Your next Car

[AR2]

Originally Posted by XDCX

That's a nice list of cars - we have similar tastes. .

Thanks. It's always good to know somebody that has similar tastes. The bad part is that I can't have all of them on the list. Just this past week, I was behind a first generation Shelby GT500 Super Snake at the McDonald's drive-thru. It was a thing of beauty and sounded awesome. It totally outclassed my Neon. It was at that moment that I wish I had a 2013 Shelby GT500. But, that would mean no chance at a C7 Corvette or BMW, so decisions have to be made, unfortunately.

Originally Posted by XDCX

I really like Ford's 5.0 liter "Coyote" engine in the Mustang. Even though there are engines that produce more power, the high-winding 5.0 liter seems to have more "street-able" power. It reminds me of the days when a well-tuned 340 Mopar would outrun a similar car equipped with a 383 Big Block.

I have never driven a 5.0 Mustang GT, but it sounds like a fantastic engine. I understand Ford can pull more power from that engine if it is needed. I have no doubt that it is a far better engine than the 4.6 DOHC V-8 in my Mach 1, and that engine isn't a slouch either. I guess I could trade the Mach 1 in for a GT 5.0, but I still would like to get something more special (i.e. the Shelby). Maybe when the new Mustang comes out, I'll do something then, I don't know.

[XDCX]

Originally Posted by AR2

I have never driven a 5.0 Mustang GT, but it sounds like a fantastic engine. I understand Ford can pull more power from that engine if it is needed. I have no doubt that it is a far better engine than the 4.6 DOHC V-8 in my Mach 1, and that engine isn't a slouch either. I guess I could trade the Mach 1 in for a GT 5.0, but I still would like to get something more special (i.e. the Shelby). Maybe when the new Mustang comes out, I'll do something then, I don't know.

It will be interesting to see what the next Mustang looks like. I've read that Ford's going to move away from the retro look so I guess anything is possible.

Concerning the current 5.0 Mustang, I think it's a great vehicle and it seems to be a pretty decent value.

[lsx only]

the 5.0 is a strong motor but i still love my old ls1 camaro with 425 rwhp

[DealerEx]

Originally Posted by XDCX

That's a nice list of cars - we have similar tastes.

I really like Ford's 5.0 liter "Coyote" engine in the Mustang. Even though there are engines that produce more power, the high-winding 5.0 liter seems to have more "street-able" power. It reminds me of the days when a well-tuned 340 Mopar would outrun a similar car equipped with a 383 Big Block.

A 68-71 Dart GT with a 340 would outrun just about anything out there in the quarter mile. We all had hot cars when I was in high school 70-74...I had a 70 Challenger R/T 383, there were lots of Chevelle Super Sports (396/375 HP), Mach One Mustangs, GTO's, Torino GT's, Camaro SS, Roadrunners, GTX, Chargers, etc. A good friend had 2 69 Dart GT's. both with 340's...one was a loaded out model, with buckets, console, Red w/ white vinyl top and guts, a/c, p/s and p/b...beautiful car...the other was a stripped model, olive drab green, bench seat, 4 speed, no power steering or brakes, no air...that car was never beat in the quarter by ANYTHING...440's, 429's, a 71 Chevelle with the LS4 454...nothing...it just wound up soooo fast...the only car that ever came close to it was a 69 Z28 with the high compression 302 that a guy from the next county came over to run against it.

[XDCX]

Originally Posted by DealerEx

A 68-71 Dart GT with a 340 would outrun just about anything out there in the quarter mile. We all had hot cars when I was in high school 70-74...I had a 70 Challenger R/T 383, there were lots of Chevelle Super Sports (396/375 HP), Mach One Mustangs, GTO's, Torino GT's, Camaro SS, Roadrunners, GTX, Chargers, etc. A good friend had 2 69 Dart GT's. both with 340's...one was a loaded out model, with buckets, console, Red w/ white vinyl top and guts, a/c, p/s and p/b...beautiful car...the other was a stripped model, olive drab green, bench seat, 4 speed, no power steering or brakes, no air...that car was never beat in the quarter by ANYTHING...440's, 429's, a 71 Chevelle with the LS4 454...nothing...it just wound up soooo fast...the only car that ever came close to it was a 69 Z28 with the high compression 302 that a guy from the next county came over to run against it.

