2003-04 Mach 1 Registry Owners Club - View Single Post

Rusty67 · 09-13-2020, 09:51 PM

So it comes down to this, I've got 160,000+ miles on my 4.6L and I don't drive the car very often anymore because I daily ride a motorcycle 99% of the time. From what I can tell, I might have broken a connecting rod or main bearing. I'm guessing bad main bearing. There is metal glitter in the oil I drained this morning with some slightly larger chunks so I know for sure the motor is done.

The real question here is do I try to salvage my 03 Mach 1 or do I just walk away from the car. I've had it about 10 years and it has given me overall GREAT service/reliability. The only issue I ever had with the car leaving me out in the cold was the fuel pump went out on me at 120,000 miles. Other than that, it has just been minor issues here and there.

My plans for the car were to yank the 4.6L and do a coyote swap if the motor ever went out on me but I was hoping to do that in another 1-3 years after I moved back to SoCal. I don't have the space/work area to do it where I live now and I certainly don't want to pay a shop 10K to RnR the motor and have it rebuilt. Even if I RnR the motor myself I feel like I'm going to end up somewhere in the 6-8K range.

What do you guys think? Is it worth fixing the old girl? She isn't in perfect shape by any stretch and does need a small amount of body work. At the same time, I would essentially be calling up a scrapper to come take it after I pull my T56 Magnum and a few other choice parts out of her. I'd end up with nothing for it. I'm a bit torn on this one because it is just at the tipping point where fixing it could make sense but at the same time I don't want to end up with the same mostly stock Mach 1 I've been driving for the last 10 years if I put a ton of money into the car. It feels like 10K to get my motor back to stock isn't a smart investment.

09-13-2020, 09:51 PM	#1
Rusty67 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: LA, CA Posts: 77	Welp my engine is dead.... So it comes down to this, I've got 160,000+ miles on my 4.6L and I don't drive the car very often anymore because I daily ride a motorcycle 99% of the time. From what I can tell, I might have broken a connecting rod or main bearing. I'm guessing bad main bearing. There is metal glitter in the oil I drained this morning with some slightly larger chunks so I know for sure the motor is done. The real question here is do I try to salvage my 03 Mach 1 or do I just walk away from the car. I've had it about 10 years and it has given me overall GREAT service/reliability. The only issue I ever had with the car leaving me out in the cold was the fuel pump went out on me at 120,000 miles. Other than that, it has just been minor issues here and there. My plans for the car were to yank the 4.6L and do a coyote swap if the motor ever went out on me but I was hoping to do that in another 1-3 years after I moved back to SoCal. I don't have the space/work area to do it where I live now and I certainly don't want to pay a shop 10K to RnR the motor and have it rebuilt. Even if I RnR the motor myself I feel like I'm going to end up somewhere in the 6-8K range. What do you guys think? Is it worth fixing the old girl? She isn't in perfect shape by any stretch and does need a small amount of body work. At the same time, I would essentially be calling up a scrapper to come take it after I pull my T56 Magnum and a few other choice parts out of her. I'd end up with nothing for it. I'm a bit torn on this one because it is just at the tipping point where fixing it could make sense but at the same time I don't want to end up with the same mostly stock Mach 1 I've been driving for the last 10 years if I put a ton of money into the car. It feels like 10K to get my motor back to stock isn't a smart investment.