KCMO-GT500 Posted July 19, 2006 Report Share Posted July 19, 2006 "I picked up my new Shelby from Freedom Ford in Hampton Virginia within 18 hours of its delivery to the dealership. Freedom had it all detailed and ready to go when I arrived. The car is beautiful in person, photos just don’t do it justice. I left the same day for the trip back to Florida. I decided to stay off the Interstates all the way home and drive on two lane roads as much as possible. No only did I believe this would be better driving conditions for vehicle break-in, I also thought it would be more fun. I was not disappointed. I put 1100 miles on the car over the next two and a half days. Here’s some of my impressions: - The car attracts an enormous amount of attention. I own several high profile cars (including a Ford GT) but I have never seen so much interest. I can’t explain it. Perhaps it is the history of the original Shelby, perhaps it is because the car is priced so that it is within reach of so many enthusiasts, or perhaps it is my good looks (not). Camera phones, U-turns in the middle of the road to follow me, crowds at gas stations, rolled down windows at stop lights to talk…you name it. - Fit and finish are excellent. I opted for the upgraded leather, and I hate to say it, but the interior materials and assembly quality are better than my Ford GT. I don’t like the position of the cup holders. I know, I know, it was built for driving, not drinking, but I do like my Big Gulp beside me on road trips. The problem is if you put a drink in the cup holder it is too close to the shifter and interferes. Exterior paint and body panel fit are excellent. Ford has definitely made “Quality is Job One” a reality with this car. While I do wish that the stripes were painted instead of taped, the taped stripes work. - The car is very comfortable even after hours in the driver’s seat. Suspension doesn’t beat you up. Seats are well designed ergonomically and the leather is pretty supple. There is no annoying wind noise, no rattles, and no squeaks. Running on beat up farm roads was not a problem - Engine power is smooth and strong. While I did not really get on it too hard during the drive (now THAT took self restraint), even moderate gas pedal position brings on wonderfully smooth and linear power. Gotta love that supercharger whine! - The transmission and shifter work as smooth as butter. Throws are short (you don’t need to mod this in my opinion), and the shift lever is positioned well. I believe this transmission is the same that is in my Viper, but it seems to work smoother in the Shelby. - I am not impressed with the clutch. While the clutch pressure feels just right, it is difficult for me to get a chatter free start. I have a number of manual tranny cars so I don’t think it is me, but who knows. If you really want to get on it there is no problem, but for normal launches, the clutch requires a lot of finesse with the gas pedal. I guess I’ll refine my technique over time, but I expected better. - The brakes are incredible. - The car’s handling and cornering are crisp and tight. I was expecting to possibly be disappointed in this department given the final weight of the car, but the weight is not evident in actual real world driving. All in all it was a great drive home. The car definitely exceeded my expectation. Other than the clutch and all the attention it receives, it’s all good. My plan is to use the Shelby as my daily driver. I’ll drop another post in a month or two with more impressions. -Chris" Please note that this was posted by the owner on another board. I just put it here so you all could get another owner perspective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old guy Posted July 19, 2006 Report Share Posted July 19, 2006 I don't think that clutch chatter is something you can get rid of with technique. There may be a problem that you ought to report right away. Is anyone else who received their car already experiencing this? There's lots of good stuff inthe post and I don't mean to dwell on the one issue. The post was excellent and much appreciated. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VNMOUS1 Posted July 19, 2006 Report Share Posted July 19, 2006 I don't think that clutch chatter is something you can get rid of with technique. There may be a problem that you ought to report right away. Is anyone else who received their car already experiencing this? There's lots of good stuff inthe post and I don't mean to dwell on the one issue. The post was excellent and much appreciated. Thanks! Read pages 8 and 9 of the owner's manual suppliment. That'll explain the clutch action. bj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alloy Dave Posted July 19, 2006 Report Share Posted July 19, 2006 I don't think that clutch chatter is something you can get rid of with technique. There may be a problem that you ought to report right away. Is anyone else who received their car already experiencing this? There's lots of good stuff inthe post and I don't mean to dwell on the one issue. The post was excellent and much appreciated. Thanks! I remember reading about this in the supplement manual due to the cera-metallic clutch. Take a read..pages 8 and 9. Oh darn, someone beat me to it. