Ford Probe GT?

[FastFokker]

Anyone care to comment on the Ford Probes, specifically the GT?

I know a girl who wants to sell her 1994 Probe GT and I've always had a thing for these cars. However, the second car I've ever owned was a Ford and I was burnt on that vehicle.. TOTAL lemon!

She doesn't want very much for it.. only $1500OBO, so it's pretty damn tempting. I've heard the engines are Mazda engines, so they'll last a long time. It's a manual tranny, so I don't have to worry about the auto going. 4 wheel disc brakes, so I can take care of them myself. I dunno I think I should grab it before someone else does... it'll be a fun toy.

Comments? :confused:

[DragonZealot]

This is essentially an MX6 which got pretty good reliability.

The distributor and the rear brake calipers are the items that breaks pre-maturely. Engine ticking noise when cold is another common problem which isn't really harmful.

Watch for worn out engine mount if it is a high mileage car. The rear one is difficult to replace.

Parts are quite expensive if you have to get them from Mazda. Aftermarket parts price is about average.

Lots of info on www.mx6.com and www.probetalk.com.

[FastFokker]

Good info, much appreciated.The distributor and the rear brake calipers are the items that breaks pre-maturely. Engine ticking noise when cold is another common problem which isn't really harmful.Ticking when cold does sound annoying.. but if not harmful, no worries. Brake caliper I could fix myself. That's one thing I love on this vehicle.. 4 wheel disc. I don't mess with drums myself, and it's just pricey bringing a vehicle into a "professional".
Watch for worn out engine mount if it is a high mileage car. The rear one is difficult to replace.Ouch.. if it's difficult to replace, it's surely difficult to find out of it's worn, no?Lots of info on www.mx6.com and www.probetalk.com.Definitely check those out.

[monkey-boy]

For $1500 I think it's a steal if it has a descent body and suspension. The engine, I really wouldn't worry about. I think the GT's are turbo's so check boost etc.

They're fun cars to drive, I've owned an '89 and a '94(both base models, though). The '89 is an auto and has about 150k kms, no major problems except for the alternator had to be replaced a couple times (dad is now driving it). And the '94 is standard and is just about to hit 295 k km's (gave to my sister, but she's selling it). Only thing I've done with that since I've owned it is oil, plugs, timing belt. The car runs strong, but too bad the interior is falling to pieces.

Probetalk is where I read up most of the information for my car. I hardly posted, as most car related forums, you can get 99.9% of the information through searches and faq's.

[MP3_SKY]

I owed a 94 MX-6 5spd. For about 14months of ownership, I fixed the brakes, alternator, wiper link....and some other stuff. More or less 1k into repairs for 14 months and the car is low milage with only 140k KM for a 1994. Body is good too except some spot of rust which is normal for a 11yrs old car

I know there is another problems coming too, like idel going at 2500rpm level somthing (especially when I struck in traffic), brakes start to have problems again. That's why I decide to sell it and not putting more $ on a old car.

1 year after I sold my MX6, I heard from the buyer that my old car died....distributor is wrong, brake lines need to re-done...etc.....he sold it to the garage for scrap price

You may survive few years with your probe if you are lucky, if not, you may keep going to garage to fix this and that. When you are tired to go to garage like me, you will let her go.

[DragonZealot]

Ouch.. if it's difficult to replace, it's surely difficult to find out of it's worn, no?Definitely check those out.

Check engine movement while giving it gas at neutral. You would also feel it when shifting and may hear the engine banging when pressing / releasing clutch.

Most MX6 and Probe owners consider this very useful:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/dorothy.bradbury/probemx/index.htm

[DragonZealot]

I think the GT's are turbo's so check boost etc.

There is no turbo version on this generation of Probe/MX6. However the V6 has VRIS which gives slight boost at various RPM ranges by switching different intake runners/surge tanks.

[Hula]

Same as the MX-6 and the 626-V6 (which I own). Good engine and tranny if a 5 spd. As it's a 94, the ticking engine is the hydraulic lash adjusters not getting correct lubrication. If the ticking is loud on start up or at low rpms, it should go away in the higher rpm range. If not, they may be worn. I would suggest synthetic only for this engine as it's a very small V6 and has many extreme tight tolerances inside the motor. Check for sludge around the inside edge (but below the rim) of the oil filler input. If you pull of dark thik material, this engine may need a lot of loving in the future in order to help restore to near new condition.

Brakes.....not bad.
Tranny....has been known for having high mileage synchro issues between 1st and 2nd gear.
Electrical - average.

Try to determine if the coil pack on the car is an original, or if it has been replaced. The originals are not as good as the replacement parts and the coil pack alone on a V6 is about $800.

