New guy in FL searching for red or silver 05/06


extrap

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 16, 2020
1,751
Gainesville FL
Hi all - Didn't see a place to intro, so here it is: new guy in FL. I saw the '05 GT, in '05, loved it, of course, and my friend's dad bought one new, sold it 4-5 years later I think it was and said, This is the first car I've ever made money on :)

Anyway, now I have the means and decided a month or so ago to search for what's available. I see I missed a good red one on Bring a Trailer. And there are a couple in FL and in the southern quarter of the US. My search is on ...

(I'll delete this if it's in the wrong place, or deserves no place .. if deleting is an option anyway)
 

extrap

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 16, 2020
1,751
Gainesville FL
And with that out of the way, is there any GT expert that could inspect a GT in Florida for me?
 

jaxgt

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Jul 12, 2006
2,794
Maybe Jason Heffner? Not sure if he does PPI.
Alternatively some top out of towners-
GT Guy in Michigan
kendall (cooltechllc) in CA
 
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Specracer

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Nov 28, 2005
7,081
MA
Welcome! you have come to the right place!
 
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Howard

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Apr 26, 2007
1,135
Florida/North Jersey
I can recommend a GT tech in Sarasota, as well as Heffner.
 
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partssmann

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jun 1, 2013
755
Scottsdale, Arizona
Use the search engine on this site to learn all you can. Definitely have a PPI done by a recognized GT technician when you have zeroed in on the GT you want. It required 6 months of searching before I found my GT. Find a good GT and be prepared to pay a fair price. Will have to act fast as dealers and brokers are professionals at buying a good GT before you can even see the car. Here's a PPI form that I developed that can be used to screen a car before you have a professional do a PPI.
 

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Art138

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jan 4, 2011
624
Weston,FL
And with that out of the way, is there any GT expert that could inspect a GT in Florida for me?
Might help if you advise what part of Florida you are in i.e Central,South,West ect.
 
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extrap

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 16, 2020
1,751
Gainesville FL
Maybe Jason Heffner? Not sure if he does PPI.
Alternatively some top out of towners-
GT Guy in Michigan
kendall (cooltechllc) in CA

OK, thanks, I'll check those if nobody closer (y)

Welcome! you have come to the right place!

Thank you! 🍻

I can recommend a GT tech in Sarasota, as well as Heffner.

OK, great, thank you.

Use the search engine on this site to learn all you can. Definitely have a PPI done by a recognized GT technician when you have zeroed in on the GT you want. It required 6 months of searching before I found my GT. Find a good GT and be prepared to pay a fair price. Will have to act fast as dealers and brokers are professionals at buying a good GT before you can even see the car. Here's a PPI form that I developed that can be used to screen a car before you have a professional do a PPI.

Yeah, that's my goal: Membership just approved today, so I'll be scouring the site.

Might help if you advise what part of Florida you are in i.e Central,South,West ect.

N Central .. Gainesville to be specific.
 

extrap

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 16, 2020
1,751
Gainesville FL
Questions occur to me as I search. One GT I'm looking at has only 11 miles on it, all of them I'm looking at have less than 3,000 miles, but I def lean towards no miles. So the main question is: Will an 11-mile GT that's been sitting in A/C since new in 2005, with the motor started and idled from time to time, need anything in order to be roadworthy? Fluids change? Belt? Oil pump? Anything potentially serious that could be wrong just from age? Supercharger related? Or if it starts, idles and runs fine, which this one does, would you feel I'm safe to drive it right out of there after 15 years of pretty much sitting? That's a long time to sit. And while the tires are 15 year old originals, they look new, not dry rotted or anything. But tires can be changed, no biggie. They do keep it on a battery tender 😎😜

Y'all may know of BJ Motors in Houston. They have this 2,800-mile silver '05 that's beautiful in their pics, but they sent me close-ups and it has more little ticky tack flaws than show in the posted pics, which would drive me nuts for this kind of money. On the other hand, if that one runs great since it's had a few miles here and there over the years, maybe it's actually a better candidate than the 11-mile garage queen?

Thanks for any and all help 🍻 I need it!
 
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Specracer

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Nov 28, 2005
7,081
MA
What are your plans? Are you going to drive it at all? an 11 mile car should carry a premium price. If you plan to drive it, that premium will be lost. I personally steer away from "wrapper" cars. I want to be able to drive them. I guess I think ultra low mileage cars should be preserved, because there are people that are in to them, and will pay that premium.

