Ford GT

[csx4910]

I realize that this is a cobra site but curious to hear from guys that have been fortunate enough to own a Ford GT and heir experience. Not sure what the most active forum might be. I won't be able to afford one without possibly trading a car or 2 but after 10 years of drooling, considering giving up a trade or so in exchange for working to buy one this next year. Thoughts, advice on what to look for since the sales of these fluctuate wildly all over the place. Any advice and forum suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks
Csx4910

[legenmetals]

The fewer the miles and the least amount of modifications seem to command the most money. The Heritage GT will command 100k more for the paint job.

Check out the Ford GT Forums web site.

[twobjshelbys]

I switched from a CSX Cobra to the Ford GT. When I bought the Cobra it was a tossup between the GT and the Cobra, but I'd wanted a Cobra since I heard Cosby's 200MPH, I decided to do it. As I've explained, the wife hated the Cobra so we switched to the car with A/C, regular seat belts, no roll bar, no burns on the legs, etc.

Both cars will kill you in a heartbeat. First thing to do is ditch the factory tires for Bridgestones. It is the "last analog supercar" - full manual 6 gear transmission, no TCS no Stability Control, only ABS. It's real easy to get the rear end to spin around on you.

The GT is a very comfortable car to ride in and drive. However, it has a luggage compartment in the front that you can't even fit a pop cooler let alone any kind of suitcase. The thing that fits is the soft sided bag that the car cover came in and that's about it. But only put your underwear in it. Whatever you do don't put anything in there that will melt because it will. It's right behind the radiator so gets toasty warm.

It's very wide. Be very careful if you only have a single 8' wide standard garage door. Mine was standard construction and I had 2" on each side clearance to the mirrors (the widest part of the car). The doors open with the cutout above so you probably won't open them far enough in the garage to get in or out if there is another car next to it. I always take out the other car before I try to move it. The width and doors also mean parking in parking lots is very difficult - if someone pulls up next to you you probably won't get in or out (Jeremy Clarkson from the British Top Gear did a wonderful parody of this getting out crawling out like a snake).

Visibility out the rear is another issue and is the primary reason I've decided to sell mine. The passenger side has a blind spot big enough to hide a schoolbus so driving in traffic and lane changes can be difficult.

Another down side is service parts. More and more parts are unavailable, especially some body parts. Those that are available are incredibly expensive. Headlights now go for over $5000 (yes, 5 thousand dollars). Some unscrupulous people bought parts and sell them on ebay but Ford has within the past few months made FGT parts purchase require a VIN number and some parts require return so they know people aren't draining spares for those that really need them. Some parts can be on backorder for months, the lastest one I knew of was the wheel bearing assembly.

Insurance costs are on the rise (probably because of the parts issues) and because of the frame many insurance companies will total the car for all but the most minor damage.

Prices have gone through the roof, but have seasonally leveled out. Base price (without options) was 140K in 2005 and then 150K in late 2005 through 2006. All the options added another 13-15K (the Macintosh radio alone was 5K and stripes were 8K) The other options were painted calipers and upgraded wheels. The Heritage (Gulf colors) was a 13.5K option but you deleted the stripes so it only added 5K or so over a 4 option car.



I love the GT! It's without a doubt the most "complete" sports car I've ever driven. When I was driving the Corvettes at the Bondurant schools (3 times) I was wishing the Vette could do more, but the GT on the track I didn't even get close to reaching its capabilities. Gary Patterson drove it at the 2013 GT Rally and said even he was not at the max. Take it out on a twisty mountain road and you'll get to see what it is all about.

I'll probably think of more later...

[LMH]

I have a friend who owns one. 2006 I think. Anyway, the very first thing I noticed about it is you have to either have a really wide space to park in or take two spaces in a parking lot. The section of roof that's part of the door is in the way of getting in/out. The doors need to be open just about all the way!
Car is fast, comfortable, brakes very well and easy to drive. Kind of benign IMO as high performance cars go. Lacks character like the Cobra. Draws as much attention as the Cobra does. That's my observations w/o actually owning it.
Larry

[Cobra #3170]

Originally Posted by LMH

I have a friend who owns one. 2006 I think. Anyway, the very first thing I noticed about it is you have to either have a really wide space to park in or take two spaces in a parking lot. The section of roof that's part of the door is in the way of getting in/out. The doors need to be open just about all the way!
Car is fast, comfortable, brakes very well and easy to drive. Kind of benign IMO as high performance cars go. Lacks character like the Cobra. Draws as much attention as the Cobra does. That's my observations w/o actually owning it.
Larry

Easy to fix, Penske shocks, 750 pound rear springs and 400 pound front springs then drop ride height by 1.75" character comes right back. 26.5 PSI also helps with 105 octane unleaded. With those changes it wants to kill you almost as much as a Cobra does.

