intro
#1
intro
so yeah...I'm usually very careful with my planning. Especially with a big purchase.
My background is driving AWD turbo charged cars either in SCCA autocross or on the track. I mostly 'race' motorcycles (Kawi zx6 and Ducati 848). I'm not big on drag racing - it's a battle of the checkbook, NASCAR makes me vomit (MotoGP ran in a hurricane and NASCAR cancelled what does that say?). My next car was going to be a Nissan GTR (should have kept the Skyline name)
Anyway, my daughter has turned 16 and is about to get her license. She wants a mustang. I'm not wild about the idea but I do some research and the difference in insurance between her driving a Ford Focus and a Mustang is $20/mo so.....she only gets 1 shot. If she wrecks it then whatever the settlement is will be all she has to buy the next car.
Anyway - I found a 2013 V6 Mustang Premium (or whatever the model is) at just a little more than I had budgeted. What the heck - I called the dealership to make sure they had it. They did so we head over to check it out. Which is where all the trouble started.
We arrived and parked and in front of us is a beautiful orange 2015 Mustang GT. I pretty much lose my mind, it really looks good. So I take my time checking it out...it's already sold and has temporary tags on it. Oh, well, but what a beautiful car. Ford should be really proud.
We then walk in to the show room and it's game over. I'm already in a weakened state from the previous car. Sitting in their show room is a yellow mustang GT with black racing stripes.
I was sold pretty much at first sight. My wife and daughter were of no help. Neither would say no. My only hope was that the banks would be smart enough to point and laugh. No such luck.
While I was busy lusting over the 2015 Mustang, we also purchased my daughter's 2013 Mustang:
The fun part is that we haven't taken delivery of her car yet b/c of the recall. Poor girl has to wait. Which is alright because she doesn't take her driving test until next week. I also have a ton of leverage for getting things done around the house.
Once we do get it she'll be spending the summer at the track with me and doing cruises until I've undone the idiotic teaching provided by the driving school. We're also going to attend a few schools. Rally Ready down in Austin is the first on the list.
As for my: I've already had it on the track. Everything I thought about Mustangs is wrong. As mentioned I mostly drive turbo charged AWD cars (EVOs and STis). Everything I thought about Mustangs is wrong, or at least in this case is wrong. This car corners like it is on rails and you can use your right foot to steer it. The power is always there. The build quality of the car is outstanding in my opinion and all the extra stuff in the car is awesome.
The dealership appears to have stuffed every option available in to the car. The only piece I'm not blown away by is the navigation, my phone's navigation app will let me find places by name, the car needs a street address.
The leather Racaro seats my the STi seats feel like cheap plastic classroom chairs by comparison.
I've done a little more research on the car so I know a tiny bit more about what I bought on an impulse. I'm planning on adding headers and the rest of the exhaust (the dealer put in the Ford Racing cat back), a cold air intake and doing a dyno tune. I'll look in to the suspension too, the dealer did the Eibach spring kit already, but I need to get a better feel for what is actually needed.
This car is primarily my daily driver. I'll do an occasional hot lap at my track with it, but it's primary purpose is to cruise around on the streets. So most of my choices in tuning or anything will be with that in mind. My EVO ended up being too track oriented and ended up sucking to drive on the street. I miss it, but I've taken the lesson to heart.
Overall - I think Ford has built a killer car here. It looks like a Mustang, but it looks like a Mustang the way Ferrari or Aston Martin would have designed it. It just looks incredible. The build quality is also excellent. We also own a 98 Expedition and a 2011 Expedition. Both cars are excellent so I have very high expectations for this car.
If anybody else happens to be in the DFW area and wants to go play at ECR let me know.
My background is driving AWD turbo charged cars either in SCCA autocross or on the track. I mostly 'race' motorcycles (Kawi zx6 and Ducati 848). I'm not big on drag racing - it's a battle of the checkbook, NASCAR makes me vomit (MotoGP ran in a hurricane and NASCAR cancelled what does that say?). My next car was going to be a Nissan GTR (should have kept the Skyline name)
Anyway, my daughter has turned 16 and is about to get her license. She wants a mustang. I'm not wild about the idea but I do some research and the difference in insurance between her driving a Ford Focus and a Mustang is $20/mo so.....she only gets 1 shot. If she wrecks it then whatever the settlement is will be all she has to buy the next car.
