[cleanspeed1]

OK, let's see..........You drive too fast, aerodynamics not too good because of the damage, trip is 31 miles one way, automatic and a 2.3 so it's kinda pokey. Student and money is tight. Don't want to get rid of car, like car.

Alright, here we go: driving 75 mph on the cruise control is killing your mpg. You have to slow down. Regardless of what you replaced, you don't know the condition of the engine on the inside. If the engine has low compression ( and very well can since it was abused ) you are pissing fuel out the pipe. Is the ignition timing ok? Are the injectors spraying properly ( lack of fuel filter changes and carbon fouling mess the spray patterns up and bam! fuel economy takes a dump ).

Replacing the car: how about this. Make a decision about what you want to live with. How about keep the Mustang, but get it off the road and fix it up properly and get something else that gets much better fuel economy that you don't have put so much time and money into? You live in a warm region and there are plenty of other cars that get better mpg by design than your Mustang, use that as your daily. You drive a lot, and the distances are pretty decent. If you were driving an old Civic, Corolla, Sentra, Saturn, even an Escort, you will be starting at low to mid 30s in the mpg and able to save a little money.

This is just looking at things from a strictly business view with no sentimentality. You have to drive.

On the other hand, if you want to continue to drive Mustang everyday, how much is it going to cost to get her up to proper working condition so that it doesn't take all your money?