Converted GT to GT/SC or GT500

[Greatgolf7]

Still honing down the car I want. Does a converted 2007 GT that was converted by the Ford dealership to a GT/SC hurt the value of the car? I found one with 10k miles for $28k. Or would it be better to jus buy a GT500 for similar dollars but maybe 25-30k miles?

thanks

Pete

[twobjshelbys]

This coupled with your other post makes me wonder precisely what you are asking.  Are you looking at a Shelby GT that has had a supercharger added (but not by Shelby, thus not an official Shelby GT/SC) or are you looking a a Mustang GT (not a Shelby GT) that has a supercharger added?

I would say that if it is a regular Mustang that 28K is way over.  In reality, price the mod out or give it pennies on the dollar.  I don't think a 2007 Mustang GT has gotten 28K for a long time.

I don't know what 2007 GT500s are going for these days but let me give you the traditional Shelby GT vs GT500 comparison.

When the Shelby GT and GT500 were being sold you had two avenues to get to a comparable vehicle:

1.  Buy a Shelby GT500 and have 500 HP.  Add (on your nickel) the Ford Racing bits to get the handling equivalent of the Shelby GT.

2. Buy a Shelby GT and add the supercharger.

The price of 1 or 2 were roughly equivalent, so in some ways it depended on what you wanted to do past that.

1.  The 4.6L engine in the Shelby GT with the supercharger was at its limit.  In fact, tunes in reality held the supercharger boost to stay at the engine's limit.    If you went with this option you were at the limit and could go no further.  

2.  The GT500 was basically at its starting point, and the stock engine was way more capable without getting exotic.  Many options to add additional horsepower varied from a pulley/tune to replacing the factory supercharger with higher displacement units available from Whipple and others.  There were cars approaching 1000hp and 800 wasn't uncommon.    Some made some good cases that with that much HP you also needed the suspension mods since handling that much power to the wheels was an issue and that without them all you got for the extra hp was bragging rights.

This all changed starting with the 2010 GT500s.  The base car had much more power, and one of those can be had for less than you can upgrade a 07.

Now, if you are financially limited, and you want a Shelby the above are your choices.  If you want a hot mustang and can live by the Shelby GT (ie, 4.6L engine) limits then you don't need the Shelby portion to do that - you can get just a stock Mustang GT and do the same thing.   But remember, you can probably pick up a 10-14 GT500 for less than you can mod any of the earlier Shelby GT or GT500s.    To me the 13-14 GT500 were nirvana as far a stock street car.  Everyone modded the earlier ones, but Ford had done so much to the 13-14s that you didn't hear about people doing much to them.

Good luck!

[mhr1961]

OP, I think 2BJShelbys  is giving you a very sound synopsis of the Shelby GT/SC vs the GT500s of the same era.  I think you would benefit from taking his input and sitting down with yourself and making a list of what you want and don’t want in a car and then narrow your decision. About a decade ago when I was looking at getting a Shelby I drove the GT500 and while I liked it I did not want to row gears and I felt that it was nose heavy. My criteria were that I was planning to drive it quite a bit on weekends and some daily driving. Once I test drove the Shelby GT I decided that it was better choice for me because I could get it in an Automatic and quite frankly it had plenty of Hp stock and was plenty fast. A 2007 GT500 had 500 hp and a 0 to 60 time of about 4.4 to 4.7 seconds stock depending on driver skill. A stock Shelby GT had about 320 HP and had a 0 to 60 time of about 4.9 seconds. The Shelby GT is also quite a bit less expensive to insure because most insurance companies classify it as a Mustang GT. If you don't want to go to the expense of Supercharging a Shelby GT, just buy one and do some “lightweighting”. You can easily shave about a 100 to 150 lbs off the car and reduce your 0 to 60 down to about 4.6 to 4.7 seconds without engine mods

 

Lightweight Battery shaves 10 to 20 pounds off the front, Lightweight Radiator support shaves another 10 to 15 pounds, Lightweight K members shave another 20 to 30 pounds, You can remove the spare tire kit and trunk matting, Rear seat delete and few other inexpensive things. Then there is carbon fiber trunk or hood or both. Lightweight control arms, Lighter weight exhaust kits etc.... and you can do all that as your budget allows instead of plunking down $7k to $12k+ for a supercharger mod.

I am not knocking the GT500, but I have absolutely no regrets in going with a Shelby GT. Good luck in your quest.

