NEW UK Member - Buying Advice

[nomis]

Hi Guys!

I'm a new member of the forum and while I have lived in Canada for over 20-years, am not back living in the UK.

At the moment, I'm considering buying a Ford GT and am unsure whether to import a car myself or buy one via a company in the UK (and let them make a profit but handle the hassle).

As the cars are thin on the ground in England, I'm wondering if anyone can tell me what it's like to drive and own the car on our little island?

And also, opinions on the self-import or UK dealer route to buy a vehicle?

Thanks in advance

Simon :cheers

 

[dbk]

Nomis,
Welcome to the site. I believe Neilda, V8 FGT, Gierkink, flyingsniffer, and a few others from the UK on the site will chime in with advice. Good luck finding a car!

:cheers

 

[nomis]

Thanks! :thumbsup

I actually did a lot of leg-work yesterday and called both Ford HQ in the USA and was given the number for the Ford GT CS line.

After speaking with the FGT CS team, they gave me the names of a few dealers with cars - I spoke with 4 and all seemed 'very' willing to negotiate on price and more than willing to ship to the UK.

Off the back of those calls, I spoke to a few people (dealers) in the UK and gained further insight into what they are trying to make on cars they import to sell.

As I said, I'm now at the point where I need to get out and see a GT in the metal - last one I saw was at Goodwood Festival of Speed in 05 and thus wasn't able to 'really' look at it. Once I've had a chance to view a car, I hope to understand the pitfalls of doing the import myself - and/or have found a recommended UK supplier (I have spoken to a few and one stands out as a really decent chap, based on gut feeling alone).

So, as I said, all advice really appreciated!

 

[Jason Watt]

Nomis,
Welcome mate..
FYI - I been told that a new Ford GT can no longer get registred in the EU due to the new emission norm for 2006. I was told by my german dealer that I had to get mine registred before 06...

Anyway - there might be ways around it, but now you know...

Good luck

 

[nomis]

Hi 1-of-101!

My understanding is that cars are still being brought in and registration is NOT an issue but even so, thanks for the heads-up :thumbsup

...[grumble, grumble]...bloody EU legislation :ack :biggrin

 

[flyingsniffer]

Nomis,

where in the home counties are you? There are cars at dealers all over the South East from £130k upwards (I suspect a few dealers over-exposed themselves on stock, so I bet you could do a deal). Look on Autotrader.

I believe there's also a Gulf car ('Heritage') at Clive Sutton's in London, but he (as usual) wants silly money for it.

I guess only you can work out the sums: import vs less hassle. But the car is great: wide on UK roads and of course they're all left hookers, but this hasn't proved a big problem to me so far , except when turning left at junctions!

I beleive the radios won't work in the UK without re-chipping or somesuch.

Any more info needed, let me know. More than welcome to pop up and take a butcher's at mine if you like: North Herts

 

[Jason Watt]

Do you see any 101-cars for sale in the UK??

 

[nomis]

Nomis,

where in the home counties are you? There are cars at dealers all over the South East from £130k upwards (I suspect a few dealers over-exposed themselves on stock, so I bet you could do a deal). Look on Autotrader.

I believe there's also a Gulf car ('Heritage') at Clive Sutton's in London, but he (as usual) wants silly money for it.

I guess only you can work out the sums: import vs less hassle. But the car is great: wide on UK roads and of course they're all left hookers, but this hasn't proved a big problem to me so far , except when turning left at junctions!

I beleive the radios won't work in the UK without re-chipping or somesuch.

Any more info needed, let me know. More than welcome to pop up and take a butcher's at mine if you like: North Herts

Flyingsniffer,

I have spoken with people (UK dealers) asking £130k and others who are asking all the way up to £165k +

The Ford dealers I spoke with in the US were also all over the place: some asking for a small premium ($5k) and some asking for silly figures ($140k premium).

I think the bubble has burst on crazy mark-ups (as happens with all cars that start off that way) but some UK dealers are still trying it on and hoping the can turn a MASSIVE profit (can't blame them and perhaps the cars owe them a fair amount if they bought during the peak)

I'm off to look at two tomorrow - and will report back once I've had a good look at one in the metal.

I also appreciate your kind offer to view your car and may take you up on it :thumbsup

I do need to make a choice as I have a 997 Turbo arriving very soon and I just can't get excited about it. I'm sure it will be very fast, amazing to drive and handle like a dream but if you don't fall in love with the asthetics of the car, it seems a lot of money to spend :confused

 

[nomis]

Do you see any 101-cars for sale in the UK??

There are 1 or 2 used Ford GTs for sale in the UK - not sure if they were 'official' Roush SVA'd cars, or personal imports!

To be honest, I have heard Roush will convert a personal import, so as long as the SVA has been done well, I'm not too concerned about the 101-part :thumbsup

 

[flyingsniffer]

The 997 is a great car: maybe more useable day-to-day than the GT. But it isn't a GT! Both are great, classic cars in their own ways - the 997 is a rare car, but I've never seen another GT on the UK roads, whether I've been in it or my daily driver. And the GT goes like it looks: watch out though, it is not for the faint hearted and certainly will bite if you don't treat it with respect.

