GT350 to Mach 1 - Thoughts?

[Kachow]

Hey Folks,

I purchased a 2017 GT350 last year and it decided to lose all oil pressure last month. It currently sits at the dealership awaiting a new motor. I'm glad the warranty is covering it, but thinking about trading it in on a Mach 1 w/ HP once engine is replaced. I absolutely love the sound of the Voodoo but need something that I can beat on without fear of losing another motor.

Has anyone made the switch here? If so, how do they compare? Anything you miss about the 350?

Appreciate it!

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[VVG_MACH-1]

My opinion isn't as well founded as others as I never owned a 350, though I have driven a few. I was about to purchase a 2020 gt350 when it got sold out from under me and I decided to take it as a sign. I got a 23 Mach 1 HP and so far I've been loving it. At 1500 miles and I haven't consumed nearly any oil, I checked at 1400 and it was perfect.

The digital cluster is much better than that awful ui on the small 350 LCD screen, though the physical gauges are something to be missed. Only thing missing is oil temp for the M1, it has cylinder head temp instead.

Rev matching is nice when you dont want to have to think about it but the clutch is very responsive and always feels the same. Many gt350s I've been in the clutch is always different or simply awful.

The recaros need a little more lumbar support, but other than that I love everything about the car (minus the stock resonator).

 

[Hack]

My personal opinion: I have owned and driven a GT350 for about 35,000 miles so I have some familiarity. I would by FAAAAAR prefer to keep the GT350 vs. having a Mach. Mostly because the Voodoo engine is entirely port injected and I think reliability and repairs long term are going to be easier and cheaper with the Voodoo engine. I understand Ford did a combo of DI and PI in the Mach, which is much better than the competitor's DI only V8s. However, that's still a lot of added complexity.

Another factor - nothing against Mach 1s, but car prices have gone up so much I don't think they are worth the money. I made this decision when I decided to purchase a 2017 PP1 GT rather than a newer Mach 1 as my next Mustang.

I think GT350s will hold their value better in the future. I also think the GT350 brakes are stellar and I wouldn't want to go back to "normal" Mustang GT brakes.

 

[derklink]

Do you by chance have an extended warranty? Then I'd keep the GT350 with new engine if you prefer the Shelby platform.

I, too (as many) cross shopped the Mach vs the GT350 and while the Mach will never be as special as the Shelby, I went with the Mach because of the potential GT350 engine issues, the better low-end torque in the Mach, and its overall "softer" character.

I love my Mach and have no regrets getting it over the Shelby.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[IPOGT]

Once you get over 2K on the Tremec, you’ll never let it go. This is one of those cars you just get really attached to once you’ve broken in.

 

[WItoTX]

I've not made the switch. However, keep the GT350. Especially now that you got the Gen II in it. I personally don't like all the torque at 2000 RPMs, or whatever obscenely low number it is on the 5.0. That is great for towing, but for my right foot, it's just a lot, especially since the accelerator is no where near linear enough to handle that torque curve.

And the turn in on the GT350 is better. IMO. And another personal preference, I think the Mach 1 front end/Headlights is no where near aggressive enough.

Good luck!

 

[S550VIN54]

If it weren't for the fear mongering and the high oil consumption I probably would still own my 17 gt350. Having said that I really enjoy the drivability of the Mach 1. It's pretty close to a gt350 minus the engine and there is no oil consumption what's so ever so far and I drive it pretty hard.

 

[5.2 liters of democracy]

Could you give us a rough definition of what you mean by "beat on"? Everyone may interpret that differently. I just want to be sure I respond accordingly as someone that also lost all oil pressure and has driven both.

 

[Kachow]

Thanks for all the responses thus far. A lot to take into consideration.

Indeed I have the extended warranty, via Ford ESP, until 2025. I actually like the simplistic gauges in the GT350. Mach 1 digital dash would be cool - but I like how my oil pressure and temp are on the center stack. Rev matching would be nice though. I read the 2019+ Gen 2 changes but I still see failures mentioned on those motors. I wonder how much more stout it is.

5.2 liters of democracy, 6 or so track events per year. I WFH but tend to find myself taking it out daily as well, but always weekend cruise. I'm not shy with revving it out. Curious to hear your story. Were you on track? Warranty? etc.

 

[Decible]

I don’t think you can go wrong with either…very similar performance from both. Maybe a little better reliability in the Mach but not going to have the resale value of a 350 I don’t think anyway.

 

[KilgoreLSU]

I was looking at used GT350's... I was leary of how much they may have been beat on, even with only 5k miles. I take care of my vehicles(I almost always put 200k-300k on them, Sales Rep) and would only by new or certified. Even a certified GT350.. not comfortable with it.

Went with a Mach 1 for a toy and local driving.. Non HP.. Just starting to get into SCCA and will mod car as I grow into that hobby. If a GT350 was still being made, I'd probably have bought one new..

