Need input from 'mature' drivers ('19 GT Premium, MT86, AE, B&O, 401A, black pckg)

[MaskedRacerX]

No GTs get the GGT, regardless of options, just the Bullitt, speculation is a slight change to testing. There's a whole thread in the Bullitt area discussing how the GGT was added for 2020 (and not present in '19).

All Bullitts have a TORSEN 3.73 rear as they have all the GT/PP specs.

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[m3incorp]

Your local dealer may not care that you found one for $11k less over a thousand miles away. Might mean time for a flight, I bought mine in OH and flew up to drive it back.

 

[Soulja4187]

Yeah, it's black package, OR PP1 with magneride (MR). PP1 alone is a no-go for sure, but still have to determine if PP1/MR is equal or better (in soft mode) than stock suspension. My biggest detraction of PP1 is the tires, so I'm hoping the stock suspension is equal or better (as far as ride) than PP1/MR in soft. If that's the case, then PP1/MR would be out, and so is the Bullitt . But if they're the same, at least I have an option, in case I can't find a regular GT with the options I want. The Bullitt is not a deal-breaker, since I rather pay less for a better equipped car, but I still have to determine where PP1/MR (in soft) is in reference to stock. And if I can't find a leftover 2019 how I want it at a better price than the Bullitt, it'd be a hard decision, but I'd probably opt for the latter, especially if the PP1/MR combo is at least as good as stock suspension. And just change the tires (Pilot Sport A/S3s).

Forgot to say on my previous post that my wife might override this car, but I feel so strongly that she'd find it acceptable, that I'm thinking of buying the Mustang up-front before selling the truck, and see if she likes it. I could sell the truck privately after a long trip. Yes, I'd lose the tax advantage, but it'd be a small price to pay to have one last manual V8 car in my life. Ha ha. Will call Hertz and see if they have a 2019 Mustang GT, and which options it has, but really doubt it'd be available locally. But very good idea .

A non magne-ride suspension is very stiff. Keep in mine that no matter what mode you select your suspension will be the same but in a magne-ride equipped mustang you can select many modes. The stiffest is the drag mode followed by the track mode. I drive 70 miles a day and what a pleasant ride the magne-ride provides, for long trips you can select normal and when you driving alone or trying to have fun you can select sport +.

 

[13GetThere]

https://shop.ford.com/build/mustang/#/select/

Try this. It will give you an idea of what you can and can't get, and what MSRP it is.

 

[Tjking30]

I drove my 2019 GT premium convert on a 2500 mile round trip to Colorado. It is without a doubt the most comfortable, best highway/road handling, effortless power when you want it car, that I have ever experienced in my 50 years of driving. I have PP1, 401A, A10 Auto, and B&O Sound.

 

[13GetThere]

To the OP. You're trying to buy a car, and trying to decide on what you want out of all the options. It can almost drive you and others around you crazy. Don't worry; it's normal.
I have a doctor that I see almost weekly (I'm old by definition of age not mind, and that's what old people do; they visit Dr.s all the time), and he wants to buy a new car. He hasn't been able to make up his mind on what he wants. He's gone from a C8 Corvette to a C6 to a Mustang GT 500 to GT350 to a GT PP2 to a PP1, and back to a PP2 with this trim or that trim, yadda, yadda, yadda. He's seen my Mustang, and every time I go in his office, he asks me questions about the Mustang and on and on. Drives me crazy sometimes.
I told my wife he has a bad case of musthaveMustangites. She said, "Yeah, and there's only one cure for that".

Good luck.

 

[Briebee72]

The other problem with Mustangs is the options are crazy and what you can or not get with what is a little off. Ford needs to slim down the choices. when I was looking i had to go through 20 some dealers and spent 100s of hours looking and in the end the dealer I used within a 300 mile radius could only find 2 cars with the options I wanted because apparently wanting the 401A and not wanting the pp on a car that isn't bright red or black was a major hurdle for some reason LOL. If it had 401a then it had the pp1. if it had 401A and not the pp1 then it was always bright red or black. if it wasnt red or black and didn't have the pp1 then it didn't have the 401A and so on and so on... Finally found a 401a in ruby with no pp1 but it had the upgraded 20 inch super wheels that were 1200.00 I didnt want. It was always something... dealer took the wheel price off I found a buyer for the wheels on here and i bought the car while I could LOL

But it will drive you mad. you can get this cluster with this package but not this one. if you want that package you can have it in standard but if black then you have to remove this. if you remove that then this package is not useable and if you want recaro seats well forget everything in the interior LOL. But that's on lt if you get 20 inch wheels and then you can get black but not t eh spoiler.. oh you want a spoiler.. well we can do that but you lose the front grill... you get my point. Finding a Mustang is a pain in the back side because of fords options structure. IN the end becuase I was not picky on color other then I did not want black or that bright red. it made it simpler. I did have to end up taking the safe and smart package even though I didn't want it or I wouldn't have gotten a car I wanted at all.