[twobjshelbys]

50 minutes ago, mhr1961 said:

OP, I think 2BJShelbys  is giving you a very sound synopsis of the Shelby GT/SC vs the GT500s of the same era.  I think you would benefit from taking his input and sitting down with yourself and making a list of what you want and don’t want in a car and then narrow your decision. About a decade ago when I was looking at getting a Shelby I drove the GT500 and while I liked it I did not want to row gears and I felt that it was nose heavy. My criteria were that I was planning to drive it quite a bit on weekends and some daily driving. Once I test drove the Shelby GT I decided that it was better choice for me because I could get it in an Automatic and quite frankly it had plenty of Hp stock and was plenty fast. A 2007 GT500 had 500 hp and a 0 to 60 time of about 4.4 to 4.7 seconds stock depending on driver skill. A stock Shelby GT had about 320 HP and had a 0 to 60 time of about 4.9 seconds. The Shelby GT is also quite a bit less expensive to insure because most insurance companies classify it as a Mustang GT. If you don't want to go to the expense of Supercharging a Shelby GT, just buy one and do some “lightweighting”. You can easily shave about a 100 to 150 lbs off the car and reduce your 0 to 60 down to about 4.6 to 4.7 seconds without engine mods

 

Lightweight Battery shaves 10 to 20 pounds off the front, Lightweight Radiator support shaves another 10 to 15 pounds, Lightweight K members shave another 20 to 30 pounds, You can remove the spare tire kit and trunk matting, Rear seat delete and few other inexpensive things. Then there is carbon fiber trunk or hood or both. Lightweight control arms, Lighter weight exhaust kits etc.... and you can do all that as your budget allows instead of plunking down $7k to $12k+ for a supercharger mod.

I am not knocking the GT500, but I have absolutely no regrets in going with a Shelby GT. Good luck in your quest.

I will reiterate:  If you are doing mods like this, changing parts, you can do the same thing to a cheaper Mustang GT platform and save yourself a lot of money over buying the Shelby product.   Again, it would help to know your goals.

[mhr1961]

2 hours ago, twobjshelbys said:

I will reiterate:  If you are doing mods like this, changing parts, you can do the same thing to a cheaper Mustang GT platform and save yourself a lot of money over buying the Shelby product.   Again, it would help to know your goals.

yeah but it wouldn't be a Shelby..........

[Greatgolf7]

I’ve narrowed my choices to a 2007 GT/SC and 2011 GT500. Both have more than enough power and I will be no further modding.  How would the the two compare as far as handling. I’ll be doing some highw and some back road driving. Test drove both but really didn’t get a true feel in the short time and distance I tested. 

Thanks 

[mhr1961]

35 minutes ago, Greatgolf7 said:

I’ve narrowed my choices to a 2007 GT/SC and 2011 GT500. Both have more than enough power and I will be no further modding.  How would the the two compare as far as handling. I’ll be doing some highw and some back road driving. Test drove both but really didn’t get a true feel in the short time and distance I tested. 

Thanks 

I test drove the 2008 SGT and a 2008 GT500. I have not driven a 2011 GT500. I much preferred the handling of the SGT in the comparison I did. The GT 500 just felt nose heavy to me, especially in corners. I also wanted an automatic because I knew I would most likely be going to keep the car for my entire life and wanted to be able to drive it when I am old. I also got sick of rowing gears a long time ago. The automatic in the SGT is not a “slushbox”. It is tight and is actually faster than a comparable manual SGT if you drag race against the manual SGT.  You can also “select shift” the automatic if you chose to. I think I also mentioned that the SGT is considerable less expensive to insure. They are also rarer than the GT500’s, if it is a GT/SC then its even more rare . Havent driven a GT/SC but just about everybody who owns one on here swears they are a blast to drive and really like them. Not bashing on the GT500, its a great car but I would still get the SGT or GT/SC. Good Luck. 

 

[Greatgolf7]

Both cars are manual. One five speed and the other six speed. :2011 much different than 2007 and 2008 GT500s. 

[twobjshelbys]

Per the original design goals, the Shelby GT will be a better handling car, and the GT500 will be a better straight line car. 

Mine was a GT/SC with an automatic and I stated at the time that the GT auto transmission was about as perfect as it could be.  I had two identical cars and the auto shifted EXACTLY where I shifted the manual, but did it much more predictably and faster.  The one time I drag raced (first and only) I think I did somewhere around 13 (just a little over) and since it was a convertible they told me if I went under 13 I'd have to leave.  I never got better since my first run was one of the first runs of the day so the starting area was clear and the tires got really good grip but after that started to get squirrelly and almost sent me into the wall. I didn't run any more after that.

[mhr1961]

49 minutes ago, Greatgolf7 said:

Both cars are manual. One five speed and the other six speed. :2011 much different than 2007 and 2008 GT500s. 

I know that the 2011 is a much different car. Its why I stated that I had only driven the 2008.  2BJShelbys also gave you an excellent opinion of the GT/SC and its handling. I don't know him personally but he has been a long time member here and is typically a no BS guy, his car opinions are usually spot on,  and from his past posts he has excellent firsthand knowledge of a pretty wide array of Shelby Vehicles and Shelby Driving knowledge. The decision is yours to make. You mentioned earlier that you were looking at an automatic which is why I gave you the input on the automatic vs manual. The SGT and GT/SC both make excellent daily drivers and are an excellent choice for people who like spirited driving. Be sure to do your research on all the shifter and clutch issues with the manuals.  There are topics you can search within Team Shelby about them. If you want to row gears then go for it. Good Luck.

[William Rodgers]

3 hours ago, Greatgolf7 said:

I’ve narrowed my choices to a 2007 GT/SC and 2011 GT500. Both have more than enough power and I will be no further modding.  How would the the two compare as far as handling. I’ll be doing some highw and some back road driving. Test drove both but really didn’t get a true feel in the short time and distance I tested. 

