Well I've had my car a week and a day now and have around 1035 miles on it. I want to take the time to share my thoughts on the car so far during the "break-in period".

Well I don't subscribe to the take it real easy on the car theory. I also don’t run around red lining it either. I’ve been all over the map speed wise as it asks you to do in the book. I have about a 35 mile drive to work everyday from Carroll County to Baltimore City, MD. The drive to work includes back roads, highway, and city driving. I’ll use each area to give my feelings on a certain aspect of the car.

The Back Roads (10 miles)- Handling

Ah the fun of hitting the twisties right off the bat on the way to work. The car seems to handle pretty well. I never feel like I’m going to lose control yet there is a good bit of body roll. I think the center of gravity is a little too high and I’m hoping an Eibach prokit will help that. I hit a lot of tight turns along the way and I can take the car in real tight and hold it which is more then I can say for my 03 Accord 6-spd. That baby would go out of its way to loose its grip.

The Highway (23 miles) Power

When it comes to power I’m pretty darn happy with the car. I never seem to be without it most of the time. The times I think the car is sluggish have to do with the fact I was driving a 6-spd transmission and now with the 5-spd I need to learn the cars power band better. I can tell you one thing getting around slow traffic is a breeze. I can cut in and out of traffic pretty well (Always keeping a safe distance of course). I think that goes back to the handling because the car feels very stable for being somewhat high. I haven’t had the chance to play with anyone yet. I went cruising with two other members of TMS last Friday and had her up to 120MPH with ease (disclaimer: I do not support speeding, nor do I speed around cops, cough cough Bob ;-) ) I didn’t even realize the car was going that fast and it felt like there was a ton of power left on tap.

The City (2 is miles)

Ah the ride quality for a car with a live rear axle isn’t so bad. I would put it on par with my 03 Accord on the streets of Baltimore. Those who have been to the city can vouch for how bad they stink but isn’t that every city now that I think of it? I don’t feel like I’m bumping around very much at all. The coolness factor of the car shows itself down here because as soon as I pull out of the garage in my building the heads start a turning. Then again it might have something to do with Death Rows Greatest Hits playing loudly out of the Shaker 500 while my cracker butt dressed for success is behind the drivers seat. LOL Really though it does get a lot of attention from the people on the street. I think the Shaker 500’s sound quality is pretty darn nice for stock. The stock system in my Accord came right out but I think this one will stay awhile. It could use some low end bass support and I’ll probably add a JL W6V2 with a 500/1 at some point to take care of that need. I have the Eclipse AVN5435 going in this weekend so that should help me bring a little more out of the stock system with its 9 band EQ.

Overall I’m very impressed with the car and falling in love with it more and more every day. I did notice two chips on the edge of my driver’s side door. They had to have happen when someone opened the door into something. I have a feeling that happened during shipment because I know I didn’t do it. Len Stoler is taking care of me though. I have an appointment with their Body shop. They plan on sanding it down a little and then blending it. I always get leery with paint work so I’m hoping for the best.

Well I’m off to bed so I can get up and drive my whip to work again tomorrow. If anyone is heading to Ford Nationals in Carlisle, PA this weekend with their 05 send me a PM so I know to look for you.

 

Wow 66 views and not a comment. I guess I wrote too much for someone to read it through and comment. lol

 

Nice Congrats!

1035 miles in a week? My goodness, you're gonna ware that beautiful car out in no time. Nice commenting on the various driving conditions. Although, I was a little surprised by the use of the word "slugish" - not quite the adjective I would use Enjoy, drive safe and keep her under 200 mph!

 

This was a great post. It is always nice to read some comments on the car without just hearing it is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I am so looking forward to my '06. Thanks!

 

Good post Murray, I just did not know what to say...... I wish I could catch up with you in Carlisle but I will be spending the weekend at the beach and race. If the weather is right I am going to take mine to the beach. I haven't had it on a really long cruise yet..

 

It will. I just had the Pro-Kit installed and I'm loving it. The difference in handling is immediately evident.

My springs are sprung, the ground has riz,
I wonder where the brake dive is?

Not only is brake dive reduced significantly, but it corners flatter as well. And it looks killer, to boot!

 

Nice picture, Zig-Zag. Did you match the paint for the brake calipers to the redfire, or are they 2 different reds? If so, how do you like that look? I'm considering doing that myself and just don't know how red on red would look if the calipers are more of a bright red than the redfire color is.

