What Preventative Maintenance is Needed on a New Edge Mustang?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The SN95 chassis was one of the Mustang’s longest-lasting generations. Towards the end, in 2004 there were very few recalls, and almost all had to do with aftermarket lamps. Owners consider the 4.6-liter engine as one of the most reliable engines Ford has ever built, though they weren’t without problems. That said, there are some preventative maintenance owners can do to elongate their Mustang GT’s life. Most of it is simple and cheap, while some of it may require a couple of jack stands and some elbow grease. Staying on top of this maintenance can ensure a 4.6-liter will last to 300,000 miles.

Change the PCV valve every 30,000 miles

2003 Ford Mustang Mach 1 on display in New York | STAN HONDA/AFP via Getty Images

A common point of maintenance with the 4.6-liter is its positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve. An engine’s crankcase produces gasses from burned fuel, so the PCV valve reroutes those gasses back into the combustion chambers. Before the PCV valve, those gasses were routed to the exhaust. The PCV valve is part of an engine’s emissions equipment. Prices can range from $10 for an aftermarket one or $50 for an OEM Motorcraft part. It can be found screwed into the passenger side valve cover with a hose attached. 

Transmission fluid should be looked at every 30,000 miles

2002 ford mustang bullitt driving
2002 Ford Mustang Bullitt | Getty Images

Owners recommend changing fluids every 30,000 miles or so. This includes flushing the radiator and replacing the gear oil in both the rear end and the transmission. Luckily Ford made all of this relatively easy to do. Removing the gearshift makes replacing the transmission fluid much easier, as it can be filled from the top instead of with a pump underneath the car. There’s a drain plug that’s easily accessible on the underbelly of the transmission. 

Differential oil needs some attention 

Ford Mustang cobra convertible by the water
Ford Mustang Cobra convertible | via Getty Images

Differential gear oil is a little more complicated, but not much more difficult. Remove all bolts holding the differential cover except the top one, pry the cover away from the differential and allow all the fluid to drain out through the gap at the bottom. After the fluid drains, remove the cover entirely and clean everything with brake cleaner. 

Scrub the cover gasket mating surfaces thoroughly, and replace the cover with a new gasket. Looking straight on at the differential cover, the filler plug sits at the top left, where the axle housing meets the differential. Pump fluid in until it starts to come out, and then plug it back in. The Mustang uses an 8.8-inch differential, and all 8.8s take two quarts of ATF.

Keep up with basic checkups

2002 ford mustang bullitt driving
2002 Ford Mustang Bullitt | Getty Images

SN95 New Edge Mustangs have a recommended regimen of preventative maintenance which should happen fairly often. Owners should check their exhaust, heat shielding, the cooling system, the braking system, and non-sealed steering linkages every 15,000 miles. At a certain mileage, owners should check serpentine belts and the cabin air filter as well. It takes some time to check all of these things independently, but a trained mechanic can inspect all of these parts in about an hour. As long as the car is cared for, it can last forever.

RELATED: Is a New Mustang GT the Best Option for Cheap Performance?

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Chevrolet has Released the Camaro Configurator With Prices

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The Camaro is back in full swing for another year. A few trims with four different engine options are on the table along with the manual transmission. In basic trim, the exterior is simple and sleek and doesn’t get aggressive until the 1SS trim level which brings out a spoiler and a more complex front bumper. On higher trim levels the interior becomes more colorful, with an accented steering wheel, gearshift, and gauges. Prices climb fairly steadily from the 1LS all the way up to the 2SS, but there’s a significant jump to the ZL1, which is where, in pure numbers, it broaches supercar territory.

As basic as it gets: 1LS

The Camaro’s most basic form takes the shape of the 1LS, starting at an affordable $26,195. It comes with a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four, mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. $1,500 more gets the automatic transmission with paddle shifters. The engine uses direct injection and produces 275 horsepower. 

The 1LS can only come with this engine, and in fact, has very few options available aside from floor mats, a black appearance package, a weather protection package, and various aesthetics. More advanced safety features like Forward Collision Alert, lane change assist, and rear cross-traffic alert are not available.

So many LT trims

2021 Camaro SS & LT1 | Chevrolet

Chevrolet offers the Camaro with not one, but four different LT trims, including the 1LT, 2LT, 3LT, and LT1. The 1-3LT comes with the 2.0-liter inline-four, but also has a 3.6-liter V6 option, which produces 335 horsepower. The LTs are identical for the most part. The 3LT comes with a convenience and lighting package and memory settings, which aren’t available on the other LT models. 

