I am an enthusiast and a long time admirer of the first generation GT’s. I have read several posts and met a few GT owners that have really been helpful on things to look for and I am very happy to have met them and listen to their guidance. If I’m able to purchase one, it is my intention to have it for a long time and enjoy it as well, putting some miles on it each year. I am OCD about my current cars and would treat this car with the same respect it deserves. I have spoke with a few dealers and they don’t have the complete maintenance history of their cars so it always makes me unsettled. As I purchase one I would first and foremost have it serviced completely and what’s nice. I was provided a nice document for service items to perform. I am in search of an 05 or 06 with all four options if possible. In the color of red and tungsten gray for 06. I am holding out for the right car with good maintenance and low ownership history. My name is Doug Perry and I live in Columbus, Ohio. If needed my phone number is 614-203-1272. Thank you to the people of this forum for providing such great information and people.
First Gen Cars.
- Thread starter YenkoGuy
- Start date
twobjshelbys
GT Owner
Under 2500 is a garage queen and if you put miles on it you're just throwing money away. look for something with 5k to 10k or even more if it's been meticulously maintained. the 2500 version will need some standing still services too that a 10k mile car won't. 10 years ago the magic line was 5k for "driven" car. that was 10 years ago... 10k gets you a nicely sorted out car you won't be afraid to put more miles on
And unlike ferraris don't be afraid of one with 20k or 30k. get it right and get a paint correction and film and it will look new.
And unlike ferraris don't be afraid of one with 20k or 30k. get it right and get a paint correction and film and it will look new.
I definitely will do needed maintenance right away. I was told trailing arm bolts need replaced asap. I will most likely put 500 miles on it per year.
The sad truth is that most GT's are not driven very much <500-1000 mi per year and, as such, maintenance records may seem sparse. Quite frankly there's not a lot of maintenance that can/should be done in GTs that are predominately not driven. In summary, if you're looking at a <2500 mi car, despite it being almost 20 years old (gulp!), you may not have a lot of service records.
What I advise new owners to do, however, is to get a good/fresh start with maintenance to get the car up to par. Once you've done this initial "baselining", the GT will require very little moving forward.
What I advise new owners to do, however, is to get a good/fresh start with maintenance to get the car up to par. Once you've done this initial "baselining", the GT will require very little moving forward.
ByeEnzo
GT
ByeEnzo
GT
Follow this….thank me later…
You gotta decide what your real goal is…end user or speculator. Buying a 2500 mile car that’s 20 years old is counterintuitive to someone who wants to drive the car. My car turned 20 in Feb 2025. I’m the original owner with 63k miles. Drove to dinner with my wife Fri night and to work today.
69b302
GT Owner
A four option car is nice, but the McIntosh option is kinda a waste IMO. The best music, is the sound of the car(with a performance exhaust) and you get a storage bin in place of the subwoofer. The GT does not have much storage space, no glove box, no opening console. Good luck in your search!
twobjshelbys
GT Owner
The gt McIntosh is the only stereo I could play comfortably numb at full volume without the speakers and amp going into overdrive
All great information and opinions. My end goal is to own the car long term…..heck I still own my dad’s Hemi car. I am OCD with maintenance and want to keep a thoroughbred in peak condition mechanically and cosmetically. I hope to find a private seller I am not keen on dealers .
DakotaGT
GT Owner
It’s a nice 36K mile driver with 1 repaint. Red with white interior 70 Hemi Cuda. Good memories with my dad for sure.Gonna need more deets on that Hemi car you mentioned.
DakotaGT
GT Owner
Fantastic! Are you on instagram or is there any place where photos of that can be seen? Along with Fords, I too love vintage Mopars.
I am on a honor flight for veterans to Washington DC today. It’s a honor to be a guardian for our vets.
PeteK
GT Owner
I was wondering whether you had any Yenkos given your user name. Congrats. And from your last message, I extrapolate that you also are a veteran. Thanks for your service.
I have 90,000 miles on my 2005. Only regular maintenance required. Hell, I'm even still on the original brake pads (but a half dozen sets of rear tires). There are two guys with 150,000 miles. I think they have replaced an alternator or AC pump or something like that, but minor stuff you would expect for wear and tear. As others have mentioned, the cars that don't get driven regularly have more issues than those that do. Without regular use, seals and hoses get dry and leak, brake rotors and other parts corrode, belts get stiff and crack, etc.
