Dan

Before you post a topic, make an effort to check to see if it has been discussed previously.

1. Check the 2005 Mustang Page on this site: Link

2. Scan through the first two pages of threads.....chances are, your question is an ongoing discussion.

3. Use the search option.

4. ***NEW*** Use the FAQ and Answers in this thread.

Please don't post topics relating to the above subjects as they have been discussed previously and speculation can become tiresome.

If you really feel as if a topic has not been discussed, or cannot find the answer you are looking for, THEN feel free to start a topic on the subject.

Thanks for your cooperation,

Dan

[EDIT: Below are answers to FAQ. Please check and see if your question is there before asking it]

To all members, if you know of a FAQ that is asked repeatedly, please post the question in bold and answer it. If everyone helps out, this FAQ section will be a lot easier to create. Thanks!!

************************************************** ********

For Specs and other miscellaneous information check here first.
You may also use the search function to find threads within the forum that might contain answers to your question.

Things we don't have definite answers to:
- Pricing and Availability
- Special Editions
- Cobra Specifics (i.e. appearance, engine output)

What options are available?
- The full order guide from ford is available, it lists all options currently available for the car and how they are packaged: Order Guide Thread

When can I pre-order a 2005 Ford Mustang?
- The order bank for the 2005MY (Model Year) Mustang opened May 24th. Ford will actually pull the orders roughly two weeks after that date, to determine which cars will actually be built.

When can I expect a 2005 Mustang to be on the lot?
- Job1 (day that full production begins) is scheduled for September 7th. The first cars should be hitting lots around the end of September or early October with all lots receiving cars by mid-November. This is when TV commercials will begin to air.

When will pricing be released?
- While nothing has been written in stone, pricing has been rumored to come out sometime this summer, probably sometime in August or early September. Check these forums often as members who are Ford dealers will have the pricing uploaded as soon as it is available. For now, expect a base V6 to come in under $20,000 and a base GT to start around $24,000 - $25,000.

What is the status of Special Editions, Cobras, etc?
- Ford has said repeatedly the earliest to expect a SE is 2007MY for 2006. The status of engines, designs, or anything related to the cars has not been confirmed at this time.

Why are the 18” wheels not offered for 2005?
- The 18" wheels have been delayed until 2006 because of equipment issues at AAI (AAI is the facility where the mustang will be produced).

What is IRS?
IRS = Independent Rear Suspension

Why is IRS not offered on the 2005 Mustang?
- Cost
- Rear-seat packaging
- The Lincoln LS IRS could not handle the torque output of the 4.6L engine.
- The LS IRS would not be a good platform when a convertible was used. When Hau Thai Tang was doing the chassis work on the Thunderbird, he had to put in a lot of bracing to stiffen the chassis which he could not do on the 2005 Mustang because there would be no rear seats.
- A solid axle is much easier to build on the line.

I'm thinking about modifying my Mustang, could I possibly see a picture of this?
- Absolutely, the forums are home to some very talented Photoshoppers, see our Photoshop sticky and submit a request.

Are the License Plate setups different between the V6 and GT?
- Yes, the V6 will have an indentation for a front license plate in the bumper.
The GT will not have an indentation but will have 2 small dimples for a front plate


What do you mean by paying MSRP? What do you mean by paying invoice? What is the difference from paying sticker vs. MSRP vs. invoice?
- MSRP is Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (usually sticker price) Invoice is the price of the car with little or no profit for the dealer. Some people can buy a Ford at or slightly above invoice by having a letter plan (these are the A, C, Y, Z, etc. plans). People on these plans work with or have family members who work with Ford Motor Co. or a related company (i.e. dealers, suppliers).

Are there any pictures of the 2005 Production Convertible out yet?
- The 2005 Production Convertible will be revealed at the North American/Detroit Auto Show in January 2005. The convertible will be on dealer lots in early spring, most likely late February to early March. The only pictures available thus far are spy pictures.

My dealer says pricing is available next week/this weekend/etc.
How is that possible?
- It's not. Pricing will absolutely not be released until right before or around Job1, September 7th. Some dealers will use this ruse to get you into the dealer to attempt to sell you on a different car. The best way to accurately price your 2005 Mustang would be to create a Mustang on fordvehicles.com then add 3-5% for a rough estimate on the price.

Will stripes be available on the 2005 Mustang?
- Stripes are available as a rocker panel add-on on the Exterior Sport Package coupled with a Spoiler on the V6 models. This package is not available on GT’s. Racing stripes that run across the hood and top of the vehicle will only be available from aftermarket vendors.

