The Problem With Being an S550 Owner

[Toofarfromjune]

Im trying to actually enjoy this car and not just look at it in the garage 247. With my last car it was bad, at least I'm driving this one around all weekend and to work on occasions when I know I won't be sitting in much traffic.

With my s2000 i would pretty much only drive it to drive it, nothing that involved actually leaving it unattended in the wild aside from the rare upscale occasion with ideal parking pre-researched (thanks google street view/satelite) to where I knew I could park somewhere by design.

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[40calcobra]

Not me I drive the hell out of my cars!

 

[Tamadrummer88]

Down here, the downside of being a mustang owner is everyone automatically assumes you're in the military. Most mustang owners here are military or caucasian, very few polynesians own mustangs.

 

[RipShift2015]

Like many of you, I have owned lots of cars...some better than others. This Mustang is now officially the best car I have ever owned, for a variety of reasons...the thing that really surprised me is how "connected" I feel to this car.

The downside of this love affair is that when anything happens to the car, I freak out. Just last week, after a nasty ice storm hit Texas, I walked back to my car at my work parking lot and my car was covered in dirt and stones from a truck that swept the parking lot with that crud. I almost puked...

My wife says I should just go buy a Corolla and forget about stuff like this...on some days, I think she is right.

Anyone else feel the same way? It is just a car, right??!!:cheers:

I am a Houstonian but working out of town in Atlanta and I bought my 15' here. I drove ONE day through that crap they throw on the road and it chipped some spots on my rear fender. I about lost my $#@!.. I am looking forward to going home when this job is up.
I washed it in the rain last week. Sad but I love my ride!

 

[ilkhan]

Upside of being a Mustang owner coming from a BMW: people no longer make assumptions about me being an asshole that can't use a turn signal.

Downsides of being a Mustang owner: I keep hearing cliche stereotypes thrown my way, "your car is cool... but, it's like a hick car... you know? I mean, not that you're a hick or anything." Gee, thanks, that really softens the blow there bud.

Downsides of owning an S550 in particular: fucking small radius turns in tight parking areas. Cue Austin Powers multi-point turn in hallway scene.

Put them in the passenger seat and floor it.
Suddenly they want a hick car too.

 

[Highwayman]

Not me I drive the hell out of my cars!

^ This. Great minds think alike. Just add "everything" in place of "cars", haha.

 

[Old 5 Oh]

It IS just a car, LOL. It's taken me a lot of cars to learn that. I just about worshipped my first few Mustangs. Then, when I was Mustangless for a decade or so, I learned to appreciate a nice, plain car that just ran and didn't need a lot of attention. This 15 GT is by far the nicest car I have owned. But it's a car. And I am committed to remembering that. It's going to get dinged. It's already had a new windshield, thanks to a low-flying rock. It's going to get taco juice on the carpet. But I am going to enjoy it all, and not stress over it. Unless I want to spend all of a Saturday putting the detail on it.

It's SO much easier this way.

 

[Thinkn3D]

Like many of you, I have owned lots of

My wife says I should just go buy a Corolla and forget about stuff like this...on some days, I think she is right.

Anyone else feel the same way? It is just a car, right??!!:cheers:

I feel the same way!
My wife said I should just go buy a Mustang and forget about stuff like this, and she was right. So instead of buying a Corvette I bought a Mustang. :ford:

 

[TorkN8R]

Like many of you, I have owned lots of cars...some better than others. This Mustang is now officially the best car I have ever owned, for a variety of reasons...the thing that really surprised me is how "connected" I feel to this car.

The downside of this love affair is that when anything happens to the car, I freak out. Just last week, after a nasty ice storm hit Texas, I walked back to my car at my work parking lot and my car was covered in dirt and stones from a truck that swept the parking lot with that crud. I almost puked...

My wife says I should just go buy a Corolla and forget about stuff like this...on some days, I think she is right.

Anyone else feel the same way? It is just a car, right??!!:cheers:

I've felt the exact same way about everyone of my favorite performance cars that I've owned. It's not just a car...it's a piece of American Icon. We invented the Muscle Car. It's what we do. We like Eyeball Flattening, Gut Wrenching, Yankee Dootle Torque.

Most Girls just don't get it. My Wife feels the same way your Wife does. To her...It's just transportation. If you Wife is like mine...She feels the same way about her Pocket Books and Shoes as we do about our cars and tools.

 

[Shanghai Dan]

Downsides of owning an S550 in particular: fucking small radius turns in tight parking areas. Cue Austin Powers multi-point turn in hallway scene.

Easy solution:

1. Engage track mode
2. Turn wheel full lock
3. Heavy application of the right foot

Sucker turns on a dime!

 

[valentinoamoro]

Like many of you, I have owned lots of cars...some better than others. This Mustang is now officially the best car I have ever owned, for a variety of reasons...the thing that really surprised me is how "connected" I feel to this car.

The downside of this love affair is that when anything happens to the car, I freak out. Just last week, after a nasty ice storm hit Texas, I walked back to my car at my work parking lot and my car was covered in dirt and stones from a truck that swept the parking lot with that crud. I almost puked...

