Hello + Advice on maintenance/to-do's appreciated

[HIRISC]

Hi all,

After way too long trying to decide between a Gallardo, R8v10, Scuderia, ZR1, and FGT, the (now obvious) answer became clear (supported by a high five from my wonderful wife)...

I'm buying a gal ('05) from one of the board sponsors and would like some advice on maintenance/other items I might want them to check before she's put on the transport.

• Basic maintenance things come to mind such as oil/filter, clutch and brake fluid change, etc., but I'm also wondering if there are other checks that I need to be mindful of, ie half shaft bolts?
• Any 'upgrades' such as trans cooler, different brake pads/fluid, etc. that are very commonly done?

(I have searched around, but no thread I could find really answered these).

I've been lurking on here for some time and am happy to be joining the club.

I'll post more info/pics when she arrives.

Thanks in advance for the assist.

Chris

 

[KJD]

Welcome aboard!

Here are some good references:

http://www.fordgtforum.com/forums/showthread.php?14197-General-tips-for-new-owners

http://www.fordgtforum.com/forums/showthread.php?864-Tech-Threads-FAQ

Others will chime in re: common/preferred upgrades. There are many!

 

[MNJason]

PM sent

 

[tmcphail]

I can help you out as a board source for OEM Parts or if you need more power with a pulley and tune package.

 

[ppr2803]

Hello,

I have the same question as Chris above. I just purchased an 05 with 171 miles on the clock. The first thing that comes to mind are all the fluids and belts. Would appreciate your inputs.

Thank you very much in advance!

 

[tmcphail]

Email me I can outline it. torrie@fastpartsnetwork.com

 

[MNJason]

All fluids would be a good start. New tires would be next. Air filter too.

 

[jaxgt]

If you purchased from Shelby/Elite - I know his shop can do all maintenance right on site. I would pay them to change all fluids if not already done.

Hi all,

After way too long trying to decide between a Gallardo, R8v10, Scuderia, ZR1, and FGT, the (now obvious) answer became clear (supported by a high five from my wonderful wife)...

I'm buying a gal ('05) from one of the board sponsors and would like some advice on maintenance/other items I might want them to check before she's put on the transport.

• Basic maintenance things come to mind such as oil/filter, clutch and brake fluid change, etc., but I'm also wondering if there are other checks that I need to be mindful of, ie half shaft bolts?
• Any 'upgrades' such as trans cooler, different brake pads/fluid, etc. that are very commonly done?

(I have searched around, but no thread I could find really answered these).

I've been lurking on here for some time and am happy to be joining the club.

I'll post more info/pics when she arrives.

Thanks in advance for the assist.

Chris

 

[ppr2803]

My car is in Edison, NJ. Any GT specialist in the area? Thank you.

 

[GTFUN]

All fluids would be a good start. New tires would be next. Air filter too.

When I bought my car it had the Goodyear F1's..
There were times where the car would "get loose" going around corners and fishtail..

At that time, I thought it was the car and not the tires. Granted they were old rubber and probably the original tires but after replacing them with Bridgestones, it was like a different car.

I have never "gotten loose" even once.

I would do all my upgrades now too ( if you plan on them ).
Shelby changed the exaust, did the bumper delete, pulley & tune, powder coated the wheels, painted the motor, etc.

I say bang it all out now if it is within your budget to do so.. That includes the Whipple

 

[Fubar]

You've got the right idea. Good maintenance will keep the car happy, a happy car will keep you ecstatic. I would mention that sometimes these cars have a gauge failure issue. The general consensus is that flaky power causes the problem but no one has been able to truly identify the cause. The best advice I can give on this is to make sure the battery is kept on a tender when the car is not used regularly. Also make sure the ground wire from the battery to the chasy has a good connection. The ground connection is probably the more important of the two suggestions.

If you do not track the car, the transmission cooler is not necessary. I would not add power until your accustomed to the car in it's stock form. Be very careful as this beast has no nannies (traction control or stability control) to protect you from yourself.500+ hp with the motor in the back means it can come around you quick. All you can do is pray nothing stops you abruptly.

Welcome to your new family.

 

[HIRISC]

Welcome aboard!

Here are some good references:

http://www.fordgtforum.com/forums/showthread.php?14197-General-tips-for-new-owners

http://www.fordgtforum.com/forums/showthread.php?864-Tech-Threads-FAQ

Others will chime in re: common/preferred upgrades. There are many!

Thank you for those links/info.