Ford tries their best to corner you into the high end packages by making the lower options either unappealing or hard to find. The one i really dont understand is how the black package engates getting some of the performance stuff.. its just black badges and a roof basically not sure how that keeps a car from having other options.. but with ford it does. LOL

Myself and lots of other stories I read of people having a heck of a time finding a car they want because of the options structure. When I bought my civic they were "they all come with everything" only choice was what color. Was so simple.

 

[CrashOverride]

[snip...]
JC

JC, You got a few years on me, but my spine is in pretty rough shape so perhaps I can help. I have an older (15) model with the Performance Package, so I'm going to recommend something I don't have. Simply put, you will need the magnetic shocks. Nothing else is going to give you as much control on ride. I'm not sure if it is possible to do so, but you will probably want to go with the smallest diameter wheels you can get as a taller sidewall absorbs impacts much better.

I find the seats are very comfortable - I have a base seat but it still has the lumbar support. But - and this is a huge but - the headrest is horrible. If you sit in the seat properly (e.g. don't slouch forward) your head is forced forward, even if you adjust the headrest as far back as possible. It is so bad, people have taken them out and bent the metal supports back. When you test drive one, pay special attention to it.

The sound tube is fairly easily removed and there are lots of kits for it. Deleting it effectively changes the sound from coming in front of you to coming behind you (If your exhaust is loud enough).

I have an earlier form of the MT-82 but it is not a great, but not a terrible trans either. If you want a light clutch pedal, leave the stock spring in place. But be forwarned, it is a non-linear feel for finding the take-up point. I couldn't stand it, so I removed the spring entirely and although the pedal effort is higher, the feel is more linear and is worth it for me. It is a rod-actuated shifter. It's not directly internal like your Tremec, but it is the next best thing. But, stock the shifter is mounted to the body and not the trans, so there is some slop. There are lots of ways to fix it, I bought a cheap bracket that firmly bolted it to the trans (Effectively making it just like a Tremec) and I like it. The shift action isn't as light as a Honda, but the gears have to support more torque so that is to be expected. Once I put the bracket in place, it does have a nice gated feel. However, you will probably be disappointed in the nibble that seems to be common with the MT-82. Changing fluid helps sometimes, but even then, even if you know what you are doing (Been driving manual transmissions for decades) you still get a nibble when going into second (When cold) no matter how slow you shift, no matter how hard you jab at the clutch. In the winter, I've become accustomed to double clutching 2nd. My car has only 25k on it, and I shift slow because I like my synchros. Also, unless ford changed it, you get a clunk when you pull the stick into the bottom gears (2,4,6). Some people have had luck by switching to a one-piece driveshaft. It really bothers me only because I don't think a $40k car shound sound like it has bad u-joints from the factory. Personally, I think there is a lot of internal MT-82 gear lash but I could definitely be wrong.

I hope some of this helps and congrats on kicking cancer's rear!

 

[Norm Peterson]

JC, You got a few years on me, but my spine is in pretty rough shape so perhaps I can help. I have an older (15) model with the Performance Package, so I'm going to recommend something I don't have. Simply put, you will need the magnetic shocks. Nothing else is going to give you as much control on ride. I'm not sure if it is possible to do so, but you will probably want to go with the smallest diameter wheels you can get as a taller sidewall absorbs impacts much better.

The shift action isn't as light as a Honda, but the gears have to support more torque so that is to be expected.

In the winter, I've become accustomed to double clutching 2nd.

Great advice right there.

Especially that last little tip (at least for the first couple of 1-2 upshifts on a cold morning) . . . something that I guess requires the driver to have a little sympathy for the mechanical bits inside the transmission and a somewhat deeper understanding of rev-matching than is common.


On edit, MagneRide is able to do a better job of softening the 'harshness' component of Noise-Vibration-Harshness (NVH) that is such a big part of ride comfort than purely hydraulic shocks and struts can, simply because the amount of damping is capable of being continuously adjusted "on the fly". Literally down at an inches of forward travel level for most normal driving speeds. It is absolutely worth test-driving this option if ride quality has much importance at all.