Differences in the three models don’t start showing until the interior features are considered. The 3LT has a Bose sound system as standard and various aesthetics options are sprinkled throughout the models. Camaro 3LTs come with all safety features as standard.

The LT1 is a different beast altogether. Its only engine option is a 6.2-liter V8 producing 455 horsepower, which still comes with a manual transmission. It comes with front performance Brembo brakes as standard, as well as performance suspension and shorter final drive gears. The LT1 starts at a modest $35,195. 

Welcome to performance: SS Models

Camaro ss on display in chicago
2020 Chevrolet Camaro SS is on display at the 112th Annual Chicago Auto Show | Raymond Boyd/Getty Images

Camaro SS models start with the 1SS, which comes with the same engine as the LT1. Brembo front and rear performance brakes are available, as well as launch control and a performance-tuned suspension. The 2SS gets all the safety features, while the 1SS does not have the option of forward collision, lane change, or rear cross-traffic alerts. Coincidentally the 1SS and LT1 have the exact same safety options. Like the LTs the SS models have different interior packages and features available to them. The 1SS starts at $38,695 with the manual transmission coupe, as the 2SS hops a short distance to $43,695.

Is it a Camaro or a Corvette: ZL1 trim

The ZL1 trim is where the Camaro starts to branch off into its own territory. It gets the same 6.2-liter V8, this time with a supercharger attached at the hip to produce 650 horsepower. It still comes with a manual transmission as well. Brembo performance front and rear brakes come standard, as does an electronic limited-slip differential and launch control. Like the 2SS, the ZL1 gets all the safety features. Starting at $64,195, the ZL1 is about $22,000 more than the 2SS, which is quite a jump. However, it’s cheaper than the considerably more powerful Mustang GT500 which starts at $70,300.

Which Trim level is the best?

Choosing which Camaro trim level to buy comes down to the engine and interior. All cars are safe in the event of a crash, it just depends on what advanced safety features a consumer wants to help keep them alert. Using Chevrolet’s configurator to compare the trims, the LT1 seems like the best well-rounded choice. It has the V8, a manual transmission, and a limited-slip differential. It hovers around the Mustang GT’s MSRP, so it’s priced reasonably. The ZL1 undoubtedly performs amazingly, but justifying the extra $20,000 for 200 more horsepower and tuned suspension is a tough sell. 

RELATED: Rumors of Chevy Using an Electric Sports Sedan to Replace the Camaro Are Circulating

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Justin Timberlake Is Worth $250M But Still Runs His Errands in a 2002 Volkswagen Jetta

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Celebrities are just like us. A few of them, anyway. In fact, when it comes to celebrities like Justin Timberlake, while he might be worth $250 million, he’s no stranger to running his errands behind the wheel of a 2002 Volkswagen Jetta. But what is it about the Volkswagen Jetta that has Timberlake so enamored with it?  

How much is Justin Timberlake worth?

Justin Timberlake | Isabel Infantes/PA Images via Getty Images

First things first, let’s talk about how much Justin Timberlake is worth. Justin Timberlake’s net worth rings in at an impressive $250 million, Celebrity Net Worth reports. Though, Justin Timberlake’s net worth shouldn’t be that surprising. After all, Timberlake is a man of many talents. Not only is he the former lead singer of NSYNC, but he’s also a songwriter, actor and record producer. But, let’s get back to Justin Timberlake’s beloved 2002 Volkswagen Jetta.

Why Justin Timberlake drives a 2002 Volkswagen Jetta

Yes, you read that right. Justin Timberlake is the proud owner of a 2002 Volkswagen Jetta, GQ reports. The Volkswagen sedan even serves as his daily driver and is his go-to car for running his daily errands. 

Though, it’s no surprise that the celeb would opt for such a modest car when doing such everyday tasks. After all, Justin Timberlake is one of the best-known celebrities, and, unfortunately, sometimes the world’s most famous celebrities are forced to go incognito to get things done.

As for what’s under the hood of Timberlake’s 2002 Volkswagen Jetta? GQ reports that Timberlake’s Volkswagen sedan features a turbocharged 1.8-liter, four-cylinder engine. It also offers up a good amount of interior space. A maximum of 34 cubic feet of cargo space, Kelley Blue Book reports. 