PM sent

Didn't get a PM if you sent it Jason. I've seen your gal at Cars & Coffee.. looks awesome! We'll have to compare notes sometime.

I can help you out as a board source for OEM Parts or if you need more power with a pulley and tune package.

Thanks Torrie. She has a pulley (Ford) and tune. I'll PM you after I get her to see if there is more in her with that diameter pulley and 'your' tune.

If you purchased from Shelby/Elite - I know his shop can do all maintenance right on site. I would pay them to change all fluids if not already done.

Thanks!

When I bought my car it had the Goodyear F1's..
There were times where the car would "get loose" going around corners and fishtail..

At that time, I thought it was the car and not the tires. Granted they were old rubber and probably the original tires but after replacing them with Bridgestones, it was like a different car.

I have never "gotten loose" even once.

I would do all my upgrades now too ( if you plan on them ).
Shelby changed the exaust, did the bumper delete, pulley & tune, powder coated the wheels, painted the motor, etc.

I say bang it all out now if it is within your budget to do so.. That includes the Whipple

Thanks for the info re tires. I haven't seen her in person, but I believe she has new/er shoes. Re the Whipple, I'm going to drive her for a while with the pulley/tune first and then decide if more power (for me) is needed.

You've got the right idea. Good maintenance will keep the car happy, a happy car will keep you ecstatic. I would mention that sometimes these cars have a gauge failure issue. The general consensus is that flaky power causes the problem but no one has been able to truly identify the cause. The best advice I can give on this is to make sure the battery is kept on a tender when the car is not used regularly. Also make sure the ground wire from the battery to the chasy has a good connection. The ground connection is probably the more important of the two suggestions.

If you do not track the car, the transmission cooler is not necessary. I would not add power until your accustomed to the car in it's stock form. Be very careful as this beast has no nannies (traction control or stability control) to protect you from yourself.500+ hp with the motor in the back means it can come around you quick. All you can do is pray nothing stops you abruptly.

Welcome to your new family.

Thanks Fubar for that info/insight. So noted re the power. I'll be leaning into the power slowly with her. I have a Z06 (with both stability/traction control nannies) and a Factory Five 'Cobra' (with none), but the new gal will be respected as an individual

:thumbsup

Any other insights/tips from anyone appreciated!

 

[RPM217]

The best "tip" I can offer is to drive it as much as you can, all that will do is put smiles and miles on, and if you bought it to look at, you'll be missing the best part of "ownership". I've had my car a little more than a year and have put 7,000 miles on!!

 

[The Grey Ghost]

Haven't seen anyone mention the oil pump belt yet.

With that low of mileage and the age of the belt, I would recommend replacement based on what I've read here on the forums.

Jeff

 

[paul b]

With a low mileage 05, perhaps an oil pump belt replacement.

 

[Empty Pockets]

There are other things to consider besides maintenance. 'Didn't read all the posts nor the links, so, if these have already been mentioned - so be it!

- The 'factory' tires will not grip well below 60F. The colder, the 'worser'! Drive your GT like it's a VW bus in cold temps.

- If you parallel park the car, always add about one foot to the distance you THINK you are from the curb. (When you get out and check afterward, you'll see why I suggested it!)

- Remember when backing up that the rear defuser WILL hit any 'invisible' low object before the tires do! Ditto the chin spoiler when approaching parking lot 'bump stops' or whatever.

- Speaking of hitting things, always approach a 'grade change' (such as transitioning from the street to a 'steepish' driveway) at as big an angle as you can to avoid grinding the chin spoiler into the pavement. (There's about 2-1/2 feet of front overhang to deal with.)

- When changing lanes, always assume there's a 'gawker' sitting in the blind spot off your rear qtr - 'cause 99% of the time there will be. Tap down on the accererator ('gives you an instant 'car length' on the other guy before he can do anything about it), THEN signal for the lane change, THEN change lanes. That proceedure should prevent paint exchanges.

- Always remember that 40% of the roof comes with the door when you open it! Open the door a full 90 degrees before getting in or out of the car or you WILL whack your head on the door! And always warn your passengers about that too...not that it'll usually do any good.


Some last thoughts: prepare to become a rock star every time the car comes to a stop...or to become Custer at the Little Big Horn depending on how you look at it. Prepare to have cameras going off in your direction whether stopped or underway. Expect to see the occasional rear-ender occur around you. Plan on 15-20 minute gas stops (you'll see what I mean). Expect many meals to be cold by the time you finish them (again, you'll see what I mean!). Expect to hear "What kinda car IS that?" a lot...followed by, "How much did it cost?"...and usually, "What do you do for a living."