That's a great story and one of the reasons why the 340 Mopar is one of my favorite engines. (I'd love to own an 1970 AAR Cuda with the 340 Six-Pac.)

[DealerEx]

I found an all original 73 'Cuda 340 about 15 years ago. That was after they dropped the compression down and had the smog pump added, but it was what I wanted for a "driver" rather than a hot rod...and it still ran fast enough, and I didn't have to mix aviation fuel to drive it. It was "Torred" with white vinyl roof, white interior, white "cuda"" stripes, factory air, slapstick automatic, the thru the rear valance panel exhausts with that deep "bluurb blurb blurb" tone that mopars were known for. It had 73,000 miles on it, was ordered new by a Major stationed at the Pentagon, in fall of 1972. Had the original Monroney sticker, the build sheet was under the rear seat, and he'd kept the receipts for every LOF, tire rotation, every service that had ever been done...had the receipts or RO's in 3 or 4 big envelopes with dates like 4/14/74 thru 6/30/78 then a column written on the outside in chronological order listing all the receipts inside by date and mileage, so you could track the mileage from the day he took delivery until his wife sold it to a guy in Dallas that I bought it from. I planned to keep it forever...maybe let my boy drive it in a few years when he got his license...knowing I'd be unlikely to ever find another one like that. Had it a couple of years and a guy just passing thru town saw it parked under the canopy , stopped and wanted to know how much $$...told him I wasn't going to sell it...he stopped by several more times over the next few months and finally got me to name a figure I'd take "if I was going to sell it"...I put a price that was more than double what i had in it and he wrote me a check...for $22,000...a few years later the market took off and it would have brought 3 times that being an original survivor with documented history and miles. I just wish I'd kept about half a dozen of the really nice cars I've intended to keep over the years...lol

[AR2]

I was thinking of this thread a few days ago when I spotted a super nice 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT 500 pull up behind me Saturday. I could tell it was a 2013 because it had the new parking lights and no grille. This was the first time I had ever seen thee muscle car with 662 hp in the flesh. It was an amazing experience and made me wish I had a second job. I would have gone down to the local Ford dealer and acquired about one.

The driver was an older gentleman and he didn't do much at first. There was too much traffic. He eventually passed me and I rolled down my windows to hear the great exhaust sound. He then lined up at the light with a C6 Corvette, but since there was too much traffic, he only showed a small glimpse of what the car could do and what it sounded like. It had to be one of the best sounding cars I've ever heard. The Corvette didn't sound bad either.

[XDCX]

Originally Posted by DealerEx

I planned to keep it forever...maybe let my boy drive it in a few years when he got his license...knowing I'd be unlikely to ever find another one like that. Had it a couple of years and a guy just passing thru town saw it parked under the canopy , stopped and wanted to know how much $$...told him I wasn't going to sell it...he stopped by several more times over the next few months and finally got me to name a figure I'd take "if I was going to sell it"...I put a price that was more than double what i had in it and he wrote me a check...for $22,000...a few years later the market took off and it would have brought 3 times that being an original survivor with documented history and miles. I just wish I'd kept about half a dozen of the really nice cars I've intended to keep over the years...lol

Your '73 Cuda sounds like an awesome car - I wonder where it is today?

I remember when the Mopar Muscle Cars were spiking in value and people were paying crazy money for E-Bodies, Superbirds and almost anything with a 426 Hemi. While the price of all collector cars took a hit during the recession, it seems like a lot of the high-dollar Mopars got hit the hardest.

I watch both Barrett-Jackson and Mecum on a regular basis and I'm amazed at how low some of the prices are for Mopar Muscle Cars. While I don't think you could buy your car back for $22K, I bet you could own it for less than $35K.

[XDCX]

Originally Posted by AR2

I was thinking of this thread a few days ago when I spotted a super nice 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT 500 pull up behind me Saturday. I could tell it was a 2013 because it had the new parking lights and no grille. This was the first time I had ever seen thee muscle car with 662 hp in the flesh. It was an amazing experience and made me wish I had a second job. I would have gone down to the local Ford dealer and acquired about one.

While I hope I'm wrong, I fear that in five to ten years we'll all look back to this time period as being the "good old days" when it comes to performance vehicles. It's amazing to think that you can go to a Ford showroom and buy a Mustang with 662 Horsepower.