My wife says I should just go buy a Corolla and forget about stuff like this...on some days, I think she is right.

Anyone else feel the same way? It is just a car, right??!!:cheers:

TOTALLY feel you brother. I don't believe in garage queens so drive my two cars often around town, to and from on work and the Stang will also see weekend drives on twisties, auto x and perhaps track. However, I maintain my cars religiously and care a great deal about appearance and pristine condition, both interior and exterior. Wax with good products, take care parking, maintain leather and a lot of the cars are clear-bra'd (much more than the regular or extended kits). My cars look like New 5-10 years after purchasing.

However, can't beat entropy. I parked my car next to a sidewalk with rocks, opened the door gently and whacked it on the bottom against a rock. Ruined my day and got a chip the size of a small grain of rice, exposed the metal. My first on this car, fortunately no dent. Can't see it from two feet away and cannot see it unless looking.

Cursed, threw the heavy rock a few feet, then proceeded to order touch up paint and Lanka paint repair set. Lol.

If I came back to my ride covered in salt and stones (WTF), I would be pissed. I drive my SUV the one or two days it snows here but realize that's not an option for many.

Exactly. After all, it's (relatively) cheap car, mine cost as much as my wife's SUV (~37K on x-plan), cleaning it every 5 mins kills all the joy from owning it. That said I do take good care of mine, but did that to every car I ever had.

I try to strike a balance as well, settled on cleaning every two months (including wax 2 times a year.)

I am a Houstonian but working out of town in Atlanta and I bought my 15' here. I drove ONE day through that crap they throw on the road and it chipped some spots on my rear fender. I about lost my $#@!.. I am looking forward to going home when this job is up.
I washed it in the rain last week. Sad but I love my ride!

Which part of the rear fended did it chip? Wondering if there is a part of the car that is vulnerable to chips thats not obvious.(Obsessing starts)

It IS just a car, LOL. It's taken me a lot of cars to learn that. I just about worshipped my first few Mustangs. Then, when I was Mustangless for a decade or so, I learned to appreciate a nice, plain car that just ran and didn't need a lot of attention. This 15 GT is by far the nicest car I have owned. But it's a car. And I am committed to remembering that. It's going to get dinged. It's already had a new windshield, thanks to a low-flying rock. It's going to get taco juice on the carpet. But I am going to enjoy it all, and not stress over it. Unless I want to spend all of a Saturday putting the detail on it.

It's SO much easier this way.

I wish I could be that way. Taco juice??? Noooooooo

I've felt the exact same way about everyone of my favorite performance cars that I've owned. It's not just a car...it's a piece of American Icon. We invented the Muscle Car. It's what we do. We like Eyeball Flattening, Gut Wrenching, Yankee Dootle Torque.

Most Girls just don't get it. My Wife feels the same way your Wife does. To her...It's just transportation. If you Wife is like mine...She feels the same way about her Pocket Books and Shoes as we do about our cars and tools.

My wife feels the same way. Supports my car hobby, likes my Stang but for her cars are an appliance and she doesn't understand why I scream if she curbs our Volvos limited edition Ixion wheels.

 

[benanderson89]

Even though the Mustang hasn't been released in the UK, I already know the flack I'll get for owning one. Even showing interest has raised a lot of eyebrows. I have had the following thus far:

• "American? Why'd you buy an American car? It'll break down constantly." (they then tell me to buy something German)
• "That's not a sports car. Sports cars can go around corners"
• "Rude-boy car."
• "What sounds better? 'I drive a Ford Mustang' or 'I drive an Audi'?" (yes, someone actually said this to me).
• "Another Chavy (hick) car from Ford."

The Audi one still gets me good. The same thing was uttered when I considering buying the Kia I have now as a way to try and convince me to buy a Mercedes. :frusty:

"Ben, think about it. You introduce yourself to someone and they ask what car you have, you'll be 'Ben with a Mercedes-Benz'. Saying you have a Kia doesn't sound as good."

 

[e30og]

To the OP, I had been waiting for something to happen on the interior and exterior to break the ice. As fanatical as I am with this car, ive come to realize the inevitable and ive just stopped caring.

In just four months time (about 7k):

- big rock chip on the hood
- minor chips in front fascia
- chipped windshield (truck threw up a rock)
- car was egged (one spot broke paint)
- salted mercilessly this winter (salted at point blank while stuck in traffic on a two lane, salt trucks going both ways)
- fogged/soiled interior (use your imagination)
- curb rash (very minor, but it counts)
- flat tire/nail, incapacitated by fix-a-flat

Nothing you can do. Planning a good wash/wax soon, 3m wrap the front and hood, touch up paint on hand and used as necessary. Battle scars

 

[Barrel]

Aaron Rodgers has some advice for you guys:

 

[grantourer]

so annoying to hear the hick car thing. guess that is what happens when you rock a stick axle for almost 50 years. If it had no badges on it, and no one knew it was a mustang and you snuck it into a track day with a bunch of mid level GT and sports coupes no one would call it a hick car.

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