Will Blue Leather Be Available?
- No. The blue leather picture from Motortrend was photoshopped.
Blue seats were only seen in photoshopped pictures and were never even mentioned by ford.

I hear a lot of talk about A/Z/D/X Plans for Ford Pricing. What are these?
A plan is for current Ford(not dealerships) employees.
Z plan is for retired Ford employees.
Also these plans can be used by immediate family members of the employees.

D plan is for Ford dealership employees of Blue Oval Certified dealerships, that have been employeed more than 6 months.

X plan is for family and friends of Ford employees and if a person works for a company that is a supplier in someway of Ford. There is a long list that qualifies for this.

The pricing goes this way. A plan is determined by Ford and can be found on the dealers order sheet/invoice in a box labeled A plan. This price is the same for Z and D plan as well. It is typically 4% under invoice, although it might vary a few dollars either way.

X plan is figured this way: A plan price + 4% + $150.
The advantage to using X plan instead of buying at invoice is that the dealer cannot charge dealership fees on a plan purchase, whereas they do charge it if you buy at invoice and not on a plan. Usually the dealership fees end up bringing the price up above X plan.

The dealership is paid a set amount by Ford when they sell a vehicle on anyone of the plans. So, if a dealer sells a car on X plan instead of selling at invoice without a plan, they make more money. Therefore the dealer is better off selling on plan unless they get someone to pay more than invoice, or even MSRP!

When will the next SVT Cobra be coming out?
- The Cobra will be coming out in 2006 as a 2007MY model. Ford currently offers a lease package on 2004’s which gives you first dibs on the 2007 Cobra.
Related Article

What octane does Ford recommend for the 05?
- Use the octane specified in your owner’s manual. A higher octane is only needed for higher compression engines.
- Buy gas from a reputable gas station.
- Use fuel injector cleaner in your tank every once in a while (But no more than once every 3,000 miles).
- The 2005 Mustang requires regular (87 octane).

Why doesn’t the production version of the 2005 Mustang look more like the concept car I saw at auto shows last year?
- The concept coupe and convertible were actually built AFTER the design for the Production 2005 Mustang was finalized. The concepts were designed to be more as "teasers" than a true concept car. It is speculated that some of the concept styling cues will appear on special editions in the future. This goes for the hood, side scoops and rear 1/4 window treatment. The taillights already showed up on the GTR concept.

2005 Mustang Coupe Concept


2005 Mustang Convertible Concept



Is the silver color I saw at the auto show going to be available for the 2005?
- The color on the show car is titanium silver and WILL NOT be offered as part of the color lineup in 05. The silver color that will be offered for 2005 is “satin silver”. However, Titanium will be offered for 2006MY.

The colour on this show car is titanium silver and WILL NOT be offered as part of the colour lineup in 05. Titanium will be offered in 2006

Titanium Silver


Mineral Grey



Satin Silver (Boomer's Stang)





How soon can I wax my car after I get it from the dealer?

Response from Sal Zaino:

Thank You for your interest in Zaino Bros' Show Car Polish Products.
I am a custom painter by trade for over thirty years and very familar with Dupont and PPG and all other paints.

Todays paint technology uses a chemical reaction caused by a catalyst to cure the paint. Factory paint is fully cured in 36 to 48 hours. Polish your car as soon as you get it. That factory paint is already cured and needs protection against airborne contaminants and UV rays.

Dan

NARRATED FORD VIDEO ON THE 2005 MUSTANG: HERE

kevinb120

ANATOMY OF AN INVOICE



There is MRSP, Invoice, A and X plans listed.

HOLDBACK: is money paid back to cover costs, the matrix works out that the average vehicle's cost to own works out to invoice. (People whine about what a quarter acre costs to develop but tend to forget the enormous costs of maintaining a dealership and owning 2300 vehicles in the center of town)

FDAF/LMDA ASSESSMENT pays for local advertizing from Ford, not the dealers i.e. "see your Washington area Ford dealers"

LESS APPROX. FIN. COST FOR DEALER ACCOUNT: is the cost of doing business with Ford.

