3er
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I love scotch. Scotchy scotch scotch. Here it goes down, down into my belly. Oh, sorry, wrong forum. I just recently picked up a 2018 Mustang GT and thought I'd begin to chronicle its journey. For those of you that come from the BMW world, you can check out my previous F80 M3 thread.
I've been a long-time fan of Mustangs. Really, they're tough to beat for the dollar and have always appealed to me over competition from the likes of GM and Chrysler. My car obsession first started with a 2012 Mustang GT Premium 6MT and the track pack. Not too long of owning it, however, a guy cut across the street and I smacked into his side. While the damage on my vehicle initially looked mild, breakdown revealed that both crumple zones on the frame had been engaged. With <3,000 miles, my motor and transmission on the ground, and car cut up, I pretty quickly decided to get rid of it.
That began my foray into German vehicles, of which I still love the most. I started with a 2012 BMW e92 335i and had a blast with that car. It was gorgeous - the e92s being my all-time favorite. I didn't mod it much other than reflector deletes black CSL style wheels, which really transformed the look.
After owning the e92 for three years, I plunged into the world of Porsche and bought a 2003 911 Turbo 6MT with the X50 package and PCCB with the intent to get a truck as my DD. Good God was that car a beast. But I found myself dropping ~$1,000/month maintaining and fixing odds and ends. Nothing major, but few things are "minor" on a Porsche. I later discovered that the car had an engine rebuild 20K miles prior. Long story short, this was not disclosed/known during the PPI when I pulled the trigger. After purchasing the car and later reviewing all the documents/maintenance (dumb to do this after the fact, I know), I found that little gem (engine rebuild bills). Due to my OCD nature, this weighed heavily on my mind while I had the car. What would I do if the engine had issues when I owned it? Well, given that the rebuild was ~$30K, the car would have been a very large paperweight had that occurred on my clock. While owning the car, I took an oil sample and sent it to Blackstone Labs for analysis to get an indication of engine health. If you haven't heard of them before, check them out - it's a fantastic company/service. The report came out very well (low metals in oil, etc.), but I still couldn't get past the "what if." Furthermore, when the car was tuned after the rebuild, the performance shop noted that the car had "excessively dirty engine oil." Yeah, that doesn't inspire much confidence. Lastly, my insurance agent informed me that the car had a $40K claim in the past, but didn’t have further details. Perhaps the owner found a clever way to cover the motor rebuild via insurance, but who knows? The paint depths during the PPI were within spec, so that's likely the case. Oh well, many lessons learned. If any of you listen to Spike Feresten's podcast, Paul Zuckerman is often quoted saying that learning these types lessons is simply tuition in the school of cars.
After selling the 911 Turbo (I simultaneously owned that and the e92), I custom ordered a 2015 BMW M3 6MT. Really, I don't think a sports car as a daily gets much better. It's nice, refined, looks amazing, and fast. However, it never felt special to me. I mean, the car is a rocket and even more so once I Dinan tuned it. I'll spare additional details since I linked my thread - it has more than you'd want to know with my various mods. What prompted the sale of that car was a move out from The Heights in Houston to Firethorne in Katy since my company moved locations. My commute went from roughly 7 miles each way to 50! Not too long after the move, I sadly sold the car in favor of a 2016 F150 Platinum FX4, which I still have today and continues to serve as my daily.
Which brings me to today. I've been clamoring for a weekend car to scratch my adrenaline itch. Sure, I have a 500w mini dirtbike that can reach speeds up to 15mph (downhill) in just 38 seconds, but something in me wanted a tad more. From my 2012 Mustang GT, I knew that the the S550s would still be a blast. I was torn because I admittedly prefer Porsches (who wouldn't!?), but the closest one around S550 pricing is a 987 Cayman S. While you can find really clean and low mileage examples in the very low 30's, they're known for rod bearing issues when pushed (not so much IMS issues like the 996 911). Learning from previous lessons, I knew I'd be OCD about the potential issue and decided that a new Mustang GT would tick all the boxes I care about - well, except refinement and the risk of losing my car in a rental car or high school parking lot.
So, here we are. I just recently picked up a 2018 Mustang GT Premium, 6MT, PP1 - black on black on black. I tend to prefer white cars with black accents (wheels, badges, etc.), but don't like the S550s in white and am not a big fan of magnetic grey. Had lead foot grey been available in the GT, I would have jumped on that. Black is already proving to be a pain, but I can limit its time out in the rain and, therefore, limit car washes. Otherwise, the car is a blast and sounds great. I've been babying it a bit, more so to break-in the clutch. Plus, I can hit 1,000 miles quite easily with my 100 mile round-trip commute. While this won't be my daily, I can really put some miles on it, when needed.
If I had to pick a couple of things that disappoint me above and beyond what I researched, I'd say the exclusion of HD radio in my trim is odd and the reverse sensing volume is annoyingly loud. Others are right about the clutch being too "springy" and ride too bouncy with PP1. I expect I'll address those two with a 35 lbs clutch spring and full suspension - two things I'll likely do relatively soon. But instead of listing all the mods I plan to do, I'll post them as they come.
