Why are you sticking with your S197?

mrgtx

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Don't get me wrong, I love almost everything about my 2011 GT.

It still feels quick, has been extremely reliable, still looks good (to me anyway)...when the 2013 refresh came along, I loved it but not that much more than my 2011. The engine upgrades were insignificant...so I held onto my '11.

When the S550 came along for 2015, I was reaaallly tempted. It offered a nice upgrade to the already wonderful Coyote a really sharp interior and honest to goodness IRS which all sounded amazing until I saw it in person and drove it.

Yeah, I liked the car just fine but there were too many bad angles in the styling for my taste and it was absolutely no quicker than my 2011. No deal.

Now we have the S550.5 revision for 2018 that brings along major upgrades, particularly when it comes to performance goodies. The advertised sub-four-second 0-60mph sprint alone is astounding. This is a legitimately improved car.

So why are you sticking with your S197?

636442231826739491-2018-Ford-Mustang-GT-12.jpg
 

eighty6gt

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It's probably $60,000 otd for a new car here. At least. Nope... me and my cohorts are all out of $.

The front end updates make the car look even more like an old catfish.

If I don't buy a new car, Ford won't need to make it, so I can keep away from the masses destroying the environment buying more and more new cars every 2-3 years for hedonistic reasons and just because they are bored.

I don't know what my car 0-60's in, only that it sounds a lot nicer than a new 5.0 and it's fun rowing my own gears. I drove my Dad's ecoboost 10 speed F150. Makes a growling noise, the speedometer wraps up.. similar in the Mustang, just faster. Boring.
 

Juice

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I prefer the 05-09 body style. My minimal options seemed to play right into "a perfect base" for a track toy/DD. I was not planning to build another track car, but my fox has been doing track duty now since 1999. It was time for a change. And my clutch went out on the V6 @106000, and that prompted the drivetrain swap.

I get satisfaction out of building a car myself, and then taking it to the track (WGI mostly) to see how it does.

Anyone can buy a car and do HPDE's with it. It is much more rewarding IMO to build it myself.

And I'm a cheap bastard and i hold on to shit for a lot longer than most ppl. :)
 
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eighty6gt

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Nice work on the swap, you even got the good transmission! What do you figure it ran you?
 

Juice

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Nice work on the swap, you even got the good transmission! What do you figure it ran you?

Ball park 10K for the swap. Engine was $3800, trans $3550, all labor done in my barn. :) I hate to think what a shop would charge to do that swap. Guessing $10K minimum.

And another 3K into some body mods. Cervini heat extractor hood, GT500/CS rear bumper cover, and a new stock front bumper cover with CDC chin spoiler added.
 
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46addict

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1) Can't afford a new car/current car is paid off/don't want to spend new car money on a depreciating asset
2) Mustangs need to be smaller (think Foxbody) not bigger like the S550. I haven't fact checked but I heard the new chassis is longer than a Toyota Camry but rear seat legroom is still a running joke. Not that rear seats are important, but it seems like a waste of real estate to have such a big car with very little cabin space. But I understand bigger dimensions are a market trend among all brands, not just Fords.
3) If I have a question about whether a part will be compatible with other parts, or what is the best route to take for a certain goal, I can just search here and read through 10 years of documented info instead of treading uncharted territory. There is less money wasted by working off of an older platform because other people have already done what I want to do and used parts are plentiful.

Modding costs money, so starting out on the cheaper platform leaves room to buy parts.
 
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eighty6gt

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I wonder if this place will one day go the way of fnsweet. A lot of images are already gone - due to the photobucket (?) fiasco. Then, poof. No more BruceH info for anyone, ever again. I think Bruce got into gardening after he finished busting his knuckles on stupid, expensive cars.
 

NickD87

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It's hard the technology keeps pushing HP up.
That same technology is what's keeping me away (sorta)
My 05 3v has always been a weekend toy and its raw loud, it's feels like an old muscle car without the issues of an old car, with boost I've caught up to the HP but it still feels special when I drive it unlike the new cars that remind me of a fusion. The sensation of speed with the new cars isn't there either, they are "too good"

That said the temptation for a s550 is strong so I ordered a 2018 EcoBoost as a daily driver hopefully getting a vin this week.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
 

46addict

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I wonder if this place will one day go the way of fnsweet. A lot of images are already gone - due to the photobucket (?) fiasco. Then, poof. No more BruceH info for anyone, ever again. I think Bruce got into gardening after he finished busting his knuckles on stupid, expensive cars.

Pics are helpful for how-to guides but for reading up on how to execute a plan, the words are still there. I don't forsee this forum going anywhere but if it shuts down I'm going to the Corral lol.
 

v6tungsten

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Its payed off, has supercharged engine producing 480hp/450tq. Fast enough to outrun 99% of cars on the road. Also, have a BMW 335d daily for comfort. Its tuned to 330hp/460tq. The BMW will soon have the stage 2.8 that requires emissions removed and will produce around 373hp/606tq.