As for the 101 cars, I guess in their owner's eyes they will command a (small)premium - I was told by Ford that they would circulate the trade with details of all 'offficial' cars, so that ours would always be known as such. But they don't go any faster or do anything different, so that premium might be in hope rather than reality! I don't think there's any for sale at the moment in the UK, but there might be. The differences (there's another thread somewhere) are pretty subtle, but easy to spot for the trained eye. I didn't know Roush would do a 'conversion': makes sense, I guess?

Good luck in your quest and if I can help, let me know.

 

[Gierkink]

Simon,

A few thoughts on this

1. Cost: Your timing is excellent as you seem to be able to now purchase cars in the United States at, or perhaps even below, MSRP. Combine this with the fact that the dollar has weakened rather substantially vs. the pound in the last two months and it would appear you could by a GT, before conversion costs and taxes for about £89K. Add in conversation costs and taxes and you have a real bargain compared to anything you can get in the UK today. I would assume that most of the cars currently held by UK dealers were purchased before they could be had at MSRP in the U.S. and before the recent decline in the dollar. As part of your negotiation you may want to take the UK dealers who are holding cars through the above numbers to show what you and everyone else can now purchase the cars for at this time.

2. Conversion to EU spec.: Contact Roush about this as I know they have converted numerous “grey market” GTs. They are excellent. I can’t recommend them highly enough. They are also currently selling Roush Mustangs which are imported from the U.S. so perhaps they can give you some ideas on the do-it-yourself importing route. PM me if you’d like a contact at Roush.

3. 997 Turbo vs. Ford GT: I love Porsches and I’ve had a 993, 996 and a 997 (just sold it as I’m moving back to the U.S. and liked is so much that I’ve got a 997 C4S Cab on order in Boston as a daily driver). Having said that, please make no mistake a 997, turbo or not, is no Ford GT. This past Monday and Tuesday I spent in France driving my GT around Normandie. It’s the first time I’ve put any serious miles on the car in one trip and I can’t tell you how good this car is. The more I drive it the more I like it. It is a monster.

4. My only negative to date (kind of): The only negative I’ve encountered so far is at times I get a little tired of the amount of attention the car gets. While crossing over to France via the Eurotunnel on Sunday evening I was on the same train as a Porsche Carrera GT. We both stopped for fuel at the Total petrol station right after you leave the train in Calais. To my amazement the Ford got far more attention than the Porsche. This is great until you realize that, unless you’re willing to be rude to people, you’ll be delayed almost every time you fill your car with petrol while people get their pictures taken with the car (I believe the car even gets more attention in France than it does in the UK and it gets a lot of attention in the UK).

These are my thoughts.

Cheers,


Rob

 

[nomis]

Quick point - read the thread here :frown

 

[nomis]

The 997 is a great car: maybe more useable day-to-day than the GT. But it isn't a GT! Both are great, classic cars in their own ways - the 997 is a rare car, but I've never seen another GT on the UK roads, whether I've been in it or my daily driver. And the GT goes like it looks: watch out though, it is not for the faint hearted and certainly will bite if you don't treat it with respect.

As for the 101 cars, I guess in their owner's eyes they will command a (small)premium - I was told by Ford that they would circulate the trade with details of all 'offficial' cars, so that ours would always be known as such. But they don't go any faster or do anything different, so that premium might be in hope rather than reality! I don't think there's any for sale at the moment in the UK, but there might be. The differences (there's another thread somewhere) are pretty subtle, but easy to spot for the trained eye. I didn't know Roush would do a 'conversion': makes sense, I guess?

Good luck in your quest and if I can help, let me know.

Flyingsniffer,

I do think the 101-cars will hold a small premium - if not in terms of residual value but certainly as percieved benefit should a buyer be presented with two cars - one a 101 and one a personal import. My guess is the buyer would either pay a small amount more, or at least choose the 101, were both cars for sale in identical condition.

So, in no way am I saying the 101 has no value.

For me it's less important because at some point - even if it's 10-15 years away - I intend to bring the car back to Canada should I still own it (which again, would be the intention), so a 101 Europe car would be less interesting imho

Thank you again for your valid points and opinions :thumbsup

 

[nomis]

Rob,

I agree with every point you've made reference the Porsche and the other topics! :cheers

1. Price - US based cars are available at MSRP or even below it. In terms of value for money: even when you factor in PP, Duty, VAT, Shipping and SVA, the car is still coming in about £120k... which is not too bad at all (for what it represents). BTW - what was the price of the official 101-cars?

2. Roush Conversion - I will drop you a PM with my e-mail as it would be helpful to have an actual contact, rather than go in blind :thumbsup

3. Porsche - basically I can sum up my thoughts toward the current crop of Porsches (and my past ownership experiences with the 996 model) in the following way: - great cars but lacking the soul that turns a great car into one you love and covet! I find it sad that I lust after a 1973 2.7 RS but not the modern 997TT - I love the 356 Speedster but wouldn't even take a double look at a 997 Cab, if notice it at all.

