Ford GT buying tips

[skyrex]

Well, I am taking the plunge and buying a GT. I have three that I am looking at and all are 06 Tungsten colored. I realize it is one of the most common colors but it is the one I like the best. I have been doing research for three months watching listings and my question relates to the disparity in asking prices for the GT's. One 06 I am looking at has 3662 miles ask 169K. Another 6014 miles 166K. Finally 8200 miles 159K. Also I noticed these prices are lower than some of the other colors of GT's, even lower than some of the '05's. Is this because of the common color? Should I stick with the lowest miles possible? Finally how close to asking price do these cars normally go? Looking to buy in the next month so any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[junior]

I always felf that interviewing the owner of the car is as important-if not more important-then the car itself. It's all about how the previous owner treated his/her car. As far as price, the car (or any car for that matter) is worth what you are willing to pay for it. Best of luck :thumbsup

 

[Empty Pockets]

'Just one guy's opinion, but, I'd pay a few more bux & go with the lowest mileage car DEPENDING ON HOW IT CHECKS OUT. And I'd have a pro do THAT. (What junior said is a part of that "check out".)

That said, if you're actually planing to put a lot of miles on it, the diff between a 3,500 mile car and a 6,500 mile car "price wise" can literally disappear in a month. 'Cause then your 3,500 mile car could BE the 6,500 mile car you just paid more money to "pass up, if you see what I mean.

In the end it all depends on where your head (and wallet) is at.

(You ALSO might want to see which car as the greater amount of WARANTY left. That could make a diff in either price, or desireability, or both. 'Just something else to think about... and you NEEDED that, right? :lol )

 

[skyrex]

Planning to drive it probably 1500-2000 miles a year. Not sure if that constitutes a lot in the GT world. I want to enjoy it not put it on a shelf. I would rather spend a bit more if it means a better car. All three cars are at high end resale dealers. Would a Ford dealership be the people to have the car looked at by? Extending the warranty a good idea? Thanks for the info and any advice is appreciated.

 

[jimbo1]

In my browsing around for GTs over the past 6 months, I have seen that the cars with miles are alot cheaper. I think I know the cars you are talking about. The car with 3662 miles on it is in Florida and I was told by the seller/dealer that the car has had paint work, which is enough for me not to buy it. The 8200 mile car is the one that was for sale on ebay with stamp out smoking stickers all over it and was used for rallys and things like that. It is now for sale in the chicago area I believe without the stickers on it and its missing the side strips but has top stripes. If memory serves, I believe that car is also missing the upgraded radio. The 6014 mile car is also in Chicago for sale. If I am correct, its the one that has had the radio swapped out for an aftermarket job. Anyone of these cars could be a great car. They all just left me still looking. Maybe I am just one of those tire kickers that dealers hate? lol

Jim

 

[Empty Pockets]

Planning to drive it probably 1500-2000 miles a year. Not sure if that constitutes a lot in the GT world. I want to enjoy it not put it on a shelf. I would rather spend a bit more if it means a better car. All three cars are at high end resale dealers. Would a Ford dealership be the people to have the car looked at by? Extending the warranty a good idea? Thanks for the info and any advice is appreciated.

No extended warranty worth anything is available. (If there were, Ford would have it.)

"The GT Guys" (in Mich.) would pbly be THEE guys to do an inspection. They know these cars inside & out. They'd find ANY pblm humanly possible to find if one existed. The average Ford dealer just wouldn't have anyone anywhere near as experienced as these guys (for a whole host of logical reasons).

 

[B O N Y]

Mr. Pockets is correct. Besides THE GT GUYS, GT TECH or SHADOWMAN would be qualified to check the car. A PPI (pre purchase inspection) is a must. This includes dropping the belly pans, alignment rack, engine leak down test, visual inspection.

Would you buy a home without tittle search, home inspection?

Typical inspection costs should be $350-$500 plus travel and per diem expenses. Cheap insurance. We are seeing issues surface now as cars change hands. Many of them are kept of the forum for obvious reasons.

Remember if a car is crashed, and the repair is not paid for by an insurance company it will NOT show up on CARFAX.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Bony's right. "Six of one, half dozen of the other" 'far as any of these guys go!

'Suggested just The GT Guys only 'cause I got the impression (from the supposed Chicago location of 2 of the cars) skyrex pbly lives right in the GT Guy's backyard...or at LEAST lives on the "right coast" somewhere.

 

[skyrex]

The miami one was the one I was leaning towards. Thanks for the info on the paint. I saw the smoking one on ebay also and it looked terrible. Did not realize they just dumped the stickers on that one and listed it again. Inspection seems the way to go. I have had several high end cars but this is my first experience with a car that was such a limited run so I am naturally cautious. When I see the ones with higher miles I worry that they have been used for those rental programs. I went to one last year where we got to drive Ferrari's, Lambo's, etc.. The car I was most interested in driving was the GT but someone had wrecked it the week before and they had a replacement car at the event. If a car has been used in a rental program will it show up on the carfax?

 

[skyrex]

California guy by the way. None of the GT's are local that I am looking at. Nothing in my area appeals to me.

