How good is the Ford GT | FerrariChat

How good is the Ford GT

Discussion in 'American Muscle' started by leead1, Dec 8, 2014.

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  1. leead1

    leead1 F1 Rookie

    Nov 29, 2006
    2,828
    Florida
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    Lee
    I got asked by a Ferrari Chat friend how was the Ford GT to own and drive?

    My Ford GT was a 2005 that I bought new. I kept the car 8 years and put 9205 miles on the car.

    The gentleman who bought the car paid just a little more than I did when new. The car gave me very little problem, The tack and speedometer were both replaced on the warranty.

    I fell in love with the looks and it was very comfortable to sit in and drive.

    he HP initially was pegged at 5005hp but later was revised to 550hp all on paper of course.
    My neighbor switched the pulleys on his Ford GT and got 600 hp. He later upgraded the screw supercharger, made exhaust improvements and claimed he was getting over 800 hp. I am not sure of that but the car was much faster than my stock Ford GT.

    I loved driving the car it was a sports, cruiser car. I called Ford and was able to talk to the engineers who designed the car. They were given the objective to outclass the Ferrari of the day. I owned a 360 Modena at the same time so we discussed the pros and cons of both cars. Obviously the FGT power has much more but they had not quite caught the Ferrari in handling but very close or exhaust sound not even in the same league. The Ford gt was a great driving car. It had a Hugh woofer speaker between the seats. A very good maybe great radio in the car

    I would call the Handling, super car competent. Of course that is a tough segment of the market to stay in the top echelon. Today it would just be a good driver and a stunner of a car to look at.

    Someone on this forum post about the Ford GT "one then Done". Meaning there will always be a new Ferrari but only the 2005 &6 Ford Gts. Of course now we hear they will be offering a new version of the Ford GT. I did not think that would happen when I traded my FGT in on the Lamborghini Aventador.

    My friend asked me " why would you get rid of such an iconic car"? The simple answer is even a great car gets stale after a while and you desire something new.

    The FGT is still a great car to own.

    Best

    Lee
     
  2. DriveAfterDark

    DriveAfterDark F1 Veteran

    Jan 1, 2007
    9,148
    Norway
    I get obsessed by the Ford GT from time to time, it's a true icon. I enjoyed your post, as I always do.
     
  3. DIGMAN52

    DIGMAN52 F1 Rookie
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Jan 30, 2004
    3,999
    Dallas Texas
    Full Name:
    Philip C
    As an owner since 2007, I will add that it is the only exotic I know of that you do not have to spends $1,000's each year to maintain. Tires and oil changes are all we have had to do to the car in 7,000 miles of driving.

    Very easy car to cruise in around town, (other than parking issues), with no heating issues in traffic etc. It's when you stand on the go pedal that things ramp up quickly. With no traction control, you don't try to power through any wheelspin. Just changing to the BF Goodrich Scuderia's that were made for the Enzo, made a huge difference in first and second gear, in getting the power down to the road.

    After slot car racing a Cox GT40 back in the mid-60's, the body style still blows me away.

    With prices creeping up to the high 200's for cars with 3-10,000 miles, I still think it is a car that will hold its value for many years, while still having some upside potential.
     
  4. werewolf

    werewolf F1 World Champ
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    #4 werewolf, Dec 8, 2014
    Last edited: Dec 8, 2014
    I owned a Ford GT for a few years. The "pros" have well-discussed: killer "nostalgia" quotient; surprisingly comfortable, even for long trips; pretty rare, just don't see many on the road; etc

    There are, however, some "cons" that are rarely discussed :

    - gearing : the gearing is just plain stupid for a road car. The marketing department at Ford decided that the car needed to hit 60mph in first gear, to avoid the time-consuming shift :rolleyes: to this day, the uninformed/unexperienced will brag about "hitting 90 in 2nd gear" .... umm, this is not a positive thing for a road car. It was silly-expensive to change the "rear" ratio on the car, so most owners simply opted to add more power, for more exhilarating acceleration in the lower gears.