I'd look at lap times for a Mach 1 HP vs a Stock GT350.. pretty damn close.. Coin flip depending on track, weather and driver.

That Vodoo engine is amazing, but it's a Single Plane.. It was never designed for higher mileage. It has to be accepted that if you own it, it's going to require rebuilds.. It is a racing engine. How many super cars(single plane crank) do you see actually hit 100,000 miles?

Just depends on your budget and what it is you love! If you love how it looks and how it drives, I'd keep it.. If you want something new and different.. go Mach 1.. At least you can now sell that GT350 with a brand new engine in it. It might as well be new.

 

[btown93]

I would definitely recommend a thorough test drive. I'm a former GT350 owner. I drove a buddy's non HP Mach 1 and for me, I wanted to know one thing. Is the Mach 1 a GT350 with a coyote, or is it a mustang GT with the Tremec? Both are great cars, both have their strengths and weaknesses in a direct comparison. There are certain attributes that are unique to each car, so to say one is better than the other largely comes down to the person and what they value.

 

[5.2 liters of democracy]

Thanks for all the responses thus far. A lot to take into consideration.

Indeed I have the extended warranty, via Ford ESP, until 2025. I actually like the simplistic gauges in the GT350. Mach 1 digital dash would be cool - but I like how my oil pressure and temp are on the center stack. Rev matching would be nice though. I read the 2019+ Gen 2 changes but I still see failures mentioned on those motors. I wonder how much more stout it is.

5.2 liters of democracy, 6 or so track events per year. I WFH but tend to find myself taking it out daily as well, but always weekend cruise. I'm not shy with revving it out. Curious to hear your story. Were you on track? Warranty? etc.

On track, no warranty. Zero indication it was on its last leg. I had about 25 track days on the car in 2022 and probably about 15-20 in 2021. I'm dropping a built Voodoo into it because it was readily available from amazing gentleman that was building it for his S197 track car. I'd like to swap out the crank though as going to cross plane opens up many options Voodoos don't really have or can't be run reliably with (Dry sump, lower engine mounts, Cortex SLA, etc.)

This is not a stat I nor anyone else will like, but every GT350 that shows in my region up as much as I did when my car was running (Four cars not including mine, 20+ track days per year each, one gen 1 Voodoo and three gen 2 Voodoos) is on their second or third engine. We also run them in time trials and run them as hard as we can. In this setting, any engine is going to eventually have issues but it does not favor the Voodoo. I have not seen any gen 3 Coyotes let go in that time, but my sample size there is only half of what my Voodoo sample size is. I have seen two gen 1 Coyotes go though.

Given that information, I would might be slightly more inclined to recommend the Mach 1. Six track days is a respectable amount and probably right around where I'd start considering how reliable the engine is and if it will get me home. I was fortunate enough that I was trailering it (Backwards on a U-haul trailer which made loading a dead car interesting). In that regard I would say if you're driving the car to the track, the Mach 1 is a better choice imo. If you're trailering, the argument could be made for the 350 as I feel it is maybe 5-10% more fun.

As far as how they compare, the body dynamics don't feel terribly different. I've driven and instructed in Mach 1s. The biggest difference you'll really feel is how the engine and shift points complement your local tracks and how the seats feel. My Coyote buddies may have a better experience than me on some tracks/corners on track while my extra RPM may help me on others. As far as the seats are concerned, the Recaros in the 350 are just better unfortunately. I still found myself bracing a lot in the Mach 1 Recaros. That wasn't the case as much in the 350. That problem can be solved with $1,500 on you'll have seats that blow cars' Recaros out of the water.

To sum it up with a funny analogy:

Both cars are invited to the same party. The GT350 kicks the door open dual-wielding PBRs; the Mach 1 let's you know he has an invitation but is coming in regardless. The GT350 will party hard and may end up asleep on your couch. The Mach 1 will also party hard, but you can usually count on him to drive himself home.

 

[derklink]

Thanks for all the responses thus far. A lot to take into consideration.

Indeed I have the extended warranty, via Ford ESP, until 2025. I actually like the simplistic gauges in the GT350. Mach 1 digital dash would be cool - but I like how my oil pressure and temp are on the center stack. Rev matching would be nice though. I read the 2019+ Gen 2 changes but I still see failures mentioned on those motors. I wonder how much more stout it is.

5.2 liters of democracy, 6 or so track events per year. I WFH but tend to find myself taking it out daily as well, but always weekend cruise. I'm not shy with revving it out. Curious to hear your story. Were you on track? Warranty? etc.

Easy swap to put in GT350 center stack gauges. Took me about 15 mins or so.

 

[UrbanAlaska]

Mostly because the Voodoo engine is entirely port injected and I think reliability and repairs long term are going to be easier and cheaper with the Voodoo engine.

That's... a hot take. Especially when replying to someone who is having their entire motor replaced.

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