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Decided to order a GT350!

41K views 730 replies 51 participants last post by  blackcad55 
#1 · (Edited)
Well, I have made my decision. After having driven a 2018 Shelby GT350, I have made the decision that I will sell or trade in my 2013 GT500 and order a 2019 GT350. The car has sufficient power for my needs and the other features are just off the chart. Needless to say, I was very impressed. My dealer has an allocation waiting for me, so once I get home and fill out the paperwork, it will be ordered. If I’m lucky, I’ll be driving it to Shelbyfest 2019!!! Now the waiting begins!
 
#2 ·
If I told my wife I am going to trade in the car we'll have paid off in a few months for a new one she'd probably tell me to find a new wife. :laugh: Good luck with your purchase. Let us know your estimated wait time for delivery.
 
#4 ·
Excellent, Mike! Congrats on the big decision. Can't wait to see it when it arrives. I'll second Eric's question --- color? :grin:
 
#5 ·
Excellent, Mike! Congrats on the big decision. Can't wait to see it when it arrives. I'll second Eric's question --- color? <img src="http://www.fordgt500.com/forums/images/FordGT500_2015/smilies/tango_face_grin.png" border="0" alt="" title="Big Grin" class="inlineimg" />
Knowing Mike...the color will be white with blue stripes!

Congrats on picking a fantastic car Mike.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Funny! I have a very understanding wife who figures my car fanaticism is a fair trade for the continuation of the marriage! She just now told me, "Now I have to listen to you obsess about the car until it arrives!" Patient women!
I'll be ordering a white one (of course) with the blue stripes in my continuing tribute to the first GT350's which were all white! Some things cannot be meddled with! (Timmy thinks I'm an idiot!) I'll get a few options such as the technology package and the upgraded leather sports seats with all the accoutrements. The 2019 has a lot of added features that were absent and extra cost options on the 2018.

The driving experience was quite surprising. The interior was significantly more upgrade than the 2013 and had features that I really will enjoy. It is a striking car just to look at and is better looking (IMHO) than the new 2020 GT500. The real smiley face is the exhaust note of the car and the ability to flip a toggle switch to take it from Normal to Sport. In Sport, you will get the attention of dogs, all drivers, and purists!! The car is quiet and comfortable on the highway (normal mode) and has an on center feel very much like the BMW's. You can also set the suspension to Normal or Sport. There is a notable difference. I was really impressed with the overall feel, handling, and sound of the car, and I think the power and torque are well within the range of acceptability. The clutch is twice as light as the GT500 and take up is great. Shifter is equally nice. Although the car does not have the low end torque that the GT500 provides, I think while I'm spinning and modulating the gas pedal on the GT500, I'll be hooked up and gone in the GT350. When it get's over 3000RPM, it just pulls like a locomotive! As it was new, I didn't take it to redline, but it gave me enough feedback to assure me that it will more than satisfy my need for speed! Anyway, I'm glad I got an opportunity to drive one before signing my name on the dotted line. Thanks again to SilverSnake and Shelbygt500_753hp for their help in bringing this test drive to fruition!
 
#12 ·
Funny! I have a very understanding wife who figures my car fanaticism is a fair trade for the continuation of the marriage! She just now told me, "Now I have to listen to you obsess about the car until it arrives!" Patient women!
Very similar comment my wife made to me over my current DD search!

I just try to inform her that I still OBSESS over her....usually settle her down a little bit...LOL

I can't wait to WATCH @blackcad55 take it for a SPIN at SF19! :grin:
 
#13 ·
Glad you were able to test drive the car. It certainly was a beautiful day for it. I imagine Elder tried to get you to buy the car. I was wondering if they moved off the price they quoted me to try to reel you in. Interestingly, I got an e-mail from my sales lady today at 11:05 AM today saying she was working with her manager and would get back to me soon. I don't expect much, but we will see.

Glad you decided to order one. Nothing like the excitement that builds waiting for a new order car.