    - those damn doors : hard to enter/exit, without FULL opening of the doors. Also, the fitment of those doors was never quite correct ... even after multiple adjustments :(

    - power : while more than adequate back in the day, the performance is now equaled (if not surpassed) by the upper-echelon GT500's (and other retro/nostalgia cars as well, of course, for lots less money).

    All things considered is was a fun car :) but i never regretted selling ...
     
  5. Art138

    Art138 Formula 3
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Nov 22, 2007
    1,488
    Ft. Lauderdale
    [- those damn doors : hard to enter/exit, without FULL opening of the doors. Also, the fitment of those doors was never quite correct ... even after multiple adjustments :(

    - power : while more than adequate back in the day, the performance is now equaled (if not surpassed) by the upper-echelon GT500's (and other retro/nostalgia cars as well, of course, for lots less money).

    All things considered is was a fun car :) but i never regretted selling ...[/QUOTE]

    My doors have had a perfect fit since the car was new. Doors flug open or caught in wind reportedly did have issues.

    Power has been ageless, with just a tune, pulley,and catbacks the car pulls 650hp easily. Others with Whipple or Turbo have killer power.

    Cons - over steer has wrecked many of these.....Changing tires from OEM and smooth acceleration around curves is a must. I just can't see selling it.
     
  6. Phil~

    Phil~ F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Aug 25, 2013
    3,853
    Potomac, Maryland
    Heritage GTs are in the $500's now.
     
  7. werewolf

    werewolf F1 World Champ
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    My doors were never flung, or caught in the wind. It's just difficult for a manufacturer to consistently maintain door alignment across so many surfaces & boundaries (3-D, rather than 2-D, like most car doors). Hence the issues ...

    Power mods are certainly possible, and popular. The guy I sold mine to, replaced the factory blower with turbos, for over 1000hp :)

    But most (if not all) of those mods are available to other nostalgia/retro cars as well. When someone asks me (as a previous owner) if they should consider a Ford GT for well-over $200k, my answer is always the same : scratch your retro-itch and buy two or three newer GT500's instead, mod one or two like crazy (including a rear-gear swap!) ... and pocket the difference.
     
  8. Luke Warmwater

    Luke Warmwater Formula Junior
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    Oct 17, 2009
    496
    I had one for a couple years. I wanted it to sound like a real beast so I installed the rear exit open header exhaust system. One day I was visiting a local shop and the crew looked out and saw it parked outside. They all clamored out the door and asked me to start it so they could hear it. I fired it up and looked up as they all stood around listening. There were a few nods and muted looks of approval as it sat there idling as smoothly as a Singer sewing machine. They all sorted of shuffled off in disappointment.

    If you want a modern supercar, there are several out there like the Aventador that technologically speaking, are on a whole other level than the FGT. If you want a rip snorting GT40, buy an original for a few million or have Gelscoe or Superformance build an accurate continuation car for somewhat less and enjoy a car that offers the visceral experience missing in the Ford GT.
     
  9. ghibliman

    ghibliman Formula Junior

    Feb 19, 2009
    414
    Superformance isn't in the same league as any of the cars mentioned in this thread. It would be a cool 4th or 5th car. I'm thinking about a MKI.

    The FGT still stands out almost ten years later.....the market has spoken on the subject :)
     
  10. WILLIAM H

    WILLIAM H Three Time F1 World Champ

    Nov 1, 2003
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    FGT is more fun on track than Aventador. FGT handles better, Aventador is fast & sexy but heavy & pushes a lot. Aventador is a big Italian dragster, FGT better in twisties

    FGT is also THE American Supercar, as far as investment potential there are precious few US cars anywhere near it
     
  11. Luke Warmwater

    Luke Warmwater Formula Junior
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    Oct 17, 2009
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    Having owned both I would have to disagree. I have found my SPF MkI to be a much more fulfilling car to own than I did the FGT. That's not to say the FGT was not a fun car but it left me wanting something with more soul.

    William, I'll defer to your experience with both to make that judgement. I would like to hear your thoughts should you drive a GT40. 500hp with only 2200lbs to pull around is a lot of fun.
     
  12. ghibliman

    ghibliman Formula Junior

    Feb 19, 2009
    414
    I've had the opportunity to drive both at length as well. I found the Superformance fatiguing in every respect when compared to the FGT.