Thanks!

 

Very nice review.

I have had mine for 3 weeks and like you I have not been overly easy on it.
I don't beat on it mind you, but with all that fun under your butt it's hard to drive like a responsible citezen all of the time.

I find the acceleration simply amazing.

The agility of this vehicle is impressive at worst.

I wowed a crowd of Memorial day parade watchers Monday with the pony's abilty to light 'em up on demand.

Overall I have to give this pony a 10 out of a possible 10.

The best part is that it's only going to get better from here on out.

Thanks for the post.

 

Thanks! I didn't match colors. I used the DupliColor caliper kit because I couldn't find the G2 kit. I had the same thought about the different reds, but then I remembered ICAP. After they were painted I no longer had any doubts. IMO, it works. The caliper red also happens to compliment the powdercoated suspension parts I've installed.

 

Murray - thanks for the write-up!

I did something very similar after having my car for about two weeks - just to give general impressions and such abotu the car as a whole.


Zig Zag - man I just DROOLED all over my keyboard looking at your car with the prokit....

MAN that looks killer..... I have my kit in the garage and gotta get it installed - after installment and alignment, did you need camber plates? Did you install the springs yourself? I THINK I might actually be able to get my dealership to do it when I bring my car in for the strut TSB....

 

Thanks! My dealer installed the springs for me as part of the strut TSB and informed me that an alignment to spec did not require the installation of camber plates.

 

I just hit 4500 miles after 6 weeks, don't feel bad. I just took a 1500 mile road trip though. No problems here

 

That'll be me this winter when my '06 arrives (see avatar for visual depiction)...cracker butt dressed for success with SLP loudmouths and some obnoxious guitar riff 'o' rama coming out of the speakers as I exit the garage. Call me self indulgent but after 10 hours of playing it straight and narrow - I gotta let loose on the 20 mile ride home. Might as well enjoy myself.

I'll start off with the Shaker 500, try to stick with the head unit and upgrade the speakers and power them with some dedicated amps.

 

The SLP part of that is coming for me tomorrow.

 

I will definitely be driving my Black 05 GT from VA up to Carlisle this weekend. Hoping to score some parts at decent prices. You just never know what you will find at those shows.

 

Nice review, Murray!

Here's my review:

I've had the '05 a little over 2 months now with 1800 miles on it. It's awesome!

This is my third Mustang GT 5-speed in the last 13 years - I bought an '87 GT in 1992 (22K miles on it), and a '95 GT in 1998 (24K miles). Sold the '87 with 69K miles on it, and the '95 with 105K. Both were great cars, but not without some problems (heater core on the '87, radiator and clutch on the '95).

The '05 is so much better than the other two in almost every way, it's not even worth discussing. B) Both of my previous GTs had the 2.73 rear axle, so the 3.55 is a HUGE difference.

I haven't done any first gear burnouts yet (I know, what am I waiting for? ), but the first time I turned off the Traction Control to get a chirp out of second, the car almost scared me. I mean, I was WOT in first gear, and shifted fairly hard into second at 5500 rpm. I was expecting a healthy chirp, but day-um if the rear end didn't squat sideways for a second, and I'd bet there was at least a pair of 10 foot rubber strips left behind.

The next time I knew more or less what to expect, so I was maybe half throttle in first gear, shifted normally into second at about 4000 rpm, but revved it once while the clutch was in, and the rear tires barked impressively when the clutch grabbed. Actually, it was more than a bark, and I was a bit surprised again.

But what I'm most impressed with is the upper rpm power under load. I'm talking about 3rd gear from 3000 rpm up. This is really where the new motor shines compared to the old 5.0 liter. The '95 GT ran out of steam at about 4000 rpm and you were better off short-shifting at that point for max acceleration. The '05, however, pulls really hard from 3000 rpm and pulls even harder as the rpms increase. 60 mph to 100 mph in 3rd gear comes up before you can say, "but officer I didn't realize I was going that fast."

Nitpicks:

(1) the car is big. It's 6 inches longer than the '95, and an inch wider. I wish it had the same exterior dimensions as the '95, but then I don't know where I'd sacrifice the space...

(2) the rear of the car sounds a little less than solid when going over bumps at city speeds. The front seems tight and quiet over bumps, but the rear is sort of rattle-y. Maybe there's something loose back there, or do they all have some noise like there's something loose in the trunk?