[twobjshelbys]

Originally Posted by LMH

Car is fast, comfortable, brakes very well and easy to drive. Kind of benign IMO as high performance cars go. Lacks character like the Cobra. Draws as much attention as the Cobra does. That's my observations w/o actually owning it.
Larry

I put a pulley and tune on mine and its HP:weight ratio is better than my Cobra. It will get you into as much trouble as a Cobra just as quickly. The Cobra has more luggage space though.

[SFSDFGT]

Well, Tony already covered things pretty well!

I swapped out my factory supercharger for a 4.0 Whipple last year (after running the pulley and tune for a couple of years), and that certainly upped the excitement factor, but an inexperienced/careless driver can certainly get into enough trouble with a stock one. People who aren't used to the front/rear weight distribution of a mid-engine car tend to get into an accident the first time they try to accelerate hard in any sort of a curve. Especially with the factory Goodyears in colder weather. They are a joy to work on- for most things it is just like any other Ford. Oil changes are a little more complex due to the dry-sump oil system.

Anyway- they are a FANTASTIC car to drive, or just sit and drool at if that is your thing, but that would be a shame. Either way, it's a nice bonus that if you can get one now for anything under $250k, it might even perform decently as an investment. Or at least not lose your A$$ on it if you ever decide to sell it. I got mine right as they were starting to climb rapidly. I think I paid $170k about 3 years ago. Mine is red with white stripes, the most common color combo, so the lowest in the value hierarchy (but the color I wanted!)

[SFSDFGT]

almost forgot the best part:




By the way, the best and ONLY forum to bother with for Ford GTs is Ford GT Forum - The Online Ford GT Community

[csx4910]

Thanks for the info and replies. I have been looking at a few and I don't want to give away my source but have a lead on a gulf livery 2006 with under 1000 miles for about $100k under what some are asking. Many more choices including a 3 mile still in wrapper for under $400. I will keep my cobra(cant get first of the first car I fell in love with at age 5) but have a couple of other cars I would make room for if the right deal came along and I wont have to sleep in the garage to get it!

Several 3-4k mile cars available in the low 3's with obviously the auctions jacking up some prices to $50-500k but that isn't realistic value for what they will do. They have skyrocketed but what goes up will level off or come down once the new one is released(IMHO)

I have found a couple of 4 option cars for under $3ook depending on how long the dealer wants to sit on them.
Thanks again for the input

[Bernica]

Originally Posted by twobjshelbys

I put a pulley and tune on mine and its HP:weight ratio is better than my Cobra. It will get you into as much trouble as a Cobra just as quickly. The Cobra has more luggage space though.

I am no expert, but there appear to be a LOT of GT's that were wrecked pretty fast after purchased. Seems like the first thing some inexperienced persons want to do is pulley them before they even learn do drive them. That results in the inevitable.

How many of the 4,000 produced have been totaled

[SFSDFGT]

Originally Posted by csx4910

Thanks for the info and replies. I have been looking at a few and I don't want to give away my source but have a lead on a gulf livery 2006 with under 1000 miles for about $100k under what some are asking. Many more choices including a 3 mile still in wrapper for under $400. I will keep my cobra(cant get first of the first car I fell in love with at age 5) but have a couple of other cars I would make room for if the right deal came along and I wont have to sleep in the garage to get it!