Be patient, dont let your excitement allow to buy a car you wont be happy with. Cars are "out there". You also might want to start a dedicated WTB thread. The red one that sold recently on BaT was a forum members car, and he had it listed here before it went to BaT.

Enjoy the process. Its a heck of a car, and you will enjoy it immensely.
 

KJD

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Dec 21, 2005
1,012
Location, Location
Hey extrap, you found the right place here and you will find your car.

PPI is $ well spent and like Specracer said, take your time and enjoy the hunt.

I also saw your post on Centerpunch's cost thread, he's another great FGT asset .

He's been analyzing prices on and off since at least 2005, even had his own website at one time.

Good luck and welcome!
 
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centerpunch

ex-GT owner x2
Mark II Lifetime
Sep 16, 2005
952
OH/NC
So the main question is: Will an 11-mile GT that's been sitting in A/C since new in 2005, with the motor started and idled from time to time, need anything in order to be roadworthy? Fluids change? Belt? Oil pump? Anything potentially serious that could be wrong just from age?

Here’s a good thread on this issue;

 
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Oct 14, 2009
367
Alberta, Canada
If your gonna drive it, get one with miles on it. That's what I did. If your gonna garage queen it then get the 11 mile car.

QSS
 
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bmoullet

GT Owner
Apr 19, 2006
76
New Smyrna Beach, Florida
A low mile GT will require fresh tires and probably fresh fluids In addition to a general inspection. The low mile GT (non-Heritage) will cost about $50k more than a 3000 to 5000 mile car. You will lose that $50k premium once you start driving it. But you will be the first person to drive the car and you won’t have to worry about it’s previous owners and what they did to the car. If it’s worth $50k to you to drive a “new” GT, then go for it. The flip side is if you find a 3000 mile GT with full ownership history and/or still with the original owner, and it checks out with a full inspection, then you save the premium and you get a great car to drive. Plus depreciation will be minimal depending on how many miles you put on the car. No right or wrong answer as it just depends on what you want and are willing to pay for. As far as dealers, there are several GT experts. You can also call Desneux Motorsports but I personally do not have experience with them. As others have said, get an inspection on the car prior to purchase no matter how many miles on it. The repairs can mount up quickly. Good luck with the search and we look forward to seeing pictures of your new GT when you find it!
 
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steved57

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Mar 29, 2008
1,941
kilgore tx
Welcome to the forum and good luck with/ and have fun on the hunt
 
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extrap

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 16, 2020
1,751
Gainesville FL
What are your plans? Are you going to drive it at all?

I'll def drive it when I want to, although a weekender, not a daily driver at all. Parking lot at work is sun, and I'm not exposing a GT to that every day, whether I get a garage queen or a driver with some mileage.

an 11 mile car should carry a premium price. If you plan to drive it, that premium will be lost.

Yeah, I def understand that, and I'll have to try to balance my desire for zero flaws perfection vs higher cost / higher lost value of a garage queen I then start driving, vs a (should-be) lower cost driver with a few thousand miles. I'm not sure I got all, the vs's right there(!) but you get the idea!

I personally steer away from "wrapper" cars. I want to be able to drive them. I guess I think ultra low mileage cars should be preserved, because there are people that are in to them, and will pay that premium.

Yeah, I understand. I'd like to have that position too. I just hate flaws. I feel like I need to fix 'em! They make me cringe! And yet I wanna drive it! ... which means it's gonna get some flaws! Catch 22! o_O

Be patient, dont let your excitement allow to buy a car you wont be happy with. Cars are "out there". You also might want to start a dedicated WTB thread. The red one that sold recently on BaT was a forum members car, and he had it listed here before it went to BaT.

Enjoy the process. Its a heck of a car, and you will enjoy it immensely.

Thanks! I appreciate the info and opinions 🍻 I'm 51 and feel like I'm at a good balance between enjoying the chase and actually securing the right car I'm after ... another 10-15 years I'm afraid I might be too old to care enough to pull the trigger on one! o_O:)

Hey extrap, you found the right place here and you will find your car.

(y)

PPI is $ well spent and like Specracer said, take your time and enjoy the hunt.

I'm definitely on that path, enjoying the search and learning, as I type here ...

