Randy Anderson

Hi Folks,

I'm new to your site, I've been a Mustang fan since the New York worlds fair back in 1964 when I took my ride in a 1964/65 Mustang convertible at the Ford/Disney pavillion... I owned

2 1969 Mustangs
1978 Mustang Cobra
1967 GT500
1989 LX 5.0 sport
2003 Mach 1

Here is my point I've been very lucky in many ways, (the above mentioned cars - which I still own three), and the fact that every time I've written to a Ford CEO - I've received replies.I've mainly asked for private tours of the Dearborn Mustang plant to see my Mustangs being built.. Donald Peterson back in 1988 and Bill Ford in 2001... I was also the - only person - to write Bill Ford about saving the final assembly area of the Dearborn Mustang plant (very proud of that) ... Which after many meetings they did....

My point - If you want something really bad enough in life and you stick with it , it WILL HAPPEN... I'm just a average person with a love affair of the Ford Mustang & Shelbys, but guess what, the average Joe is what keeps the Ford Motor Company alive... This average Joe made Ford save a portion of their history as a landmark... We all can have a effect, this site is one good way... But complaining and whining will not have a effect...

If we all started writing letters or e-mailing Ford about our wishes for a GT350 for the average person, And YES do complain about the $20,000 dollar surcharges by the dealerships and the waiting list of 75 people or more for only 4 - GT500 slotted for that dealership (yes I too tried - Key word is I to tried)... Maybe it might work.... Back in the 60's Ford & Shelby WANTED TO SELL AS MANY CARS AS POSSIBLE... The idea of limits of how many NEVER CROSSED THEIR MINDS - yes the good old days...Ford placing LIMITS IS A BAD thing - it is - it's what is causing the feeding frenzy... Ford should put NO limits on the Shelby GT500/ Shelby GT and a future GT350 shame on them - THEY ARE IN THE BUSINESS to SELL CARS... The excitement is their -limits on the car is just making alot of people mad at Ford and the greedy dealerships... I saw the 2007 Shelby GT500 oping day at the New York Auto Show back in March 2005 - I wanted that sooooo bad... To bad...

Example - everyone remember the limit of 6500 placed on the 2003 Mach 1 ( they sold 9500 aprox.) 4 years ago I had such a hard time in getting my Mach 1 - I placed orders/ deposits with two dealerships in September 2002 and took delivery March 2003... I made over 50 calls to Dearborn and lucked out in contacting the Market Manager of the Ford Mustang - who got me the car... I paid sticker price on the car, my dealer was so ****ed at me when I took delivery that he made statement to that effect that I ONLY PAID STICK PRICE - that he could have sold if for $5,000 more - and I thought I was being fair paying list price...

You want action start writing letters let Ford know we WANT a GT350 for the masses NOT LIMITED..Back in 1988 Ford was going to make the Probe the NEW MUSTANG I heard they actual ran off a 100 or so cars with Mustang Badges, I and 500,000 other Mustang fans wrote to Ford and asked them if they would crazy....It worked the car stayed a V8 rwd Mustang..

Footnote - In July I flew out with my 7 year old son to the Oshkosh air show (EAA airventure as it's now called)Ford was a Big sponsor they sponsored the Beach Boys concert, rock climbing, a large tent with many cars including a 2007 GT500 and the Shelby Mustang GT-H the car they auctioned off for $250,000... Also their was Carroll Shelby signing autographs for about 2 hours each day...My 3rd time meeting him - I feel bad I didn't mention to him about build a GT350 with no limits....


Thank You for the chance to view my thoughts.. I sold my 1967 Shelby back in 1989 (I had ALOT of FUN with that car) about the time I met my wife to be and was ready to settle down... As I said to Carroll at the air show my Shelby was half my down payment on my house - thank you Mr.Shelby... His reply to me was - Son - I LOVE TO HERE STORIES LIKE THAT- I'm glad my car helped you get a house... A true gentleman - a honor to have meet him 3 times over the last 24 years ( the other 2 times at Shelby conventions at Dearborn and 6 years ago at Lime Rock...

I've regretted sell my Shelby in 1989 I just hope I have a chance to buy a new GT350 in a year or two... It would make me proud to have a second chance to own another Shelby....

Randy Anderson

Randy Anderson

Hi Mustang Sourse

Please change where it says - V6 member - to something like (Mustang Nut)... I never owned a v6 Mustang...Thank you

ecmazza

I agree in many ways with what you said. It seems like now days so many people are concerned with limited edition cars and hoping their car will be a collector's item...I think cars are made to be driven and performance cars should be driven hard!

