Fox vs. SN?

Goldmember · May 13, 2012

Rich V Foxes do have cup holders... carefully wedge your drink between the parking brake lever and the passenger seat. (The original Fox cupholder lol) There are companies that make custom-fit cupholders that IIRC replace the armrest pad. (Or go in place of ashtray, can't remember)

Fox GT's up to 1990 have better seats imo- better headrests and the thigh bolster that can be extended from the seats. (This excepts Cobras, Machs, and Bullitts.)The functioning auxiliary gauges that actually do stuff are better than SN gauges- dummy lights that happen to be gauges.

Other than that, the interior is pretty lousy.

For DD duty stick with your '98. All-around a better starting point. I thought about selling my '97 GT for a beautiful Calypso Green '93 hatch, thought better of it. Later, when I couldn't find a nice SN, just thought about getting a Fox instead. The thought lasted about a week.

97stanger · May 13, 2012

I obviously have my SN and recently bought a '92 hatch. Love the platform, like the interior just as much as my sn. As stated 4 lug sucks, but that can be a quick swap

Raffaelli · May 13, 2012

The only reason I would buy a fox again is

1. Its an SVO...or

2. Or building a full blown race car.

My 86 had a more, raw, feel to it. Nothing wrong with that, but as a daily id much rather have a 94-04.

Ive driven a pullied S197 Shelby. It makes a Sn95 chassis feel just as bad as a fox in comparison. But its heavier, quieter, and much, much more expensive compared to the past body styles.

Hope it helps.

Nacho98 · May 13, 2012

Thanks, it's also good to note it would just be left bone stock since it's a daily...already have a summer toy to play with. I'd have to give up the '98 too since I wouldn't have room for four cars between my wife and I.

Goldmember · May 13, 2012

I wouldn't give that '98 up for a Fox. Clean black SN95 GT = win on many levels. You'll hate yourself from selling it, I still regret selling my '97 even though it was almost 4 years ago and I'm in another GT.

Your odds of finding a clean, rust-free, stock Fox are slim at best.

Slykin · May 13, 2012

I kinda like the fox interiors better for some reason... I especially like the big buttons around the gauge cluster lol.

g36 monkey · May 13, 2012

Nacho, I wouldn't sell it because of how cherry your car is. I know your expectations in a vehicle and I think finding a fox like that for a reasonable price would be near impossible.

driftingmustang · May 13, 2012

i havent owned one but just for your knowledge. 50% less chasis stiffness, only 100 pounds lighter. inferior steering rack, inferior handling suspension components. just facts. it would be downgrade so unless you have that strong of a nostalgia with the fox. just my $0.02

driftingmustang · May 13, 2012

Raffaelli said:
The only reason I would buy a fox again is

1. Its an SVO...or

2. Or building a full blown race car.

My 86 had a more, raw, feel to it. Nothing wrong with that, but as a daily id much rather have a 94-04.

Ive driven a pullied S197 Shelby. It makes a Sn95 chassis feel just as bad as a fox in comparison. But its heavier, quieter, and much, much more expensive compared to the past body styles.

Hope it helps.

Word

RichV · May 13, 2012

SVO is not much different than any Fox. Just a different purpose.

driftingmustang · May 13, 2012

unique sums up the svo to me. those cars are very cool in my book

Saint · May 13, 2012

96TANGERINEGT said:
come on man give the foxes some love , if it wasn't fot them the sn95 would not even be here..

oh , and that bitch in ur sig. needs a dick in prety smile hahhahahah lmfao

(sent while drinking)

I mean I don't hate foxes. I just don't care for the notch too much. I guess cause growing up every time I saw a notch it was beat up looking, bone stock and some NON-enthusiast drove it but thats just MY AREA. Here there's more modded hatchbacks. so I took a liking to the hatch and frowned on the notch....

jo4roush99 · May 13, 2012

I have both and the SN has a much better interior. More comfortable seats. Beter brakes. For a DD, the SN is a better car. But if possible, maybe you could have both and not DD the same car all the time.

Gallows · May 13, 2012

I had a 88 5.0 LX Notch before I bought my Cobra and ownership of both overlapped for a year. Getting out of the Cobra into the LX felt like a big step back in time. It didn't handle anywhere near as well, very poor seats and interior appearance. I would like to have another one some day but with 5 lugs, better brakes, IRS swap and SN95/New Edge interior swap would be on my list of things to do and I doubt I would ever pour that much money into a Fox when I have the Cobra.

As for the Cobra, I liked the handling and braking better, the car overall feels a lot more solid and has a lot less squeaks and rattles then my old LX had. The interior holds up well for it's age IMO. Now, after seven years of ownership my goals have changed for the car. My wife and I don't get a lot of time together and she has had some health issues so a smoother ride and quieter exhaust are in the works so we can both get some enjoyment out of the car so I will be installing a IRS and this coming winter a T56. It may get a quartet of cams in the future but that would be my last big mod.

Saint · May 13, 2012

Gallows said:
I had a 88 5.0 LX Notch before I bought my Cobra and ownership of both overlapped for a year. Getting out of the Cobra into the LX felt like a big step back in time. It didn't handle anywhere near as well, very poor seats and interior appearance. I would like to have another one some day but with 5 lugs, better brakes, IRS swap and SN95/New Edge interior swap would be on my list of things to do and I doubt I would ever pour that much money into a Fox when I have the Cobra.

