Sorry - but this thread started out about the '10 then just exploded into this long story about how I've enjoyed all the Mustangs I've had the pleasure of owning...

There was a post about how we as enthusiasts tend to complain frequently on the boards about little things that go wrong with our cars. I thought it time for me to make a positive post since I'm usually a pretty negative voice.

I've owned 4 mustangs and am getting ready to own my fifth.

First was a lightly used Autumn Orange 97v6. Loved that car. It had a few minor mechanical problems as it aged but it represented hard work and financial achievements in our lives that we will forever be grateful for. I fell asleep at the wheel for just a second and totalled it by rear ending someone. It's long gone but the memories of it remain.

Second was a used 2006 GT. It was at one of those huge car sale events at the stadium. It was love at first sound. Whoever had the car that first 4000 miles put exhaust deletes on it. I negotiated hard and learned some good lessons that day and ended up with what to date has been my favorite. I put a lot of time and effort into that car but I made a few minor mistakes along the way...like don't put a tin sign anywhere near your car. That makes a 500 repair job. Don't drive when you've got the flu. You might forget to put it in first when you jump out to puke and it will roll into your garage door. I really hope that car ended up in a good home.

Third was the '10 you see in my signature. I like the front end a lot and the car looks like murder. I get thumbs up and hoots and hollers all the time in it. The other day when I was on my way back from the hospital, this really good looking lady is hanging out her window giving me the thumbs up and wanting me to rev/accel while her bf is driving. It was hilarious and at least I was able to satify her I've put a lot of coin in this car and there's thing about it that I really really like...but I look back and think about my 06 and sometimes feel like I made a mistake. It's not the car...with the M90 it totally rocks and it corners way better with all the mods...I think I was really looking for a refresh for my 06 and made the mistake of trading for what I thought was better. I do love the car and everyone else around me does too, but it's not exactly the same as my 06.

Fourth was one we recently bought out of Connecticut and had shipped out here to Colorado. My wife has always wanted another Autumn Orange 97 and we found this one on the net. I called and bought it that morning. The pics looked great. It gets here and my first thought was OMG what the heck did I do. I spent all day cleaning while she was at work and by the time she got home, the outside was polished like a gem. But you can't polish an interior that looks like a badger tore to heck! So I spent the next 2 months gutting and redoing the entire interior and fixing minor mechanical problems with the motor. I was exhausted...but maaaannnn....that car rocks now. We drop the top and cruise around...just loving that car. It's displaced the original 97. I don't think either of us pine for that car anymore

My fifth I hope to have by the end of the week. Getting my dream Mustang. Found that 07 Shelby GT500 that only has 1200 miles on it. I got in it and it felt like home. Very much like my 06. It outdrives my '10 for sure, but it feels unlike any other mustang I've owned or driven. It's just solid and confident. I don't know how to describe it...but it's truly a Mustang on steroids with a bit of culture thrown in. It's the way every Mustang should feel. We're waiting on the closing of the house but the car's on hold until that's done, so it's just a matter of time. As for performance upgrades I'm planning? None. I might replace the head unit for a nav touchscreen and add some eye candy but very very minor stuff. I feel very fortunate to get this GT500 and have a bit of a caretaker mentality with it I'll miss the ambient lighting in my 10 but I'm pretty sure I can live without it! HAHA!

 

grats on the shelby.

can i have your m90 for my 10? haha.

 

*cough* bull@#% *cough*

If you can resist that tune/pulley/intake swap, you are a better man than I, lol. What is that like an extra 140~ rwhp? Yeah. I'd have that on order by now.

I've not had any problems with my 2007, 2009 supercharged, 2010 or this new GT. Granted they have all been weekend drivers so the most mileage any of them saw was 10,000. The car I regret getting rid of the most was the 2010. I should have kept that car. Best of both worlds, proven 4.6 with the newer style. I should have just done a Whipple or Roush kit on that one and had it over with. It would have been cheaper in the long run. Live and learn... the one thing I have yet to learn with my "weekend toys" is to be happy with what I've got. My eyes always wander before too long. I'm hoping to change that finally and just roll with this 2012 for a while. The regret of dumping that 2010 is still pretty fresh, so I don't want to do that again.

 

You really love the stangs! I dont understand why you regret selling your 06 for the 10? I mean your '10 is blown and has all of those mods, I guess the '06 is just nostalgia for you?

Congrats on the GT500. You say no performance mods, but we'll see :P
First thing i'd do would put some drag radials out back or at least get some fat 11 inch rear wheels.. pretty sure stock is 9"?

 

I think the 06 is pure nostalgia hence the preference. I'm really trying hard to resist the temptation to do the swap. At least for now.

 

Would you mind sharing why you should have kept the 2010? I'm going through a dilemma with keeping my 10 and supercharge it or most tell me to get a 12 or 13. Your comment to this thread seems straightforward without a biased opinion. Thanks!

wcgman, great thread!!!

 

These 2011+ cars seem to be more problematic given the new engine/trans etc. The 2010 has a very mature version of the 4.6L. It has all the various tweaks they did for 5 model years. People weren't blowing cylinders with tunes on those cars, and the limitations of that motor are well known and established.

Sure the 5.0 puts down quite a bit more power, but most are afraid to do anything more than minor bolt-on's anyway (if that). Since I am someone who likes to tinker and mod, the 4.6 would have been a much better candidate. I'd have enjoyed that car with something like the Whipple HO kit on there. So to me, the potential of the two cars is about the same for my purposes. I have a 5.0 with minor upgrades that is about as far as I'd be willing to push a 4.6 that would have had some pretty sweet upgrades for a car geek. Not to mention, I'd have saved money in the long run just keeping that car and not swapping.

To each his own, I am not knocking the newer cars. They simply don't have the years of production that the old motor and transmissions had to establish really good baselines on what they will and won't take repeatedly. I like my 5.0, but when I bought it if I had the chance to buy my 2010 back after it had magically sat in a warehouse unmolested (lol), I would have.

The 2010's got knocked early on, with people even being called "dumb" for buying them when the 5.0 was announced... people said it was a bastard generation, etc. I thought that too for a while. Now I look at them as a sweet spot in the S197 line. As someone who has had both, quite frankly, its the same damn car overall with the obvious engine difference. Stock vs stock, the 5.0 doesn't FEEL all that much more powerful than that 4.6 did on the butt dyno, and it sure as hell isn't particularly more fun to drive overall. Its a good car, but so was the 2010.

 

Thank you for your honest opinion. I think you may have sealed the deal for me. A great opinion from someone who has owned both cars.

 

No problem man, just do whatever you feel is right for you. If I could go back in time, I'd have just kept that 2010 and had fun decking it out. I've had my 5.0 for all of 3 weeks and its "done" already -- meaning I won't really be doing anything else to it power-wise. Maybe some gears, but thats it. Nice car though, I'm thankful to have any Mustang in the garage.

I can understand to an extent what wcgman is doing however, a Shelby is a different animal, and to find one that pristine is rare...

 

Best post I have read in a long time. A great summation of how people felt these past few years about our cars.