Hey Guys -
Well, the pull was too strong, so I gave in. I'm now the proud owner of a beautiful DIB GT500!I was waffling between a used Mercedes SL65 and the Shelby for the last month. I was initially put off by the Internet hype which put the Shelby at damn near unobtainable status without a markup. I had found a few low mileage SL65s and actually committed to one. $50k, pampered & warrantied with only 30k miles. Plans were made and 3 days before I was due to fly out the buyer had a change of heart. He claimed his wife just wouldn't let him sell it...
So I took another hard look at the Shelby and started playing with the vehicle locator on Ford.com. In one afternoon I had found fifty GT500s in Virginia and the surrounding states. I narrowed that list down to about ten that were optioned the way I wanted. From there I picked up the phone and dialed the dealer who had the number one car on my list:
- Deep Impact Blue with black stripes
- Recaros
- Performance Pack
- Track Pack
- Navi
- Shaka
Stickered out at $66k and change. The conversation with the dealer came as quite the surprise:
Me: "Do you still have the blue GT500 available?"
Dealer: " Yes sir, she just came in two days ago"
Me: "Will you sell it at sticker price?"
Dealer: "Yes sir, the only car we ever asked a premium over sticker was the Ford GT due to the limited availability of it."
Me: "Ok, I'd like to make a deposit"
Dealer: "Certainly sir, one moment while I get your info..."
Done deal! I flew in a week later and picked it up with no hassle. I'm active duty Navy and was on house hunting leave from Japan. What a beast to return to the US roads with! Big thanks to Paoli Ford in Pennsylvania! I paid sticker price + $110 document fee. That's it, no BS (doing taxes and reg myself).
So I've got almost 1000 miles on the odo already and love it! My first car was a Mustang (67' 289 coupe); so it has a little nostalgic significance to me. I've owned quite a few fast(er) cars than the GT500 but what surprises me is how tractable the power is with this car. The ride quality is decent and if you drive it "normally" it's quite streetable. The clutch is fantastic, considering what it has to put up with, and it's obvious to me that the folks at SVT spent some time getting the "package" right. I played around with it a bit in an expansive (deserted) & wet parking lot and the traction control does a pretty good job at keeping the beast straight despite the F1s out back. Full on LC launch with a gear change to second in the wet? Maybe try a few lateral "G"s for good measure? That would have thrown just about any previous car I've owned into some serious dramatic behavior. Surprisingly, the Shelby kept it all in check. Disable the TC though and... Well... Yeah, some serious hooning can be had.
The best realistic fuel mileage I've got out of a tank was 18.5 mpg with some city/highway mixed driving. Not too bad considering how ridiculous this car is. Of course no one buys this for the fuel economy but it's nice to know it can be somewhat respectable during normal driving.
For now though, its back to Japan to finish up my tour. I just got the news that Ive been advanced which stretches me out until mid-September in Japan but I can't complain :beer: The Shelby was left in the garage of a trusted friend and will be waiting for me upon my return.
Mods are coming in the meanwhile... tune, x-pipe, springs. I may swap out the wheels and opt for a Super Snake hood. I do like the twin black stripes but I'm thinking a single wide one (in white) would look better. Decisions... Decisions :rockon:
Ryan
Well, the pull was too strong, so I gave in. I'm now the proud owner of a beautiful DIB GT500!I was waffling between a used Mercedes SL65 and the Shelby for the last month. I was initially put off by the Internet hype which put the Shelby at damn near unobtainable status without a markup. I had found a few low mileage SL65s and actually committed to one. $50k, pampered & warrantied with only 30k miles. Plans were made and 3 days before I was due to fly out the buyer had a change of heart. He claimed his wife just wouldn't let him sell it...
So I took another hard look at the Shelby and started playing with the vehicle locator on Ford.com. In one afternoon I had found fifty GT500s in Virginia and the surrounding states. I narrowed that list down to about ten that were optioned the way I wanted. From there I picked up the phone and dialed the dealer who had the number one car on my list:
- Deep Impact Blue with black stripes
- Recaros
- Performance Pack
- Track Pack
- Navi
- Shaka
Stickered out at $66k and change. The conversation with the dealer came as quite the surprise:
Me: "Do you still have the blue GT500 available?"
Dealer: " Yes sir, she just came in two days ago"
Me: "Will you sell it at sticker price?"
Dealer: "Yes sir, the only car we ever asked a premium over sticker was the Ford GT due to the limited availability of it."
Me: "Ok, I'd like to make a deposit"
Dealer: "Certainly sir, one moment while I get your info..."
Done deal! I flew in a week later and picked it up with no hassle. I'm active duty Navy and was on house hunting leave from Japan. What a beast to return to the US roads with! Big thanks to Paoli Ford in Pennsylvania! I paid sticker price + $110 document fee. That's it, no BS (doing taxes and reg myself).
So I've got almost 1000 miles on the odo already and love it! My first car was a Mustang (67' 289 coupe); so it has a little nostalgic significance to me. I've owned quite a few fast(er) cars than the GT500 but what surprises me is how tractable the power is with this car. The ride quality is decent and if you drive it "normally" it's quite streetable. The clutch is fantastic, considering what it has to put up with, and it's obvious to me that the folks at SVT spent some time getting the "package" right. I played around with it a bit in an expansive (deserted) & wet parking lot and the traction control does a pretty good job at keeping the beast straight despite the F1s out back. Full on LC launch with a gear change to second in the wet? Maybe try a few lateral "G"s for good measure? That would have thrown just about any previous car I've owned into some serious dramatic behavior. Surprisingly, the Shelby kept it all in check. Disable the TC though and... Well... Yeah, some serious hooning can be had.
The best realistic fuel mileage I've got out of a tank was 18.5 mpg with some city/highway mixed driving. Not too bad considering how ridiculous this car is. Of course no one buys this for the fuel economy but it's nice to know it can be somewhat respectable during normal driving.
For now though, its back to Japan to finish up my tour. I just got the news that Ive been advanced which stretches me out until mid-September in Japan but I can't complain :beer: The Shelby was left in the garage of a trusted friend and will be waiting for me upon my return.
Mods are coming in the meanwhile... tune, x-pipe, springs. I may swap out the wheels and opt for a Super Snake hood. I do like the twin black stripes but I'm thinking a single wide one (in white) would look better. Decisions... Decisions :rockon:
Ryan
