Parnelli Joneser

I've been trying to buy a new work truck for several months and today was supposed to be the day I could pick it up. Yeah right...
The process has been so glacial that I half expected not getting it. The salesman, who's a friend of mine, was being apologetic and I'm thinking I have a little leeway so I say "Let's take that new GT for a spin." He grabbed the key and out to the lot we go... a white '05 Mustang GT, 5 speed automatic, red interior, fully optioned. MSRP on the sticker- $30,011.00 He gives me the key and says "Don't be long, or it'll be my ***."
Hadn't expected a solo drive. I weed through the Friday afterwork traffic out to Looney Lane, an ultrawide, smooth, and utterly unused stretch of straight road perfect for wringing out a car with 67 miles on it. On the way there I felt the car out. Turn in on corners was remarkably nautical. The OEM Pirelli tires, 18" IIRC, seemed agressive enough but quick turns on the wheel produce delayed reactions and it heeled over more than I expected. First three ratios in the tranny come quick and acceleration is brisk indeed, but there was very little fanfare. Exhaust is too muted in my opinion. I have a factory resonator and muffler on my shark yet you still know it's no four cylinder. Wouldn't be able to tell if this car went by.
So, Looney Lane- I get through the corner on to the straight, not as fast as I do in my own car given the odd feeling steering...and at about 60 I firewall the throttle. It probably out accelerates my car, and it felt pretty fast alright. The markings on the speedometer are alternately giant and too small to read around the dial but I was sure the needle just reached 140 mph. Quieter than my car at that rate, but that was about it. The interior is a decent retro look (other than the speedo marks) but overall I was utterly underwhelmed. And my shark is a complete piece of crap. That's a cheritable description. I'll keep it anyway, thanks.

Oh yeah, on the way back to the lot, what do I happen upon? Even less common than the 928, an 850CSi coupe. I give him a thumbs up as I pass and he matches my speed giving the car the same curious look EVERYONE else has. And we get caught at a light. I gave little thought to racing him, oddly, but he took off with a chirp while I rolled into it rather than punch it. He never got more than half a car length ahead of the Mustang and I was passing him before prudence kicked in. A good looking car, but it's still no 928.

perrys4

I agree. I had the Mustang a couple months ago for some photography and was not impressed. I didnt feel fast but the test numbers showed it was. Kind of deceptive. Car just feels cheap and doesnt feel solid like the 928. I really dont like the window in the C- pillar. Prefer the look of the 65 fastback. There was an after market company at sema that had a scoop that fit over the window and looked so much better.

mspiegle

those are the new 300hp GTs, right? Too bad they didn't have a cobra on the lot

Parnelli Joneser

I drove the 300 hp car , correct. This is the first one to have arrived at the local dealer. Larger dealerships have probably had them for a month or so. Have yet to see one on the road. The Cobra model isn't scheduled to hit showrooms until next spring. Plan on seeing plenty of these soon. It has no direct rival on the market, and probably won't for a while.

Nicole

I still can't believe they are making a car with a solid rear axle in the year 2004! But then again, I don't like the looks of the Mustang anyway, so why even bother?

IcemanG17

Nicole
I totally agree....it must be a cost item to save money, but really almost every front wheel drive econo box has independant rear suspension & some of those retail for under $10K new? Why can't Ford do the same?

Nicole

Apparently, the solid axle gives it more of a "hot rod" feel - and maybe that's what some people are looking for in a retro style automobile.

The general problem with all retro style products is that there is nothing to develop them into when their lifecycle ends. At least not, if the retro design is well done. Of course, you can make a bad retro design, and then correct it next time. But it sure does not build anything for the future...

I have to admit, though, that I think the New Beetle is cute - wouldn't buy it, though, because it has some odd details and is neither sporty nor practical.

Chuck Schreiber

Nicole,

You're correct. Ford did their research and found that Mustang buyers just flat out want a solid rear axle. Not only the "Hot Rod" feel, but the solid rear axle performs better on that platform than an IRS (ind. rear suspension) when it comes to drag racing. And Mustang buyers just flat out "flog the livin $%^t" out of their cars. I know. I used to be a 5.0 Mustang Guy all through High School, College and into my 20's. (Before I got my 928 9 years ago)

The Cobra had an IRS a few years ago and it flopped because it Sucked Eggs for Drag Racing.
So much so that some were retroing their cars back to solid rear axle. Go figger.

