old. Figuring 12,000 miles per year (roughly 20,000 km), you are looking at 144,000 miles (240,000 km). That’s like 80 dog-years for a car. Stuff happens.

Look for problems in four areas: chassis, HVAC, transmission and trim.

Expect to replace struts and shocks – the improvement in ride quality and handling will be dramatic, and will be well worth the US$400 from Midas. Have them repack the wheel bearings at the same time.

Anytime you consider buying a Mustang, carefully check for heater-core leakage. This is a common problem, and an expensive one. Heater core failure in Mustangs is results from chemical corrosion and/or electrolysis caused by worn out coolant, which in turn, is a result of poor maintenance. Look for coolant oozing into the carpet in the passenger-side foot well, a sweet smell when the heater runs, green drips of fluid under the car near the fire wall (coolant may leak out of the A/C-condensation-drain hole). If you pay to replace the heater core, expect to kiss nine Benjamins goodbye (or 1,100 Loonies, if you happen to live in Winnipeg). It’s a nasty job, one that requires removing the dash and disconnecting the A/C. I did mine myself, but it took a full weekend.

The French-made A4LD 4-speed automatic is very efficient and smooth, just be sure it works well on the car you’re considering. A replacement will set you back US$1,300 for a rebuild, or about US$350 for a used trans (which are plentiful). The T-5 manual transmissions are very robust and will generally last longer than the car. If you need to replace, get a used one from a 2.3. The T-5 for the V8 is nearly, but not quite the same – and not interchangeable. Replacing the clutch is an easy afternoon’s job if you have the tools and skill.

The most common trim problems are worn-out front seats and deteriorating convertible tops. The seat back frames are “under engineered,” which means they break and lean towards the center console. Cure: buy a set from a wrecking year, like I did. My black-leather set from a GT convertible are very comfy, look great and only cost US$300.

The last big “trim” issue is the convertible top. A quality replacement top, professionally installed, will average about US$1,200. If you are braver than I, you could attempt to replace the top yourself, but I would not recommend it.

If you need to drive your Mustang in snow, you’ll be well advised to put good quality snow tires on all four corners. Even then, be careful. Lacking anti-lock brakes and the foul weather stability of front-wheel drive , Mustangs are notoriously squirrelly on snowy roads.

Give up your thoughts of transforming a 2.3 into a 5.0; it’s a seriously bad idea unless you’re building a dedicated drag racer. It can be done, but you really need a low-mileage donor car to do it right – that and about 80 hours of pro-quality labor. For the money and hassle of the swap, you could buy a very sweet 5.0.

As noted before, these cars are getting on in age. Unless you have service records, the first thing you do with your “new” Mustang is perform all the preventative maintenance listed in the owners manual. At a minimum, change all the fluids. Budget about US$350 for the preventative maintenance, if you plan to pay someone else to do the work.

You should drive both a 5.0 and a 2.3 before you buy one or the other. The four-cylinders cars might be too slow for you, or the V8s might be too beat up for your budget. In any case, buy the nicest Mustang you can afford: it’s almost always cheaper to buy than restore.
Amount Paid (US$): 1,100
Condition: Used
Model Year: 1991
Model and Options: LX 2.3 auto convertible