My sister just bought an 05 mustang, 6-cyl convertible automatic as most women would want. However when I drove it I noticed that it does not have ABS, which apparently was optional equipment on the base model that also added traction control. Does anyone know if that option can be retrofitted at that point, and whether it’s worth the trouble? According to the local Ford dealer, it was a factory-installed option. I imagine it would include ABS electronic module, ABS pump, wheel sensors, a switch inside the car and some wiring, is there anything else I am missing? My concern is it’s her first RWD car and she moved to TN where there may be more snow days than she has seen before.

8/8/2011 1:23:43 PM

It is probably expensive. I'd recommend buying a set of dedicated winter tires instead (to have mounted on the car November - March every year).

8/8/2011 1:53:23 PM

the original cost of the ABS/TC option from factory was 780 dollars, which I think she would be willing to spend. Not sure how that would compare to a retrofit.

I drive a 2wd chevy s10 and I install winter tires on the back each year and throw some sand bags in the bed. ABS really makes it easy to drive in the snow. Winter tires will add traction for acceleration and to go around the turns, but won't stop the wheels from locking up during braking causing the car to slide uncontrollalbly. Of course she can pump the brakes, but I'd rather have the car do the thinking for her.


[Edited on August 8, 2011 at 2:13 PM. Reason : .]

8/8/2011 2:08:15 PM

^winter tires increase the traction in every direction, including when you try to stop. Though she's a woman, and I understand that if she's used to an ABS equipped car that she'll just stomp on the pedal without a 2nd thought.

If it's less than a grand to retrofit it I'd go for it.

8/8/2011 2:26:42 PM

f00 what happened to the lil Lude?

8/8/2011 2:36:38 PM

f00 I got the Lude back, had to spend 200 bucks on a new cat and it's back on the road. It needs a cheap paintjob and it burns oil a litle bit, but with 260k on the clock it's still running good. Just took it though Blue Ridge Parkway and after the s10 it feels like a god damn go-cart!

8/8/2011 3:06:17 PM

what year is it?

8/8/2011 3:27:48 PM

f00 I bet the Lude flexes better then the mexi truck too!

8/8/2011 4:12:41 PM

^haha it sure does

^^It's a 93, S version. It served me and my sister well all through college. Here are the said mustang, said prelude, said s10, and said sister. I know it's [almost] Carolina Blue, but she went to UNC-C so dont be hatin'



[Edited on August 8, 2011 at 4:33 PM. Reason : .]

8/8/2011 4:18:06 PM

Preludes were pretty sweet cars. Crying shame that Honda discontinued them. Blows my mind that ABS wasn't required on new vehicles till 2007 (yes I had to look that up )

8/8/2011 4:31:46 PM

Yeah I automatically assumed that as well about the ABS, until i took the mustang for a spirited drive in the rain trying to teach my sister the fundamentals of driving with RWD. I found out that even with the new tires those brakes will lock up the wheels fairly quick on wet surface, especially when panic braking from 30 and below. Mustang, while not particularly fast being a 300lb overweight v6, didn't handle like a boat I expected it to be. It'll be a nice ride for her IMO.

[Edited on August 8, 2011 at 4:41 PM. Reason : .]

8/8/2011 4:40:33 PM

I know the wires for it are in the car. Just need to buy the centerconsole on ebay that has the tcs button. I think the abs sensors are plugged up in the fender or engine bay somewhere if I'm not mistaking

8/8/2011 9:59:43 PM

Obviously you would also need the ABS computer which will probably have to be programmed to the vehicle as well as other modules in the vehicle that would need to be told that it now has ABS... Does her instrument cluster have the ABS light in it? Also different brake lines, pump/modulator assembly, possibly just more fuses and relays for the panels or potentially different fuseboxes altogether?? Even if the master cylinder, booster, calipers, etc are all the same and the wiring was all present in the vehicle this would be a major undertaking and would probably require access to a ABS equipped donor car or one to at least use as a reference.

8/9/2011 1:48:58 PM

Racelogic makes an aftermarket TC system...they also offer some cool add-ons like launch control and full-throttle shift (interrupt tied to the clutch disengagement).


However, a 6-cyl Mustang is an utterly pointless car to begin with, and if you can't talk her into just taking it to the crusher, I at least wouldn't spend a bunch of money to add TC to it.

If she must have a Mustang, and is hung up to the point of it being a dealbreaker for it to have TC/ABS, just sell the fucking thing and buy a V8 Mustang that'll have that stuff as standard equipment. Buying a car already equipped is a way more sensible option than trying to add it in. Adding stuff like that only makes sense if there was no way to get it as factory equipment. The fact that a V6 Mustang has no redeeming qualities and is at its best when used as scrap steel just makes it that much more of a no-brainer.

8/9/2011 1:58:22 PM

From what i've read, ABS pump and control module are one piece assembly that hook up directly to the ECU. I would imagine the wiring it from scratch would be a major undertaking, but really hoping that the ABS wires are part of the standard harnesses, and they just left the sensors/pump/switch off on the non-ABS cars and programmed the ECU accordingly. So my hope was that it is as wasy as installing the four sensors, pump/controller module, T/C switch, plugging it into existing wiring and adding lines between the master cylinder and the ABS module. If it is more involved than that, such as adding new wiring, changing brake calipers and brake lines, then i'd be probably leaning towards putting all the effort in teaching her how to drive or just getting her a cheap FWD/AWD beater for snow days.