Considering that Nike gets $150 all day long for $8 shoes, Dealers do not make the money they should selling cars. They make money in service, aftermarket, and finance. Dealers have such buying power however, that they can still add "points" on the buy rate of the loan to make money, and still beat a Credit Union rate, so everyone is happy. We are here to make money, not do favors. But it's nothing like Home Depot/Best Buy/ or Wall Mart profit-per-dollar by any means, let alone an Import auto dealer, they probably tripple the average proffit of a Ford dealer per unit, as Americans consistantly lay-down for their foreign tin boxes. If YOU had to buy 300 $25,000 widgets, store and maintain them and the full staff to do it, would YOU sell them for $25,600??

kevinb120

KEV'S Credit basics 101.

Everyone worries about the PRICE OF THE CAR! OH MY GOD ITS TOO MUCH! OHHHHH NOOOO!!!!!!


What you should really worry about is how the financing works if you are not paying cash. Much more money can be hidden here then what you KNOW you are paying over invoice. Its easy to figure out what you pay for a CAR, every dealer buys them for the same money. Make sure you get a good RATE for what your credit is. And do not lie to YOURSELF here, but research it as much as you would an invoice so you truly go in prepared. People stress out so much about the car they GIVE up in the back with a 'close enough' payment that ends up making the dealer another $2500 over the term of the loan. If they want money on the front-end, make sure they dont steal more on the back!


There are three things that make for a good rate.

1. Beacon score(659 or better usually have no problems)
2. Selling price of the car vs. loan 'value'-new cars loan value is invoice and they allow a lot of room(about 115% before you "NEED" money down), so its usually not a problem unless there is a huge upside-down situation
3. Your personal 'matrix' i.e. debt-to-income ratio, established debt like other cars, mortgage, time at home/job, money down(not always needed), your basic stability.

These numbers will generate a 'tier' scale of 0(best)-5(worst). You will sometimes see "0% for Tier 0-1 customers" on ad disclaimers. This represents how favorable the entire deal looks to a bank. For each tier, there is a rate structure, based on beacon. Promo rates like 0.0% or 1.9/2.9, etc are somewhat liberal and have a little range to who qualifies. Exact bank rates are scaled like this:

Say you have upper-average credit like a 689 beacon, and you truly can afford the car with a good debt-income and other good stuff like perfect car payments, money down, etc. and you get a Tier 1. They will have a rate for that matrix.

It will say Tier 1: 590-639=6.9% 640-670=5.99% 671-760=4.99% 761-820+ 4.0% (this is made up, but close). They will be the dealer's BUY rates for the loan(cost).

In this example(dont quote me) You could expect a 5.9% offer from a dealer, and you might be able to squeak a 5.25%(you would never get cost, but that is a good margin) If they offered you a 7.9%-or WORSE, got the rate to 'steer the price' towards your "I gotta be at 425.00 comment" without research, you just got hozed.

Dealers can and will add 'points' to make proffit, but usually much less on very good credit people because they are often aware of good credit union rates, etc. People with lower-then-average will get more points tacked on, not to be mean, but because it is a LOT of work to get them done, and there is a risk of loss to the dealer(same as the bank thinks). Its the ones in 'the middle' that have no clue what they should get charged. GET A CLUE!

If you do not know what your rate SHOULD or COULD be(realistically of course, the last person you should bulpoo is yourself), they will likely add as much as they can, payment closes are BIG targets for rate hikes. KNOW your credit situation in advance, and be realistic, if youve been late on payments, they WILL know you were.

You can shop a rate at your bank, they tend to be pretty agressive, sit down, tell them what vehicle and your target sale price will be, and have them offer you a loan as a backup to the dealer. This (A) signals the bank to be a little agressive because of competition, and (B ) gives you an option and negotiating tool at the dealer. If they give you a 7.9 or something higher(and you have NO bad credit mistakes) then ask WHY. Everyone knows how responsible they REALLY are, although most wont admit it to themselves. :nono: ALWAYS DO THIS UNLESS YOU KNOW YOUR CREDIT IS IRON AND CAN WALK INTO A DEALER AND GET 3.9% FOR 60 WITH NO PROMO!!!!.

BIG THINGS THAT MAKE CREDIT GOOD!

1.Good job/time at job, time at house, checkin/savings activity and balance, stability!

2.PAY YOUR BILLS ON TIME? Over 30 days late IS THE CURSE OF DEATH FOR 7 YEARS!!!! STARVE IF YOU HAVE TO TO MAKE A PAYMENT ON TIME, especially cars!!! If you are young or run into trouble, and you CAN NOT make a car payment, most banks will give you a 'get out of jail free' one-time skip payment or only pay interest if you CALL THEM IN ADVANCE. Do not expect to get away with it more then once every two years.

