grendel

It's also worth noting that the Saleen S281SC is around $56k list with a few options... The Extreme will likely be in the $70k range but also pushes out 500HP.

SurfnSoCal

yeah....its not hard to find those cars (some of them) that Rrobello posted. I know in La Jolla, there are tons of exotic car dealerships.

Saleen Mike

(Already familiar with Symbolic)

Just because they sell it does not mean that you can tag it / insure it / drive it.

Take the Spyker for example. They sell it, but you can not tag it.

Yes, I know, there are "Special Use" tags and what not, but jumping through that amount of hoops does not make it a typical vehicle like a Stang / Saleen / Ferrari / Lambo / Lotus / Chevy / Whatever.

1trickpony

Not cheering for Saleen, MM & FF's best SC run was 12.5 at 110.

SurfnSoCal

yes, my mistake.

BUT


the JMS car ran 12.43 @108 with intake, tune, 3.73 gears, sticky tires and pulleys. that equates to 298rwhp....

doesn't say much for Saleen with 390rwhp and running 12.5.


the new vette runs low 12's with just exhaust (12.3).

Fazm

I thought saleen claimed 12.2 on their own track. Read it in the magazine where the mag only got a 12.9. (motor trend, R&T, car&driver, 1 of those 3)

Saleen Mike

That vs 20" wheels & STREET tires (and stock gears) makes a HUGE difference.

woody1

Go to a Saleen dealership and make friends with a service writer. Ask if they would buy the Saleen or the GT w/mods....... note I said ask the service people; not the sales people

PolkThug

I've got the Saleen mods, but no effin GT to put them on!

http://www.angelfire.com/ultra2/polkthug/page2.html

http://www.angelfire.com/ultra2/polkthug/page3.html

1trickpony

I think it was Car and Driver. They did say the track conditions were not good, very slippery.

1trickpony

I have a lot of respect for the JMS car. Mid 12s is awesome. A stock GT is traction limited, a blown GT is very traction limited. The drag radials are a huge improvement. 5.0 Magazine compared the base and SC Saleen. The SC couldn't hook up and had the same 0-50 times as the base car. If you mod the Saleen; pulley, intake, tune, slicks, rev limiter, you're probably in 11s. I think the Saleen is way over priced, but the motor has a lot of potential.

jwenger

MM & FF page 54, Saleen SC 1/4 @ 12.5 and 110.42 mph // Vet with 4 speed aoto and a 3.08 rear end 1/4 @ 12.31 and 113.8 mph it has 400 hp. Weighs about 3250#. At $56K I would avoid the Saleen and get the Vette. The 6 speed manual with the Z51 option would be even faster. I just went out and got a used ZO6 Vette with 6 speed and 405hp. Weighs 3120#. It gets great milage and is faster then any 05 Vets. Cost $35,600. I didn't want to play games waiting for the GT500 that weighs 3880# and will carry a huge dealer markup. I did what was best for me and glad I did.

NiteHawk422

Well, I have done some research on this topic here. In my opinion the 2005/2006 Saleen SC 281 is one heck of a car, and a great deal for the price it is offered. Saleens over the years have always been considered exclusive specialty cars like the Shelbys of late 60s and early 70s. Anyone who has had the opportunity to drive one can tell you the car handles like a dream, with a no understeer, and has a smoother ride compared to a stock mustang GT. The base 2006 S281 SC MSRP is just about 48,000 when you consider Gas Guzzler/Enclosed Transport Cost as part of the base. Hidden costs that they have to charge you for, that Saleen does not include in the base price. There are a handful of options to include 20x9 or 20x10 wheels, tires HID head laps, and 14 inch brakes. Adding these options will put you close to the $55,000 mark. However, most dealers want a sale and they pocket a bunch up front from Saleen. So you can argue this price down to about 49 or 50 about 3 to 5 below MSRP if you are good, for a well equiped S281 SC. (Invoice GT 23K and 25K in Saleen don't pay MSRP for the GT). The vehicle itself, is essentially a redesigned Ford Mustang, with about 450 HP and 440 Tor. The vehicle comes with the same 3 year 36,000 mile Warranty and can be serviced at any Ford or Lincoln Mercury dealership. S281 SCs are limited in production, authentic, and are the only supercharged Mustangs on the market right now. You can take a Mustang GT and Mod it closely to Saleen SC however you lack the authenticity of a Saleen. Well that might not matter much to most of us. But lets say you buy the parts, pay someone for the time, and quality of install to really make your saleen look the part. We have all seen the ones that do the mix and match, and you wonder if the car was ever really a mustang to start with. The cost to mod a stock GT to a SC will run you in the range of 20,000 to 25,000. So you buy your Mustang at MSRP or less say 25,000 even. You get the great deal for 20,000 on parts and install. You just paid 45,000 for a hot looking car and most likely voided your orginal warranty. 4K more gets you the real thing. One can argue you can do it for less, but you can not do it better then the real thing. But hey the GT 500 will be out next year, but with Ford only cranking out about 7000 and the high demand will offset the great price. More then likely 450 HP and 450 TOR, for about 55 to 65 and a bidding war. From my point of view, the price is well worth the value of the car. The performance, equal to a Vette with 2 more seats, and a far better look for just about the same price.

exarkun

Take it froma former Saleen owner; for me it was a nice to have, not a must have. I enjoyed the car for 4 years but I found that for the money i invested; they dont hold much value and getting service at any ford dealer was becoming a real pain; most try to turn you away unless you have ALL your documentation with you each time and are prepared to waste two plus hours each time.

For me, it was a nightmare on service ... thankfully I only had one major defect from day one and it was a ford part; if a saleen part were to fail; you could be looking at a month to get a replacement. THis was Fremont Ford in California; since then they stopped selling saleens ... and I can see why.

dont get me wrong .... I love Saleens; but as a comsumer on a budget and high standards for service ... I say NO-NO ( not for new anyway ). Buy the Corvette; it can be serviced at any chevy dealership no matter where you move to.

I personally like the 99-04 cobra saleen speedsters; only seen one and not up close to verify it was real ( there be clones out there ). If you bleed ford blue ... wait for the shelby ... if you lke ... i can tell you all of my pains offline on a email exchange

Hollywood_North GT

Absolutely untrue. If Ford can demonstrate that the tie rod broke because of increased stress as a result of the SC, you're SOL. And rest assured that's the case they'll argue.

This has been covered ad-nauseum in other threads. Buying the Saleen as a turn-key solution - if that's what you really want - is the preferrable option here. By the time you add in all the parts, mods, etc, it's just as cheap to get the Saleen. Plus you have the full Ford warranty that normally comes with the Mustang. And Saleen's retain their value better than stock Mustangs, and CERTAINLY better than any mods you might do...especially if you botch it at all.