At what point does the 2016-2020 GT350 become age and cost prohibitive?

[lo-fi]

The key is to own numerous sports cars. No one car gains too much mileage and you're having fun due to getting different looks and feels week in and week out.

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[350 Feet]

While I cannot answer your question, I CAN provide you the list of parts needed in the 78k miles of driving my 2016 350R, which has been out of warranty now for almost five years…

One Shifter
2 Splitters
One Starter
a Hi psi ac line
One Battery
One Water pump
Four sets of tires
and one clutch

I have not had my 350 nearly as long as you, but I am so impressed with only 2 splitter replacements for the mileage!
I just put 305/30’s on the front of mine and it dropped the splitter another 1/2”.
Now its only a matter of time..
Cheers,

 

[Strokerswild]

My only real worry with my S550 is reliability (and later availability) of the various electronics. So far so good, but I'm coming up on 11 years quickly.

As I've said elsewhere, I'd punt my '15 for the right '60s car in a heartbeat. Those I can fix with a handful of tools, and cheaply.

 

[GTthree50]

There obviously are multiple ways to look at this but my own POV as an owner of a ‘17 with 48,xxx miles and counting that is daily driven, I am not expecting to sell this car as it fits every criteria I have for a car under $200K. Value is not a worry because at some point it could easily turn the other direction and start to appreciate in value like so many cars have done, Toyota Supra Mk 4, Porsche 911, 964 & 993, Mazda FD Rx7, any muscle car, etc. I think the Shelby will find its way there eventually but for me that is of no concern, I bought it to enjoy and it’s exactly what I do with it so if value crashes or skyrockets I am not too worried.

 

[WItoTX]

Cost of ownership is cheap if it's only street driven. Which is what it was designed for anyways, so it all works out.

Many want to go full race car with the GT350. Never go full race car with the GT350.

 

[jacknifetoaswan]

Do you want to keep the car 100% original?

the big ticket item is the engine and then probably the unique body parts.

Everything else you can easily keep going with current OEM or aftermarket parts

Unique body parts are going to start getting scarce, and that's even true of aftermarket stuff for GTs and Ecoboosts. I have the Roush rear valance on my car, but it needs to be replaced. Roush doesn't make it any longer, and the parts warehouses aren't carrying it or they're OOS. I decided to use the GT350 rear valance for my quad exhaust setup, and the price has skyrocketed. Most parts stores (CJ/AM/LMR) don't even list it available.

JR

 

[OldbutNew]

Unique body parts are going to start getting scarce, and that's even true of aftermarket stuff for GTs and Ecoboosts. I have the Roush rear valance on my car, but it needs to be replaced. Roush doesn't make it any longer, and the parts warehouses aren't carrying it or they're OOS. I decided to use the GT350 rear valance for my quad exhaust setup, and the price has skyrocketed. Most parts stores (CJ/AM/LMR) don't even list it available.

JR

It's my understanding that OE's are required by law to supply replacement parts for 10 years after the car is out of production. So... We are in the GT350 window. 2030 is not that far off.
And really, what would it take to prove they are in violation? Let's speculate that they stopped producing the flat-plane crank? Or the matching cams? Who has the budget to hire enough lawyers to fight the court battle??

 

[MAGS1]

It's my understanding that OE's are required by law to supply replacement parts for 10 years after the car is out of production. So... We are in the GT350 window. 2030 is not that far off.
And really, what would it take to prove they are in violation? Let's speculate that they stopped producing the flat-plane crank? Or the matching cams? Who has the budget to hire enough lawyers to fight the court battle??

They probably have Voodoo’s stashed away for extended warranty replacements and produced them ahead of time. They were selling them as crate engines for a short period of time if I remember correctly as well. I would have to look at the law that requires them to hold parts for X years, but I don’t think it’s every single part on a particular car. Someone like Levittown would be able to tell you if you can order things like the fenders, hood, etc that are unique to the 350. I would guess that you can, but only if you have a VIN that matches to a 350.

 

[jacknifetoaswan]

It's my understanding that OE's are required by law to supply replacement parts for 10 years after the car is out of production. So... We are in the GT350 window. 2030 is not that far off.
And really, what would it take to prove they are in violation? Let's speculate that they stopped producing the flat-plane crank? Or the matching cams? Who has the budget to hire enough lawyers to fight the court battle??