Bottom line: don't shy away from a car with more miles. One with 20,000 or more miles and good service records is a great car because you won't overpay for the low miles premium. The downside is that cars with more miles don't come up for sale often, because their owners love driving them.
Next, since you are in Columbus, you are near The GT Guy (Rich Brooks). He's in Southern Michigan. You should get to know him and have a PPI done by him on the car you plan to buy. He was a tech on the original Ford GT development program. Here's an article from Hagerty:
www.hagerty.com
Last, spend some time going through the threads in this Forum. The search tool on the Forum doesn't work very well, so most of us use Google or Duck Duck Go or an AI chatbot to search for stuff. Then ask questions.
I have 90,000 miles on my 2005. Only regular maintenance required. Hell, I'm even still on the original brake pads (but a half dozen sets of rear tires). There are two guys with 150,000 miles. I think they have replaced an alternator or AC pump or something like that, but minor stuff you would expect for wear and tear. As others have mentioned, the cars that don't get driven regularly have more issues than those that do. Without regular use, seals and hoses get dry and leak, brake rotors and other parts corrode, belts get stiff and crack, etc.
Bottom line: don't shy away from a car with more miles. One with 20,000 or more miles and good service records is a great car because you won't overpay for the low miles premium. The downside is that cars with more miles don't come up for sale often, because their owners love driving them.
Next, since you are in Columbus, you are near The GT Guy (Rich Brooks). He's in Southern Michigan. You should get to know him and have a PPI done by him on the car you plan to buy. He was a tech on the original Ford GT development program. Here's an article from Hagerty:
GT Whisperer: The Michigan shop keeping Ford’s supercars on the boil - Hagerty Media
If your 2005–06 or 2017–20 Ford GT needs anything beyond a lube job, Brooks’s GT Garage in rural southeast Michigan is your go-to destination.
www.hagerty.com
Last, spend some time going through the threads in this Forum. The search tool on the Forum doesn't work very well, so most of us use Google or Duck Duck Go or an AI chatbot to search for stuff. Then ask questions.
I’m just going homeLooking forward to those gen 1 F-body pics.
i have heard about Rich Brooks. A guy in Columbus is good friends with Rich. I plan to ask him to help if possibleI was wondering whether you had any Yenkos given your user name. Congrats. And from your last message, I extrapolate that you also are a veteran. Thanks for your service.
I have 90,000 miles on my 2005. Only regular maintenance required. Hell, I'm even still on the original brake pads (but a half dozen sets of rear tires). There are two guys with 150,000 miles. I think they have replaced an alternator or AC pump or something like that, but minor stuff you would expect for wear and tear. As others have mentioned, the cars that don't get driven regularly have more issues than those that do. Without regular use, seals and hoses get dry and leak, brake rotors and other parts corrode, belts get stiff and crack, etc.
Bottom line: don't shy away from a car with more miles. One with 20,000 or more miles and good service records is a great car because you won't overpay for the low miles premium. The downside is that cars with more miles don't come up for sale often, because their owners love driving them.
Next, since you are in Columbus, you are near The GT Guy (Rich Brooks). He's in Southern Michigan. You should get to know him and have a PPI done by him on the car you plan to buy. He was a tech on the original Ford GT development program. Here's an article from Hagerty:
GT Whisperer: The Michigan shop keeping Ford’s supercars on the boil - Hagerty Media
If your 2005–06 or 2017–20 Ford GT needs anything beyond a lube job, Brooks’s GT Garage in rural southeast Michigan is your go-to destination.
Last, spend some time going through the threads in this Forum. The search tool on the Forum doesn't work very well, so most of us use Google or Duck Duck Go or an AI chatbot to search for stuff. Then ask questions.
I do have some Yenko Camaros.
67 Nantucket Blue with Red deluxe interior with rally sport purchased from the original owner with 7,252 original miles fully documented.
68 Matador Red rally sport with black standard interior fully documented.
69 Olympic Gold with white stripes and black standard interior fully documented.