I would love to see a new GT350 and it would be great to see it at a reasonable price!

About the "v6 member thing," that is based on your number of posts, not about the type of car you own. I think you become a "gt member" after 100 posts or something...but I bet a mod could change something for you...

backafter20

Welcome to the site, Randy! You've got some good points to make. There seems to be a disconnect between Ford and the customers, and Ford, despite their Bold Moves, hasn't seemed to find a way to listen to us. I don't know of the details of the situation, but I wonder if canning Bill will make any difference that we will find favorable for us? Will Ford listen, or was Bill not the problem in the first place, but just the fall guy? Only time will tell, but you'd think we'd have a very powerful tool here on this forum.

Incidentally, your member status is based on the number of posts you have made on this forum. Everyone starts out as a V6 member. When you hit 100 posts or so, you'll go to GT, then on up to Bullit, Mach 1, etc. (oh, he already said that) Enjoy the site, and quit looking for a better one, 'cause this is the best!

1 COBRA

Yes it does.

Just as you, many of us "average Joes" have supported Ford for many years by purchasing their products dispite a long list of short comings. In essence, it is unrealistic for you to come here and request for us to bend over, ask for second servings, and conclude it by expressing our gratitude.

Ford Motor Company can advertise their products and promote their public relations campaigns as much as they want fully knowing the one road block they can't control is the public's perception which is the vital component for their success or failures. Obviously, the Mustang is a car we have a passion for but Ford would not be holding the strings if it wasn't for our continuous support and devotion. All Ford has to do is return the courtesy and perhaps reconsider the benefits of the concept on honoring a hand shake. A simple solution to a complex problem.

Then the "whining" will likely disappear.

Boomer

I guess one big problem right now is...
Ford physically cannot build as many as they want right now.
They are tapped to the maximum ammount of cars they can produce at that one plant.

Back in the 60s, there were more than 2 plants (IIRC from literature) that were making the mustang.

I agree that making yourself heard can make a difference, but also... when it comes down to 100,000 people saying 'Yes I want a GT350 built!'
How many are REALLY going to fork money over for it?
It's the same right now with the GT500... how many have expressed interest? compared to placing orders...to actually paying for a car?

With the ammount of cars being produced, and with a 3 year run (07-09)
@ 7000-9000 a year.... (which will actually be more than the 03/04 Cobra in the end) The demand WILL catch up with the supply eventually.
Does anyone seriously think the MAVs will stay on this car for 3 years?
And that eventually dealerships will HAVE to drop the price or even yet...offer less than MSRP?
Crazy talk? or just history repeating itself

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As for your title, yes it changes based on posts.
You only get a custom title when you do something to attract the mods attention.

hi5.0

Wow, RA you must have some pull with Ford!
I think what others have stated as far as production capacity at the AAI plant that produces Mustangs and other cars (the names of which escape me since they don't matter compared to the Mustang) is what is limiting Ford. The other thing would be cost for both the company and the consumer. Given Ford's present status, a GT350 would have to be either sold in huge quantities or with a high MSRP - probably both - for this to be a winning proposition for Ford and Shelby. Then there is always the risk of such a vehicle ending up being another Chevy SSR or Pontiac GTO with the intended market "evaporating" after the vehicle was introduced. IMO, it would take Ford NA getting out of the mess it is in order to make a "real" GT350 happen.

Randy Anderson

Hi ,

Thank you for the welcome - just thought I'd add a few thoughts to the postings to this thread... Do I have pull with Ford - no more than anyone on this site - I've just been lucky... I don't work for them, - thus as customers ALL OF US as consumers have the RIGHT to try and contact whatever Big Wig at Ford who will listen to us.. To get whatever our little hearts desire ( right now a new GT350 in a year or two)... I do think that this site is EXTREMELY LUCKY that you have Amy.B the President of Shelby America posting on the Mustang Source Forum, and that she is willing to share SOME info VERY COOL - thank you Amy....

Short -story time on sources...Example - my source who gave me the very private phone # to the Mustang market manager worked for Ford and took a chance on me - (my point, people at Ford do care and will bend over backwards to help if asked NICELY) he out-right told me - I WILL LOSE MY JOB IF YOU TELL HIM WHERE YOU GOT THIS # FROM...And he wasn't kidding the Mustang Market Manager was extremely UPSET and buzzed into me for a good 15 minutes, that I had the phone number that only Bill Ford and his wife had... And YES HE WANTED to KNOW who gave me that number ( I didn't tell him)... After a hour on the phone I had my Mach 1 unofficially and a new friend, he even invited me while I was attending the Ford 100th celebration to a cookout for Ford employees... While attending the Ford 100th 3 years ago is where I first heard of a new Shelby GT500 coming out...