I ended up getting the car for $37,500 with an MSRP of $44,785. The dealer was open to negotiation in order to move the '18's off the lot. As an aside, I didn't want the 2019 model because, while rev matching can be a great feature to learn a stick and especially on a track, its inclusion subtracts driver involvement - really, the point of going with a 6mt in the first place. I can say this from experience, as my M3 had rev matching and it often felt like "rowing through the motions" when all you have to think about is clutch in, move lever, and clutch out. Even though it can be disabled, I didn't want the temptation. More to come…
I've been a long-time fan of Mustangs. Really, they're tough to beat for the dollar and have always appealed to me over competition from the likes of GM and Chrysler. My car obsession first started with a 2012 Mustang GT Premium 6MT and the track pack. Not too long of owning it, however, a guy cut across the street and I smacked into his side. While the damage on my vehicle initially looked mild, breakdown revealed that both crumple zones on the frame had been engaged. With <3,000 miles, my motor and transmission on the ground, and car cut up, I pretty quickly decided to get rid of it.
That began my foray into German vehicles, of which I still love the most. I started with a 2012 BMW e92 335i and had a blast with that car. It was gorgeous - the e92s being my all-time favorite. I didn't mod it much other than reflector deletes black CSL style wheels, which really transformed the look.
After owning the e92 for three years, I plunged into the world of Porsche and bought a 2003 911 Turbo 6MT with the X50 package and PCCB with the intent to get a truck as my DD. Good God was that car a beast. But I found myself dropping ~$1,000/month maintaining and fixing odds and ends. Nothing major, but few things are "minor" on a Porsche. I later discovered that the car had an engine rebuild 20K miles prior. Long story short, this was not disclosed/known during the PPI when I pulled the trigger. After purchasing the car and later reviewing all the documents/maintenance (dumb to do this after the fact, I know), I found that little gem (engine rebuild bills). Due to my OCD nature, this weighed heavily on my mind while I had the car. What would I do if the engine had issues when I owned it? Well, given that the rebuild was ~$30K, the car would have been a very large paperweight had that occurred on my clock. While owning the car, I took an oil sample and sent it to Blackstone Labs for analysis to get an indication of engine health. If you haven't heard of them before, check them out - it's a fantastic company/service. The report came out very well (low metals in oil, etc.), but I still couldn't get past the "what if." Furthermore, when the car was tuned after the rebuild, the performance shop noted that the car had "excessively dirty engine oil." Yeah, that doesn't inspire much confidence. Lastly, my insurance agent informed me that the car had a $40K claim in the past, but didn’t have further details. Perhaps the owner found a clever way to cover the motor rebuild via insurance, but who knows? The paint depths during the PPI were within spec, so that's likely the case. Oh well, many lessons learned. If any of you listen to Spike Feresten's podcast, Paul Zuckerman is often quoted saying that learning these types lessons is simply tuition in the school of cars.
After selling the 911 Turbo (I simultaneously owned that and the e92), I custom ordered a 2015 BMW M3 6MT. Really, I don't think a sports car as a daily gets much better. It's nice, refined, looks amazing, and fast. However, it never felt special to me. I mean, the car is a rocket and even more so once I Dinan tuned it. I'll spare additional details since I linked my thread - it has more than you'd want to know with my various mods. What prompted the sale of that car was a move out from The Heights in Houston to Firethorne in Katy since my company moved locations. My commute went from roughly 7 miles each way to 50! Not too long after the move, I sadly sold the car in favor of a 2016 F150 Platinum FX4, which I still have today and continues to serve as my daily.
Which brings me to today. I've been clamoring for a weekend car to scratch my adrenaline itch. Sure, I have a 500w mini dirtbike that can reach speeds up to 15mph (downhill) in just 38 seconds, but something in me wanted a tad more. From my 2012 Mustang GT, I knew that the the S550s would still be a blast. I was torn because I admittedly prefer Porsches (who wouldn't!?), but the closest one around S550 pricing is a 987 Cayman S. While you can find really clean and low mileage examples in the very low 30's, they're known for rod bearing issues when pushed (not so much IMS issues like the 996 911). Learning from previous lessons, I knew I'd be OCD about the potential issue and decided that a new Mustang GT would tick all the boxes I care about - well, except refinement and the risk of losing my car in a rental car or high school parking lot.
So, here we are. I just recently picked up a 2018 Mustang GT Premium, 6MT, PP1 - black on black on black. I tend to prefer white cars with black accents (wheels, badges, etc.), but don't like the S550s in white and am not a big fan of magnetic grey. Had lead foot grey been available in the GT, I would have jumped on that. Black is already proving to be a pain, but I can limit its time out in the rain and, therefore, limit car washes. Otherwise, the car is a blast and sounds great. I've been babying it a bit, more so to break-in the clutch. Plus, I can hit 1,000 miles quite easily with my 100 mile round-trip commute. While this won't be my daily, I can really put some miles on it, when needed.
If I had to pick a couple of things that disappoint me above and beyond what I researched, I'd say the exclusion of HD radio in my trim is odd and the reverse sensing volume is annoyingly loud. Others are right about the clutch being too "springy" and ride too bouncy with PP1. I expect I'll address those two with a 35 lbs clutch spring and full suspension - two things I'll likely do relatively soon. But instead of listing all the mods I plan to do, I'll post them as they come.
I ended up getting the car for $37,500 with an MSRP of $44,785. The dealer was open to negotiation in order to move the '18's off the lot. As an aside, I didn't want the 2019 model because, while rev matching can be a great feature to learn a stick and especially on a track, its inclusion subtracts driver involvement - really, the point of going with a 6mt in the first place. I can say this from experience, as my M3 had rev matching and it often felt like "rowing through the motions" when all you have to think about is clutch in, move lever, and clutch out. Even though it can be disabled, I didn't want the temptation. More to come…
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. I seriously considered an e92 M3 LCI, but their rod bearing issues worried me a bit. My goal with this purchase was to ensure it created zero stress in my life, so the '18 GT fit the bill nicely!
