Finally took the plunge and upgraded!
Thread Starter
GT Member
Joined: April 21, 2007
Posts: 120
Likes: 0
From: Ontario, CA
Finally took the plunge and upgraded!
Last March, my Ford Probe (which had 220,000 miles) was about to die, so I bought a new redfire 2007 Pony Package Ford Mustang. After about a month, I regretted the purchase. Not only did I know nothing about buying a new car (I paid sticker for it!!) but I also settled for a V6 Mustang because I didn't think I could afford the payments on a GT. I also couldn't find one on the lot in Blue with a parchment interior, so I got a Redfire one with a gray interior. It also didn't have the Nav system I wanted, the Comfort Group, or Premier Trim (can't get it w/ the Pony Package).
In retrospect, I should have just waited a few more months, paid for whatever repairs on the Probe decided to occur, and really look realistically at the GT. Unfortunately, I did not. Within about 2 months I realized, "****, I could have afforded a GT!". I also really wanted it in blue, and I wished I had waited until the 2008's, especially after I heard about little things like the ambient lighting, the seatbelt extenders, and the improved shifter.
Somehow, I almost thought the car was unlucky in a certain way. Two weeks after purchase, I was driving down the freeway and accidentally drove over this small discarded metal debris which tore open my fuel line (goodbye $450!). Shortly after that, I scraped the fender trying to get it into my parents' narrow garage. Then some cretin in a parking garage nailed my passenger side door right on the body curve, ensuring of course that I would have to pay real money in order to fix it. Oh yeah, and everytime I shut off the air conditioner, a rather unpleasant moldy smell came out of the vents, which I attribute to the vehicle sitting for some time on the lot of the dealership which was near the ocean (perhaps some mold started growing!).
I figured I'd buy a new 2010 Mustang, or even wait for the Camaro SS, but I knew it would be at least two years from now before I'd be able to get one and get any deal at all. However, I couldn't pass up the recent Labor Day rebates at Ford.
To make a long story short...thanks to $6500 in rebates (and buying the car at invoice + $300) I am now the proud owner of a Vista Blue 2008 Mustang GT!! I finally got my Comfort Group and my Premier Trim, but best of all, I'm finally driving the car I should have bought originally. I didn't get Nav, but the novelty of it sort of went out the window when my wife bought a Mercury Milan and got it. Besides, the aftermarket Pioneer ones I've seen are totally better than the factory nav. I also got charcoal interior, but that's because after a year of gray leather seats, my jeans were starting to stain them. Never again. It's black for me. Black and Parchment (or Black and Dove) might have been nice, but none were actually available in California w/ Vista Blue.
My impressions: The GT is by far a better vehicle. It's like driving a completely different car. It's faster, more responsive, feels like a smoother ride (but w/out being boatlike), and handles better. Even my clutch feels different, but this may simply be a Mustang-wide 2008 improvement. The ambient lighting is cool too. True, my gas mileage isn't as good, but I'm not driving as much as I used to (combination of metro train to work and marrying the girl who used to live 45 minutes away!).
Anyway, it's good to join the ranks of GT owners. I'll see about providing pics. And yes, there will be Mods. Does anyone know, besides using a cold-air intake, how much horsepower one can gain without going to a supercharger?
In retrospect, I should have just waited a few more months, paid for whatever repairs on the Probe decided to occur, and really look realistically at the GT. Unfortunately, I did not. Within about 2 months I realized, "****, I could have afforded a GT!". I also really wanted it in blue, and I wished I had waited until the 2008's, especially after I heard about little things like the ambient lighting, the seatbelt extenders, and the improved shifter.
Somehow, I almost thought the car was unlucky in a certain way. Two weeks after purchase, I was driving down the freeway and accidentally drove over this small discarded metal debris which tore open my fuel line (goodbye $450!). Shortly after that, I scraped the fender trying to get it into my parents' narrow garage. Then some cretin in a parking garage nailed my passenger side door right on the body curve, ensuring of course that I would have to pay real money in order to fix it. Oh yeah, and everytime I shut off the air conditioner, a rather unpleasant moldy smell came out of the vents, which I attribute to the vehicle sitting for some time on the lot of the dealership which was near the ocean (perhaps some mold started growing!).
I figured I'd buy a new 2010 Mustang, or even wait for the Camaro SS, but I knew it would be at least two years from now before I'd be able to get one and get any deal at all. However, I couldn't pass up the recent Labor Day rebates at Ford.
To make a long story short...thanks to $6500 in rebates (and buying the car at invoice + $300) I am now the proud owner of a Vista Blue 2008 Mustang GT!! I finally got my Comfort Group and my Premier Trim, but best of all, I'm finally driving the car I should have bought originally. I didn't get Nav, but the novelty of it sort of went out the window when my wife bought a Mercury Milan and got it. Besides, the aftermarket Pioneer ones I've seen are totally better than the factory nav. I also got charcoal interior, but that's because after a year of gray leather seats, my jeans were starting to stain them. Never again. It's black for me. Black and Parchment (or Black and Dove) might have been nice, but none were actually available in California w/ Vista Blue.
My impressions: The GT is by far a better vehicle. It's like driving a completely different car. It's faster, more responsive, feels like a smoother ride (but w/out being boatlike), and handles better. Even my clutch feels different, but this may simply be a Mustang-wide 2008 improvement. The ambient lighting is cool too. True, my gas mileage isn't as good, but I'm not driving as much as I used to (combination of metro train to work and marrying the girl who used to live 45 minutes away!).