Congrats and welcome to our little zoo!

 

[MNJason]

Sent you an email. I can't PM.

 

[Kayvan]

Wow, no one mentioned 3rd gear.

Dont start in 3rd gear; will kill clutch. Most new owners think 1st gear is straight forward. Its off center, slide forward.

The shifter is spring loaded, so you will feel a ratchet as you go fwd into 1st gear.



If the Forum sponsor is not equipped to do fluid changes; ask for references for a local Ford dealer with SVT Certified Tech, who has worked on multiple GTs.

Sounds like it needs all fluids: brake, clutch, coolant, transaxle, oil, airfilter, oil-filter, fuel filter.

Keep in mind lots of these fluids are synthetic and system capacities easy go up to 10 unit/ea. and drain/bleed process takes time, so $$ cost for full fluid is not small & worth it.

Read all threads on FAQs for new owners. Even practice in large parking lot; esp, turns, reverse, etc.

 

[Apollo]

Welcome and congratulations! You are going to enjoy this car like no other.:thumbsup

 

[HIRISC]

The best "tip" I can offer is to drive it as much as you can, all that will do is put smiles and miles on, and if you bought it to look at, you'll be missing the best part of "ownership". I've had my car a little more than a year and have put 7,000 miles on!!

I definitely plan on driving her.. though, in MN the season's a bit short.

There are other things to consider besides maintenance. 'Didn't read all the posts nor the links, so, if these have already been mentioned - so be it!

- The 'factory' tires will not grip well below 60F. The colder, the 'worser'! Drive your GT like it's a VW bus in cold temps.

- If you parallel park the car, always add about one foot to the distance you THINK you are from the curb. (When you get out and check afterward, you'll see why I suggested it!)

- Remember when backing up that the rear defuser WILL hit any 'invisible' low object before the tires do! Ditto the chin spoiler when approaching parking lot 'bump stops' or whatever.

- Speaking of hitting things, always approach a 'grade change' (such as transitioning from the street to a 'steepish' driveway) at as big an angle as you can to avoid grinding the chin spoiler into the pavement. (There's about 2-1/2 feet of front overhang to deal with.)

- When changing lanes, always assume there's a 'gawker' sitting in the blind spot off your rear qtr - 'cause 99% of the time there will be. Tap down on the accererator ('gives you an instant 'car length' on the other guy before he can do anything about it), THEN signal for the lane change, THEN change lanes. That proceedure should prevent paint exchanges.

- Always remember that 40% of the roof comes with the door when you open it! Open the door a full 90 degrees before getting in or out of the car or you WILL whack your head on the door! And always warn your passengers about that too...not that it'll usually do any good.


Some last thoughts: prepare to become a rock star every time the car comes to a stop...or to become Custer at the Little Big Horn depending on how you look at it. Prepare to have cameras going off in your direction whether stopped or underway. Expect to see the occasional rear-ender occur around you. Plan on 15-20 minute gas stops (you'll see what I mean). Expect many meals to be cold by the time you finish them (again, you'll see what I mean!). Expect to hear "What kinda car IS that?" a lot...followed by, "How much did it cost?"...and usually, "What do you do for a living."

Congrats and welcome to our little zoo!

Thanks, and thanks very much for those insights!

Wow, no one mentioned 3rd gear.

Dont start in 3rd gear; will kill clutch. Most new owners think 1st gear is straight forward. Its off center, slide forward.

The shifter is spring loaded, so you will feel a ratchet as you go fwd into 1st gear.

If the Forum sponsor is not equipped to do fluid changes; ask for references for a local Ford dealer with SVT Certified Tech, who has worked on multiple GTs.

Sounds like it needs all fluids: brake, clutch, coolant, transaxle, oil, airfilter, oil-filter, fuel filter.

Keep in mind lots of these fluids are synthetic and system capacities easy go up to 10 unit/ea. and drain/bleed process takes time, so $$ cost for full fluid is not small & worth it.

Read all threads on FAQs for new owners. Even practice in large parking lot; esp, turns, reverse, etc.

Thanks. She's got > 5K on her and has had the fluids changed recently by a very qualified shop.. I'll have to find a local place to help take care of her henceforward.

Welcome and congratulations! You are going to enjoy this car like no other.:thumbsup

I'm very excited (understatement of the week).




PS, Jason, got your email.. responded.. Thanks.