3. Prior responsibilites and how you pay them. Your first car loan if under 21 will almost ALWAYS require a co-signer unless you are very well established on high balance credit cards(avoid them if you can), you are married, or have a house payment history.

A perfect mortgage or a car loan you paid perfect and have had for at least 9 months shows good credit. Car loan companies look for CAR PAYMENT history more then anything. You can miss a few Sears' card payments and be an ace on your car and still be fine. Its all common sense.

4. If you were a screw-up a few years ago and were late on a gas card and a couple phone cards in college, FIX YOUR CREDIT REPORT. You can get your credit reports and challenge EVERYTHING. IF they do not respond to the credit companies in 60 days, it dissapears forever. Usually if you caught up, or its old, they will go bye-bye. A lot of small credit card companies trade ownership ALL THE TIME, and the original staff is long gone to fix them. If you had a car REPOED or 3 months late, you are pretty much finished for a long time before they will even give you a MONSTER rate loan(like 25%). It takes a lot of time to 'heal' old wounds on your reports, do not send in a challenge sheet and head to the dealer 3 days later. Use your head.

Credit is very complicated, its one of the hardest things to repair once damaged as well. It can be done, but it only takes a minute to do the damage. Work it the right way, and in time you can buy whatever you want.

Either people KNOW they have awesome credit(and they know about rates already because they work their money and are not bothering reading this), or have lousy credit and are just 'get-me-done!'(sometimes you gave up your choices a while ago if you are getting someone else to loan you money when you know you shouldn't be doing it), or they have NO idea what they should get charged for a loan(the majority).

once again, Before you buy a car if you are in this group, go to your bank and work a mock deal and get a loan approval from them first, and by all means bring with you or get the advice from any true financial "GURU's" in your familly or circle of friends. Dont spend hours on sites like this studying invoices and dealer trends and other peoples average pricing and then just run into a dealer and let them control your finances. Bargain/control ALL 3 parts of a sale: 1. Selling price of the car. 2 Controlling aftermarket/warranty costs and other add-ons, and 3. FINANCING.

and last but not least:

MINIMIZE YOUR INQUIRIES!!!! DO NOT GO TO EVERY DEALER AND LET THEM WORK A DEAL AND RATES, YOU LOOSE 3 POINTS EVERY TIME YOU CHECK CREDIT. I have seen people go down to different rate groups(over 30 points) Simply by trying to get a car EVERYWHERE. If you find a dealer that is reasonable, you CAN make a deal there if you stay the course. Your gut will tell you what you need to do as you shop for a car if the place is easy going or a whorehouse. Get advice from your bank, shop the dealers untill you find one thats comfortable, then work the deal. Use a bank loan to force them to shop better rates, or just let the bank do it. Dont let your emotion over the car overwhelm you, they sure as heck arent one of a kinds. Dealers will try to get information from you like credit reports, or a ss number. The ammount of time to fill out an app or the process of negotiating tends to 'lock in' a customer to finish the deal there after spending all that time with them. Be aware, as soon as you give up a Social Security number or app, you will be hit on your report as an inquiry, guaranteed. In a nutshell, pre-shop your financing just like you pre-shop your vehicle. Most likely if you find a dealer/salesperson that your gut instinct feels ok about, you can sit down and get the vehicle and financing right the first time.

stanglex

HI!
I am not from US and I don't know US pricing. Can you tell me something about MSRP, is this price is after all taxes?
Thank's for answers
Sorry for my english

ZERO

that's the Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price. i think you still have to pay TT&L (Tax, Title, & License) in addition to that, but not sure about how state and local taxes are added in.

kev or bek could probably explain it better.

stanglex

Can you tell me how high are those taxes? And please explain me what is "Title & License", (%)????.
Best regards

lodom

Taxes are going to vary depending on the local and state rates in the U.S. I'm not sure how it works internationally. In the Memphis, TN area, this figures out to about 7.25% of the sales price, or the trade difference if you're trading in a car. The license fees for new tags are about $100 in my area, and lower if you are transferring a tag from an exisiting car.

stanglex

So if i want to buy a Stang and don't register in the US I must pay only sales tax? I am going to buy a new Mustang and transport to Europe. I heard that in some states there isn't sales tax.??? So if is this true i shoud pay only MSRP to buy a new car? For me the best places to buy a car are eastern states. I am realy interested to find best offer because to rgister car from US in my country i must pay very high tax.
For example if the car in US cost 30.000 USD i must ad:
30.000 USD + 10% + 13,4% + 22% = 45654 USD it's a nightmare
It' realy hard to buy american legend in Europe. Taxes are very, very high on US and Japanise cars.

