Newbie looking at 45K miles 05 gt-
 

New here, and new to Mustangs- just test drove one- very nice!
Where do I post questions about an 05 gt that I may buy??
Thanks

I am not sure which section this goes in, so for now:


I am coming from an sti.
I like it, but maintenance is high, and not sure about turbo longevity.
Is the gt a more cost effective alternative for DD "spirited" driving?

Also, would this be 2 valve or 3; and does this matter?
I know zip about the Stang, so all comments will be helpful.

As a rule, i am thinking the V8 will last longer than the turbo 4.
You guessed it, I am concerned about the economy; I still want a little fun, but am also hoping to exceed 100K miles. My main thrust, is acceleration eg in 10 to 20 mph bursts in traffic- eg 40- 60. 70 to 90.

Are the stock brakes sufficient to haul her down?
Btw, I get between 16- 21 mpg. I assume Mustang is not too much worse.

What should I look for, as far as typical issues with this car?
Would lowering the final drive be recommended for DD; I am used to the added acceleration the 6 speed affords.

It is selling around 16K in Calif, decent price, right?

I appreciate any and all advice, for a guy who wants less expensive to maintain, sub 6sec 0-60 , and a drive train ( including cooling, heads ) that if not abused will hopefully go at least a little beyond 100K.
I could care less about interior, just a fast, solid reliable Amer car.

I just don't trust a great boxer 4 with turbo for the long haul.

Opinions, experiences, much appreciated.
Thank you kindly.

I came from WRXs (special ordered an '02 and traded it in on an '06 when the 2.5 came out in them) and know exactly what you're asking.

IMHO, they're both great vehicles for spirited driving. I do think that the maintenance costs will be lower for the Mustang 4.6 in the long run if for nothing other than the fact that the 2.5 liter boxer has a timing belt.

The '05+ GTs have 3 valve heads, and yes it make a huge difference. To the tune of around 35 HP at the crank. Also, stick a CAI and a reputable off the shelf tune on it and you'll gain close to another 30 which puts it at 330 HP at the crank and makes it competitive with a stock STi from a roll. From a dig the stock STi has a slight edge due to a little less weight and better traction.

The fuel economy is very similar in my GT as it was in my '06 Stage 2 WRX. I get around 19-20 MPG. My WRX I'd get around 20-21 MPG. If I'm on the GT a lot it can drop to 18 MPG, but my WRX would be affected around the same.

I thnk the brakes on the GT are adaquate and up to the task.

A lot of people lower the drive ratio, but IMHO a 3.55 that comes stock in the 5-speeds is low enough. I'm not worried about gaining .1 in the 1/4 mile, so the higher RPMs on the highway would not be a good trade off for me.

I'm guessing 16k for that GT would be a decent price in California.

Bearing in mind my incongruous agenda- fast car- longevity- mindful of economy - lol
Are there known issues with this car; I noted something about plugs being a bear to deal with, as a for instance.

I am not concerned about 1/4 mi, just quick acceleration in traffic- something the sti SIX speed does very well. I figured, lowering it to 3.90 would approx the quick "reflexes" of a 6 speed.
Is it feasible to change individual gears - with the idea of a wider extreme between 4th and 5th, where 5th is humming at sub 2000 rpm @ 75, but 1st through 4th are lower, either via the individual gears or swapping out the final drive- sort of a best of both worlds scenario?
If I gain more tq via gearing, are there issues that cal for reinforcing rear end or suspension?
I am forever trying to have my cake and eat it lol

Thanks

welcome to the forums! hope you get the mustang.....16 is fair for the gt. ull have a blast driving in in traffic and well everywhere else

I picked up my '05 GT with 40k a couple months ago for $15500 in GA not sure how prices vary in Cali but I feel like I got a good deal. I love this car and kept it stock for awhile but the rims/tires were the first thing to go...I ordered $1200 in parts yesterday, with a JLT intake/ tuner from BAMAchips and misc stuff from American Muscle like lowering springs and interior upgrades! I love my wife too!

Thanks
 

Be back later

There are issues with the 05 you need to check for, ex Cam phasers knocking, water leak. My 05 ended up having the both. As it compairs to an sti, I have no idea. This is the 1st sports car I've owned since my 88 300zx NA. It's mucho more fun than that car was. The 300zx had 165 fwhp so it's really not a fair compairision. I did like the irs on the 300 though. Price sounds fair, I bought mine for 15.5K about 8 months ago with 61K on it. Of course this was right before the bottom fell out of car prices. Happy hunting

Zippiness: 5sp vs 6sp= 3.90 final drive solution? I hope.
 

I am close to buying an 05 gt
1. Bang for buck mods? They are likely listed somewhere- anyone know a list of easier mods that are logically ordered and the cost?

2. I was thinking change final dr to 3.90
Sti leaps from all manner of speeds eg 25- 45; 50- 70; 35- 50; etc
1/4 mile is better with 5sp than a 6sp, not my concern, drag strip.

I always start slowly off the line, THEN I hit it after I am moving.

In DD mode ( all I drive is DD ) , i need to have 'zippy' accelerations from a wide variety of speeds; not a 1/4 mile. So i assume 3.9 will get me there.

3. This car has 45K on it. How much is an engine rebuild? I assume it is significantly less money than for an STI?

I am assuming a naturally aspirated v8 is a wiser choice than an half the size, "asked" to do equal amount of work!

Thanks

best bang for buck is cai and tune get the stang man you will love it

you will love this car. I just picked mine up about 6 months ago. 2006 gt with 25K on it for $15,000. if you look hard enough you can find some good deals on these.