Tim's Mustang

2005 Mustang GT in Torch Red

Background

I had always admired the older Mustangs, the '64 - '68 years especially. When Ford came out with the new 2005 Mustang, I really liked what they had done with it. They completely re-worked the chassis, and really went retro with the body. You can see the big open grille, the four headlights, "fastback", the "C" scoop behind the door, and a number of other stylistic similarities to the '60s Mustangs. The GT has a 4.6L 3 valve modular engine, generating 300 horsepower.

The first problem was deciding to buy one! My truck was getting old, and it was about time for a new vehicle. I had been looking at sensible cars, like the Saturn ION, which ran about half the price. Both Kristen and my dad helped me make up my mind. Kristen told me "Your college loans are paid off, we don't have kids, and you don't have any debts. This is the only time you'll be able to do something like this, so go for it!". She regrets those words to this day! My dad was a little more succinct, saying "Everybody does stupid stuff. You might as well get it over with!"

To make a long story short... In February 2005, I went to a Ford dealership in New Jersey and eventually managed to take a test drive. The car had no gas whatsoever in it, since it had just rolled off the truck, so I could only take it for a few laps around the parking lot. Immediately I knew I had to have one! At that point, these cars were really difficult to get your hands on, and the dealer was quoting me $3000 over MSRP, with a 8 week wait. I called around NJ, and the best deal I could find was MSRP, but no lower. Fortunately, I thought to look at the inventory at Kightlinger Motors in Coudersport, and they had one on the lot. It was almost exactly what I was looking for, and I ended up getting it for $400 under MSRP. And I could pick it up in less than a week!

In mid-March 2005, I came back to Coudersport to get the car. Now, of course, the first thing I did after I took possession of the car, even before opening the door, was to apply the Apple logo sticker to the back window. What can I say, some of us have different priorities! The drive back to New Jersey was absolutely awesome. It was a beautiful early spring day, and all I could think about when I was driving down Route 15, just south of Mansfield PA, the road was winding along the side of the mountain, and I felt just like Steve McQueen in the chase scene in Bullit! I still want to see if I can chase down a Dodge Charger in this car.

The car definitely gets looks, although most memorable was the incident where we were driving down Route 287 in Northern New Jersey. I saw a state trooper in the rear view, and I slowed from 72mph down to 68mph. They wouldn't pull you over for that, right? The cop zooms up behind me, and just about when I start to think I'm in hot water, pulls up on my side of the car, and says "Nice car!" through the loudspeaker. I gave him a grin and a thumbs-up, and he dropped back and took the next exit.

First "Scratch"

Fortunately, the Mustang's first scratch was easily repairable, if not cheap! I was pulling into my sister-in-law's garage to store the car overnight, and I was going a little fast. And it was a narrow garage! I came flying in, and caught the outer inch and a half of the passenger side mirror on the garage door frame. I heard the "CRUNCH!" and knew immediately what had happened. The mirrors on the Mustang have bolts cast into the plastic that go through the door of the car, and are fastened on the inside with a nut. When the mirror hit the door frame, it broke the bolts out of the mirror, and it was dangling by the wires for the power mirror. There was no body damage or scratches, so I wasn't too upset. It scared the crap out of my niece that was riding with me at the time. If anyone's interested, the price of a new mirror for a 2005 Mustang is $225! Not cheap, but, as I said, better than body or paint damage! We drove home from Pittsburgh for three hours without a mirror, and you never realize how much you use the things until you don't have one! I replaced it a few days later, and learned my lesson.

Modifications

I put the car away for the winter, since despite any improvements, they are still not a winter vehicle! This spring, I installed a C&L cold air intake, which (theoretically) should add another 25 horsepower. You can't have a Mustang and not modify it, right? To adjust the car for the intake, I used a Diablosport Predator tuner, which also allowed me to remove the speed limiter. Now the car doesn't stop when it hits the 140mph limit. It stops when the engine blows up! I can't say that I've noticed a huge difference, but I think it sounds a little louder! When I took it out for a test drive after installing the intake, I got on a straight stretch of road and started working through the gears. I was looking back and forth between the road and the tachometer, and not paying much attention to the speedometer. I stopped accelerating at about 5200 RPM in fourth gear, and noticed I had blown by some people bicycling on the other side of the road at a little over 100mph!

Before	After

To assist in this, I purchased a G-Tech, which is an instrument measures RPM's (from the power plug into the cigarette lighter) and the acceleration with accelerometers inside the unit. Based on these values, as well as time and the mass of the car, it can produce fairly accurate torque, horsepower and speed curves.

For awhile, I idly contemplated replacing the funky modern "GT" fender emblem on my Mustang with a replica 1965 "GT" emblem. The modern one just didn't look retro enough for me. I saw a picture on a All Ford Mustangs forum where someone had done this, and it looked really sharp! I finally got inspired and ordered the parts. First, I pulled off the current "GT" emblems using a heat gun and high-test fishing line, and removed the adhesive gunk with Goof-Off. Then, I prepared and installed the 1965 emblems. I've posted the steps I followed for reference.

My Mustang project for spring 2007 (aside from the GT emblems!) was to improve the suspension on the car. I added Tokico D-Spec adjustable shocks/struts, and Steeda Sport springs. The front springs are 50% stiffer than the stock ones. The back ones are comparable to stock, although they're progressive rather than linear. The springs lower the car about 1", and help even up the "high rear end" that's always bugged me. The shocks/struts are adjustable through a complete range of "firm" to "soft".

You can read more, and see pictures on the news article I posted.

Mustang GT versus V6 -- What's the difference?

About two cylinders and 100 horsepower. Alternatively, two fog lights! Seriously, though, after getting a Mustang, I started noticing other Mustangs on the road. The GT has traditionally been the higher end of the two, usually sporting a V8 engine, and some performance and handling enhancements. After awhile, I started to look for a few key features to distinguish between the two. For anyone interested, I've compiled a short (and likely somewhat inaccurate) list of some quick observations to distinguish between a Mustang GT and V6. This mostly applies to the 90's and 2000's models.

• The GT usually has a GT logo on the front quarter panels. The V6 usually has some variety of "pony" logo (above) or no logo at all.
• The GT's have traditionally had fog lights while the V6's have not. In the 2004 and previous model years, the fog lights are tucked away in the bottom of the front fascia. While fog lights do not always make a GT, due to aftermarket parts or the (really cool) "Pony Package" on the 2006 V6, lack of fog lights almost always indicates a V6.
• The GT may have MUSTANG GT embossed on the back bumper in pre-2005 models, while the V6 just has MUSTANG.
• The presence of a decorative tape stripe along the bottom sides of the car usually indicates a V6. As far as I know, this is/was not an option for the GT. However, if this tape stripe says GT500, you're dealing with a different beast!
• Dual exhausts usually indicate a GT.

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