Anyway - I found a 2013 V6 Mustang Premium (or whatever the model is) at just a little more than I had budgeted. What the heck - I called the dealership to make sure they had it. They did so we head over to check it out. Which is where all the trouble started.
We arrived and parked and in front of us is a beautiful orange 2015 Mustang GT. I pretty much lose my mind, it really looks good. So I take my time checking it out...it's already sold and has temporary tags on it. Oh, well, but what a beautiful car. Ford should be really proud.
We then walk in to the show room and it's game over. I'm already in a weakened state from the previous car. Sitting in their show room is a yellow mustang GT with black racing stripes.
I was sold pretty much at first sight. My wife and daughter were of no help. Neither would say no. My only hope was that the banks would be smart enough to point and laugh. No such luck.
While I was busy lusting over the 2015 Mustang, we also purchased my daughter's 2013 Mustang:
The fun part is that we haven't taken delivery of her car yet b/c of the recall. Poor girl has to wait. Which is alright because she doesn't take her driving test until next week. I also have a ton of leverage for getting things done around the house.
Once we do get it she'll be spending the summer at the track with me and doing cruises until I've undone the idiotic teaching provided by the driving school. We're also going to attend a few schools. Rally Ready down in Austin is the first on the list.
As for my: I've already had it on the track. Everything I thought about Mustangs is wrong. As mentioned I mostly drive turbo charged AWD cars (EVOs and STis). Everything I thought about Mustangs is wrong, or at least in this case is wrong. This car corners like it is on rails and you can use your right foot to steer it. The power is always there. The build quality of the car is outstanding in my opinion and all the extra stuff in the car is awesome.
The dealership appears to have stuffed every option available in to the car. The only piece I'm not blown away by is the navigation, my phone's navigation app will let me find places by name, the car needs a street address.
The leather Racaro seats my the STi seats feel like cheap plastic classroom chairs by comparison.
I've done a little more research on the car so I know a tiny bit more about what I bought on an impulse. I'm planning on adding headers and the rest of the exhaust (the dealer put in the Ford Racing cat back), a cold air intake and doing a dyno tune. I'll look in to the suspension too, the dealer did the Eibach spring kit already, but I need to get a better feel for what is actually needed.
This car is primarily my daily driver. I'll do an occasional hot lap at my track with it, but it's primary purpose is to cruise around on the streets. So most of my choices in tuning or anything will be with that in mind. My EVO ended up being too track oriented and ended up sucking to drive on the street. I miss it, but I've taken the lesson to heart.
Overall - I think Ford has built a killer car here. It looks like a Mustang, but it looks like a Mustang the way Ferrari or Aston Martin would have designed it. It just looks incredible. The build quality is also excellent. We also own a 98 Expedition and a 2011 Expedition. Both cars are excellent so I have very high expectations for this car.
If anybody else happens to be in the DFW area and wants to go play at ECR let me know.
#10
Yesterday the dealership called and said we could pick up my daughter's Mustang. We will have to take it back for the recall when the parts show up.
Being the nice father I am I didn't tell her we had the car. Instead we hid it in the garage and left it there for her to find. I'm a skamp.
She eventually discovered it when she went out to get me a beer. Naturally I ended up having to ride around with her so she could finally get to drive it
Today we took it out to the track. I road with her for 1 session (an out lap, 1 hot lap and then a cool down lap). She did very well. We went back out a second time. She drove her car by herself and I chased her in my car. I told her to be very conservative given that it is her car. I also didn't want her overheating the brakes. We have people show up at the track who lose their brakes all the time.
Anyway, I have a really happy little girl right now and she's not a bad driver. Actually, she is a little braver through some of those turns than I'd like her to be. I'm afraid I'm going to have to save up for a dedicated track car now.
Being the nice father I am I didn't tell her we had the car. Instead we hid it in the garage and left it there for her to find. I'm a skamp.
She eventually discovered it when she went out to get me a beer. Naturally I ended up having to ride around with her so she could finally get to drive it
Today we took it out to the track. I road with her for 1 session (an out lap, 1 hot lap and then a cool down lap). She did very well. We went back out a second time. She drove her car by herself and I chased her in my car. I told her to be very conservative given that it is her car. I also didn't want her overheating the brakes. We have people show up at the track who lose their brakes all the time.
Anyway, I have a really happy little girl right now and she's not a bad driver. Actually, she is a little braver through some of those turns than I'd like her to be. I'm afraid I'm going to have to save up for a dedicated track car now.