I'm building and pricing2008's on the US website and I don't see an option box for 3.55 gears with the manual transmission.

 

The 3.55 gears are only available as an option on the GT Premium model. This was a change from 2007.

 

Wow that is lame. Even more lame than making the 3.55's optional as opposed to standard.

 

I am not sure this was ever confirmed, but I believe it is for fuel mileage reasons (i.e., to compensate for GT500 production). There was no 500hp Mustang in 2005 and 2006.

 

It looks like 3.55s are a $300 MSRP option for the 2008 GT Premium manual. it doesn't let you select 3.55s for the 2008 GT Deluxe manual. I ordered my 07 GT Deluxe with 3.55s for $87 invoice. $300 MSRP is rather steep for 3.55s, I would just avoid that option and buy your own gears later on.

 

Ordered them on mine (Prem GT) that should be in sometime in Oct. Dealer added it for 'free' as I asked about them after we agreed on a price for the car.

*It was a $300 option on all the pricing lists I've seen.

 

get 4.10's

 

There are a number of issues to resolve on the Ford "Build and Price" tab. I want a GT/CS Coupe, and the web pricing double charges for the 18" polished wheels (64W) which are already included with the California Special option (54C). A visit to the dealer confirmed what I know is true, so they are the only guaranteed pricing source.

 

I still can not figure where the heck they came up with the idea to delete them from the Deluxe model, so you can't buy a 'stripper' to customize yoursel with the performance gears. pretty friggin dumb

 

I think that's the exact reason why they did that. For the 2000 model year, you could order a stripped down Crown Victoria (P73) with the Handling and Performance Package (3.55s, rear air suspension, thicker sway bars). But starting in 2001, you HAD to buy the LX trim (P74) in order to get the HPP, and in 2002-up, you had to buy the LX Sport trim/package to get the HPP.

 

My 07 premium had $100 for 3.55 option on window sticker.

 

My 3.55's were free!! One of the few perks to buying an early model of a new car.

 

If you have to pay extra to get a different set of gears they should offer a 3:73 and a 4:10 option. When I bought my 05 manual you didn't even have a choice: 3:55's were it.

 

mine too...

but after a few months, I'm considering stepping to 3.73s...

 

I paid $87 for the factory 3.55s in my 07 GT Deluxe. In retrospect, I should have stuck with the 3.31s for even better gas mileage. I get about 19 mpg combined and about 24-25 mpg highway w/ the 3.55s Another reason to stick with 3.31s is to avoid the clunky 3.55 gearset. My 00 Crown Vic with factory 3.55s also clunks just like the 07 GT.

I would never bother with 3.73s-4.10s+ due to the reduced driveline critical vehicle speed.

 

3.55s are still standard in 2008 on all GTs in Canada! On the other hand, it doesn't look like we can't get HIDs or ambient lighting.

 

It has to be a fuel/mileage CAFE squeeze. I believe the ratio of V6/GT production has also closed up a little, and that makes it harder on Ford to keep the gas guzzler line off the window sticker.

You kinda wish the government would accept the fact this is a shell game. Many folks are going to mod their Mustangs anyway, often including rear gear sets. So the CAFE standard is pointless for certain vehicles anyway. But alas, that will not happen.

That means more creative options in our future like twin-turbo sixes and such in order to get our bang for the buck. Courtesy of regulation, it will become increasingly harder to build a Mustang with a V8.

 

I think the 3.55's are a nice compromise between decent fuel mileage and acceleration. Yes the 3.31's would be quieter and provide better mileage...but after all this IS a Mustang we're driving!

My 3.55's got clunky when I installed the Spydershaft, because doing so required replacing the pinion flange, which means that you have to torque the pinion nut to between 125 and 150 ftlbs (I did 135 ftlbs), which crushes the crush collar a little more and mare for more backlash, hence more clunkyness.

Mileage? If I drive like my grandma, I can get 20-21 combined (60 mile 2-way commute into work in ½ highway, ½ stop and go traffic), but when I drive like I like to drive (WOT at ever possible opportunity ), it's more like 14-15 mpg.

 

I believe the 3.55s may also have to do with the fact that the EPA mileage rating system has changed, I think they changed the way they do their testing procedure to simulate more "real-world" conditions. Hence, many vehicles saw a decrease in mileage with the new test