Well not exactly, I picked up my new FGT in Fresno last week from Marvin Rose, fordgtsales.com White with Blue stripe and all four option, absolutely mint condition with 4000 miles on the clock I purchased it site unseen, I did however do some research on Marv, and found out that he only sells mint condition cars, and that is true. I had spent the last 3 months researching the GT's, bought every book I could in Australia and spent hours on the forum reading about these fantastic supercars, so when I picked my car up from Marv I knew about every inch of the car, but nothing can prepare you for the actual car itself. This is truly an amazing car, I think it took me about 10 minutes before I even open the doors, I just kept walking around the car taking in ever curve, line and detail.
DAY 1: FRESNO to LA. 4 HOURS: With my 17 year old son as my co-pilot and my first attempt to enter the drivers seat via the passanger door (these cars are left had drive!!!) we made our way out of Fresno down route 99. Being the same build & height as Jeremy Clarkson (Top Gear) I can now understand why he liked this car so much, we both fit into it!! or is it that this car attracts everyones attention. We must have been photographed 20 times by people in other cars before we arrived at our first fuel stop: Pixley,complete with it 'Whats Eating Gilbert Grape' water tower. Refueling is an experience, the owner of the service station came out, the contractors working on the building next door came over, the kids in the street and the other customers came to look at this masterpiece. I must have spent 15 minutes explaining what it was, how many were built and the origins of this beast, my final word was "this is the one and only American Supercar". Joining the I5 we made our way to LA, every so often I'd put the foot down just to taste the awesome power of this car. Another 20 or so photographs by others and we were in LA.
Finding the hotel was easy and upon arrival at the entry we could see the 5 valet parking guys playing 'Scissor Paper Rock' to determine who was going to take the car into the car park. I want to park it myself!! I unwillingly surrendered the car to one of the attendants, who made it quite clear that he had driven one before ( no! no! no! you have to turn the key on then hit the big red button, no! no! no! that's third gear bring it closer to you) anyway we watched, with a large group of hotel guests, as the car disappeared into the bowls of the hotel parking lot.
DAY 2
ART 1 RODEO DRIVE: I don't think Paris Hilton gets this much attention. Everyone just stops and looks at the car, it took us 20 minutes to drive the 3 blocks of Rodeo Drive. People coming up to the window asking if they could photograph the car, asking what it was, video cameras, phone cameras and even the paparrazi cameras with those massive lenses. I felt sorry for all those Ferrari 430's that where not getting any attention today. Hey the new star is in town! I cant' believe that this is an American built (FORD)Supercar and little seems to be known of it.
DAY 2ART 2 THE IVY: I was told that this was the restaurant were all the Hollywood stars hang out. (being from Australia we wanted to see a movie star, in the flesh) so with my son acting as co-pilot, we made our way to the Ivy. I remember this place, I walked by it 2 years ago, they have three car spaces out the front and they alway have awesome cars parked there (Bugatti Bentley Ferrari and Lambos) I guess they valet park the average cars out back. Anyway we roll up to the front of the restaurant, we can see a line of 20 or so people on the footpath queuing the get into the place. As we pull up every one is looking at the GT and then the phone cameras come out, click click I felt like a movie star!!! We get out, the valet guy moves the car 1 foot down, leaves it out the front the whole afternoon and we go to the front of the line. The car got more attention than the movie stars sitting in side.
DAY 3 LA to AUSTRALIA: After hours spent researching the Ford GT on the web especally on the forum site, I knew there was something I had to do before the car was shipped to Australia> HALF SHAFT AXLE BOLTS!!!! Anyway I was driving back to the hotel the day before and saw a Heritage GT(PDLSURF) parked in front of a shop, I stopped and hung around the car until the owner came back, had a great chat with this guy and he referred me to KEMP FORD in THOUSAND OAKS (his car and my car have been serviced there) I rang and found they had a set in stock ready for me to pick up (under warranty).
I drove to the dealership, in the pouring rain (what is it with Californian drivers, they seem to go faster in the rain!!) John, in parts, had them ready for me with an installation document (I'll have them installed back in Australia). By the way they had a Heritage GT in service up on the hoist having either brakes or half shaft bolts done.(HOWIEGT) so I got a good look underneath of the car. I've seen two GT'S in two days!!!!!
Then the trip, in the driving rain (god! they still drive fast) to Long Beach were the car is packed in a 20 foot container ready for the 35 day trip to Melbourne, Australia. I arrived back at the hotel in an Avis rent-a-car, no one took a second look at me, even the valet guys turned their backs on me,no rush to take this one down to the parking lot.