Several 3-4k mile cars available in the low 3's with obviously the auctions jacking up some prices to $50-500k but that isn't realistic value for what they will do. They have skyrocketed but what goes up will level off or come down once the new one is released(IMHO)

I have found a couple of 4 option cars for under $3ook depending on how long the dealer wants to sit on them.
Thanks again for the input

There is a big difference between "100K under what some are asking", and 100k under what is a fair market-value price. There are some frickin' ridiculous prices being asked out there. However, if you have the means, and you find a truly good price on a Heritage, I would pounce on it. I think your fear of the value of the '05/'06 GTs decreasing once the new one comes out are unfounded. Lots of speculation of course, but the new GT is a completely different car. In ten years, it's valuation may do much much better, or much much worse then the 05/06 cars, but I don't think it will have any effect on the values of the 05/06 cars. Just my opinion... but I'm certainly not alone.

By the way, one excellent place to shop for FGTs is Elite Autos LLC - We are CASH BUYERS for your used Exotic or High end car. Sell us your car for CASH today!

Shelby Smith (owner of elite autos llc) is VERY reputable in the GT world, and if he has one that you like, don't be afraid to buy from him. As fair a price as you are likely to find, and you'll KNOW EXACTLY what you are getting. He (and his staff) know these cars inside and out. As a plus, they can also do any mods that you want. I had them paint my calipers from silver to red (with silver lettering), and do Xpel film over nearly the entire car. Mods I did myself include a short-throw shifter, new exhaust system (stock is TOO QUIET), transaxle cooler, and subwoofer relocation.

[Cobra #3170]

Originally Posted by Bernica

I am no expert, but there appear to be a LOT of GT's that were wrecked pretty fast after purchased. Seems like the first thing some inexperienced persons want to do is pulley them before they even learn do drive them. That results in the inevitable.

How many of the 4,000 produced have been totaled

Unfortunately, having the money to buy one does not correlate with having the ability to drive one although some folks seem to equate their earning ability with all sorts of other skills. In stock form they are very safe in that they have all kinds of safety features like roll under steer and wheel rates heavily biased toward under steer. On cold days a stock GT can make 550 wheel horsepower.
High performance summer tires have very little traction as temperatures drop combine those factors with an inexperienced driver and you have an accident waiting to happen. They are still orders of magnitudes safer than any Cobra because of construction, occupant protection systems, wheel base and
vehicle dynamics. A Cobra can kill you, a GT can be destroyed in a big crash but the occupants will most likely survive. Although there have been lots of Cobra crashes I think the owners as a group are more aware of the dangers of inappropriate throttle application than GT owners were when the car came out. The GT forum did a lot to educate people as to the dangers of driving them in an unsafe manner, similar to what this forum has done for years with Cobra owners.

[Bernica]

Originally Posted by Cobra #3170

Unfortunately, having the money to buy one does not correlate with having the ability to drive one although some folks seem to equate their earning ability with all sorts of other skills. In stock form they are very safe in that they have all kinds of safety features like roll under steer and wheel rates heavily biased toward under steer. On cold days a stock GT can make 550 wheel horsepower.
High performance summer tires have very little traction as temperatures drop combine those factors with an inexperienced driver and you have an accident waiting to happen. They are still orders of magnitudes safer than any Cobra because of construction, occupant protection systems, wheel base and
vehicle dynamics. A Cobra can kill you, a GT can be destroyed in a big crash but the occupants will most likely survive. Although there have been lots of Cobra crashes I think the owners as a group are more aware of the dangers of inappropriate throttle application than GT owners were when the car came out. The GT forum did a lot to educate people as to the dangers of driving them in an unsafe manner, similar to what this forum has done for years with Cobra owners.

Very well put Sir!

[LMH]

Originally Posted by Cobra #3170

Unfortunately, having the money to buy one does not correlate with having the ability to drive one although some folks seem to equate their earning ability with all sorts of other skills. In stock form they are very safe in that they have all kinds of safety features like roll under steer and wheel rates heavily biased toward under steer. On cold days a stock GT can make 550 wheel horsepower.
High performance summer tires have very little traction as temperatures drop combine those factors with an inexperienced driver and you have an accident waiting to happen. They are still orders of magnitudes safer than any Cobra because of construction, occupant protection systems, wheel base and
vehicle dynamics. A Cobra can kill you, a GT can be destroyed in a big crash but the occupants will most likely survive. Although there have been lots of Cobra crashes I think the owners as a group are more aware of the dangers of inappropriate throttle application than GT owners were when the car came out. The GT forum did a lot to educate people as to the dangers of driving them in an unsafe manner, similar to what this forum has done for years with Cobra owners.