I see no reason to spend 30k-60k when my car payment is zero with my current lineup.
 

Juice

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Its payed off, has supercharged engine producing 480hp/450tq. Fast enough to outrun 99% of cars on the road. Also, have a BMW 335d daily for comfort. Its tuned to 330hp/460tq. The BMW will soon have the stage 2.8 that requires emissions removed and will produce around 373hp/606tq.

I see no reason to spend 30k-60k when my car payment is zero with my current lineup.

I was SERIOUSLY looking at 335Ds.....That is one bad ass ride with MPGs. Whats it get, like 40mpg?
 

skaarlaj

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I'd love an S550 for the improved engine, or a 2018 for the 10 speed auto, but it's the " my 2011 is paid for" and I like the easy fitment of 15" wheels on the 11-14's anyways. If I had an 05-09, or no hot-rod at all, I'd be seriously checking out an 18 with the auto. Or a new 17/6R80 for less than 30K to make room for the 18's. At the end of the day you-tube's Yolodouchebag almost hit 9's on the stock engine in his 115 k mile older Coyote, so a newer one really isn't too necessary at least yet, lol.
 
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skaarlaj

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Its payed off, has supercharged engine producing 480hp/450tq. Fast enough to outrun 99% of cars on the road. Also, have a BMW 335d daily for comfort. Its tuned to 330hp/460tq. The BMW will soon have the stage 2.8 that requires emissions removed and will produce around 373hp/606tq.

I see no reason to spend 30k-60k when my car payment is zero with my current lineup.

That's some huge torque out of that BMW man!!
 

v6tungsten

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I was SERIOUSLY looking at 335Ds.....That is one bad ass ride with MPGs. Whats it get, like 40mpg?

40mpg on the highway can be reached if emissions are deleted. It might be possible with emissions in place if you live in an area that doesnt have overpasses. The highway would need to be flat. I can get 36mpg highway only with the emissions intact.

one example showing a tuned bmw is pretty fast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-lBkzuUS7w
 

Riptide

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There is always something new coming out. Aesthetics aside the new cars are almost always going to have some advantage whether it's interior or drivetrain.

Fact is I can't afford to waste money by selling every 3-4 years and starting over. That is the primary reason I'm not selling.

Secondarily. A gen1 coyote already can make 550-600whp on pump fuel with boost. On a small tire, with the car living on the street 99% of the time, I don't see the point to having more power that you can't plant without lots of suspension work and tweaking. If it's even possible.
 

702GT

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While I've sold mine, I do intend to get back into one in the future. When I had mine, the bottom line was always money. It may look like we're out of the recession, but it doesn't feel like it. Cost of living is way up, house prices are ridiculous, and wages barely moved. The first generation S197 carried an average MSRP of $28k. The new S550's seem to average $36k. Out the door prices range widely depending on options, but last I visited the dealer, most of what I found was around $42k. As others have stated, why spend $40-60k on a car that instantly depreciates by almost half. It's just a mass produced GT. I'm sure back in the day Fox owners asked the same of the SN-95. These days Ford offers 7 and even 8 years of finance options. It's sickening, I don't care if the car comes with missiles in the headlights, it's stupid money and wages don't reflect it. I know a few people that own S550's making $16/hr. I can't imagine how they justify it in their budget. I made a $520/mo payment on mine back in the day on a 60mo loan and thought my budget was tight on an apprentice wage of $25/hr. Literally I wouldn't have made it if it was a $600/mo payment. Fortunately I got a raise every 6 months but the first year was sweating bullets, but it was barely affordable. The Mustang used to be known as the poor man's muscle car, not so much anymore.

As for performance, money makes anything fast. So choose what you find most appealing, and dump money in that. When I come back to a Mustang, I'll be looking for a sly deal on a GT500 '07-'14.
 

46addict

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The 07-09 Shelbys seem to hold their value well, to the point where it's cheaper to get a 2011-13 GT with similar miles. Or maybe Mustang GTs just depreciate quickly by nature, depending on how you look at it.
 

06 T-RED S/C GT

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When the S197 was first introduced as a concept in 2003, it had such a strong impact that instantly reminded me of the classic first gen 65-70 Mustangs I admired from that era and for the very first time since 1970 I was so blown away as a direct result and knew from that very moment the S197 was going to be my next Mustang.. But when Ford finally introduced the production version in 2004, I was a bit disappointed at first as I was hoping that Ford would've carried over the concept model's more aggressive and sharper edge styling cues, but once the dust finally settled I then realized how Ford did such an outstanding job with both the design and it's retro styling that I just knew there wasn't going to be any turning back.. Needless to say, whenever I look at the S197 even 12 years later, I get instantly reminded once again of just how much they share in common with their classic first gen counterparts..

That being said, I have nothing personal against the current S550 gen.. However the S550 just doesn't blow me away in the styling dept, let alone come even close when compared to the S197 at least as far as I'm concerned IMHO..
 
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