I don't even own one, so my opinion is moot, but I foresee the aftermarket having to pick up support for the Voodoo and some of the GT350 body parts. There will be a time where there are just no more OEM bumpers, fenders, rear valences, etc, and at that time, owners will have to accept the aftermarket for repairs. The OEM can do predictive analysis for the failure of mechanical parts, but it's not like you can do that with much certainty for a niche, weekend driven sports car that could also end up on any number of road courses.

JR

 

[TonyNJ]

It's only a bad investment if you won't enjoy the ownership experience at all. You might make a little profit, you might break even, maybe lose a few thousand. If you like looking at it, sitting in it, driving it, it's a nice buy.

2016 GT350R:

3yrs, 6k miles = 1 starter.

Edit: Out of all the S550 models, the 350s will probably be the collectors way down the road because of the FPC & Manual Transmission. The 500s will be right there, followed by the Machs, PP2s, Bullitts. Anything mint with low miles will be $$$. Multiple owners won't hurt it as much as originality and mileage.

 

[BreadBurner]

It boils down to being honest with yourself about why you want it.

It is not, and never will be an actual financial investment if you actually want to drive it.

It needs to be a nearly brand new 350R to actually appreciate, and you cannot drive it, and at best it will match inflation.

People get way too hung up on age. The most desirable cars these days, are old cars. Especially in the enthusiast community.

What matters more is how it was cared for.

If you want to just have fun driving and can afford it, get it checked out and given a clean BOH, make a deal and buy. Forget the money. If you can’t forget it, I’d suggest trying to change your mindset before buying. Granted, that’s not easy.

People ask me how much my GT500 has appreciated more than I ever expected. I tell them it hasn’t. They are always shocked for some reason, and I have to explain that I actually drive it because it’s so much damn fun which is the whole point. The investment is in the day to day, the smiles, people you meet, and general mental health. My financial retirement is not dependent on, or affected by the car.

My 0.2.

BOH?

 

[wingnutt]

Bill of health
Big ol hammer

…either or

 

[MachNroll]

Cost of ownership is cheap if it's only street driven. Which is what it was designed for anyways, so it all works out.

Many want to go full race car with the GT350. Never go full race car with the GT350.

I agree. I think that these cars might last longer with fewer problems if they are not pushed to their limits. After reading all of these great responses, and people's true appreciation for the GT350, I think it is unfortunate that Ford did not continue to produce the Shelby Mustangs. If there was a 2025 Ford built Shelby for, say, $68k, I'd be on it like a fly on, er, pudding...... But, I opine that the new generation of automobile consumers are not as enthralled as me/us. If Ford felt that the Shelby line would sell favorably perhaps it would have continued. I recall a post on here about how most folks in society have no clue what a Mustang is, whether it is a Shelby, Mach, Bullitt etc. That makes sense. There are times that I pull into a gas station and nobody looks up from their phones to gaze at my car.. Then, occasionally, a Mustang fan will come up and it's like I found a long-lost friend. Good times. Anyway, thanks everyone for your responses!

 

[BrakeFade]

If you're worried about cost of ownership and reliability, I would not buy any high performance car 6+ years old without a warranty. If money is not the issue than I think it's a no brainer - GET THE 350. But Ford might be working on another 5.2 NA 6 speed Mustang as rumored. So if you wait it out, you may be able to get something similar brand new, again.

 

[bKennedy]

Any high performance car was probably driven hard so here are my rules for buying a used car. I only buy them from the original owner and the older the owner is the better. Also the wealthier they are the better as they probably maintained the car. I never buy a used car from a dealer or used car lot, you just don't know the history for the most part. So to answer your question when should you not buy, or buy, the car, well it depends on a lot of things. I have a 2018 GT, I'm 75 years old, bought it new, never abused it, and always maintained it. Whoever buys my car when I'm ready to sell is going to get a great car. I'm not sure I would buy the same car from a 20 year old kid who bought it used and beat on it for a couple of years. So it all depends on the owner and how the car was treated.

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