That's for sure! They come out to track events and cause a whole host of problems yet to listen to them talk, they just raced the 24 at Le Mans. On the track, they're more like bumper-cars!
Larry

[Bernica]

Yup. A friend of mine talked me into going to a show with him to meet this kid with an '06 GT. Rich kid, no brains. All he kept telling me is how he had spooled it up and thought he had almost 1,000 hp now. I asked him if he had gone to driving school yet and how much seat time he had and he said "no man, I know how to drive". Well, that car is one of the ones that is now a total wreck two weeks after I met him. But, you are right...he was safe and walked away to go find something else.

[twobjshelbys]

Originally Posted by Bernica

I am no expert, but there appear to be a LOT of GT's that were wrecked pretty fast after purchased. Seems like the first thing some inexperienced persons want to do is pulley them before they even learn do drive them. That results in the inevitable.

How many of the 4,000 produced have been totaled

Yes, they are a handful straight from the factory. I don't think as SFSDFGT said that the mid engine really is a factor, but that the original tires were hard as hockey pucks and would as he also said, let go in turns. Note my Cobra had a tendency to do the same thing with its hard tires.

[twobjshelbys]

Did you get my PM (now two)?

[twobjshelbys]

Another word to the wise. If you're buying the car to drive, don't buy a delivery miles car! They typically move for 50K+ over a similar car that has been driven, and most of the low miles cars just go to another garage where they won't be driven.

Low miles is better than no miles! Depending on how the car was maintained during its storage they can have other problems. Mine had 1300 miles when I got it in 2011 (~200 miles/year) and I had to rebuild the supercharger within my first 500 miles of real use due to bearing failure from lack of lubrication. Now the cars are within spittin' distance of 10 years old.

I also disagree that the new FGT (17+) will have a noticeable long term impact on the 05-06. First, there will be so few of them and they come with resale restrictions so the 150 or so cars that find their way into the US market (250 total each year, 100 to Europe and Asia) will not have a "do I buy a 17 or an 05". Plus, the 17 is all built around Le Mans hype, and things aren't looking so good. Ford says they are building 250 because that's all they can build. The bean counters are sitting in the back and saying at 400K+ 250 is all we can sell.

Good luck!

[twobjshelbys]

Originally Posted by Cobra #3170

Unfortunately, having the money to buy one does not correlate with having the ability to drive one although some folks seem to equate their earning ability with all sorts of other skills. In stock form they are very safe in that they have all kinds of safety features like roll under steer and wheel rates heavily biased toward under steer. On cold days a stock GT can make 550 wheel horsepower.
High performance summer tires have very little traction as temperatures drop combine those factors with an inexperienced driver and you have an accident waiting to happen. They are still orders of magnitudes safer than any Cobra because of construction, occupant protection systems, wheel base and
vehicle dynamics. A Cobra can kill you, a GT can be destroyed in a big crash but the occupants will most likely survive. Although there have been lots of Cobra crashes I think the owners as a group are more aware of the dangers of inappropriate throttle application than GT owners were when the car came out. The GT forum did a lot to educate people as to the dangers of driving them in an unsafe manner, similar to what this forum has done for years with Cobra owners.

If you can drive a Cobra competently in all conditions the GT will not be a problem. It's a very good driver training experience !!! They actually handle very similarly.

But don't for an instant think that a driving a Z06 or a McLaren or a Ferrari is relevant experience. On a track maybe, but with all the nannies on the others the FGT will bite you.

[SFSDFGT]

Originally Posted by twobjshelbys

Yes, they are a handful straight from the factory. I don't think as SFSDFGT said that the mid engine really is a factor, but that the original tires were hard as hockey pucks and would as he also said, let go in turns. Note my Cobra had a tendency to do the same thing with its hard tires.

That is just my impression, but maybe my brain is biased because that is how I would expect a rear-weight-bias car to behave. All I know is that I also have a GT500 with over 750 rwhp and the same F1 supercar tires as my GT came with, and even with the upgraded Bridgestone tires on my GT, the tail end of my GT whips around ferociously once traction is lost, compared to my GT500, or any of my other cars too, for that matter. Just my $.02