Can you tell me how high are charges in US for buying and using car? Now i know that if you want to buy a new car you must pay MSRP + tax (7.25%) in TN and about 100 USD for license. What about insurance and maybe difrent charges??? I wonder what you Americans must pay for buying and using car without MSRP?

Best regards

2Slack

ar156, I am a similar situation as you as I live in the Bahamas but I am a bit luckier because we have a Ford dealership here. If I were to buy this in the U.S. and export it myself I would pay close to $50,000.00 US (car+shipping+65%customs duty+7%stamp tax) for a GT. I will most likely end up paying about $40,000.00 through the dealership.

To answer one of your questions you will do one of the following:-

a. Pay the price of the car and be exempt from sales tax since you are exporting.

or

b. Pay price + sales tax (about 6.5% in Florida) and have it refunded by the dealership once you give them a copy of the "bill of lading" which proves the car has left the country.

Dan

Try to keep the FAQ layout guys or you'll just make work for us mods in the future.

Question

Answer

Don't ask questions here please........if it isn't covered, start a topic.
This is a REFERENCE thread, not a discussion thread.

Thank you.

stanglex

OK DAN
Thank you 2Slack
EoT!

kevinb120

lol some deleting posts is in order here.........

steve19970

Just to get a new icon on the left, I'm seeing tons of questions that wouldn't show up if people would just go to the timeline first.

Those of us who have been around for forever are already well acquainted with the stuff there, but if you're new, please check it out first. We'd love to answer your questions of course, but if you're looking for the order guide, or the manual, or whatever, check there first.

Hmmm....did I say check there first? K just checkin....LOL.

Galaxie

WHY THE V6 MANUAL IS DELAYED:

The manual transmissions were delayed on purpose, because getting all the equipment/components in the plant to have the car all launched at once would delay Job 1. So they decided to put off the V6 manuals initially so that the Job 1 would go on time and then they could add V6 manuals once production ramps up.

This is the same reason we don't have the convertible at launch, they wanted to stagger all the releases out a bit to accomodate a new plant/new chassis

There are no quality issues with the T5 in the V6

jennifer

i saw that the concept car for the convertible 05 had only 2 seats. does anyone know if the actual car will be a 2 seater? and where can i find these 'spy pics'? thanks, jennifer

EleanorsMine

No, the production vert is a 4 seater....

http://bradbarnett.net/mustangs/timeline/05/05/spy.htm

http://bradbarnett.net/mustangs/timeline/05/05/vert.htm

ManEHawke

The Bolt pattern is 4 1/2 with 45 mm +offset
What is (the) Backspacing?

Galaxie

IUP CHANGES

The IUP is either on hold/no longer available on V6's (not quite sure)

On the GT, IUP is available, although will have minor delays for now.

to make up for this there are now two different interior upgrade options:

Interior Sport Appearance Package (IUP Lite)

- Leather Steering Wheel
- Brushed Aluminum Spokes
- Leather wrapped/Aluminum Shifter accents (Standard/Auto)

Interior Upgrade Package

- Same as in the order guide
- Has everything as ISAP and:
- MyColor
- Aluminum Dash panel
- Brushed Aluminum Interior door handles, air vents
- Sill plates

Now, IUP lite isn't that bad IF you can live without MyColor. The aluminum strip across the dash looks like a simple install and will probably be available in the aftermarket.

What has happened, because they underestimated demand, is the supplier cannot ramp up in time to meet demand. Perhaps they will be able to re-offer the full IUP on the V6 in a few months, but I am not sure on that

davyottawa

ar156

Did you ever consider importing your Stang from Canada rather than from the US? The sticker price will be higher but your Euro dollar is worth more in Canada Price it out by going to the Ford of Canada web site and build your car in Canadian dollars, then convert to Euros. Remeber, these are MSR prices so you could get at least 5% of these prices - probably through a broker. You won't have to pay the A/C tax of $100.00 or any provincila taxes or the dreaded federal tax of 8%. It is quite easy to ship it out of the port of Montreal or Halifax. It is worth a look!!!

(PS For any of you US guys reading this....fogetaboutit. Ford and their US dealer network frown upon re importing Canadian bound new cars back into the US.)

David