Blue Horse

Hello. I am planning to order a Mustang this weekend and have been reading this forum and others in preparation for that.

I have seen several references to "dealer allotments". How do I find out about the dealer's allotment? I have spoken to the same salesman we have used for years. He was at a small dealership and now is at a slightly larger but still small dealership. He is encouraging me to just let him know what I want and he will order it but warned me of an 8 to 10 week wait time.

Reading on here that doesn't seem unexpected. But I don't want to find it being 18 to 20 weeks because of his allotment. I want to drive it before winter!

Thanks for any help you can offer me.

Ltngdrvr

Just ask your dealer guy if they have an available Mustang order allocation, he should be able to find out very easily.

Your asking him this will also tell him that you have been doing your homework and are not totally in the dark like most of his customers are.

houtex

If you want a V6, they will either get it ordered or find it/trade it.

A GT? A little harder to get, but it can be done that way too.

Add another percentage less to the finding process for a convertible.

Boss or other highly special car? The smaller the dealership, the lesser the chance is you can get the car... and perhaps even impossible, due to the fact they may have already *had* their allotment for that year... some get only one Boss, and the owner might have snapped that up, for example.

This is the problem with allocations and limits due to CAFE or small production runs, coupled with the sales leading the allotments. If they don't sell X cars, they get less cars for their next run. Which means they can't get yours, so you go somewhere else, they get less cars, right down to the minimum per year. Nobody gets nothing, but there is a lower limit.

So your situation is HIGHLY dependent on the overall size of the dealership, the amount of Mustangs, in this case, that they sell overall, and how many of the overall type (V6, V6 convertible, GT, GT convertible, Boss, Boss LS, etc.) that they may have sold, and how many of those per year they were allotted in the first place.

If you want something highly "unorthodox" (read sellable to anyone off the lot) then you might have to go to a bigger dealership to ensure you get it in the time frame you want.

Hope that helps.

Blue Horse

Well, the salesman is adament that they won't get me one from another lot. He doesn't like to do that as I know from past dealings and he mentioned it again this time.

Right now I THINK I am going to get a V-6 but I really want a V-8. Just like I really want a MT but with all the things I am reading about the MT82 I think I am going automatic.

Thanks for the information. I think I will call and ask him later in the week. The plan is to drive to some bigger dealerships on Friday so that I can see actual colors and other details before ordering.

Ltngdrvr

Unless you want something unusual then why not buy one off the lot somewhere? You would very likely get a better deal than ordering one.

And that's BS, the dealer telling you they won't find one for you at another dealer and get it for you.

They are there to serve you, you are the customer, you are the one with the money, you are the one with the power. All you have to do is tell them you will go elsewhere and spend your money.

Blue Horse

Why not get one off the lot? Two reasons.

One, I am not finding what I want anywhere. I don't want black, white or red. That seems to be the only thing around.

Two, I happen to be well acquainted with some young men who have gone to lots and driven some of these cars. On more than one occasion in such a manner as to void the warranty. I don't want one of those vehicles.

There are some dealers that don't want to do trades because they end up with another lot's problems. There is something to said for small dealerships. And, I have a strong belief that if I want local dealerships to remain I have support them even if it is slightly inconvenient or slightly more expensive. These days I would eat up a few hundred dollars in driving to another dealership if I had problems or recalls.

Ltngdrvr

You don't have to take your car back to the dealer you bought it from to get it serviced or warranty work done.

Each to his own, just offering you a way to get a car.

houtex

Trust me... the sales of the car isn't where they typically make their money, and they will be MORE than happy to service the car. That's where they make their money, the sales is a way to get the service and/or body shop.

Get your car wherever you want/need.

And call Ford Customer Service (or find the rep who's lurkin' about here) and tell them this dealer won't help you the way you need to be helped.

It is total crap they are blocking you from getting the car you desire by telling you 'we don't do trades'. Total.

And if they're doin' that... well... I'm not sure I'd buy from them now anyway, because they're strong arming you, and you need to get off your morality horse regarding them, because they're not only off theirs, they shot it and sent it to the glue factory, sir.

druice

Think about that a bit further. Has that particular local dealership earned your support at all? From what you've described thus far, it doesn't seem like it. Why feel the need to support a dealer that won't support you, just because they're "local?" Unless of course by local you mean it's friends/family that work there. Even if that were the case, they certainly should be helping you out instead of stringing you along.



All that said, weren't you planning to custom order? What happened with the salesman to go from "I want to place an order," to "they won't even get me a car from another lot?" And if you're thinking V6 but wanting a V8, you'll probably regret getting the 6. The MT82 thing... well there's an overabundance of discussion on that matter in other threads.

Blue Horse

I apologize that I don't seem to be communicating clearly. I have a tendency to ramble.

I called to talk to a salesman I have always dealt with about what I wanted. I am a little flexible but he encouraged me to just let him order one just the way I wanted it. This is what I have done for every new vehicle I have ever bought. I never buy off the lot.

I also know and he said once again that he really doesn't like trading with other lots. Like I said I have dealt with him for years at another dealership. I am not happy with Ford's push to force out smaller dealers. So, I suppose I am on my moral high horse. I am willing to make some sacrifices for my beliefs. My question here was to help me balance my desires with the reality of what I am facing.

My plan was to buy one when the Mustang and I both turned 40. If I have waited this long I can wait a little longer.

I do really appreciate all the help/advice I am getting on here. All of my high moral ground may crumble away when I go shopping tomorrow. I want to make an informed decision but I am also aware of the financial impact buying a "toy" could have. So, were I to be offered a really good deal on the "almost perfect" car I would probably take it.

Thank you again for all your help. It has been a blast researching and discussing with my family. Reading everyone's posts has helped me with that process.

First Stang

I've been reading lately on the forum that there seems to be less V6s shipping than GTs.

Storm75

Bluehorse - not sure if this helps any, but...

I have been the proud owner of a new V6 convetible for all of 7 days now. Ordered it back in late February and waited it out. I have had a number of V6 vehicles over the years, but NOTHING like this V6 engine used in the Mustang. It sounds wonderful, pulls strong and is an awesome engine all around.

Of course the 5.0 is an awesome engine in its own right, but I do not regret one bit going for the V6. The $5K I "saved" over the V8 upgrade offset the cost of the convertible body style. It was the right choice for me - good luck in your shopping and let us know how it goes for you?

Blue Horse

Thanks, Storm. I have driven the V6 and it is awesome. If anyone had been in the car with me they would have thought I was losing it. After 25 years of driving grocery getters and farm trucks I had forgotten the pure pleasure driving a car can be.

Tomorrow we are going to go looking. My husband has not driven any of them. It is my decision but I definitely want the input of my chief mechanic.

jaybertx

+1. I ended up going with the V8 but I was absolutely shocked at how strong the v6 was so for me it was really a decision between a V6 vert and a V8 coupe.