dkersten

I don't think anyone is taking this personally, just throwing out the way we look at things.

I guess the simplest way I can explain is this: when you have a lot of money in something that will be devauled by using it, you have to be prepared to take the hit. Last summer, I had no fear when it came to dumping money into my car, but the more I put into it, the less prepared I was to deal with the cost of driving it. A simple door ding would cost me $500 for my deductible, and I would insist that the whole side of the car be painted so there is no problem with blending. Getting my insurance company to do that for a simple door ding would be difficult at best, so chances are I would either have to live with it or spend my own money to fix it, something that would cost thousands to fix properly.

Now that the down economy has hit me harder, I don't have the money sitting around to do that, and that adds to the fear that something will happen - if it gets damaged, I can't afford to fix it, and the car just becomes like every other car in a parking lot - average. I took a rock to the windshield a few weeks ago. The crack is bad enough that even repairing will still be a big flaw in the glass. I am going to go ahead and spend the $350 for new glass instead of the $30 repair. I feel that a repaired crack with a blemish doesn't do the rest of the car justice. If I could afford to repaint the hood I would do that as well, because it is one of the few things on the car that is not perfect.

The problem is when the car becomes too nice for your budget (or your comfort level). I would love to own a Lamborghini, but quite frankly, I would seldom drive it anywhere and it would sit in the garage most of the time. This Mustang isn't a Lamborghini, but it represents a large percentage of my net assets, and the more aware of that I am, the less inclined I am to drive it and park it in a parking lot - or let it get rained on.

The point I think you are missing, however, is that in both my and mudflaps cases, we got rid of the cars for that reason. When we found we couldn't afford to keep them perfect, it was time for them to go. (at least that is how it is for me).

Analyzer52

This is what lead me to believe you took it personal.

dkersten I don't have a problem with your response and don't think you took it personal. We just don't see this the same way and that's fine.

I don't think by driving a car it just becomes average but I see what you are seeing about if something does happen and not having the cash to fix it right.

Just by reading all of this it seems it really seems like your budget will allow you to have a really nice mustang just not a show mustang.

I'm not one to put a price on someone else stuff but just an FYI I paid $22k for my mustang 2 years ago bone stock with 8k miles on it in excellent condition. You are going to have to find a buyer that your mods mean something to, to get them to pay a little more for it or you might continue having trouble selling it. I know you said you were taking most off but leaving the visual stuff.

Mudflap

Yeah thats cool man, I respect your opinion btw, so no disrespect there.

I guess I'll post this here, because its sort of on topic. So I took the F-150 in for routine service today, and as usual was wandering the lot. I went over to admire the '11 5.0s, sat in a few, etc. I really like what they've done with those, but as I said in another thread after driving one I just wasn't feeling like I wanted the thing. And I still don't frankly, not for the money. Anyhow, I wandered over to a silver GT with an automatic that turned out to be 1 of 2 remaining 2010's. It was pretty much the same car as the 07 I always say I miss, just a plain 'ol GT with an auto. A sales guy wandered over and said they were selling these last 2 cheap. I just sort of shrugged and finally said "well, how cheap?" He wandered off inside and came back with $23,750. The sticker price is just a hair under 30, so this is a pretty damn good deal. I told him to get the keys and we went for a really long test drive. I actually really liked that thing. It was like my old '07, but just smoother and tighter with a nicer interior, and even with the slushbox and crappy 3.31s, it was noticeably faster than the 07 was in stock form. I'm not really sure what the engine changes were, but they did something. A cheap CAI/tune package and a set of gears and that SOB would be pretty damned decent in terms of speed. Anyhow, I'm thinking about it still. I told him I'd show up 1st thing in the morning ready to rock n' roll if I decided I wanted it, so I'll sleep on that tonight and see if I still think I'd like that thing in the morning. Right now I'm still a little surprised I liked it at all... but, I really did. I know its not a 5.0, and I have no explanation why I liked it better than the '11. That one just felt like "me" I guess, as corny as it sounds.

j0nx

I would be all over a '10 GT vert right now with these markdowns if it weren't for the crappy gas mileage compared to the '11. Can't justify an '11 gt right now though with those prices. $30k is my utmost limit for a mustang and imo even that is too much for one of these cars. Probably this time next year I'll be taking the plunge on an '11 V6 vert in kona blue when those markdowns start to hit that model year. I paid $29k out the door for my '10 vert and only a price in that ballpark will get me to think seriously about an '11. I am also going to start looking on the used market throughout the winter for an '11 vert so I don't have to be the one to take the hit on that new car depreciation. I have never been all that attached to mine anyway due to the steering wheel shake that Ford refuses to fix...