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End of the GT350 Production. What is Ford's plan?

shogun32

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> my only concern being the Pirelli P Zero Corsa's having some tire fatigue.
you said you passed the deal because the tires were questionable. Of course they would be and $1200 later they'd be history and the problem solved. Or is there something I don't understand about Boss 302s running around still with original tires?
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...my only concern being the Pirelli P Zero Corse's having some tire fatigue.
With only 54 miles to her name, those tires would definitely show some fatigue with the radial belts after sitting for approximately 8 years (garaged or not would not matter). The drive would be extremely rough off the lot just like a car sitting outside that first gets driven in Alaska when it is 50 degrees below zero early in the morning. In other words the tires would feel like they are square. They would definitely need replacement.
 

fpa1974

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With only 54 miles to her name, those tires would definitely show some fatigue with the radial belts after sitting for approximately 8 years (garaged or not would not matter). The drive would be extremely rough off the lot just like a car sitting outside that first gets driven in Alaska when it is 50 degrees below zero early in the morning. In other words the tires would feel like they are square. They would definitely need replacement.
The Pirellis on the Boss I picked were original and very good only for sliding the car around with the full thread available.. Their grip was totally gone. First mod to the car was a brand new set of MPS 4Ss.
 
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The Pirellis on the Boss I picked were original and very good only for sliding the car around with the full thread available.. Their grip was totally gone. First mod to the car was a brand new set of MPS 4Ss.
The new set of Michelins is a great choice. How do you like the feel so far?
 

fpa1974

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The new set of Michelins is a great choice. How do you like the feel so far?
I like them. I cannot fault them too much for a street performance tire. Very good grip dry, good grip in the wet. I ran 3 sets of MPSSs on different cars. I know that you cannot compare them directly because of different cars but my initial take is that I liked the MPSSs steering feel more but I feel the MP4Ss have more grip both dry and wet. Neither will compare with Cup2s or 71Rs or the like but they are not meant to necessarily.
Now if you asked me about the Boss, I think the car is under springed by a large margin, rear end rides way higher that necessary, the MT-82 tranny is subpar relative to the rest of the car and the front end needs a lot of static camber to make up for the unfavorable geometry (and soft springs) while cornering. It might seem that I do not like it but I actually love it. I put a set of FP springs set on it, upgraded a few things in the rear, added camber to the front and the car is a blast.
 

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PP0001

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With only 54 miles to her name, those tires would definitely show some fatigue with the radial belts after sitting for approximately 8 years (garaged or not would not matter). The drive would be extremely rough off the lot just like a car sitting outside that first gets driven in Alaska when it is 50 degrees below zero early in the morning. In other words the tires would feel like they are square. They would definitely need replacement.
I share some of your same thoughts but to a point and can tell you that I purchased a 2003 M-B SL500 for my wife last year with that car only having ~24,000 original miles and it came with the Michelin OEM tires and can tell you that they drove just fine and did not ride rough and were not square at all.

Having said that I did replace them based on checking the manufacture date codes on those OEM tires with them being manufactured in the Fall of 2001 therefore they were 18 years old and replaced them but did put ~500 miles on them on slow backroads of the desert.

In the case of the 2012 LS with 54 miles on that car as mentioned I might have a concern with those tires but only subject to what someone wanted to do with that car and suggest that those tires would be okay for going to various events such as Cars & Coffee, etc. and some reasonable driving speeds but not to a point of tracking that car or spending some time driving at high speeds.

Not sure if you have ever driven vehicles with Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires but they are certainly one of my favorite OEM tires of all time and enjoy them much more than the Michelin Cup 2 tires and if I recall correctly the treadwear rating for the Corsa tires was 50 therefore a very soft and sticky compound tire.

When speaking in the past with some of the major tire manufacturers such as Michelin and discussing some of their premium quality tires they tell me that their tire life span is good up to 10 years.

With this cars tires being ~8 1/2 to 9 years old that timeline would fall just below the acceptable 10 year time period but again if spirited driving was involved they would be replaced immediately but if it remained a show/judged car based on still being in the wrapper then suggest that the OEM tires would be good for quite some time.
 

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With this cars tires being ~8 1/2 to 9 years old that timeline would fall just below the acceptable 10 year time period but again if spirited driving was involved they would be replaced immediately but if it remained a show/judged car based on still being in the wrapper then suggest that the OEM tires would be good for quite some time.
I agree with you Harry as far as the originals being round and drivable (I drove the car home 1000 miles after purchase on them very carefully). But if anything but cruising around is involved the grip was totally compromised. From my pwn experience with the cars I do not drive much I have to replace the tires every 6-8 years if I want to be able to keep the car on the blacktop :)
 

fpa1974

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In the case of the 2012 LS with 54 miles on that car as mentioned I might have a concern with those tires but only subject to what someone wanted to do with that car and suggest that those tires would be okay for going to various events such as Cars & Coffee, etc. and some reasonable driving speeds but not to a point of tracking that car or spending some time driving at high speeds..
Oh yeah and I forgot to mention that you can use old the tires to get a better price when negotiating. Someone like an enthusiast will totally get the argument and get you some play room - it definitely worked for me :)
 
