Considering upgrading

[icormba]

Yea just a quick search in my area (Houston) most of the 16 tech packs are considerably cheaper. average 3 to 5k less then a track pack car with similar miles.

For those of you with a 16 tech pack that does track it, what are you doing to combat this issue?

‘16 Tech Packs make for a great commuter car (In my opinion) except for the gas mileage and having to fill up almost twice a week. I drove mine to work, ~15 miles one way, everyday for a year. Never hit limp mode on the streets.

I tracked the car 2 times (Sonoma & Laguna Seca) and did hit limp mode.
How did I address the issue? I traded it in for an R. If I never took it to the track I would have been more than happy with the Tech.

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[DrumReaper]

Right or wrong, the Teck pack will always be the least desirable of the GT350's. I would get a '17 or nothing.

Ummmmm, I’d take a ‘16 R over 17 non-R... but the OP seems to only bhave concerned about the tech pack vs track pack 16MY.

 

[MNGT350]

If you don't want to track the car, it is unlikely the cooler issue will matter at all for you.

If you are concerned about resale, then be careful, as there is a stigma attached to the cars without coolers.

If neither of those issues concern you, then you will be choosing from the most reasonably priced gt350s on the used market and you will love the car.

 

[Socal350]

I wouldn't worry much about cooling issues based on the driving style you described. I've hit limp mode in my tech pack on the street a few times but that was after 2-3 hours of spirited driving through canyons with different groups. Casually driving around town/highway I've never had limp mode issues, even over extended periods of driving.

Then like you mentioned before it would roughly cost $3000 + labor to install a transmission cooler/pump and differential cooler/pump on a tech pack car. Only downside is that Ford has stated these add-on components are not covered under warranty since they are a Ford Performance parts.

Ultimately I think your deciding factors would be centered around:
1) Cost difference between MY16 tech pack and MY16 track pack or MY17 convenience/electronics packs (also MY17s come with 9 speakers instead of the MY16 tech pack's 7 speakers)
2) Warranty concerns (adding trans and diff coolers to tech pack)
3) Keeping vs selling the car in the long-term (overall value of the car down the road)
4) Seat preferences (cloth seats vs Recaro racing seats)
5) Door sill plates/strut tower brace from MY16 vs MY17 (likely not important to a buyer but they are different)

 

[Austinj427]

For what it's worth, I ran on track with a guy who had a tech pack 16 and an aftermarket trans cooler.

He said when the car was 100% stock he could get a full session out of it in the morning, but the second session would get cut short by a few laps, then the third by a half.

After he installed his aftermarket transmission cooler he never had another overheating issue and only sold the car because he got himself an R allocation for MSRP. He never ran a diff cooler.

 

[TiE2000]

Just got back from an Infinity dealer that had a used 350 tech pack. Took a quick test drive to see if it was worth it.

A few impressions having never driven one.

Steering wheel is leaps and bounds better than my GT.
Stalled it on my 1st go. WOW is that clutch engagement high up there. Took a few mins to get it down. Felt really good after I got the feel for it. Shifts are precise and smooth.
That exhaust sound, intoxicating... wow.
Seats and everything else was as I expected, coming from my premium.

Dealer was asking 47k, gave me an ok offer on my 15. His car is white with blue stripes. I'm not a big white car fan. Offered him 45 for the car, and he wouldn't budge. Not super hurt. If the car had been Red, blue, or dark Grey I would have paid the extra 2k. we traded information and let him know if he's willing to budge on price we can make a deal.

 

[ghig302]

It gets hot in Texas, just saying.....for me, a few grand is worth peace of mind.

 

[TDC]

Tech pack here. Bought my car early on before trans temps were a known issue.

$1k self installed trans cooler and 10 track days later no cooling issues . Since I do track it I change my rear diff fluid after each track weekend. Since your not tracking the diff isn't an issue.

For the street you can monitor the trans temp (see the Forscan thread) and determine if your trans temp ever gets hot enough to warrant the cooler. If it does figure $1k for parts plus 600-800 (6-8 hours @ $100/hr) for labor.

 

[Kurac]

I may be the minority here, put no car payments is hugely satisfying to me. I would keep the GT and pay it off.

 

[TiE2000]

I may be the minority here, put no car payments is hugely satisfying to me. I would keep the GT and pay it off.

Your not alone, my wife is 100% on board with you.
:lol:

 

[Side_Pce]

I wasn't willing to take a loss on my tech pack trading it for a 17+, so I'm keeping it. Eventually buying the transmission and rear diff cooler FP offers. Right now I'm running a custom trans cooler. Love the car, pissed I have to deal with heat issues on a track day. Gotta pay to play I guess.

 

[Wilson44]

I may be the minority here, put no car payments is hugely satisfying to me. I would keep the GT and pay it off.

LOL pretty much this.

But if you're dead set on getting one, as a fellow Houstonian if I had to choose I'd do Track Pack and add "Tech". To me, swapping a radio sounds a hell of a lot less involved than adding the coolers, spoiler, etc. Have you sat in the Recaros yet? I'm a bigger (aka fat) guy and they're still pretty damn comfortable to me. If you're dead set on the sofa seats, then the decision is already made, get the Tech pack. Or travel and get a used 2017 Convenience pack that will have the best of both worlds.

I went from a 16 GT (non PP) to a 17 GT350 Electronics pack and couldn't be happier. I currently daily mine as I'm having too much fun in the Shelby everyday to pick up a DD.

 

[texrock]

Wow, that's sounds like a fun commute!!

Not only would I not get a GT350, I'd park my GT and ride a bike to work.

Hooray for you!

LOL pretty much this.

But if you're dead set on getting one, as a fellow Houstonian if I had to choose I'd do Track Pack and add "Tech". To me, swapping a radio sounds a hell of a lot less involved than adding the coolers, spoiler, etc. Have you sat in the Recaros yet? I'm a bigger (aka fat) guy and they're still pretty damn comfortable to me. If you're dead set on the sofa seats, then the decision is already made, get the Tech pack. Or travel and get a used 2017 Convenience pack that will have the best of both worlds.

I went from a 16 GT (non PP) to a 17 GT350 Electronics pack and couldn't be happier. I currently daily mine as I'm having too much fun in the Shelby everyday to pick up a DD.

^^ This. A 2017 Convenience pkg. is probably your best bet. But that being said, a radio swap on a 2016 track pack is MUCH easier than oil coolers.

 

[icormba]

Wow, that's sounds like a fun commute!!

Not only would I not get a GT350, I'd park my GT and ride a bike to work.

Hooray for you!

I don't know... I just might rather have a Ford GT over a GT350 too! :doh:;)

 

[jvandy50]

Unless you just want to tinker, which some enjoy, i’d just look at 17s...only issue is it is kinda tough to find the comfy seats. But then you hop into something you don’t have to do anything to...and prices aren’t that mich higher

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