Norm

 

[CrashOverride]

One of my neighbors used to work for Millenworks as an engineer (Yes, Steve Millen part of the Stillen franchise). Back in the late 2000's he was working with a military style ATV (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MillenWorks_Light_Utility_Vehicle) and we got onto the topic of active suspension. A lot of people don't know that a long time ago Bose (Yes the Sound company) got involved into active suspension. They had a car that could literally jump over a 2x6 and land super smooth - the linear actuators had that much power in them. Granted magnetorheological shocks aren't capable of creating force (They can only dampen it) but the tech is quite possibly the best suspension tech since shocks were invented.

 

[Norm Peterson]

A lot of people don't know that a long time ago Bose (Yes the Sound company) got involved into active suspension. They had a car that could literally jump over a 2x6 and land super smooth - the linear actuators had that much power in them. Granted magnetorheological shocks aren't capable of creating force (They can only dampen it) but the tech is quite possibly the best suspension tech since shocks were invented.

I actually knew of a guy who worked at Bose during that time frame, think it was on the MonteCarloSS forum. But even he couldn't find out a whole lot about the suspension research and development that was going on.


Norm

 

[Elp_jc]

If you want heated/ventilated seats then you cant get recaro.

Yeah, I knew that, but thanks . They're a deal-breaker for me, due to losing the power/heat/cool features alone.

There's a whole thread in the Bullitt area discussing how the GGT was added for 2020

Hey, where is that forum? Didn't see it. Guess will look for it harder. Ha ha. Thanks for the heads up.

Your local dealer may not care that you found one for $11k less over a thousand miles away. Might mean time for a flight.

Yeah, I know, but unfortunately, it'd be too risky for me now, while undergoing chemo (very low counts). I'd have to buy it, and ship it back. Dealer said car has 8 miles on the clock, which is great. However, if OH franchise laws require buyer to be present, I'd be SOL. Waiting for that reply.

A non magne-ride suspension is very stiff.

Even a non-PPx car??? It was my understanding the base suspension is very close to a PP1/MR car in normal (softest) mode. Are you saying a PP1/MR (in normal mode) car would ride better than a stock one? If that's the case, please let me know, because I'd drop a regular GT-P+ out of consideration, and get a GT-P+ PP1/MR car instead (like the Bullitt).

https://shop.ford.com/build/mustang/#/select/ Try this. It will give you an idea of what you can and can't get, and what MSRP it is.

Thanks, but I'm VERY familiar with that already. Ha ha. But it's quite confusing. For instance, It shows MR on a regular GT, so you assume it's available. But if you click on it, it adds the PP1 package without telling you; and you know that because it added almost 6 grand to the price without explanation. Geez.

Simply put, you will need the magnetic shocks. Nothing else is going to give you as much control on ride. I hope some of this helps and congrats on kicking cancer's rear!

Awesome help; thanks a million for taking the time to write that. So it looks like PP1/MR is the ticket, huh? And PP1 comes with 255/275/40/19 tires, which are pretty decent, actually. Unfortunately, they're summer ones, but would replace them with A/S3s when they crap out.
I'm very aware of the stupid headrests after the anti-whiplash legislation, so hope they're not worse on the GTs than on other cars, where my head clears them by millimeters. And no, I haven't kicked cancer's a$$, but have been working on that for over 5 years. We'll see .

Super helpful posts gentlemen; keep them coming. What I'm getting now is that PP1/MR might be the better choice for travel comfort. Having said that, I'm very frustrated trying to find a regular GT fully loaded except PPx, so eliminating the regular GT would make things much easier. However, finding a fully loaded PP1 car is also very hard, especially with MR. And I don't like the boy-racer spoiler, so a Bullitt might be easiest option to shop, since it already comes with everything; only have to make sure MR wasn't deleted. I like it doesn't have any badges or spoiler... but don't like the fake gas cap or steering wheel cap. Hope the steering wheel horn cap is easier to remove (it should just pop out, no?) And the rear panel somebody said it's available from Ford Performance; need to look into that. The only thing I'm not sure about the Bullitt is the GT350 intake; it's a CAI-type, and engine doesn't have a cover, so it might be noisier inside the cabin than a regular GT PP1, no? Hope not, but need to look for the Bullitt forum mentioned above.

Finally, I'm very aware I need to be as flexible as possible to find the 'right' GT easier. And I am. I never wanted another black car ever again, but I'm considering a black Bullitt now, even though it's supposedly the step child nobody wants (it has to be green). Ha ha. To me, the black is less awful than the green, but what is a bummer is I'd get the stupid green stitching anyway. Ha ha. In addition, I don't mind getting (and paying for) extra packages, to make my search easier. But what I wouldn't do is settle for a must-have option not present. Thank you again guys. Will keep you posted on my progress.

 

[MaskedRacerX]

I like it doesn't have any badges or spoiler... but don't like the fake gas cap or steering wheel cap. Hope the steering wheel horn cap is easier to remove (it should just pop out, no?)

