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... another arrogant BMW owner.
Well maybe you are just a little arrogant.
For many of us, that fits the bill perfectly. But I can understand why people wouldn't like that, and would find it a poor trade-off.
Of course a BMW M5 is a better all-around car than a Mustang Cobra...for a price close to a hundred grand it had better be.
But a Mustang Cobra (esp. the last version) offered a truly great performance bargain. Sure, didn't offer much else, but what it did, it did quite well.
Appreciating Mustangs (esp. the high end ones) demands a sort of automotive asceticism, a willingness to tune out certain things and focus heavily on others.
To paraphrase an earlier Edmunds.com review, Mustangs are like that old college buddy that never grew up: frequently juvenile, kinda pointless, but you can't deny the good time you have when he's around.
For the GT what other 300 hp car has an MSRP between 25k to 30k?
Even the V6 with rear drive and 200hp/245lbft for under 25k is a pretty good performance buy.
I think the "low quality" zing is not very fair. Yes, there are a few glitches but over all I think they have been largely resolved. I find the interior very well screwed together and the exterior even more so.
Mark
Just curious. One doesn't usually see people in the market for something like a Mustang Cobra suddenly jump up to a vehicle with more than double the price tag...
Basically, they're Mustang GTs that have a bunch of Ford Racing performance parts added to them, plus the usual Shelby stuff (stripes, cobra emblems, etc.) I'm sure they're going for close to sticker, which is around $35k I think.
Functionally, you get about 25 more HP (not sure about TQ but I'm sure its a little bump up) than a regular GT, more aggressive gearing, better handling and braking ability and other goodies like a Hurst shifter.
Personally, I'm not sure I'd be willing to pay the extra $10k over the price of a regular Mustang GT (which can probably be had for a decent amount less than the $25k sticker) for it, but that's just me. They are definitely lookers though, and it'd be nice to have the performance goodies put in at the factory (and covered by the warranty).
The least expensive Mustang GT on my lot is 28k, a Deluxe with IUP, Shaker 500, and Auto trans. The cheapest premium is at 29k with IUP, alarm upgrade, and auto trans.
Thats why most dealers don't carry many deluxes. For $20 a month you get leather? Count me in.
The limited availability of the Shelby GT as much as anything else will ensure they won't hang out on lots long even for you to even think about whether the 10k extra is worth it.
Mark.
I'm personally a bit of an anomaly, as my motoring pleasure has nothing to do with leather seats, radios, chrome interiors, etc. All that stuff is meaningless to me.
Do you have any Shelbys yet? My local dealer told me the had one GT500 (not previously spoken for), for about 3 hours total. :surprise:
What a great car! Yes, it's a little old-fashioned in some ways (like the rear-wheel drive) but I see why Dad enjoyed it. I am looking forward to many years of happy cruising.
I sure don't understand why the BMW owner felt obliged to post his displeasure in this forum. It seems it would be more worthwhile to spend his time chatting with other Beemer owners in a forums of their own (I'm sure there is one) about how much they enjoy their autos!
BTW just so you know, "srs" means "supplemental restraint system" (i.e. airbags). I assume you mean the lettering on the passenger side of the dash, right?
Which engine does your car have?
And in response to your question about the headlights in the other thread, it's possible they got water in them, but more likely is that they've become hazed on the outside over the years...this happens to these headlights sometimes (though not nearly as bad as with the 94-98 Mustangs).
Solutions range from lightly sanding and buffing the lights, to totally replacing them (they're somewhat expensive though...).
The engine is a V6, 3.8 liter. That's about all I know about it. There's room under the hood for a bigger engine but this one's just fine, considering the price of gas these days. Gas was .45 per gallon when I first started to drive. Tonight it was almost 3 dollars per gallon.
Regarding the headlight covers: we're going to try to polish them gently.
I wanted the car - it's a great car and has sentimental value because it was Dad's. MDH and I keep our cars a long time and plan to fix all the little cosmetic "dings" this car has. I hope to keep it at least ten years or more. It's in excellent shape mechanically, so that's VERY realistic.
So tell us about your Mustang.
I love my new '07 premium convertible GT with 5 speed stick (Redfire). Different type headlight lens that looks good now. Hope they stay that way.
When J.C. of Hoffman Estates wrote that he wanted to remove cloudiness from the headlight lenses of his 1997 Acura 2.2CL, which he likened to cataracts (Transportation, Feb. 11), we offered some tips and asked you to weigh in.