Dave
 
#15 ·
That's true, it tried to kill me so I returned it to stock! LOL! BJ just shakes his head! I haven't decided on the private sale price. I'll have to get with my dealership owner and he'll give me the price for trade-in along with the tax savings I'll receive. He'll also give me the private sales price I need to get in order to out weigh what I would save in taxes with a trade-in. It may be a wash. I've traded in my last two Shelby's to him and he has treated me fairly. So glad he's a good friend and looks after me...financially!
 
#17 ·
Congrats on the decision, standard order time is 8 to 12 weeks.
My 11 showed up in ( 49 ) days.
My 14 showed up in ( 102 ) days.
My F150 showed up in ( 79 ) days,................all 3 were ordered in May.
.
............................................" decision that I will sell or trade in my 2013 GT500,.....
.
..........There is a market for 13 / 14's, unless you don't want to be bothered..
.
 
#20 ·
Just got a call from my dealership. I have a confirmed allocation!! All I have to do is order the car when I get back home!! This is the first time in my life I have yearned to return to the cold weather in Maryland and leave the sunny climes of Florida! Geez, I have a serious problem! I hope my stepping away from the GT500 crowd will not relegate me to the "ugly red-headed step-child" classification by my fellow GT500 owners! Remember it still has "Shelby" stamped on the front splitter! Does that get me off the hook?? At least I have not TOTALLY abandoned the marque, as some, (whose names cannot be spoken), have done! And you know who you are!!
 
#21 ·
I hope my stepping away from the GT500 crowd will not relegate me to the "ugly red-headed step-child" classification by my fellow GT500 owners!
Don't worry. That only happens when you sell your Shelby and buy a Dodge. But I still have Shelby stickers on my file cabinet in the den and a Shelby desk pad on the wall in my garage.
 

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#31 ·
2015 was technically the first year with a short limited production run of just a few cars.

2016 was the first full production year.

The 2016's had a lot of weird options with track packs and tech packs and what not. Some got trans and diff coolers, some didn't, some even came without the magneride suspension. By 2018 it was basically all the same and your only real options were Recaros or not and Navigation or not. The rest was just colors and stripe differences. The 2019 actually adds some neat new options into the mix like the carbon fiber dash and the option to get stickier Pilot Sport Cup 2's from the factory or a Bang & Olufsen stereo. I was really tempted to get a new car, but couldn't justify the extra 10K over my nearly new model.
 
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#42 ·
Yeh, there goes my warranty!:grin: Actually, Mike, I was pleasantly surprised at the acceleration from a standing start. Rather than spinning and sliding through first gear, I was able to floor the accelerator from the start and it hooked and really took off!:surprise: Second was frikin' strong! I barked the tires from second to third and this is with a new engine! This thing is pretty damned quick and I was thoroughly impressed. After leaving the dealership this morning and heading back to St. Pete, I just said to myself, "I really like this car!" and the decision was made. I think I'm making the right decision based upon all the boxes this car checks in my psyche! The next time I'm at Summit Point, I'll be in a GT350!:laugh:
 
#39 ·
Congrats, Mike!

Glad you were able to get to take a test drive while you're in FL. No stress. Would have been a hoot to see you take the sales person on a Hermann run test drive.

Is our state the odd one that allows you to sell or trade your car and deduct those tax dollars from the sell price when figuring sales tax?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#41 ·
Is our state the odd one that allows you to sell or trade your car and deduct those tax dollars from the sell price when figuring sales tax?

I believe most states that I have bought a car in, only tax the "trade difference", so you are usually saving 7-10%(local tax rate) of your trade-in value, and on high-end cars, that can be a significant amount.


(and Bob, how many times do I have to tell you, get your HAND OFF THE HOOD, the owner is "meticulous" ) :)
 
#49 ·
Gad, when I saw your thread pop up, I thought, "Oh shitz, my red-headed step child comment had struck a nerve!" Just an old colloquialism and absolutely no reflection on that beautiful boy of yours! I agree; the new GT500 price may very well be out of my range, so it all may be a mute point! And you are exactly right, I've had the new car itch for some time!! Calamine lotion has not helped! Would love to stop in for a visit while in route. We'll see. As Catmonkey cautioned, it may be nip and tuck whether the new GT350 arrives in time for it's maiden voyage to Missouri!
 