 

[shelbyelite]

I have come across rental cars for sale before but carfax never said anything about it being a rental. May show up as a commercial vehicle, but I have had many cars that are definatly not rental vehicles show up that way. Alot of people title them in there business name for right off purposes.....

Best thing to do is ask every question you can think of. If you have the means to get an inspection, DO IT. Also, if it seems to good to be true, alot of times it is. If a GT is priced below market value, just be a little more cautious as alot of times there is a reason for that, BUT not always. Deals pop up from time to time. Best of luck on your GT hunt and if there is anything we can help you with, give us a call. We specialize in the ford GT, but there are a few other great dealers out there selling them also. :cheers

 

[nota4re]

I can help you with an inspection if you're looking at a SoCal car.

 

[skyrex]

One more question. (Well maybe not the last question, but one more for the moment) I have noticed a lot of upgrades available through reading the Forum the last few months and the long term test of the GT on edmunds.com. Does changing the car from stock have a negative effect on the resale price like it does with some other high end cars? I like the idea of a couple of things I have read that can be done to the car but do not want to adversely affect the value of the car.

 

[gtjim]

I have come across rental cars for sale before but carfax never said anything about it being a rental. May show up as a commercial vehicle, but I have had many cars that are definatly not rental vehicles show up that way. Alot of people title them in there business name for right off purposes.....

Best thing to do is ask every question you can think of. If you have the means to get an inspection, DO IT. Also, if it seems to good to be true, alot of times it is. If a GT is priced below market value, just be a little more cautious as alot of times there is a reason for that, BUT not always. Deals pop up from time to time. Best of luck on your GT hunt and if there is anything we can help you with, give us a call. We specialize in the ford GT, but there are a few other great dealers out there selling them also. :cheers

In my humble opinion, if you don't have the means to do a pre-purchase inspection you should reconsider the purchase as you might not have the means for the car. Period. That is unless you're a big gambler ... or just plan on beating the crap out of it anyway (in that case take the cheapest).

 

[nota4re]

Does changing the car from stock have a negative effect on the resale price like it does with some other high end cars?

I couldn't agree with Junior more. Buying a used car is at least as much about the owner as it is the car itself. That said, just about every mod is esaily reversible and most owners are keeping the OEM parts for this reason. A supercharger or pulley upgrade kit already done on a nice, low mileage car with a mature owner, wouldn't bother me. The same goes for an aftermarket exhaust.... there's nothing wrong with losing 40+lbs from the rear of the car while improving the sound!

#1 - Interview the owner and make sure you are comfortable with him/her. As for mods, see if the owner has retained the take-off parts which gives you more flexibility in the future.

Make sure an inspection includes a good look underneath and preferably removal of the rear pans.

 

[jdoc7]

I agree a PPI is important but is not the end all be all on the condition of a car. In fact, unless it was inspected by a truely qualified GT tech ie. Shadowman, Nota4re, or the GT Guys, I would take the inspection with a grain of salt. IF you are not mechanically inclined, by all means do your homework on a particular car. I have had the best results with used vehicles, when actually meeting and talking to the current owner, which may or may not be possible when buying from a dealer.

 

[B O N Y]

Please, I don't want to insult you, talking to someone is nice, but a PPI is everything.
Your talking a $160k+ toy. I have seen FGT's that already have major issues.
Each to his own. I would be happy with a salvage car that passes my PPI.

 

[B O N Y]

Kendall,
Please define exactly what you do when commissioned to accomplish a PPI on a FGT.
In our Ferrari would we have clear defined procedures.
I am interested in your take.
Cheers,
daniel

 

[skyrex]

I am not very mechanically inclined. I know the basics but I would not touch a car with a tool. I know my limitations. All service for my cars is done by someone in the know. My decisions on cars in the past have been made through a visual inspection and research. Test drives to me are a little overrated unless you get the car for a couple of days (which will never happen with cars like this) because you really can't get a feel for all of the capabilities of a car in a such a short period of time. Buy it, drive it, and if you don't like it be glad for the experience, sell it and move on to the next car. I have bought a half a dozen sports cars and had them shipped to me with just photos and a third party inspection and it worked out well. However I can see when you take the next step from an 60-70K Viper or NSX to 160K plus GT that you are entering another level of car buying and more caution is necessary.

It seems like there are very few inspection options who know these cars well and that is the best thing I have learned today. Maybe I will get lucky and my search will take me to a car near one of these experts named because I would be leery of using someone else. I agree with Bony that I would like to know what a PPI involves.

I am not discouraged, but I am realizing there is going to be a lot more to this than in my previous car purchase/ownership experiences. Just sold a couple cars to get ready for this and it is hard not to get excited about getting the car here and starting the enjoyment part.

Thanks to all the posts from the great members of this Forum. That to me is definitely a good sign about purchasing a GT. :thumbsup

 

[B O N Y]

I know what I think a PPI must include...
I have covered many of the items I would demand if I was contracting for one.
Personally, I don't need to talk to anyone, just have the car inspected and see copies of the service records.