Anyway, it's good to join the ranks of GT owners. I'll see about providing pics. And yes, there will be Mods. Does anyone know, besides using a cold-air intake, how much horsepower one can gain without going to a supercharger?
Tasca Super Boss 429 Member
Joined: November 14, 2007
Posts: 3,651
Likes: 8
From: Pacific NW USA
JCC07, congrats on the new GT! I read your story very enthusiastically as it reminded me of the first brand new car I ever bought - a 1988 Mustang LX 4 cylinder. Owned it for 9 months, and hated the wussy 90hp motor so bad that I traded it in for a brand new 1989 Mustang LX 5.0L Sport. Should have just bought the V8 in the first place, but I (and you) know better now!
Legacy TMS Member
Joined: June 10, 2005
Posts: 838
Likes: 0
From: Boston area
JCC07...I went through V8 withdrawals when I purchased an 05 V6 'Vert in Spring of 05. Listened to wifey and was "being a responsible dad, the boys will be driving next summer...". When I made the original purchase, I did ask my friend (his dealership) to place an order for a GT equipped WVB 'Vert. He did not think it would ever arrive due to allocation. In Sept 05...guess what showed up unannounced? 05 GT WVB 'Vert, loaded! Due to tuitions, unable to pull the trigger. No worries, car stayed on showroom floor until mid-November, then put in storage until Spring 06. Ford came out with rebates and Dealer cash, I came in with my V6, and have been smiling ever since! My sons love the car ("Should have bought this in the first place, Dad!") as does my wife (First time I ever heard..."You were right" come from her sweet lips!).
When I drove the GT home, I pulled into my garage, swapped the wheels and swapped in the GTA's. Wife did not notice the car was a GT for a few hours, until I started it up. She comes into the garage, "That sounds different...real nice...what did you do?" My reply...I swapped out the V6 for a GT motor" Looking at me with unsure eyes she said "Give me the keys." Started it up and off she went, came back about an hour later and said "You were right" The date was March 4, 2006 @ 1430hrs. (I 've never heard those words again, probably never will) She has been smiling ever since, too!
Welcome to the V8 club! Start saving for the tuner package and a supercharger, you will want them soon enough!
When I drove the GT home, I pulled into my garage, swapped the wheels and swapped in the GTA's. Wife did not notice the car was a GT for a few hours, until I started it up. She comes into the garage, "That sounds different...real nice...what did you do?" My reply...I swapped out the V6 for a GT motor" Looking at me with unsure eyes she said "Give me the keys." Started it up and off she went, came back about an hour later and said "You were right" The date was March 4, 2006 @ 1430hrs. (I 've never heard those words again, probably never will) She has been smiling ever since, too!
Welcome to the V8 club! Start saving for the tuner package and a supercharger, you will want them soon enough!
Thread Starter
GT Member
Joined: April 21, 2007
Posts: 120
Likes: 0
From: Ontario, CA
Sorry about the pics!
Sorry about the lack of pics. I don't have internet access at home (wife and I just moved and we haven't set it up yet). I have to wait till the weekend until I can get over to my parents' house and use their computer.
Just a clarification: when I said "I bought the V6 last March", it was March of 2007. This is not to say that I didn't want to upgrade last Labor Day ('07), but financially it just wasn't going to happen. I was still just as upside down on the vehicle. The only difference is that with all the rebates this year, those rebates took care of the difference between the trade-in and what I still owed. I just can't believe the V6 lost so much value so quickly. But I guess it's just because there are so many on the roads here. You see V6 Mustangs everywhere in Southern California...but you don't see many GT's.
Before I bought the car, I was thinking about this all weekend. Interestingly, my father-in-law (who still pines for his old 1970 Grabber Maverick) was the one who convinced me to buy it. He told me it was worth it, if nothing else, to start the warranty over since I already had 32,000 miles on the V6!
By the way, I did test drive the Bullitt. Honestly, I could not tell much difference between its performance and that of the regular GT. Sure it sounds a little different, but I think the interior (with that 1977 Trans-Am dashboard) is butt-ugly and I can't believe Ford would not offer the premier trim on it. Besides, from the front it looked a little too much like the old green 1980 Honda Accord I used to drive in High School and college.
However, I wouldn't mind upgrading the new GT to the Bullitt's performance. Besides the muffler, the strut tower bar, and the cold air intake, what else needs to be done?
Just a clarification: when I said "I bought the V6 last March", it was March of 2007. This is not to say that I didn't want to upgrade last Labor Day ('07), but financially it just wasn't going to happen. I was still just as upside down on the vehicle. The only difference is that with all the rebates this year, those rebates took care of the difference between the trade-in and what I still owed. I just can't believe the V6 lost so much value so quickly. But I guess it's just because there are so many on the roads here. You see V6 Mustangs everywhere in Southern California...but you don't see many GT's.
Before I bought the car, I was thinking about this all weekend. Interestingly, my father-in-law (who still pines for his old 1970 Grabber Maverick) was the one who convinced me to buy it. He told me it was worth it, if nothing else, to start the warranty over since I already had 32,000 miles on the V6!
By the way, I did test drive the Bullitt. Honestly, I could not tell much difference between its performance and that of the regular GT. Sure it sounds a little different, but I think the interior (with that 1977 Trans-Am dashboard) is butt-ugly and I can't believe Ford would not offer the premier trim on it. Besides, from the front it looked a little too much like the old green 1980 Honda Accord I used to drive in High School and college.
However, I wouldn't mind upgrading the new GT to the Bullitt's performance. Besides the muffler, the strut tower bar, and the cold air intake, what else needs to be done?