#51 ·
Honestly, I don't know how the allocation system works, and I've special ordered 3 other non-exclusive vehicles through the years, but all 3 were built within a six to eight week window. I have the paperwork on the Shelby, but it was a good month, or more, before it was assigned an estimated production date and a VIN. I have all the paper work because I hounded my friend, Jack, to death. I was chomping at the bit when my Shelby arrived by rail, but after it was off loaded, it sat in the rail yard for a few days because of the number of vehicles unloaded and the order mine was in to even access it to get it on a transporter.

The deluxe Marti report will have a lot of this information on your car, if you bought your car off the lot or bought it used. By my experience didn't seem out of the ordinary with other people I've talked to. It also states that mine was 1 of 33 built in the identical configuration, so that's worth the cost of the report right there. I suppose bigger dealerships have more allocations and the order process may take less time.

I hope you do get it in time Mike. I'd like to see one up close and personal. One of my docs has one, but I've only seen it from a distance. But I'm sure there will be a few in MO if it doesn't get here in time. I really hope they have a 2020 GT500 too. I'd like to see one in the flesh.
 
#54 · (Edited)
Catmonkey has got me all flustered now with his cautionary advise about ordering it sooner than later! Thanks for the stress, John! LOL! I just spoke with my salesman at my Maryland dealership and he is e-mailing me the order guide for my car so that I can chose the options I want. He said once I do that, and call him back with my decision, he can go ahead and put it in the system as an order. Therefore, I won't have to wait till I get home next Monday! He said the owner spoke with him yesterday advising I had the allocation and that I'd be bugging him next week! LOL! I did so, even earlier! I've know him for over ten years so we're friends. He's ordered all my previous Shelbys. He did say there's really no approximate time from entering the car into the Ford order bank, and getting a production date and a VIN. It can be as little as 3 or 4 days or at the latest, 3 weeks. It's all up to Ford and apparently there are a lot or different things that determine when it gets scheduled. He feels it will fall somewhere in between. He also felt I had a good chance of getting the car delivered before I left for Shelbyfest, so finger's crossed!! I'll keep everyone posted as the saga continues!
 
#56 · (Edited)
Catmonkey has got me all flustered now with his cautionary advise about ordering it sooner than later! Thanks for the stress, John! LOL!
BWAHAHAHAHA! You're welcome! I wasn''t sure when you were leaving to return home, but with the order guide you can start obsessing now instead of later. >:)

Get it done and and you can enjoy another few weeks as snow birds.... stress free! I hear it's still cold up north.
 
#59 · (Edited)
Just an up-date. I perused the order sheet, picked out my options and called my salesman back. He gave me the prices of the options (ouch) and after some self consternation, I pulled the trigger. He has already entered it into the order bank. So now the wait begins. Below is the way I ordered it:


Oxford white with Kona blue LeMans stripes and metallic pinstripes on the edges.
Technology/electronics package which includes 12 speaker radio/CD player, HD radio, BLIS (blindside warning), outside mirrors that are heated, have memory settings, and Cobra puddle lamps.
Voice activated touchscreen navigation /SIRUS connected/travel and traffic link.

Carbon fiber instrument panel.
Sport leather front seats with 4 way adjustable head restraints, 6 way power driver's seat with electric lumbar/ 6 way power passenger seat/ heated and cooled driver and passenger seats and memory recline of driver's seat.

That's it! There are numerous other plus's that come standard. Wheels are aluminum, black painted. 19X10.5 front and 19X11.0 rear. Saw them on the 2018 and love them...easy to clean!! It also has the same Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires that are on the R, albeit a tad less wide.( R's are 305F/315R) my tires will be 295/35/19 front and 305/35/19 rear. Still huge! Brake rotors have been changed to smooth from the previous years drilled. Guess they had some rotors cracking. I think this will be a great car that can actually assuage Sharon's complaints about the 2013! Win-Win!

Oh yes, Greg, it has "SHELBY" molded (per Nick) on the front splitter and Cobras on the front, back, and interior.....so your recent celebration of harassing me for not getting a Shelby is without merit! LOL!
 
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