Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire 2011 Mustang GT California Special 5.0L 6spd.....

Trying to decide between "You only live once" and "don't be an idiot".

Never had a hot car, but grew up with a Ford dealership in the family, so I've watched them with envy for 25 years or so. Been a Car & Driver and Motor Trend subscriber since I got a driver's license, but always needed a truck for my job and hobbies. Dad calls this morning and tells me that the local girl who ordered herself a white/black coupe just traded it in on a sedan. This car has 18k miles on it and is immaculate. I think she installed a Borla cat-back at is pushing 430hp.

Will still have my four-door pickup and my mud-tired 4Runner, but am considering getting out of the wife's little SUV with 200k miles. She's game. Cousin is my insurance agent and says rates go up $17 a month. Would need to take along my grade-school age girls to see how they fit and how they like it. I do realize we'd need to use one of the trucks when needing lots of seating or cargo room.

Would not have thought that I'd be contemplating a hot-rod family car this morning, but stranger things have happened. Wife and I are making decent money these days, so I may give it a go, just so I can say I did. The price is right and I figure a test drive can't hurt.....

Here's one just like it.



What do you guys think?

If you want it, and can afford it, buy it! That car would be a lot of fun!!

If it's a primary vehicle and a daily driver ...

It will be cool for a while until your grade-school age girls get tired of getting in and out of the back seat of a two door.

You mentioned the four-door pickup and the mud-tired 4Runner but who's going to be driving what on a regular basis?

If you get rid of the SUV ... THE most important question is which vehicle will your wife drive?

A pickup, and a sports car makes the perfect garage, as far as I'm concerned

Though I think if I get another one I'd go for a convertible again.

An acquaintance of mine is an electrician. A couple years ago he showed up in a similar Mustang convertible to finish a job for me on a weekend. That 5.0 6spd sounded suhweet coming up the road.

If it works for you, go for it. Like you said-you only live once.

Get it and enjoy the perma-grin!

JPro.

Sounds like fun! It sounds like you can afford it without issue. I think the decision point is whether you can live with the level of practicality it will/will not provide. With that, you have two choices in that it will work for you on a daily basis or you have ample vehicles/funds where this can sit a good portion of the time and it gets used more like a weekend/fun car. If you answer yes to yourself, you probably won't regret the purchase. IMHO and YMMV.

I think the Mustang and the Challenger are the two retros that have hit the nail on the head in their recent renditions. In fact, I really like the improvements they have integrated over the last few years

BTW - my "toy" is an 87 Fox body Mustang w/a stroker 5.0 that is pushing similar horsepower - which makes it a LOT more fun that one of the newer stock 5.0 which felt very anemic by comparison.

Best of luck with your decision!

Bob

I've driven several late model Shelby variations and different GT's... They are a hoot. I regret not owning one at this very moment.

Put me in the "do it man!" corner.

Those little Fox-bodies don't weigh anything. That's what I wanted in high school, but it would have been hard to haul dead critters in the back!

I checked, and they didn't have any with cool murals painted on. Would have sealed the deal.....

So glad you brought this up. Wife's Pontiac was getting close to a 150,000 and she was talking new car. She was also talking Toyota a lot which I guess would have been OK, but. Middle of last week I asked her if she could live with Mustang or a Camaro and she said oh yeah. Friday we took a trip to Bass Pro in Springfield Mo. (waste of time). But we stopped at a large Chevy dealership and he showed us a 2013 Mustang with the V 6 & 6 speed auto with an amazing 1600 miles on it. This one is just the base model.

Last week I attended a suicide funeral of a cousin which also made me think that I needed to live life a little more. And like someone said never was a hot rodder, had a 1977 Chevy Silverado with the 454 that was hot for a truck.

We brought the thing home Tuesday and I got to drive it for the first time last night. I don't keep up much on cars and motors and such, But gotta say this six cylinder is the most impressive thing I've ever been in. Can't imagine what a V 8 could do.

So yeah my advise would be to buy if you can swing it. I don't think you'll be sorry.

As long as you pay cash, go for it!

Go for it.. Ya only live once..

I've had a few (kinda) hot cars and they were all a blast to drive.. My only caution is: when ya get a car like this, the temptation to go a teeny-weeny bit faster than the speed limit will bite your azz..trust me..

BTDT...

I think they'll like it so much, they'll make themselves fit.

Do it!

I hear you on the speed limit thing. Have never been one to drive at high speeds, but do enjoy getting up to speed quickly and running hard through the gears. 75-80mph is fast enough in my book and cruise control is a wonderful invention for the highway and interstate.

"Just do it"

Almost 3 years ago, I had this same dilemma as a daily driver for my wife. I'm very practical and such a purchase was pretty extreme for me. Her GT is the 5.0 6 speed auto premium. My wife and I talked about it just a few days ago and there are absolutely no regrets. I don't drive it often so when I do, it puts me in check quite quickly. The acceleration is remarkable. The power comes on in any speed and yet still manages good mileage if you have a light foot. We've seen 26 MPG average before but typical is about 22-23. It's a perfect compromise for us.
I'd do the same again tomorrow. Enjoy.

Good info thin man. Talked with the girl who traded it in and she got 19mpg in town, 26-27 on highway. Not too shabby.

It's REALLY hard to set the cruise at 60 (or whatever the limit is on that road) when driving a car like that.. It's just not RIGHT..


Had a Mustang GT-350 ('84 - factory) for a demo once when I was in the car biz.. I could hit 100 in 3rd gear and I still had two to go...

The OP's gonna love that car.. (drool)