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I appreciate the information shared on older tires sitting for several years as I always had a concern for the radial belts. I have seen a lot of modern garage queens (‘08 GT500-KR, ‘12/‘13 Boss, even a ‘91 ZR-1 with 1500 miles on her) over the years questioning the safety if purchased and the new owner elected to drive a few hundred miles back home instead of transporting. I would say kudos for the modern technology not only in the grip and the high temperature tolerances at high speeds, but also the longevity.
:clap:
 

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> my only concern being the Pirelli P Zero Corsa's having some tire fatigue.
you said you passed the deal because the tires were questionable. Of course they would be and $1200 later they'd be history and the problem solved. Or is there something I don't understand about Boss 302s running around still with original tires?
I suggest that you misunderstood my post as I never passed on this opportunity because of the OEM tires being ~8 1/2 years old but merely passed on the deal because of already having owned a number of LS cars prior.

Certainly the tires on this car were of some concern but not to the point of not pulling the trigger if I wanted it but just not really interested in this car at the time.

As mentioned earlier these OEM tires would have been just fine for some applications and not for others with someone getting a very cool low mileage 2012 Boss 302 just as @fpa1974 well knows.
 

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Hack

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Here, here :)

Definitely I agree with Harry. The best part is that both the R and the Boss entertain you in totally different ways.

@Hack it is never too late. I picked my very low mileage 2012 Boss late last year and have been enjoying it so far.
IMG_0333.jpeg
Ahh, I'm jealous. I really like the look of the blue 2012 cars.
 

WetDuck

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I still think the Mach 1 would slot below the performance of the GT350, one reason... rear brakes. The spy shots of the 2021 Mach 1 still has floating rear brakes, not fixed caliper Brembos. That immediately tells me that Ford is not building a GT350 replacement. They’re building an entirely new car to answer a different need.

I look for it to be a more pumped up PP2. Inside Ford the PP2 was viewed similar to the Boss Laguna Seca, but it was unnamed. Which was good and bad, good because without a name, ADM wasn’t so much of a problem. If it was called a Boss... watch out as the price would jump on the showroom floor.

This will be named, so ADM and I look for it to be wilder than the PP2, but not the track performance of the Shelby as it’s clearly, not a replacement. It’s reviving the legacy of the Mach 1. Oh and of course it will have some form of a shaker hood.

I doubt the PP2 will become the new PP1. Doubt it with money on the table. The PP2 uses the GT350R front tires on all four corners. Not every needs super soft, super slick 305/30/19 tires. That’s an enthusiast only car, not fit for the masses. It would be too hardcore for the average person who just buys a mustang.

Also, this was all planned. Ford was always going to end the GT350, just like they’ve ended every 500 for the past generations, along with Mach 1, Bullitt, and the Ford GT. They’re like the McRibb, only for a limited time only. That keeps them special. They’re halo cars that bring up the brand showcasing what Ford can do and making people think that if they can make this awesome car, then that same technology or know-how will be in the ecoboost or Mach-e (Ford doesn’t make other cars as we know, so there you go... until they come out with hatchback Mustang).

The GT350 was supposed to end in 2018, then 2019 but it got extended because the 500 needed more development time. Ford wanted to relive the 60s having both the 350 and the 500 at dealerships. Job done, the 350 ays goodbye. Now it’s time for Ford to bring back the Mach. We’re reliving the 60s or for guys like me who weren’t around for that, living a new version of the muscle car hay day.

The new Mach 1 will be another chapter in that story.

https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1126889_2021-ford-mustang-mach-1-spy-shots


I also wonder if the Mach 1 will be a Ford Performance product or like the PP2, a creation of the regular mustang team as their own wild iteration of the mustang. FP and the regular mustang team are different working groups within Ford.
Looks like a less aggressive GT350. Not impressed
 

svttim

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Things can change at Ford in a Day but, they have announced the car. The article says that is not a given. It makes me wonder about the authenticity of the article. As far as looks, I would bet there is no shaker based on some of my conversations but again...… I wouldn't look at a mule and expect all the styling queue's of the actual car
 

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I would be surprised if the Mach 1 had significantly more power than a Mustang GT. More than likely it will not be a limited production car.
 

jpindustrie

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I think we can speculate all we want but the most pragmatic move especially in these times would be to skip the GT350 'class' for the remainder of the generation.

IMO Mach 1 was always just an options package , a blvd cruiser, a hopped up GT with more options and stripes and a bit more speed but not a Boss or a Shelby ... it will just replace the Bullitt and continue to answer the age old question since 1982, what to fit between a GT mustang a speciality Mustang ?

Track performance duties should be relegated to the GT500 and rightfully so. Why create 'another' track toy car while the 500 can do 0-100-0 quicker than a Lamborghini? Doesn't make marketing sense.

What does make sense is to continue capitalizing on those that don't want 'only a GT' but don't like squealing breaks or piston slap at 2-3k rpm , thats for sure.
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