^i know how you feel about a v6 mustangs and honestly I would not get one for myself, but keep in mind that if v6 mustang convertibles are good for one thing, it is making women happy for the least amount of money. Comparable GT was at least $4000 more and was basically out of her budget (this thing was stretching it as is), and would not offer her any additional benefits other than standard ABS, in fact she would be more likely to kill herself driving a GT than a v6.

Also, there was a way to get ABS/TC as a standard equipment, at a cost of 800 bucks, back in 2005, when the car cost double what she bought it for this summer. I would not even try to install it on a car that never had ABS as an option as that sounds like a PITA. I will look up Race Logic, honestly more concerned with ABS than with TC, I assume those systems include ABS functionality as well?



[Edited on August 9, 2011 at 2:17 PM. Reason : .]

8/9/2011 2:07:53 PM

Yeah, look them up. I don't remember them incorporating ABS, though, and I don't know how much they cost.

Quote :

" I would not even try to install it on a car that never had ABS as an option as that sounds like a PITA."

Oh yeah, but I'm saying that it will be more trouble and expense than it's worth to even install it on a car that offered it as an option. It's not like there's anything hard to find and particularly desirable about a V6 Mustang convertible, where some niche market weirdo like you or me wants to cobble together something that never existed from the factory (or is prohibitively difficult to find and commanding a stupid price premium on the used market even if you stumble across one).

I mean, the Racelogic stuff is great if you have a Cobra or Super Seven replica, or an LSx swapped into a Miata/E30/AE86.etc...something with the power to weight ratio of the space shuttle and no electronic driving aids available from the factory. Taking that approach to getting ABS on a fairly late-model V6 Mustang seems totally asinine to me. I just mentioned it because it does, in fact, exist.

Quote :

" keep in mind that if v6 mustang convertibles are good for one thing, it is making women happy for the least amount of money. "

That's a very nice way to say that they suck balls in every way.


Tell that girl to sell it and buy a convertible E46. I'm sure she could get a nice 325Ci for what she could sell the Mustang for.

8/9/2011 2:33:58 PM

she could probably get a 325ci with a bit higher mileage for the same money, however she is stuck on the mustang and that's what she wants. And im actually fine with that as long as she is happy, i just wanted to find out whether there is a way to make it a bit safer to drive with this [seemingly] simple upgrade.

Hey, at least she did not get a Solara

8/9/2011 2:51:59 PM

[Edited on August 9, 2011 at 3:27 PM. Reason : compilation]

8/9/2011 3:24:59 PM

We call those Surprise U-turns.

8/9/2011 4:18:29 PM

I know in earlier model mustangs (94-04) the entire line assemblies were different between ABS and non abs cars (they did not run up to the front passenger side where the ABS pump lives)

other things that will likely be missing is the factory yaw sensor (if I remember correctly)

it is nto a stand alone unit, it is pretty well integrated in to several systems on the car, and the traction control was integrated into the brakes as well as the throttle by wire setup so it could modulate throttle.

8/9/2011 8:55:49 PM

Quote :

" Hey, at least she did not get a Solara"

As a convertible chick car the Solara wins hands down.

8/10/2011 10:11:00 AM

^maybe in some respects it does but you would not even catch me in the back seat of one, let alone behind the wheel. I'm Ok with driving the mustang anywhere outside Raleigh city limits
^^thanks for the info

8/10/2011 11:22:33 AM

solaras are actually nice cars

8/10/2011 1:13:04 PM

Even the official Honda guy and the official Mustang guy are advocating a convertable Camry What is TWW garage coming to

Next thing you know, we will be discussing which brand of air freshner best compliments a Chevy Aveo.

8/10/2011 2:00:56 PM

You are all faggots. SRT-10 Viper or bust.

8/10/2011 2:16:03 PM

Solara translates to Refrigerator Cabriolet.

Seriously get that appliance loving talk out of here.

I can honestly say that i would rather own a CIVIC SI than any car currently sold under the toyota brand right now. And i hate hondas.

Now a tundra... i don't know about the newest one but the 06 model drives damned well.

8/10/2011 2:20:38 PM

Quote :

"You are all faggots. SRT-10 Viper or bust. "

I dont think those come with Traction Control either

But yeah that seemed to be the attitude Garage used to have during my College years. Although I got to admit there has not been many new recruits since then, at least those that stuck around.


[Edited on August 10, 2011 at 2:52 PM. Reason : Old folk got soft]

8/10/2011 2:40:13 PM

i laughed at that because it doesn't and was heavily criticized for it.

8/10/2011 2:43:33 PM

Years back Toyota went to Lexus design team and told them it was time for a convertible, give us your best ideas. One was a wild v8 hardtop convertible concept that they never expected to get the green light, the other was more sensibly based on the ES300... Lexus ended up with the SC430 and Toyota took the Solara.

8/12/2011 12:49:20 PM

Quote :

"Even the official Honda guy and the official Mustang guy are advocating a convertable Camry What is TWW garage coming to Next thing you know, we will be discussing which brand of air freshner best compliments a Chevy Aveo."

Quote :

"Solara translates to Refrigerator Cabriolet. Seriously get that appliance loving talk out of here. I can honestly say that i would rather own a CIVIC SI than any car currently sold under the toyota brand right now. And i hate hondas. Now a tundra... i don't know about the newest one but the 06 model drives damned well."

lmao

We're talking about a car for a G-I-R-L. Of course I'd never in a million years advocate a FWD washing machine over anything RWD.

8/12/2011 2:25:29 PM