As for the Cobra, I liked the handling and braking better, the car overall feels a lot more solid and has a lot less squeaks and rattles then my old LX had. The interior holds up well for it's age IMO. Now, after seven years of ownership my goals have changed for the car. My wife and I don't get a lot of time together and she has had some health issues so a smoother ride and quieter exhaust are in the works so we can both get some enjoyment out of the car so I will be installing a IRS and this coming winter a T56. It may get a quartet of cams in the future but that would be my last big mod.

Nice break down comparison.

Depends on what you like

Zooming around curves as fast as I can and hanging just below the speed that the tires will break loose gives me wood. So a fox is not ideal for me. Stellar point about the breaking and handling differences. I'd probably be more of an import guy honestly since I love solid handling, but import guys shit on Mustangs too much for me to hang around, and I love Mustangs.

Gallows · May 13, 2012

I tried to be fair in my pros and cons but don't get me wrong, I did like my Fox but stock to stock they were two completely different animals.

Nacho98 · May 13, 2012

Goldmember said:
Your odds of finding a clean, rust-free, stock Fox are slim at best.

This I'm definitely noticing, whether it's ebay, craigslist, or forum classifieds...there just aren't many out there it seems. Especially GTs, which is the only one I would consider (even though they are the heaviest/slowest, I know). Seems to be far more LX cars around.

g36 monkey said:
Nacho, I wouldn't sell it because of how cherry your car is. I know your expectations in a vehicle and I think finding a fox like that for a reasonable price would be near impossible.

Thanks, yeah it would have to be absolutely cherry, especially underneath. I helped a friend build a motor for his '87 LX hatch back in high school, so I've been in the cars before and I drove it once, but it's been years and it was kinda ragged out. I do have a Camaro from that era though and let me tell you, while the Camaro is great for what it is, at the end of the day when I swap my cars back out and get back in the '98 GT, I am utterly amazed just how many light years ahead it is in refinement and comfort as a DD...so much more supportive seats with the lumbar, nice comfy soft leather, fast power windows (Camaro's are slow as shit lol), much smoother mod engine, more ergonomic, almost no rattles which impresses the hell out of me for a 14 year old Ford, kinda wondering if DD'ing a fox would be a lot like DD'ing my Camaro...I wouldn't really want to give all those comforts up. Sure our SNs may not be the Caddy that the S197s are, but they hold their own really well for their age. Most comfy car I've owned so far. Just curious how much of that I'd have to give up.

Unfortunately I'm also picky as far as colors--It would have to be all red exterior (meaning no two tone), all black exterior (rather avoid it though, especially with the inevitably wavy ground effects), or it would have to be the bright blue over titanium, wild strawberry over titanium, or maybe the silver over titanium, and MAYBE white over titanium. All would have to have gray interiors (oddly the only car I don't really like the black interior in, though I'd take it over red everyday). It's tough to find. Ideally it would be an all red with gray interior '91-'92, or the strawberry/titanium '91-'92 over gray interior, bone stock with the ponys and clean metal underneath and a T5.

1997GT4.6 · May 14, 2012

I have had the same itch for a few months now; so I went out and spent $1000 on my cobra to force me to keep it. Bilstiens, H&R's, MM CC plates: now that's a thousand dollars well spent in my books! Car rides great! Now compare that to a fox! haha lol jk. Plus crystal white cobras are just tits.

The reason I wanted a fox was to go faster but it seems plans have changed and I'm not too set on going faster just now. I'm going for appearance mods right now; that slammed mustang thread besides all the smackdown garbage in there, has convinced me a little bit

sorry I'm going on about my car when it's your thread lol. Your car is cherry as stated above. It's going to be hard to find a fox in that condition unless you are willing to shell out some more bucks. And honestly a fox unless making it a drag car, I wouldn't spend a whole lot on purchasing one. Hope this helps some

jo4roush99 · May 14, 2012

Nacho98 · May 14, 2012

Decent cars and thanks, but I wouldn't buy any of them. No 'verts, no 4-eyes, no LX cars, and I'd never touch a car that's been hacked with a carb. Plus they are all modded.

Where are the bone stock GTs??

EDIT: One thing swaying me away from doing this is that I know what I have with my Stang, and I have a pretty good chunk of money into it already (starter, ebrake cables (didn't really need them but I was tired of yanking that ebrake handle so high), four brand new Yokohamas and an alignment (tires are always so damn expensive), belt, lug stud, new headlights/OEM Ford corners, Lloyd's floormats, Lloyd's trunkmat, new rack bushings, etc.) and before I could sell it I need to figure out what the F is clunking in the suspension and fix it. Overall, aside from the starter which I replaced at the first sign of trouble rather than waiting for it to break, and whatever is going on in the suspension, it's been a great car and it's Motorcraft down to the battery.

Downside is that I know that in the next 6-12 months it will need brakes, shocks/struts, and a general tune up since the plugs/wires are original let alone anything that needs to be repaired. At some point during my planned ownership it will maybe also need a clutch replacement (just given the 87k miles).

Perhaps it's foolish to expect any 20+ year old car to be a reliable DD, given what it takes even to keep the unmolested one I have in top shape?