What's so hard about driving a Ford GT (rant)


SMOKDU

SMOKDU

GT Owner
Dec 17, 2011
412
I have many times let my family and close friends drive my car and even after telling them to make sure they are in first gear . I grap the shifter before we start and show them the difference between 1st and 3rd. On the first stop they stop they start off in 3rd WTF ? I think I'm done being a nice guy and how hard is this anyway. These people are car guys with stick shift cars that either race or have had fast cars. I just do not understand why this is so hard . Anyone else have friends that have low skills or is it the car? Either way I do not do it . I want others to enjoy the opportunity to drive a GT but I'm losing hope. .
 
I pulled down the dealerships driveway in 3rd, no throttle, babying the clutch, and was wondering why it was struggling.... Oh that's where 1st is.... Never did that again in 11 years....
 
As you do, I make then aware of the unusual location (canted off of center) where first gear is. Additionally I make them use two hands for shifting into reverse.

Most "get it" after these exercises.
 
we won't have this problem with the new GT !! :biggrin
 
STORMCAT said:
we won't have this problem with the new GT !! :biggrin
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Frank may struggle with it!

Ed
 
Ed Sims said:
Frank may struggle with it!

Ed
Click to expand...
Frank will have a problem figuring out how to get in the new car !!
 
1st gear is much harder to find in the GT than any other car or truck I have ever driven. Even after driving the GT for over 10 years, I still wonder sometimes if I really have it in 1st, 3rd, or reverse, and sometimes I put it back in neutral and start over again to make sure it's in 1st before letting out the clutch. The GT is not a daily driver for me, I only drive it occasionally, so muscle memory is not there.

Yes, I can see Frank would have a problem.
 
I don't let anyone drive any of my performance cars anymore. One too many close calls. After nearly being wiped out while I was a passenger in my own Cobra, I decided it was not worth taking the chance.
 
I'm no ace, but zero issues going into the desired gear driving the GT. One major issue is my face hurting from smiling all the way home :lol
 
I understand how newbies screw it up, and I make a major point of walking them through it before they drive. I really hate giving the car to dealership folks (i.e. for airbag recalls) because I feel like they could easily destroy the cutch with one wrong standing start in the parking lot.

All that said, it's very easy once you realize the force difference between putting it in first and putting it in reverse, which is a major difference.

Just push it hard to the left and when it stops go forward. Unless you push it REALLY hard to the left, and feel a noticeable clunk while the shifter moves way over, you're in first, not reverse.

This is not rocket science.
 
So, the first time at Monticello Motor Club, I go out in my car with an instructor. He's going to drive my car first, to show me the line, etc. As he lets out the clutch, and stalls, I say "you do know that you're in 3rd gear". He says "oops". The facility's co-owner, has a GT there, and yet he still started out in 3rd gear!!!
 
I've never had an issue shifting any of my GTs except I have (admittedly) down shifted from 6th to 3rd a couple times. the engine immediately let's you know what you've done.
Let's not even get this thread blown up on the guy who posted the youtube video on how the GT absolutely sucks getting it into reverse. A little extra force needed? sure. which I'm glad for. guess his 2001 Focus was easier getting into reverse than a Ford GT. I'm old and I have no issues with shifting the GTs.
 
When I loaned mine to a buddy for a three day track event at COTA I told him that, when finding first or second, put your hand on the right side of the gear knob, third and fourth put it over the top of the knob, fifth and sixth put it over the left side of the knob. He had no issues
 
2006...went into a dealership that had a GT, made them get the keys so I could just sit in it to see how it felt. Checked out the interior, ways the seat adjusted, liked the wide mirrors, tried the clutch, ran it through the gears to feel the linkage...no problems. I do like the fact that reverse is a double hander, a lot less embarrassing than reverse at a red light.
 
TO AWSUM said:
1st gear is much harder to find in the GT than any other car or truck I have ever driven. Even after driving the GT for over 10 years, I still wonder sometimes if I really have it in 1st, 3rd, or reverse, and sometimes I put it back in neutral and start over again to make sure it's in 1st before letting out the clutch. The GT is not a daily driver for me, I only drive it occasionally, so muscle memory is not there.

Yes, I can see Frank would have a problem.
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I'd like to think that after 10 years and close to 20,000 miles, I know how to drive my car reasonably well. That being said, I still have made a recent mistake or two. I took Rich (GT Guy) for a test drive in my car last year, to sort something out. After we take off, he goes, "um, I think you started in 3rd". Can happen to the best of us, not that that describes me!
 
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STORMCAT said:
Frank will have a problem figuring out how to get in the new car !!
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Hey guys, be easy on Frank. He's never said anything disparaging about anyone of us in the past.....Or has he?
 
Happened to me the first time that I drove the car.
It's not as intuitive as other manuals.
And, I own a Pantera from 1971.
Try out that box!
Mark
 
I had the short throw shifter put in less than a year after purchase by the GTGuys. They fine tuned it. I have been extremely happy these past 11 years and have no problems with MY car. I drove Nardo's red car last summer with the stock shifter and had forgotten what it was like. Felt sloppy to me.

Me, disparaging comments? Surely you jest.
 
fjpikul said:
I had the short throw shifter put in less than a year after purchase by the GTGuys. They fine tuned it. I have been extremely happy these past 11 years and have no problems with MY car. I drove Nardo's red car last summer with the stock shifter and had forgotten what it was like. Felt sloppy to me.

Me, disparaging comments? Surely you jest.
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I have the short throw too (had it done when the car was at the GT Guys before I ever saw it), and have no issues with mixing 1st with 3rd. And a medium slap to the left breaks the gate to reverse. Maybe the shifter makes a difference?
 
twobjshelbys said:
I have the short throw too (had it done when the car was at the GT Guys before I ever saw it), and have no issues with mixing 1st with 3rd. And a medium slap to the left breaks the gate to reverse. Maybe the shifter makes a difference?
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me three! love the short shifter... standard shifter feels awkward.
 
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