Originally Posted by AR2

The driver was an older gentleman and he didn't do much at first. There was too much traffic. He eventually passed me and I rolled down my windows to hear the great exhaust sound. He then lined up at the light with a C6 Corvette, but since there was too much traffic, he only showed a small glimpse of what the car could do and what it sounded like. It had to be one of the best sounding cars I've ever heard. The Corvette didn't sound bad either.

There's nothing like the sound of a V8 muscle car.

In fact, I smiled when I was at a car show a couple of weeks ago and I was looking at a newer Mustang that had plastic tubing that was designed to deliver more engine noise to the cabin of the vehicle. I had heard that Ford developed a system to make the engine sound more impressive but it was the first time I actually saw it on a production vehicle.

On a related note, I also heard that some OEM (I can't remember which one) was thinking about using an audio recording to accomplish the same thing that Ford was doing with the plastic tubing. Fake engine noise just seems wrong...

[tnpartsguy]

After much hewing, hawing, and dickering around, I bought a new 2012 GMC Terrain. It was a leftover SLT-2 that we got late in the '12 model run that for some reason just didn't sell. It's well equipped, and I paid a LOT less than the $33k sticker. Got decent value on my trade too.

[XDCX]

Originally Posted by tnpartsguy

After much hewing, hawing, and dickering around, I bought a new 2012 GMC Terrain. It was a leftover SLT-2 that we got late in the '12 model run that for some reason just didn't sell. It's well equipped, and I paid a LOT less than the $33k sticker. Got decent value on my trade too.

Congratulations on the new truck.

It's weird sometimes how a new vehicle will remain in inventory for an extended period of time. Often there's nothing wrong with the vehicle, it's just not a good fit with what people are looking for.

I'm glad the store gave you a good deal on the truck. Given the modest change GM made to their next generation of pickups I think getting a great deal on the older model was a smart decision.

[chryslersrt8]

My wife leased a 2011 Honda CR-V awd In 2010. Her lease is up this December. I have a better chance of winning the lottery than talking my wife into anything other than a new CR-V. She loves her vehicle and 2 1/2 years into lease 2 recalls, 5 oil changes, 2 tire rotations...that is it for service. She always leased a convertible when we were a Chrysler store, but she has become a CR-V convert.

My choice would have been the GMC Terrain, but she said it looked too macho, and she hated the front end of the Chevrolet Equinox.

So Honda it was and Honda it will be. After 36 years of marriage, I know which battles I could win (few) and which I could lose (most)!

[XDCX]

Originally Posted by chryslersrt8

So Honda it was and Honda it will be. After 36 years of marriage, I know which battles I could win (few) and which I could lose (most)!

Sounds like the words of a wise man....

As I've mentioned in other threads, I think Honda has lost a lot of their charm over the past 10 years. I still think they build great vehicles but their styling leaves most of their cars lost among the crowd.

That said, if your wife just had a great lease experience with one CR-V I can see why she'd want another one.

My other thought turns to brand loyalty - I really think the concept of brand loyalty is mostly a relic among today's car buyers. Ironically, I see almost rabid levels of brand loyalty in the smartphone sector - e.g. Apple vs Android or Samsung vs HTC.

Times change - maybe people are more likely to associate part of their identity with the brand of smartphone they own rather than the brand of car they drive.

[chryslersrt8]

I know the service manage at the store we got our Honda at. He laughs under his breath at the people who buy Odyssey minivans. No comparison to Town & Country. The people put up with Honda's quirks because of resale. They require more maintenance and issues that would have Chrysler owners screaming are not given second thoughts by Honda owners. I know a store that installs all types of handicap controls on vans. They stock Honda and Toyotas but will special order Chrysler vans. When asked why, the rep said they get more
for Honda and Toyota. His installers actually prefer to use Chrysler/Dodge vans as easier access for installs. So they sell the vans for list and get more for installs of their equipment compared to Chrysler.

PT Barnum was right...there is a sucker born every minute!,

[rlnstns]

So, yesterday on my off day, I spent 6 hours in a Mini Store looking at Countryman's for my wife, who joined me about 4 hours in. Poor sales lady was supposed to be off at 3:30 and we kept her there until 8:30. Put a deposit down and when we get home, my wife says she doesn't think she wants it. I am so glad I never had to sell her a car.