I also saw your post on Centerpunch's cost thread, he's another great FGT asset .

He's been analyzing prices on and off since at least 2005, even had his own website at one time.

I plan to scour that thread and do my own version ASAP. Part of the fun ... I love analysis. Lotta people think that's weird. Oh well, screw 'em, I'm getting a GT and they aren't 😁

Good luck and welcome!

Thank you! 🍻

Here’s a good thread on this issue;


Ah, great! Thanks!

If your gonna drive it, get one with miles on it. That's what I did. If your gonna garage queen it then get the 11 mile car.

QSS

Yeah, not gonna garage queen it. Good advice, thanks.

A low mile GT will require fresh tires and probably fresh fluids In addition to a general inspection. The low mile GT (non-Heritage) will cost about $50k more than a 3000 to 5000 mile car. You will lose that $50k premium once you start driving it. But you will be the first person to drive the car and you won’t have to worry about it’s previous owners and what they did to the car. If it’s worth $50k to you to drive a “new” GT, then go for it. The flip side is if you find a 3000 mile GT with full ownership history and/or still with the original owner, and it checks out with a full inspection, then you save the premium and you get a great car to drive. Plus depreciation will be minimal depending on how many miles you put on the car. No right or wrong answer as it just depends on what you want and are willing to pay for. As far as dealers, there are several GT experts. You can also call Desneux Motorsports but I personally do not have experience with them. As others have said, get an inspection on the car prior to purchase no matter how many miles on it. The repairs can mount up quickly. Good luck with the search and we look forward to seeing pictures of your new GT when you find it!

That is great. That $50K figure is def one thing I was wondering about. As to GTs with some miles, even just anything over 10(!), one other thing I find scary is that I've seen youtube vids where a hack buys an exotic for low $ and pastes it back together for sale. Will I be able to tell?!?!! I 'think' so, but better let an expert tell me.

Welcome to the forum and good luck with/ and have fun on the hunt

Thanks a lot. Glad to be here and super excited to find the right GT, at the right price 🍻

In hindsight, sorry for the long post. I prob shouldn't have quoted everybody at once.
 

dreimer

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Feb 8, 2018
164
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
Good luck in your search! I am a happy new owner (4 months, put >1200 miles on it), but I was intentionally looking for one with a bit of miles. I don't consider things imperfections, I think of them as "patina." :) Everyone is different, so if you like perfect, get the low mileage one. For me, it makes me more relaxed driving it since when I am done, and if I see something, I just attribute it to the prior owner.

BTW - I am in north Florida, so good luck and hope to see in person whatever you eventually end up with.
 
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extrap

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 16, 2020
1,751
Gainesville FL
Good luck in your search! I am a happy new owner (4 months, put >1200 miles on it), but I was intentionally looking for one with a bit of miles. I don't consider things imperfections, I think of them as "patina." :) Everyone is different, so if you like perfect, get the low mileage one. For me, it makes me more relaxed driving it since when I am done, and if I see something, I just attribute it to the prior owner.

BTW - I am in north Florida, so good luck and hope to see in person whatever you eventually end up with.

Ponte Vedra? The 11-mi GT is very near you (y) ... like 7-8 miles

One thing about the 11-mi one ... it's the closest to me. At least for what I find right now. And since I live in college town Gainesville FL which seems to have zero exotics, I'm not likely to find one any closer.

Something occurred to me: With only 4,000 GTs being made total in 05/6, that seems like there'd be very few available, but statistically that's an average of 80 per state. And since they've always been expensive, and now I suppose even collectible, prob nearly all still exist. So there should be some choices out there, in time anyway. In other words, prob no need to jump at the first one.
 

dreimer

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Feb 8, 2018
164
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
Yep, Ponte Vedra. Obviously I won't be allowed to test drive it for you! I'm not an expert anyway, but the folks on this forum are and are very helpful.

I have a daughter at UF in Gainesville, so you might see me there on a visit in the red GT. Definitely not to drop her off or pick her up for the semester though, the GT isn't quite as spacious as our Honda Odyssey.
 
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HighHP

GT Owner
Jun 3, 2019
434
Spokane, WA
Congratulations on your purchase to be, you will enjoy the search. Here is a link to a thread on this forum that should be informative to you.
HAVE FUN !!!!

 
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