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordGeek Posted July 19, 2006 Report Share Posted July 19, 2006 Hey, I thought it was me. It's the strangest thing, but I too cannot get out of first gear without getting the shudder KCMO is talking about. I've had to adjust my driving technique to put a little more rpm before taking off which has helped quite a bit. It might be related to the dual disk clutch, but either way it doesn't seem to impact the overall performance. It's just something I'm not used to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old guy Posted July 21, 2006 Report Share Posted July 21, 2006 Read pages 8 and 9 of the owner's manual suppliment. That'll explain the clutch action. bj Thanks for the info. It'll probably save me some embarassment when I pick up the car!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Florida Chris Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Well, I'm the guy that wrote the review quoted in this thread. I just found this site and this is my first post. I have made some peace with the clutch on launch, but it still takes some finesse. With 1500 miles on my car I am loving it more and more. What a ride! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill0754 Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Well, I'm the guy that wrote the review quoted in this thread. I just found this site and this is my first post. I have made some peace with the clutch on launch, but it still takes some finesse. With 1500 miles on my car I am loving it more and more. What a ride! Congratulations on the new ride! What part of Florida are you in? I am expecting mine to arrive at Don Reid Ford in Maitland on 8/7. I ordered the red/white/red combo with all 3 options. Did you get the Shaker 1000? If so, how is it? Have fun with the car....maybe I'll see you at one of the local shows sometime! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Cobras Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Ditto the clutch shudder / chatter. It's not too hard to creep away with almost no throttle. Quick starts without a lurch are a fifty / fifty proposition for me. It will take some time because it is different than the cable clutch of the previous cars. I'm getting better, but it's still not second nature. Not a reason not to buy the car, believe me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUFDRAFT Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 Great post - thanks. Viper - GT - Shelby - hmmm...what else is in the garage? Something...Italian, perhaps? :happy feet: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Florida Chris Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 Congratulations on the new ride! What part of Florida are you in? I am expecting mine to arrive at Don Reid Ford in Maitland on 8/7. I ordered the red/white/red combo with all 3 options. Did you get the Shaker 1000? If so, how is it? Have fun with the car....maybe I'll see you at one of the local shows sometime! I live down in Gulf Stream (Palm Beach County). Yes, I did get the shaker 1000. It is probably the best sounding factory stereo I have ever owned. The speakers in the doors are huge (not necessarily a good thing) but the sound is great. Great post - thanks. Viper - GT - Shelby - hmmm...what else is in the garage? Something...Italian, perhaps? :happy feet: Yeah, something Italian, something German and something British...But my two Fords are by far my favorites! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CobraCrazy Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 FloridaChris, Do you have children? A son? Would you like to adopt one? Granted I am 52 years old and probably we couldn't do little league and all that stuff, but I wouldn't need much of an allowance, and I wouldn't ask for the keys to the GT, the Viper, or the Shelby all that often. What do you think? ps: thanks for the Shelby insights. I'm afraid by the time I get mine, all the novelty will have worn off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 I live down in Gulf Stream (Palm Beach County). Yes, I did get the shaker 1000. It is probably the best sounding factory stereo I have ever owned. The speakers in the doors are huge (not necessarily a good thing) but the sound is great. Yeah, something Italian, something German and something British...But my two Fords are by far my favorites! Chris I have one on order in in west palm beach which dealer sold you your car? and was it a power lease? I'll be looking for that red GT500 in town. Hans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Florida Chris Posted July 28, 2006 Report Share Posted July 28, 2006 Chris I have one on order in in west palm beach which dealer sold you your car? and was it a power lease? I'll be looking for that red GT500 in town. Hans I bought mine from Freedom Ford in Hampton VA. Not a power lease car, but I did get the $500 factory loyalty bonus rebate. Mine is Vista Blue with White stripes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Florida Chris Posted July 28, 2006 Report Share Posted July 28, 2006 I live close to this dealer and have been catching most of the cars coming in toour area to take a peek (I have some inside people calling me when they come in), but I missed yours. I was told Freedom Ford-Norfolk not Hampton their sister store so I missed yours and it was gone the next day. Just wondering what brought you to this area to purchase car? It's funny that Freedom Ford-Norfolk has their Shelby sitting in their showroom up for bids by former customers only! I bought a Ford GT from Freedom Hampton in early 2005. I found the car through an Internet search. Part of the deal I cut when I bought the GT is that they would agree to sell me their first Shelby...thus the return trip to VA. BTW- Freedom Ford Hampton is great place to do business. Good people, good attitudes, great service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.