    I still want one though......it fills a certain niche, just not one the rears it's head often.
     
  13. Luke Warmwater

    Luke Warmwater Formula Junior
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    Oct 17, 2009
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    For some that is what makes the GT40 so much more fulfilling than the FGT. In any case the question was how good is the FGT? All the recent speculator activity aside, its one the finest American sports cars to come out in recent history. I think the current market is rather silly and if you're a buyer these days at these prices, there are several far more collectable cars up just a notch or two that would be better investments. I think if Ford does bring a replacement to the market that is an Eco-boost based V6 hybrid, then low mileage FGT values will hold steady. If they bring something with the new flat plane crank V8, then I think FGT prices for anything other than wrapper Heritage cars will slide significantly.
     
  14. photonut

    photonut F1 Rookie
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    Nov 16, 2007
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    Joel
    beautiful car
    only around 4K were built.
    0-60 may have been as fast as 3.5 seconds.
    not bad in the day!!!
     
  15. 95spiderman

    95spiderman F1 World Champ
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    Nov 1, 2003
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    Best part of driving fgt to me was stick shift.
    Feels so light and precise almost lke a honda or miata (in a good way)
     
  16. ghibliman

    ghibliman Formula Junior

    Feb 19, 2009
    414
    Like I said....maybe for a fourth or fifth car. Or if it was for tooling around on the weekends. But the FGT cover all bases. That's the beauty of that car.
     
  17. Luke Warmwater

    Luke Warmwater Formula Junior
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    Oct 17, 2009
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    I can appreciate the perspective of the older gentlemen that want a nice stereo and giant woofer in a car that shifts like a Honda. Some of us like our coffee black. In fact I would dissuade those that are fans of the FGT for that reason from a GT40. Its much too raw and visceral and it has no provisions for a stereo. The beauty of the FGT is right now is a great time for long time owners to sell and realize a nice profit. I sure wish I still had mine to do so.
     
  18. ghibliman

    ghibliman Formula Junior

    Feb 19, 2009
    414
    Your raw and visceral in reality is unrefined and abrasive. Some of us enjoy our cars for a multitude of reasons/experiences. The SPF offers a narrow bandwidth.....if that's all you require than glad your happy with it. :)
     
  19. FordMan

    FordMan Formula Junior

    Aug 26, 2013
    452
    Central Illinois
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    Bobby R
    Thanks for the post Lee, always a pleasure to read your take on cars
     
  20. Luke Warmwater

    Luke Warmwater Formula Junior
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    Oct 17, 2009
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    It rather seems important to you to have the last word so I'll leave my last response to stand since this particular tangent is becoming tired to me.

    I'm more curious as to how many current owners are considering selling in this FGT market?
     
  21. werewolf

    werewolf F1 World Champ
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    The same motor, in the same car, with more typical ... and "usable" ... street gearing (shifting into second somewhere near 40mph, for example) would have resulted in 0-60 a few tenths slower (due to the lost time during shifting) ... but nonetheless would have made the car much more enjoyable!

    That's one of the reasons I hate the 0-60 performance metric. The Ford GT is a perfect example, where the marketing department dictated 60mph without a shift ... resulting in gearing WAY too tall for the street. In this case, a few tenth's are shaved off the 0-60 time (presumably) ... but lower-gear acceleration, higher gear usefulness, and overall enjoyment on the street are sacrificed in the process :(
     
  22. Luke Warmwater

    Luke Warmwater Formula Junior
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    Oct 17, 2009
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  23. FarmerDave

    FarmerDave F1 World Champ
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    Jul 26, 2004
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    IgnoranteWest
    I love your idea but unfortunately modern crash standards and pedestrian safety standards would ruin the look. The Ford GT turned out okay though, so maybe there's a glimmer of hope...
     
  24. Luke Warmwater

    Luke Warmwater Formula Junior
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    Oct 17, 2009
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  25. WILLIAM H

    WILLIAM H Three Time F1 World Champ

    Nov 1, 2003
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    I rarely sell my cars & my GTs aren't going anywhere
     

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