The mass air flow sensor is another bone of contention with these cars, and often need replaced after 5-8 years. Also watch for low end suspension wear like the lowest steering arm and wheel bearings, which are know to have a relatively short life.

Other than that, they are great cars but the rpm's are always high based on how the car is geared. 125km's on the highway is at 4K. This engine has a small power boost at 4K and after that, the speedo climbs quickly and the tach doesn't move as fast as it's a bullet past 4k.

[FastFokker]

Great info, good site recommendations. I've been reading up and they sound like pretty good vehicles (generalized).

I'm heading out tomorrow to run through my checklist, if it passes, it's up to the mechanic. Perhaps Tuesday I'll own it and be getting my first speeding ticket in years. :lol:

[ES_Revenge]

The distributor and the rear brake calipers are the items that breaks pre-maturely.

Yeah these Mazda engines used a hybrid igntion system and the distributor module was prone to failure. A real b!tch when the thing costs like $300-$500 for the part alone... :( I think on the Probe, Ford developed a better system later on, but I can't remember now. I know MX3 owners with the K8 (1.8L V6 version of the same engine) have switched to this system successfully, by drilling a hole in the distributor and running a wire or something like that.

So I'm not sure if this particular Probe would be affected but the problem sucks because the module can fail at any time, without warning, and the car won't run when it fails, of course...

[joey3k]

I LOVED driving my 96 Ford Probe Gt around toronto.....2dr, blast :)

[FastFokker]

Yeah these Mazda engines used a hybrid igntion system and the distributor module was prone to failure. A real b!tch when the thing costs like $300-$500 for the part alone... Sounds like a critical part to replace immediately on my own time.

[FastFokker]

Wound up buying it today.

Purchased for only $1050... I actually feel kind of bad about the deal I got. :|

http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/8707/fokkernewcargn1.th.jpg (http://img149.imageshack.us/my.php?image=fokkernewcargn1.jpg)

[scouzer]

trust me...the seller almost always wins. if you think you got too good of a deal, you will get owned in a couple months.

[controlyar]

Wound up buying it today.

Purchased for only $1050... I actually feel kind of bad about the deal I got. :|

http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/8707/fokkernewcargn1.th.jpg (http://img149.imageshack.us/my.php?image=fokkernewcargn1.jpg)

Congrats FF. It looks clean.

[FastFokker]

trust me...the seller almost always wins. if you think you got too good of a deal, you will get owned in a couple months.Even a couple months enjoyment wouldn't be bad. :lol:

Either way, I don't think this seller had a clue what she was doing. She bought the vehicle for $4294 on June 30/05. She's spent about $3200 in maintenance since that time, and now sold the vehicle for $1050. I know because she gave me all the receipts, including the vehicle purchase invoice.

The vehicle even included a boxed subwoofer and amp that I'm not interested in and took out to sell. Honestly.. I feel bad about it all. :( If it turns out to be a lemon and kills my pocketbook, I probably deserve it.Congrats FF. It looks clean.Just at a distance.. it's definitely got some dings, scratches and rust close up. Needs some TLC inside and out.

Seems like fun so far though.. I really missed having a 5 speed.

[weedb0y]

It is a sweet fun drivin car!

[ES_Revenge]

Sounds like a critical part to replace immediately on my own time.

Well I wouldn't bother doing that because you never know if/when the current one is going to fail... What you could do is save some money and buy a new/reman./used working one as a backup to have just in case. However you could do the modification to the distributor and coil which I mentioned earlier (if that is necessary on your year Probe) which is supposed to make it last significantly longer.

Anyway, car looks pretty nice from the pic! :) Looks like you'll enjoy it; congrats on the purchase!

[MikeyP]

Wow.. that looks exactly like my 94 Probe GT I used to own.. does the passengers side headlight cover look a little out of alignment?
I'm in Truro. ;)

Wound up buying it today.

Purchased for only $1050... I actually feel kind of bad about the deal I got. :|

http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/8707/fokkernewcargn1.th.jpg (http://img149.imageshack.us/my.php?image=fokkernewcargn1.jpg)

[FastFokker]

Wow.. that looks exactly like my 94 Probe GT I used to own.. does the passengers side headlight cover look a little out of alignment?
I'm in Truro. ;)LoL!

The headlights DO actually point too high, they don't shine directly onto the ground.. one of the things I gotta fix/adjust and haven't yet.

However the car actually came from Ontario.. girl didn't want to go through the trouble to get it MVI'd. I did! :lol:

$1000 for car, $600 for repairs to MVI.. could probably get $2600 now with that sticker.