In comparison to the 928 it is a cheap "Plasti-Car". There will be a lot of people that will buy this car though. Mustangs sell well because they look good, have pretty good performance, (Very good if you're talking 04 Cobra!!!!) it has that "Mustang Heritage" and the aftermarket is friggin Huge!!!!

I'll take my 928 any day of the week though. It may not be as quick, but's it's refined and I can cruise all day at over 100mph with one finger on the wheel in a 25 year old car!

Brett Matthews

after Mom divorced my dad, ( I was 13 ) a year or two later she needed another car. She found a well kept '65 'stang, auto, with a 289. I fondly remember the car, we took a few vacation trips in it, once to Canada, from SoCal.

Mom had that car sitting around, non-running, for a couple decades at least. The company she worked for, started buying her vehicles, and she got into trucks so much, 'cause of her hay-burners, she still doesn't drive a car! She gave the '65 to some kid up her street, just last year.

There happens to have been a nice looking blue '05 'stang, that showed up in a doctor's parking lot, shortly after the news of their availability, across from where I work. Perry, I believe the C-pillar window you mention, is a take-off adaptation from the Shelby GT 500, I think. And now I've seen a "speed yellow" with black stripes version as well. For a "retro" version, I think ford finally did something right.

Would I trade Rosy on one? Not on your life! Ford, from it's inception, right? Has always been about affordability for the masses, right? Has Ford ever had the build quality our sharks have? Not that I have ever seen. Sure, they've built cars with a ton more of HP.

Alex, your "nautical" term is appropriate. Haven't all the American autos had to be altered, to become _anything_ close to a shark's built-in original handling ability?

Sure, there is a huge aftermarket parts and equipment availability. There was just too much area for improvement on those cars, and individual preferences, for the American entrepreneurs to ignore!

Parnelli Joneser

In my '64 Mercury "nautical" is one of the endearing qualities of driving a sleek old car like that. In a 2005 Mustang "nautical" was kind of scary. In my 928 I routinely turn at intersections quickly on late brakes and the nose simply drops a bit then I go around the corner drama-free. If anything I have to be careful not to cut the corner too short and prang my unblemished S4 discs on the curb.
In the Mustang yesterday-
I turned right at a familiar intersection braking from 60 to perhaps 30 mph quickly before the turn. Granted, I probably had slowed more than I do in my car. I got back on the throttle while making the turn and the nose of the car didn't slide or anything, it just yawed to port alarmingly and kind of straighten it's course. I was still turning the wheel though. I had plenty of run out area so I kept with it instead of letting off or braking and while it did make the turn without crossing the yellow line there was nothing confidence inspiring about it at all. The body roll was what freaked me out. My shark has been my sole car for nigh on a year (I have a pick-up as my "good car") so perception of roll must be off kilter a bit. Before that I had a Mulholland kitted Datsun 510. The front sway bar seemed like it was bigger than an elephant's co...pr...uh...trunk, yeah that's it. It a big swaybar for an 1800lb car. Compared to my last few cars, the Mustang felt like it was going to rub the rocker panels on the road. Those would be the sills to the chaps across the pond.

Old & New

Consider what kind of 928 you could pick up for 30K. Then compare the cars!

Steve J.

Growing up in Waco, we were a Ford family and for decades my dad bought all our cars at the Ford dealership and had a relationship with the sales manager and parts manager. I ran into our retired sales mgr. family friend a couple of years ago and he had a chance to look over my S4. He was blown away by the quality of workmanship, fit and finish, styling, interior and paint. He couldn't believe the car was 16 years old. I have a video on how the Mustang is made, from the rolls of steel arriving at the factory to the new cars leaving the assembly line. A new Mustang rolls off the assembly line every 90 seconds. They probably build more Mustangs in a few months than the entire 17 year run of 928's! I see 100 Mustangs and 20 Vettes every day but can go for months without seeing another 928. I bought my '78 Euro from a guy in Houston who had brought it over from Holland and was replacing it with a Mustang.

Chazz

I think Ford was trapped by the success of the Mustang just as Porsche was by the success of the 911. While Mustang fans demanded retention of the live rear axel, 911 fans demanded retention of motors in the wrong end of the car. Progress trumped by nostalgia.

pewter82

4.9 0-60 witha five speed for 25k...It may not be built or refined like a Porsche, but it'll sure hang with a lot of cars with those numbers for alot less $. We all know the 928 was priced way high for its performace early on, 40k in '82 was a crap load of money..but we all know most 82 mustangs are pretty rough now if running at all and those went for 10-11k back then I think.

BC

Nautical. Loved it Alex.