The steering wheel cap is integrated into that center component, which is the airbag module. Like I said in another post, you can come up with some kind of "cap", or put stickers on it, paint, etc., but it doesn't pop out - and the aftermarket isn't going to touch anything that involves anything other than maybe some stickers on the airbag.

And the rear panel somebody said it's available from Ford Performance; need to look into that. The only thing I'm not sure about the Bullitt is the GT350 intake; it's a CAI-type, and engine doesn't have a cover, so it might be noisier inside the cabin than a regular GT PP1, no? Hope not, but need to look for the Bullitt forum mentioned above.

Me again, all these cars using alignment pins on any rear badging, so if you remove it, there's holes in the panel. You'll just need to swap the panel for this:

https://lmr.com/item/M16600MA/mustang-ford-performance-decklid-trim-panel-1518-m-16600-ma

Patience and a $10 set of car trim tools.

Finally, I'm very aware I need to be as flexible as possible to find the 'right' GT easier. And I am. I never wanted another black car ever again, but I'm considering a black Bullitt now, even though it's supposedly the step child nobody wants (it has to be green). Ha ha. To me, the black is less awful than the green, but what is a bummer is I'd get the stupid green stitching anyway.

As I said in a previous post: if you don't dig on the historical value of the Bullitt namesake, don't like many of the design elements, it seems like a bad choice.

 

[m3incorp]

Ohio does not require that you come there to buy the car. I bought mine over the phone and via fedex overnight. I was given the option to have them ship it to me, which is what I thought of doing, but no transport could get it to me any sooner than a month. I flew up and dealership picked me up from airport. I spent a total of 30 minutes in the dealership for them to show me the features and have the Roush manager explain the care for the supercharger. Within 2-3 weeks, I received the paperwork in the mail to title and register the car in my current state. What really surprised me is they had actually titled it in OH in my name and sent that title to me. When I went to my local DMV, even they were surprised that I had an Ohio title in hand. They made me in turn it in with the paperwork to title the car here. I made the comment that it didn't seem right that they would make me turn in the title for a paid for vehicle to wait for them to issue me a title in current state. She said if I wanted tags then yes, plus I was claiming the disabled veteran exemption which exempted me from paying any sales taxes and or title and registration fees. I was good with that. I have my tags but still no dang GA title in hand yet.

Yeah, I knew that, but thanks .


Yeah, I know, but unfortunately, it'd be too risky for me now, while undergoing chemo (very low counts). I'd have to buy it, and ship it back. Dealer said car has 8 miles on the clock, which is great. However, if OH franchise laws require buyer to be present, I'd be SOL. Waiting for that reply.


.

 

[Gatsby]

Just to clear up a little confusion, a non-PP car will ride much smoother than a PP without MR, but a PP with MR might ride smoother than a non-PP car. I test drove a PP car, and the ride was too bumpy for me for a daily driver, so I went with a non-PP car. To echo what everyone else has said, these cars really live up to the Grand Touring name. I've put 18,000 miles on mine in the first year, including a 7 hour drive to the keys and a lot of 2-4 hour drives to Orlando, Savannah, and Charleston. The car rides really smooth, and averages 27 MPG on road trips.

If you're going to use it for road trips, get the 401A (301A on coupes maybe?), the upgraded leather seats are very comfortable on long trips, and the drive modes and extra tech goodies make for an easy driving experience. The cooled seats work great on my car with the top up, and with the top down, they do just enough to keep me from sticking to the leather (which is a win here in the south). I don't know if you can get adaptive cruise on a manual, but it's a fantastic option on road trips. Get the active exhaust; your wife and neighbors will appreciate it when its in quiet, and you have the option to open it up whenever you choose.

If you can't find a car to test drive locally, you could try renting one on TURO. If you're not familiar with it, it's an app that lets you rent vehicles from private owners, and driving one for a day or a weekend would let you know for sure if it's the right car for you. Car Gurus is a great option for finding the car you want, and you can always have it shipped to a local dealer. My dealer brought mine down to FL from Asheville,NC at no extra cost.

As far as issues with the 5.0 go, my car has the typewriter tick, and the 2K RPM rattle, and no one but me has ever noticed. A good friend of mine is a Ford service tech at a very large volume dealer, and when I asked him about it before I bought the car he said the problems are over represented on the internet, because most people don't join forums until they have problems. He said they have very few problems with the coyotes. His other advice was "you have a 60,000 mile warranty, if you're engine blows up, we'll put a new one in it."

These cars truly are the Swiss army knife of performance and comfort. Good luck!

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