The AAI plant is shared production wise with a Mazda 626 etc, if Ford was smart hmmm they would make that plant solely a Mustang plant thus doubling production volume... Back in the mid-sixties they had three plants churning out Mustangs....

Well folks got to go to bed I'm on my 4th & 5th week vacation - not going anywheres this time so I'll post a few times in between cutting the grass, painting, cleaning out the garage, and attic etc... Then back to 60 plus hour work weeks until May oh what joy,34 years down only another 16 years of such fun to go...

Oh by the way - when I had Bill Ford's attention on the save the assembly plant thing - YES I DID ask for a job assembling Ford Mustangs - some BOLD MOVES excuse the pun - on my part, which fell on deaf ears-that would have been a dream job come true... I'm sure that went into my Ford file they have on me...

I love B.S.ing Mustang stories from my times of stop light racing for gas money for the GT500, to one time chasing a car full of knock out looking babes who flashed me their *****and ended up all out street racing thru 5 towns to get their phone numbers (in my 1978 Mustang - 140 HP 302 V8 ) guess who won??? Hint - it wasn't me they had the faster car - thus the BOLD MOVES flashing on their part, to my throttle sticking wide open on the Shelby doing at least 150 mph on the highway and living to tell the tale, mostly all in my youth ofcourse - many years ago ( police officer types whom may be reading this)... I love this car. Good night all. Randy

Randy Anderson

That BLACK 2007 Shelby GT with the silver stripes looks SOOOOOO bad a** I keep going back for another look at the pictures... If only the rocker stripe read GT350 and the engine had 350 HP, I'd give my right arm (well no I need that) to have one. I like the rakish lowered look of the car the hood and scoop look great as do the side scoops which look perfect/custom molded... Ofcourse after owning a 67 Shelby with working scoops (I took the interior out twice - the side scoops had hosing going from the scoops to the inner rear wheels housing in front of the rear brakes) would make me a happy camper...

Has anyone ever popped the hood on the new Mustang and looked at it's underside of the hood it seems like it's ready for a future ram air type scoop to be mounted...

Anyway when I recently came to your site and heard of the new Shelby GT and saw pictures my first reaction was like others, oh no - it's NOT a GT350 how can Ford & Shelby do this to us the Mustang fan. But you know what I'm ok with it now... The car looks great - it's not a GT350 but it's like a base Shelby or starter Shelby... I think everyone WILL have a better chance of getting this car than a GT500... And final assembly IS AT A SHELBY PLANT.... I have to state again that this car does look very bad a** in black... I've had 3 Mustangs factory ordered in black and I always say never again... But the black and silver just looks so cool.


One way or another I'll have to dream of better days - I bought two new cars in 2003 my Mach 1 keeper and a Honda Civic EX work car, I'm not ready for another year before their paid for... Then bring on a new GT350.... Randy

3Mach1

Randy you make some good points but I disagree on a few. Complaining does help if its done the right way. Ultimately we speak with our money and that is what matters to Ford.

I too own a Mach 1 and love the car. I remember when they built the prototype and hauled it all over the country. Everybody just raved over it and we all got a chance to tell what we didnt like too. The overall perception was very positive so that made a case for Ford to build it. Why they dont do that anymore is a mystery to me. Would it not be wise for Ford to build a gt350 and do the same thing? Imagine the excitement it would stir up. Sometimes I really question what Ford is thinking.

These special edition mustangs prices will drop like a rock. Just give it time. I will not pay msrp for anything. Ill consider one at invoice or below though. Call me a cheapskate I dont care. At the end of the day its just a unit that a dealership wants to sell and they will be willing to bargain on it. I was patient when I bought my Mach 1 and when I went to pick it up the dealer had tons of them sitting on the lot. The deal was lets just say almost unbelievable. Could have bought a cobra that same day dirt cheap too. Now, what you see is the used values of these cars reflect some of the rock bottom prices that these cars were originally purchased at. I refuse to be part of the gang that has to have it first. I will never understand that mentality.

Yeah, I want a gt 350 too but the car is going to have to have more than the shelby gt. Mainly under the hood. Its a really cool concept and somebody at Ford needs to get off their a@@ and wake up. I dont feel like they have their finger on the pulse of passionat mustangers. Maybe Im in the minority I dont know.

Maybe I will start my write in campain and try to get somebodys attention that can do something about it.