Thanks 

Are talking about a regular GT/SC or a Shelby GT/SC, if you are talking a Regular GT with a Supercharger you should be looking to spend less then or around $20K in my opinion.  If you are talking a Shelby GT/SC or a GT500 you will be looking at around $30K or so.  If your budget is low 20's I would go regular GT, any GT500 or Shelby GT/SC close to that price range is more then likely not going to be pretty.  If your budget is around $30K then it becomes a more difficult decision.  The Shelby GT will handle better stock, the GT500 will be a better highway cruiser stock.  Both I think will hold their value fairly well if you make a smart purchase and take care of them.  A regular GT with Supercharger I do not think will hold its value, it will be very difficult to sell IMO.

 

Good luck, there are a few on this forum for sale, most all of us take great care of our cars, I personally would pay extra buying from an enthusiast.

 

[Greatgolf7]

The information you all have provided have been very helpful. Twoobjshelby has given great insight for sure. 

[Greatgolf7]

I’m only considering Shelby’s. 2007 GT/CS and 2011 GT500. Both around  12k miles.  $30k for the GT/SC and $36k for GT500. The GT500 has some other goodies like gps and dual climate control. Both great condition. Sorry I did not clarify this earlier as I’ve narrowed my search through test drives. 

[mfield2a]

How many miles on each of these cars?  

2011’s don’t have a ton of demand, so it’s something to consider.  You might be able to do a bit better than $36k (depending on mileage)

I’m sure you found the interior of the 2011 is much improved over the 2007.

[Greatgolf7]

I do like the interior a lot better. Sag on the door panels mainly.

[Greatgolf7]

Why do you say 2011 doesn’t have much demand? I don’t see many on the market?

[mfield2a]

On 1/22/2019 at 5:52 PM, Greatgolf7 said:

Why do you say 2011 doesn’t have much demand? I don’t see many on the market?

The 13’s and 14’s received some significant performance upgrades over the 11’s & 12’s, so within the 10-14 body style they are the most saught after.  If you watch the market for a bit (autolist is a great site to do that) you’ll see the 13’s & 14’s (that are priced to attracted buyers) move pretty quickly,  where the 11’s & 12’s sit for quite a while.

[Greatgolf7]

So many choices 😁

[noac]

07-09 have the looks....13-14 have the power...

[ViperNC]

10 hours ago, noac said:

07-09 have the looks....13-14 have the power...

You can easily get massive power out of an 07-09 car with a few upgrades.  Just do the brakes, chassis, and suspension upgrades first so the car doesn't wind up wrapped around a tree or something of that nature. 

[andrewnagle1964]

10 hours ago, ViperNC said:

You can easily get massive power out of an 07-09 car with a few upgrades.  Just do the brakes, chassis, and suspension upgrades first so the car doesn't wind up wrapped around a tree or something of that nature. 

Winner winner chicken dinner

[ITHERTZ66]

I haven't been on TS much lately, but I read this thread thoroughly and MAN, you guys are really helpful and spot on!!  I have a 2006 GT--H so it's pretty much the same as the S-GT.  Mine is an automatic, but that stock suspension is NOT for everybody.  It stays flat and is fun to corner in, but if your roads are less than perfect and you plan to do a lot of driving in town on common road surfaces you may like the GT500 better.  I drove my friend's 2011 GT500 SVT package and it was a more "comfortable" car all around.  Better seats and more comfy suspension.  Unless you are driving it like a race car, the handling of the SGT is not superior enough for me to justify the rough riding characteristics you will have to deal with.  Again, it depends on your roads and use.  If my car had to be daily driver I would have sold it already due to the harsh ride.

My car also has a Whipple SC, so I can tell you that the supercharged S-GT is MORE than enough power and it will make you pucker more than you care to realize if you aren't careful with it.  Same goes for the GT500.  Either way you really can't go wrong in the $30-35K price point for a a clean low mileage example.  Just get the one you like best - you didn't mention color.  You have a much broader color palate on the GT500.  Ooh..almost forgot.  The SGT is known for having terribly shitty stripes and possible hood scoop issues.  Find out if the car you are interested has had any of these addressed.  Worse still, if the stripes were replaced with incorrect knock-offs.  This is not an easy or a cheap issue to address.  Ford used much better vinyl material on the stripes for the GT500s.

[Greatgolf7]

There has been a wealth of knowledge given in this thread and is greatly appreciated. There are a lot of 2007-2009 cars out there with more reasonable prices. The question is how much money is would take to do the suspension, chassis and brake upgreades. 

I favor white or blue cars which that is what I mainly see.  

[ViperNC]

To do the chassis/suspension properly you’re looking at about $5,000.  Brakes add another $3000.  Then you have the cost of install unless you plan to do it yourself.

[twobjshelbys]

He bought a GT500.

[SWEDEMAN]

22 hours ago, twobjshelbys said:

He bought a GT500.

That was a good move. To do a SGT and then add an SC is expensive. Yes a true GT/SC is a rare and awesome car, but A GT500 is a great car in its own right. Good choice, power with saving money.