How many GTs are Owned by Seniors?

[frank s]

My '66 Lotus Élan had flip-up headlights whose upness was maintained by manifold vacuum stored in a vacuum tank. Until the system sprung a tiny leak. We learned to plan no extensive uphill driving after dusk. Others have reported the headlights popped up all unbidden, after the engine was stopped. How to create a memorable—if not entirely pleasing—motoring experience.

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[boB]

My '66 Lotus Élan had flip-up headlights whose upness was maintained by manifold vacuum stored in a vacuum tank. Until the system sprung a tiny leak. We learned to plan no extensive uphill driving after dusk. Others have reported the headlights popped up all unbidden, after the engine was stopped. How to create a memorable—if not entirely pleasing—motoring experience.

My '61 Rambler American had vacuum wipers, don't use full throttle in the rain (full throttle on a pre-war flathead 6 didn't do much anyway).

 

[Kleiss1]

My 1960 Falcon had vacuum wipers. Wouldn’t work if you were going up a hill.

 

[Deleted member 35786]

Mine is going up for sale this year most likely. My old butt/hips just cant deal with the premium seats anymore.

 

[Rocky GT]

60 here enjoying my third Mustang a 76. 02 and now 17. Have the mod bug, order in for Steeda parts to finish up suspension. Push button start is not new the button was just in the floorboard along with the dimmer.

 

[pyrophilus]

Only 53, but I have bad knees, so I'm thinking this might be my last vehicle of this kind, and I better get it while I still can get in and out of it. My folks earlier this year traded in their Fusion for an SUV because getting in and out of it was getting too hard for them.

I had been thinking maybe this car had moved up in the average age demographic. With the better refinement, all the luxury doodads, and the resulting semi-stratospheric price tag. In a way it's kinda too bad that the days of the Mustang being a bargain muscle car are gone. My 2001 was crude, but it had a V-8 and a stick, and was affordable. That was also a nice formula, don't spend a lot on engineering, or tech, or sound deadening, sell 'em cheap and make it up in volume!

Have you looked into knee injections? I am 48, had open knee surgery (acl tear) freshman year in HS. Because it was not arthroscopic, by the time I was 25, I had start of arthritis.

When I was 40, my orthopedic surgeon recommended that i get Hyaluronic acid injection. It made my kneww feel 100% for a few months at a time. He then said my responding to the HA injection meant I was candidate for an injection that regrows cartilage. I had it five years ago, and ever since I feel like i have a brand new set of knees.

I told this to a few people, and a guy told me 20 years ago, he was tackled in HS football, bent both his wrists back almost 180degrees, lived with severe wrist immobility for next 10 years. Then in 2010, a doctor gave him the same thing that I had gotten. He is currently a body builder and a power lifter.

I ask you this because there was no way I could drive a manual now if it hadn't for my getting a new set of cartilage in both of my knees. The injection response vary by people, but it couldn't hurt to try? Plus, if they told me, get injection in your knees and be allowed to drive my 6MT mustang over driving anything else, I'd get my injection over again in a heartbeat.

But I think 53 is too young to have your life changed by bad joints, especially with modern scientific breakthroughs.

 

[pyrophilus]

68 years old here. Mine is a manual 6-speed, PP1. I added wheels, 285 tires all around (doesn't tram on the road) for a square fit, oil separator, white shift ball, and hood cylinders. Have a few more in the works including Steeda vertical links and white Daytona stripes. I really don't care if anyone likes it or not, I do.

Here's mine:

Love the wheels!

 

[1 old racer]

Love the wheels!

me too

 

[Norm Peterson]

Have you looked into knee injections? I am 48, had open knee surgery (acl tear) freshman year in HS. Because it was not arthroscopic, by the time I was 25, I had start of arthritis.

Learning something new makes it a good day. I'd never heard of knee injections before, and you'd figure I'd be a candidate for at least being aware of such a thing being 33 years or so post open surgery on both knees (separate incidents).

I'm not sure it's even possible to repair all ligament tears arthroscopically. If it tears completely and needs to be re-attached with a staple, I suspect not.

I'm sorry to hear that your open-knee procedure didn't go as well as mine have.


Norm

 

[Norm Peterson]

I had been thinking maybe this car had moved up in the average age demographic. With the better refinement, all the luxury doodads, and the resulting semi-stratospheric price tag. In a way it's kinda too bad that the days of the Mustang being a bargain muscle car are gone. My 2001 was crude, but it had a V-8 and a stick, and was affordable. That was also a nice formula, don't spend a lot on engineering, or tech, or sound deadening, sell 'em cheap and make it up in volume!

The Mustang has been gradually moving up-market over the last 20 years or so, especially over the past 5 . . . dragging its prices and typically age demographic up with it.

That was a good formula and a perfectly acceptable one until people started developing this attitude of "gotta have it all" instead of simply appreciating a car that was focused on performance and driving.


Norm

 

[GeorgeC]

As a senior citizen I'm curious-how many other old guys are buying Mustang GTs? When I traded in my E350 (for my 19 GT) the look on the salesman's face was priceless.
I'm wondering how much of an anomaly I might be and if not, how many other "older enthusiasts" are enjoying their GTs?
I get questions constantly at the car wash (typically from Audi and Beemer owners) "Sir is that your car? How do you like it?" Translation - why the hell is an oldtimer like you driving that?
It's simple - you're never too old to enjoy a well balanced platform that brings a smile to your face each time you press that button. The active exhaust simply enhances the experience.
W

I'm 71 and I love driving my 19 GT. I've put a bunch of steeda suspension parts on it along with better wheels and tires and exhaust and it's really the bright spot in my life. I also remember my father always liked to drive fast up until he was about 84 and then he quit driving at 85. I did feel a little old yesterday when a 18 year old pulled up in the same car and it turns out I'm a year older than his grandfather.

 

[Heritagedave]

I'm 60 years old and I bought my self a third Mustang GT - 10A. [10 speed Auto]
I LOVE MUSTANGS!!!
I thought about getting a Camaro this time around but I could not do it, my Soul and Hart is with the Mustang.
I cannot forget about riding in my great-aunt 1965 Mustang as a kid, memories for ever.
My last Mustang GT was a 2017 6 speed with the track pack which was a lot of fun.
But this time I test drove a 2020 GT 10 speed auto and I could not believe how good it was!!!
So I ended up buying this beauty below [Mustang GT-A] with the Blackout package and 355 gears.
My wife thinks I'm silly but when she rides in the car with me I can see that she is smiling.

Heritagedave -

 

[GeorgeC]

I'm 58. Most of the golf courses won't give me a senior rate until I'm 60, so I'm not quite there yet. I don't own a GT yet, but I probably will get one after retirement when the long commute goes away. In the meantime I'm stuck with a more benign daily driver.

That 3.7 is a great v6. It's a smaller version of the 5.0. Supercharge it and you will get at least 450 hp.

 

[Avdb]

67. Went for the Ecoboost as I like a quiet car and listening to music

I also have a Lotus Elise for fun.

 

[KeyLime]

Speaking of seniors with GT's. How many of you prefer to think in cubic inches? I still make the mental conversion from liters to C.I. Yeah, I know the Gen 3 Coyote a 5.0, but if I think of it as a 307 I can appreciate how that stacks up against, lets say, a '70 Road Runner with a 340 or a '68 Camaro with a 396.

The only thing that works for me in S.I units is my weight...so much better in kilos.

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