GT350 to Mach 1 - Thoughts?

[Striker01]

You're between a rock and a hard place pal, i hear you LOL - i was there a month ago when I had a c6 z06 and decided to trade it in for a Mach 1. One can argue that the C6z is more car then a M1 and the 350- as a previous owner; I would agree.

I started to develop small issues with the z06 and they too were motor related. First it was getting the cylinder heads fixed. Ok did that. Then it was a paint issue/something i fkd up getting fixed....ok fine.......then finally it developed an oil pan leak which requires the whole subframe to be dropped and re-aligned. I have way too much OCD for that.

Got a brand new HP M1 6 speed and i love the car. The 350 will be more special- make no doubt. However, when i see one on the road, it doesn't pop.

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[Egparson202]

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!

Excellent question. I was in the same spot a couple months back. My Shelby requested a new engine. Ford provided it under the powertrain warranty. All good. Except I developed a worry about what if it happened again… later… outside of the warranty….

I use mine for track days. That’s about it. And while Ford honored the warranty, there was precious little info about root cause. How can I limit the exposure without knowing root cause? I debated selling it and getting something else.

That makes rational sense, but I have developed a fondness for the Shelby. For the sounds, for the high rev adrenaline, for the beautiful yet aggressive lines. So I doubled down on the car I have, because I love it.

Seeking input from others is smart. But in the end just trust yourself to make the right decision.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Kachow]

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.

Wonderful analogy. I'm the kind of guy to come in double fisting but get an uber home/wife drives. Ha! :-)

It seems like a lot of 350 owners I meet have had engine replacements and/or consumption as well.

The M1 HP is a GT350R with a 5.0. If you want the sound of the Voodoo, get the GT350. If you want to tell people you own a “Shelby”, get a GT350.

Personally, I prefer the more muscle tone of the M1 5.0, and the 5.0 is a tried and proven engine. I also prefer the looks of the M1 HP, it has that modern American muscle car look (the stance reminds of a ZL1 1LE).

Ugh, if only GM made an N/A ZL1 1LE.

My previous car was a 1SS1LE and I always wished they did the aero from the ZL11LE on the ZL1 or just the 1SS1LE. That car was wonderfully balanced.

I really do love the sound, nameplate, and looks over the Mach 1. Just have to figure out if that's worth the lack of peace of mind.

Excellent question. I was in the same spot a couple months back. My Shelby requested a new engine. Ford provided it under the powertrain warranty. All good. Except I developed a worry about what if it happened again… later… outside of the warranty….

I use mine for track days. That’s about it. And while Ford honored the warranty, there was precious little info about root cause. How can I limit the exposure without knowing root cause? I debated selling it and getting something else.

That makes rational sense, but I have developed a fondness for the Shelby. For the sounds, for the high rev adrenaline, for the beautiful yet aggressive lines. So I doubled down on the car I have, because I love it.

Seeking input from others is smart. But in the end just trust yourself to make the right decision.

Best of luck to you.

Interesting to hear you double down. The 350 is special.

Appreciate everyones feedback. Looks like I need to test drive a Mach 1. Will try and find one in Georgia and report back to this thread. Gah! Hard decision.

 

[Jasonb543]

Mach 1 for sure!
in the future people are gonna remember the gt350 … just like this one.

 

[K4fxd]

I personally don't like all the torque at 2000 RPMs

OMG, the coyote has no low end torque. Go find and drive any big block 60's muscle car. Thats torque.

 

[Charlemagne]

Except I developed a worry about what if it happened again… later… outside of the warranty….

This would've been a nightmare for me, considering I want to keep the car for decades. If I recall correctly, Voodoo engine costs twice as much or more than Coyote (new $10k for a crate). It's not sold as crate engine so not really sure what new OEM from Ford costs, but used is for 20k here. With so many Coyotes out there, it will never be a problem to replace the engine 20 years later and what's 10k to fix a beloved car? Fixing Voodoo would be much more costly...

 

[Striker01]

I wish the GT350 looked special. I have to really stare at the MF to tell its special or any different. You either love or hate the aero on the M1 HP cars. I personally think its classic. The engine is what set the 350 apart but it appears that it is a pos of an engine (like any engine that blows up for "insert reason here" is)

It seems like they built a test engine and made up a nameplate like the 350 (like they did with the foxbodies) and thats it.

 

[Egparson202]

I wish the GT350 looked special. I have to really stare at the MF to tell its special or any different. You either love or hate the aero on the M1 HP cars. I personally think its classic. The engine is what set the 350 apart but it appears that it is a pos of an engine (like any engine that blows up for "insert reason here" is)

It seems like they built a test engine and made up a nameplate like the 350 (like they did with the foxbodies) and thats it.

Uh, no.

 

[RobZ71LM7]

I'd take a GT350 with the Gen II engine any day of the week over a Mach 1.

 

[RobZ71LM7]

I wish the GT350 looked special. I have to really stare at the MF to tell its special or any different. You either love or hate the aero on the M1 HP cars. I personally think its classic. The engine is what set the 350 apart but it appears that it is a pos of an engine (like any engine that blows up for "insert reason here" is)

It seems like they built a test engine and made up a nameplate like the 350 (like they did with the foxbodies) and thats it.

Ummm, GT350 has more unique pieces than the Mach 1 body.

 

[WItoTX]

OMG, the coyote has no low end torque. Go find and drive any big block 60's muscle car. Thats torque.

Lol...this is why big blocks were run in many trucks up until the 90s. All the torque is at the low end. And often far less torque than the current coyote. But I digress.

 

[Striker01]

Ummm, GT350 has more unique pieces than the Mach 1 body.

time for you to trade up brother

I know they do. I worked at a ford store when they were in their prime. I looked at them everyday.
As the saying goes. To each their own.

 

[K4fxd]

Lol...this is why big blocks were run in many trucks up until the 90s.

Low compression smoged out. Get in a 11 to 1 396 or 427. 1972 was the last of the high compression big blocks from the factory.

 

[RobZ71LM7]

time for you to trade up brother

I know they do. I worked at a ford store when they were in their prime. I looked at them everyday.
As the saying goes. To each their own.

I would've had covid not made their prices obscene at the time I bought my Mach 1.

 

[MAGS1]

It seems like they built a test engine and made up a nameplate like the 350 (like they did with the foxbodies) and thats it.

Did you ever drive one? This statement suggests you have not. If you don’t like the way they look or whatever that’s your opinion, but to suggest it’s nothing more than a nameplate with a “test engine“ is just ignorant.

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