People - me included - buy Porsches because they are fast, mechanically sound, technically brilliant and well priced for what they deliver. You buy them with your head, not your heart.

For me, if I have another car sitting in the garage I want to love it so much that even if I'm not driving it, I'm happy to go out with a glass of wine on a nice evening - or a cup of coffee on a Sat/Sun morning - and just look at it. Maybe start it up, listen to the engine or even better, look forward to taking it down to the shops on a weekend morning to buy the paper... Porsches don't have this lure for me.

So, if I'm spending my 'hard earned', it needs to be more than a vehicle - it needs to be a thing of beauty and passion.

4. Attention - positive attention fine, it's negative attention I dislike :thumbsdow

Again, Porsches, Ferraris and to a large degree modern Lamborghinis attract negative attention and people look at you like you've just driven through - and mowed down - a bunch of school children in their school yard doing 150mph. I love it when people appreciate the car BUT hate it when they judge you because of it.

As I age - and I'm not old :wink - I like being more and more discrete. While the GT is far from a shrinking violet and a wallflower, my feeling is people won't look at it and think 'flash git' or look how much money that poser blew on that car, or something equally judgmental based on what they think the car cost and what kind of person they believe drives them.

 

[nomis]

PS - I looked at 2 GTs today - one was Silver grey (not sure of the official MY06 name - Tungsten perhaps?) and one Heritage and I must say the heritage did look amazing in the metal :eek

 

[Gierkink]

Simon,

1. Price – The list price on the 28 UK cars (out of 101 sent to Europe) was about £124K. I agree with you, the 101 will carry a small future resale premium but it will be small.

2. Roush – I’ll send you a Roush contact when I get your PM.

3. I agree on your Porsche comments.

4. In my experience the GT attracts nothing but positive attention. I’ve had many, many encounters with all ages, both sexes, car enthusiasts, non-enthusiasts and everyone loves the car. The lack of the “look at the dick driving the Ferrari” factor is one of the reasons I enjoy the car so much.

By the way where did you live in Canada? I’m Canadian and grew up in a small town north of Toronto.

Rob

 

[nomis]

By the way where did you live in Canada? I’m Canadian and grew up in a small town north of Toronto.

Rob, I was born in England - moved to Vancouver B.C. when I was 6 and lived there until I was in my late 20's, at which time I moved back to the UK.

My wife is Canadian and when I've retired - or decided that our time in England has come to a natural conclusion - we'll be back in Canada (probably on Vancouver Island). IMHO, Canada is probably one of the best place to live in the world due to the cost and quality of life.

As we have family in both countries, we get the guilt-trip no matter where we live :wink

My wife has/had family living in Fergus Ont. 9is that close to where you grew up?

Simon

 

[Neilda]

Simon,

I've only just picked up this thread as I've been away for a few days on business. I too also live in the Home Counties (Surrey) and would be delighted to share my experiences of buying, owning and driving a GT over here.

Perhaps PM me with your details and we can chat on the phone.... I might even be able to point you at a new GT .

I don't think the 101's (unless they're zero mileage) will attract a meaningful premium either now or in years to come, so I'd be very tempted to go for a brand-new one while you can. I base this on a little experience of other cars that are either 'first editions' or unique in some other way.

The current UK price is hovering at around £145k - I estimate the dealer would make roughly £5k for his efforts in sourcing one and dealing with all the paperwork etc. Don't forget there's VAT and other taxes to pay. You also wouldn't run the risk of being ripped off during the money transfer phase - I know there are ways around this, but there are some unscrupulous people out there!

Whether the price will rise or fall on the GT in the UK would be pure speculation - in 2005 a few were knocking about at £250k, I would guess that they'll fall a little further - but then you might just miss out on one if you waited too long.

There are no issues with the GT in the UK on emissions etc by the way....

Hope this helps.

Neil

 

[Neilda]

By the power of this Forum.....!

Met with Simon today and took him for a drive in the GT - we shall wait to see if he buys one. :biggrin

 

[nomis]

By the power of this Forum.....!

Met with Simon today and took him for a drive in the GT - we shall wait to see if he buys one. :biggrin

What a car :thumbsup

Neil, you're a gentleman and I appreciate your time spent showing me the GT and shared views on ownership; it was a real pleasure to meet you, see the car and have a 'spirited' :wink drive in it.

Seeing the GT and feeling the sheer power and prowess of it on-road, only confirmed my concerns over my lack of emotional response to the 997TT and the reaffirmed my belief that if I'm to buy another car, it needs to have an innate sense of occasion about it.

So tomorrow I hope I'll hear some good news from Roush and then I need to juggle some current cars plans, find the right car, negotiate a fair price, find a seating solution and hopefully let someone else have the pain of shipping, importation, SVA by Roush and anything else that I've forgotten! :willy

Neil, thank you again :cheers