Justin Timberlake’s car collection includes more than a 2002 Volkswagen Jetta

While Justin Timberlake has no problem running his errands behind the wheel of a 2002 Volkswagen Jetta, his car collection does include a few more expensive models. Take, for example, Timberlake’s 2006 Bentley Continental GT. According to GQ, the star paid £150,000 for the luxury sedan. Timberlake isn’t the only one to own the Continental GT either. In fact, other celebrity owners of this expensive Bentley include stars like Robert Downey Jr, Sylvester Stallone, and even Jay-Z.

Justin Timberlake also owns a 1967 Pontiac GTO convertible, GQ reports. The celeb first drove the car while filming 2012’s Trouble With The Curve, which he starred in alongside Clint Eastwood and Amy Adams. The classic car featured a 365 horsepower 6.6-liter V8 engine under its hood. 

“I kept driving that car around and around, and finally I just said, ‘Yeaaaaahh,’” Timberlake told USA Today, GQ reports. “I found a ’67 GTO in Texas. This guy had only put, like, nine hours [driving on it] since he fully restored it. I called him up and said, ‘I’ll take it off your hands.’ I got lucky.”

But if you want to run your errands in a Jetta too?

Not everyone can afford a Bentley or a ‘67 Pontiac GTO. But if you find yourself wanting to run errands in a similar car to Justin Timberlake’s? Then check out the 2021 Volkswagen Jetta. This year’s model starts at $18,995 and is available in several trim levels. It also features more than enough cargo space for running errands. In fact, this year’s new Jetta offers up to 14.1 cubic feet of cargo space, which U.S. News & World Report says is pretty decent for a compact sedan.

RELATED: Where Do Celebrities Buy Their Cars?

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Mr. Goodpliers Discovers Forest Full of Vintage Vehicles

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Recently Youtube’s Mr. Goodpliers released 90 minutes of footage, showing a forest full of abandoned antique vehicles. It’s not just cars though. Trucks, tractors and trailers occupy every sizable gap. It’s a series of videos depicting Mr. Goodpliers and a companion, romping through dense forest stumbling over these vehicles, some rusting away, others with giant holes in the sides, but all are either classic, antique, or vintage.

He states it’s the work of a hoarder. In his second and third videos of this abandoned car lot, he is able to retrieve a couple of these vehicles. Based on license plates and business logos slapped on the sides of some of these vehicles, it’s possible to ascertain this lot exists in Kansas.

The collection depicts a history of farming

Several vehicles that were found suggest a farmer owned them at some point. Mr. Goodpliers comes across a flatbed Chevy from the late 1940s to early 1950s, several tractors, and International Harvester pickup trucks. This was a manufacturer that only built vehicles for farming. They used AMC inline-six and V8 engines, from 3.8-liters to 6.6.

Goodpliers found various parts of large trucks strewn around the area, as well as an abandoned military troop carrier truck. He also finds an all-wheel drive Eagle, a compact passenger car from the 1980s. AMC sold it as a coupe, sedan, hatchback, convertible, and station wagon. They also found random antiques like an old gas pump, a house, a school bus, and piles of tires.

Goodpliers also found a 1969 Datsun 1500, a pickup truck with an inline-four. In Japan they were known as the Datsun 521, succeeded by the Nissan D21 in 1985. The oddball of this lot appears to be a Chevy Corvair, a compact rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive coupe. Although, a classic Volkswagen Bug was also there, almost completely swallowed by trees. Oldsmobiles, Volvos, and an AMC Rambler were almost buried under trees as well. The lot seemed to go on forever. Eventually, night fell and they had to vacate the lot.

Retrieving the 1962 F100 Unibody

Goodpliers returned to the lot during the day to rescue a 1962 F100 Unibody a week later. A tree had grown inside of the truck, but it was in good enough shape to rescue from the woods. They started by jacking up the front and discovered tree roots had grown around the axles. 

Goodpliers and co. used ratcheting straps chained to a modern full-size pickup truck to pull it out of the ground. The front right wheel had seized, so a mechanic came out, took the hub apart and got it to spin, then fitted a new wheel and tire. They were able to remove the truck from the forest.

There are more vintage cars where that came from

Abandoned cars seen in a forest at the Tohiea mount | John Milner/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Rural parts of the U.S. are teeming with forests filled with automotive relics. There’s bound to be some desirable car or truck wedged between trees or buried in the dirt. They’re just sitting there, waiting to be rescued.

RELATED: What Happens to Cars That Are Abandoned on Public Roads?

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