oyuki

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Supporting the Economy

I am about to scoot off to visit local Ford dealership to shop for a new car. Well actually to possibly buy what I want since talked with salesman last night, trolled through the nationwide inventory on computer, and found in stock a car pretty darn close to what I want without doing a special order.

The Shelby SVT GT500 Mustang is just way out of my price range with a $25,000 mark-up. Delearship had a bright red GT500 convertible on showroom floor marked at $72,000. Eeekk! Makes the two GTs parked next to it almost a steal at $166,000 each, almost. Recently had talked with a guy who owns a 1968 GT350 convertible and he wont buy a GT500 unless they come off that mark-up. Hey Ford are you listening?

So now going to talk, dicker, and finagle with them over a 2007 Mustang GT California Special Edition coupe. Since am a blue kinda person [as in true blue and not Democratic blue] and the version only comes in two colors, one of them being Vista Blue; you can imagine my choice. It also helps it sits lower on bright polished five-spoke 18s and there is this big chrome racing mustang centered in the reworked grill between the fog lights and headlights. I am going with a 5-speed manual transmission, consider me a throwback but a sports car is not a sports car if the car shifts for you.

What I find really interesting is comparing some stats of this Mustang with what I want to trade in. I presently have a fully paid 2000 Pontiac Firebird, V6 and automatic transmission. Pumping about 190 horsepower. This Mustang puts out 300 horsepower. My Firebird gets 27 mpg highway while this Mustang is rated at 25 mpg highway. Some are probably going so? You just lost two miles per gallon. So? Think back to the previously mentioned GT350 or one of the legendary 'Cudas; those behemoths might get 10mpg when idling. The technological leaps we have made with the Otto-cycle motor in the past few decades has been staggering. We now have fuel-efficient muscle cars running the streets. Even the new GT500 gets 21mpg highway.

So anyway, off to the dealership. I plan to have fun even if I dont finally bite and buy.

Update
Well after 3.5 hours, I am officially in debt to Ford. Yes I did purchase the Mustang. Was not too bad of an experience, I stayed relaxed. Though it did help I went in already knowing what I wanted. And as the salesman scrambled to search through the computer for the vehicle again, I borrowed his 2007 model year reference book to build my Mustang how I would want it as a way to pass the time. The additional research paid off. The Mustang I take possesion of Monday has the interior upgrade package which has an instrument cluster with two more gauges, the stock cluster actually tells you more with more idiot lights. So got $460 knocked off there. Also I just wanted a radio that played CDs and MP3s, well this Mustang came with Shaker 500 with a six month Sirius subscription. Another $195 knocked off. Was on a roll until I blew the savings by getting quarter-window scoops for $478. I know, fastback Mustangs have limited rear quarter visibility and I just blocked it all off; but after driving a Firebird with the seemingly four foot wide B-pillars I am used to no visibility there.

So Monday I will have a Vista Blue Mustang GT California Special that will look like a modern 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500 but not at the $70,000+ price tag of the new GT500s. Now to get the dealership to paint the white racing stripes on hood and roof, then it would truly look like a GT500. All for $30,000. My insurance company will also like the price difference along with active anti-theft system, locking lug nuts, keyless entry, and the VIN etched in all the glass.

Oh one little thing to note. I am buying this vehicle at the end of the month so my note comes due at the end of each month. Finance guy was wondering if I wanted to delay the payment by a few days to align with begining of the month, it would only cost $1 a month more. Interest he explained for the extra days. I declined. Got to watch these people.

Yet another update
Perhaps did not watch them close enough. I have found a $180 discrepancy. They got some explaining to do before I accept delivery.

5 comments:

Dionne said...

Congrats on the new car!!

And thanks for your help with the libs on my blog :-).

Anonymous said...

OMG Anna, you are amazing!!!!
Sounds like you know more about the cars than those sales dudes WTG girl! Heck you know more about cars than anybody else I know.
I'm so glad you finally got your dream car, wooohooo CONGRATULATIONS! (:

Anna said...

Thank you LMC for the kind words, jsut trying to help out where I can.

Najia, I delude myself into thinking I know what I am doing.

The story with this deal just keeps going. It seems, somehow, between Saturday afternoon when I was signing paperwork and Monday morning when the Mustang was supposed to arrive, the dealership that did have the Mustang suddenly found a buyer while not telling the salesguy I was working with. This is the story told to me.

But they did find another Mustang close to what I want. While perusing the build sheets found I had missed a couple things on the Mustang I had signed for. It has the comfort group that includes heated seats, what am I frigid or something? Almost $600 there for heaters I won't plan to use. Also missed the $100 charge for the 3.55:1 transaxel. Oppps. New Mustang has all the previously mentioned items and side air-bags. But since I had already signed paperwork saying what the price would be, this $400 option came free while probably helping lower my insurance bill a few dollars more.

The real trick will be, will this one arrive? One we found Friday night vanished. Then the one I signed for on Saturday got sold out from under dealership. Now on Mustang #3 and I am somewhat fearful to ask: what next?

Stay tuned. :)

Anonymous said...

Oh dear! Sounds like they might have found some dimwit to sell it to for a higher price minus the goodies you wanted. Watch out for those cons. You should really proceed with a hidden camera on you just in case they try to scam you.

Anna said...

Well I did accept delivery of my Mustang today. At last, I say again at last.

The adventure still is not over. Salesman opened the driver door and as I peer in what do I see? A fresh coffee stain on the new dove gray leather of driver seat. Point this out and he goes scurrying for rags to clean it up, almost have Biff flashbacks from Back to the Future at how fast he is.

Overall I am a happy camper with it, still getting a feel for its clutch. Monday supposed to get the scoops added. Will also get fixed a scratch in the paint where door brushed something. There is also a problem with the twin exhausts, one sticks about two centimeters further out than the other.

So the dealership is not out of the woods yet and I don't plan to let them off until I am satisfied.

Once the scoops are added, I will snap a picture and post. Still debating a personlized car tag for it.