I had three great days with the GT and many more to come when it gets home. I can't wait to really drive it! I've seen many supercars over the 3 days in LA, a Bugatti Veyron, an Enzo, a Porsche Carrera GT and heaps of 430's but nothing beats the GT, it's a head turner, a fantastic recreation of the original and I reckon most people that look at it hark back to their youth, the 60's when the GT40 was winning races. I always loved the Blue and Orange Gulf cars, I even saw an original, in the flesh, in Australia, in the early 70,s, maybe this is the reason I am drawn to the GT.
<to be continued>
DAY 1: FRESNO to LA. 4 HOURS: With my 17 year old son as my co-pilot and my first attempt to enter the drivers seat via the passanger door (these cars are left had drive!!!) we made our way out of Fresno down route 99. Being the same build & height as Jeremy Clarkson (Top Gear) I can now understand why he liked this car so much, we both fit into it!! or is it that this car attracts everyones attention. We must have been photographed 20 times by people in other cars before we arrived at our first fuel stop: Pixley,complete with it 'Whats Eating Gilbert Grape' water tower. Refueling is an experience, the owner of the service station came out, the contractors working on the building next door came over, the kids in the street and the other customers came to look at this masterpiece. I must have spent 15 minutes explaining what it was, how many were built and the origins of this beast, my final word was "this is the one and only American Supercar". Joining the I5 we made our way to LA, every so often I'd put the foot down just to taste the awesome power of this car. Another 20 or so photographs by others and we were in LA.
Finding the hotel was easy and upon arrival at the entry we could see the 5 valet parking guys playing 'Scissor Paper Rock' to determine who was going to take the car into the car park. I want to park it myself!! I unwillingly surrendered the car to one of the attendants, who made it quite clear that he had driven one before ( no! no! no! you have to turn the key on then hit the big red button, no! no! no! that's third gear bring it closer to you) anyway we watched, with a large group of hotel guests, as the car disappeared into the bowls of the hotel parking lot.
DAY 2
ART 1 RODEO DRIVE: I don't think Paris Hilton gets this much attention. Everyone just stops and looks at the car, it took us 20 minutes to drive the 3 blocks of Rodeo Drive. People coming up to the window asking if they could photograph the car, asking what it was, video cameras, phone cameras and even the paparrazi cameras with those massive lenses. I felt sorry for all those Ferrari 430's that where not getting any attention today. Hey the new star is in town! I cant' believe that this is an American built (FORD)Supercar and little seems to be known of it.DAY 2
ART 2 THE IVY: I was told that this was the restaurant were all the Hollywood stars hang out. (being from Australia we wanted to see a movie star, in the flesh) so with my son acting as co-pilot, we made our way to the Ivy. I remember this place, I walked by it 2 years ago, they have three car spaces out the front and they alway have awesome cars parked there (Bugatti Bentley Ferrari and Lambos) I guess they valet park the average cars out back. Anyway we roll up to the front of the restaurant, we can see a line of 20 or so people on the footpath queuing the get into the place. As we pull up every one is looking at the GT and then the phone cameras come out, click click I felt like a movie star!!! We get out, the valet guy moves the car 1 foot down, leaves it out the front the whole afternoon and we go to the front of the line. The car got more attention than the movie stars sitting in side.DAY 3 LA to AUSTRALIA: After hours spent researching the Ford GT on the web especally on the forum site, I knew there was something I had to do before the car was shipped to Australia> HALF SHAFT AXLE BOLTS!!!! Anyway I was driving back to the hotel the day before and saw a Heritage GT(PDLSURF) parked in front of a shop, I stopped and hung around the car until the owner came back, had a great chat with this guy and he referred me to KEMP FORD in THOUSAND OAKS (his car and my car have been serviced there) I rang and found they had a set in stock ready for me to pick up (under warranty).
I drove to the dealership, in the pouring rain (what is it with Californian drivers, they seem to go faster in the rain!!) John, in parts, had them ready for me with an installation document (I'll have them installed back in Australia). By the way they had a Heritage GT in service up on the hoist having either brakes or half shaft bolts done.(HOWIEGT) so I got a good look underneath of the car. I've seen two GT'S in two days!!!!!
Then the trip, in the driving rain (god! they still drive fast) to Long Beach were the car is packed in a 20 foot container ready for the 35 day trip to Melbourne, Australia. I arrived back at the hotel in an Avis rent-a-car, no one took a second look at me, even the valet guys turned their backs on me,no rush to take this one down to the parking lot.
I had three great days with the GT and many more to come when it gets home. I can't wait to really drive it! I've seen many supercars over the 3 days in LA, a Bugatti Veyron, an Enzo, a Porsche Carrera GT and heaps of 430's but nothing beats the GT, it's a head turner, a fantastic recreation of the original and I reckon most people that look at it hark back to their youth, the 60's when the GT40 was winning races. I always loved the Blue and Orange Gulf cars, I even saw an original, in the flesh, in Australia, in the early 70,s, maybe this is the reason I am drawn to the GT.
<to be continued>