Here is a sampling of responses:
- First, wet sand with ultrafine sandpaper to remove the damage. Start with 1000 grit and work up to the finest grit you can find. Then polish the surface to a smooth, clear finish with a good- quality compound made for clear-coat paint. E.C., Westchester
- A very quick swipe with a very soft cloth very soggy with acetone does it. No rubbing, just swipe it on and stand back. A.A., Galena
- Smooth the surface with finer and finer abrasives, just like a woodworker or jeweler would do. Start with a relatively coarse compound--grit of 600 to 800--and work your way up, in several steps, to fine.
I use something called Novus Plastic Polish No. 2 about once a year. Not sure if the lenses are coated at the factory or hardened somehow, but once the cataracts set in, the treatment doesn't last. R.W., Chicago
- Try chrome polish. Wipe it off and polish with a soft cloth. W.H., Aurora
- I use Meguiar's Mirror Glaze. Use the No. 17 cleaner and No. 10 polish. I have used this on many vehicles as well as the plastic windshield on my boat with excellent results. G.C., Harvard
- I solved the problem some time ago. I ordered my Chevy Astro with conventional sealed-beam glass headlights for the above reason and because they are cheaper to replace. R.B., Waukegan
- Polycarbonate usually has UV inhibitors blended in it to resist sun damage. But solvents and chemicals that may be found in bug removers, glass cleaners or even sun-screen lotions can cause crazing (a condition before a fracture). Clean them with a mild detergent and coat them with an automotive wax to slow further damage. A.L., Round Lake
And now a word or two from Geoff Burgeson, of the development group for GE Lexan, a brand of polycarbonate:
"The problem with cloudy polycarbonate headlight housings is a difficult one. Because polycarbonate is relatively soft and subject to abrasion, it is almost always 'hardcoated' with an abrasion- resistant clear coating. It is this coating that scratches, dings or degrades and becomes cloudy.
"While polycarbonate can quite successfully be polished with buffing compounds or 'vapor polished' with solvents such as methylene chloride, the hard coating will resist and/or disrupt the process.
"The result of the sandpaper and polishing compound approach will be less than perfect [and a lot of work], but probably deliver a noticeable improvement--especially if the headlight is yellowed and/ or opaque due to haze.
"If you do the sandpaper approach, use a new, or like-new, lens as a reference for clarity and light transmission, though that will be difficult to measure. I expect some of the focus to be lost and the light transmission to suffer with a rougher than [an original equipment] finish.
"Also, once the raw polycarbonate has been exposed [and polished], what remains is a softer than original surface that will scratch and weather quicker than the original.
"While waxing does help significantly, it's a pain and at best a stop-gap."
We thank our readers for their overwhelming response. We also thank Geoff Burgeson of GE Lexan and add that we would advise against harsh solvents. We also are sorry to report that it is impossible to clean the insides of the lenses.
May your skies--and your headlights--be bright and clear.
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Bob Weber is an ASE-certified Master Automobile Technician, having recertified every five years since 1978. Address your questions to him in care of Motormouth, 17717 Silcott Springs Rd., Purcellville VA 20132. Send e-mail, including name and town, to motormouth.trib@verizon.net. Answers will be supplied only through the newspaper.
I just love my fast back....yep, its a 1965 gt and I have owned it for 8 years. Just transplanted a 5.0 liter engine still using the v-belt set up. Just one problem...I should have intalled the 164 tooth flywheel if I was still planning on using my good old t-10. I still need to do this in order to start the car. I was considering just selling her and letting some one else finish the job...... I am just getting burned out. Has any one been there before? I found a 1968 gt fast back J-code for sale with all origional equipment and only 59,000 miles on the engine. I learned it the origional engine too. Any recommendations on what to do? I can be contacted at jarmstrong_28@yahoo.com. I have pictures on the 1965 gt fast back too. I reside in central california. I am looking for $18,000 or best offer. Contact me if interested.
yes the numbers are located on the tranny tag located on a tag on the right side of the tranny if it's a 4 speed and on a nut n the bottom of the tranny pan. The intake, the block and what every the VIN ID's the paint and engine and the type of interior group and the type of air and fuel induction and the rear end gears.My car is a resto-mod so the numbrs for me a no big deal but for somene trying to show or restore then the numbers are a BIG deal. ensure you brake down your VIN.
I checked out your profile, the '69 looks like a great project...would love to hear more about it. Of course the grandkids are great also