- JG300-Stoopy
I've been tempted to upgrade except I'm too cheap to let go of a car I finally have paid off, and I'm becoming a bit skeptical about quality. There have been some silly things breaking or prematurely wearing out on the 'Stang as noted by several TSB's that Ford has issued. My emergency brake cables freeze in place during winter because of defective rubber cups that let water pool around the connectors at the rear brake calipers. Fog lights stopped working when the headlight switch decided to internally break apart - the headlights still worked fine, at least, and on the bright side replacing the switch is easy enough. Lower ball joints are already loose beyond spec and need replacement at only 39,000 miles...at the price of about a grand when all is said and done...WTF! Not to mention the bizarre electrical current drain that happens for no reason sometimes. These are all problems that other owners of '05's are having, I guess it goes with the territory of being an early adopter to the S197 platform. At least there's a 'lazy gauge' electrical problem that is also common that I am not having....yet. This is all stuff that Ford has documented in TSB's although that doesn't mean they'll pay for correcting the issues. And don't even start me on telling you the horror story about the two-piece screw-together spark plugs that Ford installed on our years of the 4.6 3V cammer engines. Suffice to say, I do need to sell the 'Stang before it gets to 100K miles and new plugs will be due, because it turns out that carbon buildup around the lower part of the plug tends to "keep" the bottom half of the 2-piece plug in place when you unscrew the top of the spark plug (and the halves screw together with a right-hand thread so the halves unscrew as you are removing the plug), and the only clue that something is wrong is the "clunk" sound people are hearing when the bottom half of the spark plug drops down onto the top of the piston as they stare bewilderdly at the top half of a spark plug that came out of the head. Only one way to recover that piece, at that point. "Off with her head!" said the Queen...Ford has issued a bizarre, lengthy spark plug removal procedure that involves spooning amounts of carbon cleaner into the spark plug cavities, waiting half an hour, easing the plugs out a quarter-turn at a time, spooning more carbon cleaner into the hole between quarter-turns, waiting, turning a little more, etc....with the commuting scene here in D.C. area, and given the 'Stang is pretty much used only as a commuter on days that I don't ride the mo'cycle to work, I am sure she has an above-average amount of carbon buildup already.
Yeah, I wanna hear how much you enjoy test driving a Challenger, buddy! Have a blast!!!!
- JG300-Ascout
I'm thinking seriously of a "stripe delete", insignia-delete option, which they'll do. Maybe just a plain brown wrapper (that is to say, tungsten metallic). How bad a sleeper would that be?
- JG300-Stoopy- JG300-Ascout
I'm thinking seriously of a "stripe delete", insignia-delete option, which they'll do. Maybe just a plain brown wrapper (that is to say, tungsten metallic). How bad a sleeper would that be?
I think that sounds absolutely badass! Sorry the R/T didn't meet expectations - when we test drove it, th'wife was behind the wheel the whole time (she has a pretty good clutch foot).
Sorry I haven't responded sooner I am dealing with a flooded basement...be back in touch soon if I don't keel over!
- JG300-StoopyHmmmmm... sounds like you are justifiably enamored with, or at least suitably impressed by, the SRT8 Challenger. Can't say I blame you and you're a lucky devil to be considering one. I very much enjoy the opportunity to read an evaluation made by someone I know & trust and who knows what a real ride was like "back in the day".
Remind me, where did the 5.0 Coyote-powered 'Stang fit into the equation or was it ever in the running?
Looking forward to the reports on the Infinitis, even the cross-dresser thing..
- JG300-Ascout
I'm thinking of the new Challenger (in solid pitch black, no stripes) as a closer successor to the '68-9 Charger than the new Chargers themselves are. I'd just need some thick, horn-rimmed glasses and a short white-haired guy with a Winchester pump in the passenger's seat to complete the picture.
- JG300-Stoopy
I haven't been keeping up n the Mustang forums and such and so hadn't heard about the GETRAG tranny and issues, but.....chinese built, are you freakin' kidding me???!!!!!!! Talk about disappointing. That changes my whole plans for what the next car will be. Think I'll get an entry level new Beetle and spend the balance on a Triumph Explorer 1200....
- JG300-Ascout
Yep, it's even all right there on the "country of origin" sticker that's in the window of every new Mustang.
- JG300-Stoopy- JG300-Ascout
Yep, it's even all right there on the "country of origin" sticker that's in the window of every new Mustang.
Well.....screw that. 'Bout sums it up.
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