Month: May 2018 Page 2 of 5

In March of 2007, 18 months after getting my 2005 Ford GT, I had finally lost patience with the weak factory audio system. When I ordered the car I didn’t want the “upgraded” McIntosh audio system for reasons I’ve already mentioned, but that base Sanyo head unit, even by 2005 standards, was simply archaic. Basically, it offered AM, FM and CD as media options. No satellite radio. No DVD. No audio inputs. My tech-geek nature simply couldn’t deal.

Thankfully, even with the limited options forced by the GT’s single-DIN housing for a head unit I was able to find a highly advanced (by 2005 standards) JVC unit and install it myself. The installation process did kill the GT’s battery.

My 2005 Ford GT’s base factory head unit was too archaic for my tastes

Ford GT gets a New Head Unit

March 12, 2007 at 7,610 miles

After several months of considering a head unit upgrade for the Ford GT I’ve taken the first steps. The factory unit is passable, but that’s about it. Sound quality is rather impressive for a two-speaker system with no external amplification, yet the Sanyo head unit can’t even play MP3s. And if you’re looking for an external audio input to play satellite radio or an iPod through…well, you’ll have to look really hard.

Ford GT Wheel Protection, Burger Run, Oil Pressure Gauge and Car Show

By Karl Brauer

On May 23, 2018

In 2005 Ford GT Ownership, 2005-2006 Ford GT, Ford GT

February was another slow month for my Ford GT’s odometer, with only 140 miles added. But I did manage to get it to a car show and a burger joint (gotta love In-N-Out) and I realized the Goodyear Eagle F1 tires’ have a rim protector design. I also note the oil pressure gauge’s high readings, even at idle, which suggests the Ford GT’s dry-sump engine design does indeed provide excellent lubrication to vital engine components.

The design of the Goodyear Eagle F1 tire helps protect the GT’s wheelFord GT Tires Offer Wheel Protection

February 5, 2007 at 7,440 miles

This seems like such a no-brainer design, yet many modern tires still don’t include any form of rim or wheel protection. A tire with this design feature will have a raised rib next to the bead to keep a wheel from scraping the curb — even if a driver is too careless to handle this job on his own. After checking The Tire Rack web site I learned that while rim protection ribs are great for alloy wheels, they can make it nearly impossible to mount hubcaps. And since the majority of cars today still use hubcaps the majority of tires still don’t feature this seemingly obvious feature…

Ford GT Floor Mats, Speedometer, Paint and Kick Panels

By Karl Brauer

On May 22, 2018

In 2005 Ford GT Ownership, 2005-2006 Ford GT, Ford GT

I still remember the Southern California “winter” of 2006-2007 as one of unusually “cold” temps and foggy/rainy days (sorry, as a Denver native I have to put quotes around “winter” and “cold” when I’m talking about Southern California). Of course, that’s the kind of weather us SoCal residents pray for these days — it’s been really hot here the last few years. Anyway, the Ford GT only added about 300 miles this month because I wasn’t driving it on those cold days. However, I did add some commentary (that proved incorrect…) about the car not having any floor mats included in the $150,000 price. I also talked about the Ford GT’s proper speedometer, a tire design that protects wheels, and the (sadly) appropriately named “kick” panels in the GT’s cabin.

The Ford GT’s floor mats don’t really look like floor mats

Ford GT Doesn’t Come with Floor Mats…Or Does it?

January 2, 2007 at 7,190 miles

I’ve arleady whined about the lack of “special-ness” to the Ford GT’s key fob, but here’s another item you might expect to be included with your $150,000 purchase price — floor mats. The GT doesn’t come with any from the factory, and aftermarket units remain few and far between (though a couple companies are starting to offer them). On the one hand it’s not too big of a deal, because the car’s floor boards are a combination of metal, plastic and rubber that seems pretty durable. But, with the “cooling holes” design (also used for the seats) you get to clean out each hole separately when they’ve filled up with mud and other crud…

New Ford GT: Preliminary Vehicle Preferences

By Karl Brauer

On May 21, 2018

In Ford GT, New Ford GT Ownership

Page one of the new Ford GT ordering preferences document

Given how much I’ve focused on the 2005 and 2006 Ford GT so far on this site it seems fitting to start bulking up the new Ford GT information. A couple weeks after receiving my official allocation letter I received a second document from Ford regarding my all-new Ford GT preferences.

Ford GT Luxury Climate Controls, Flat Tire Woes and a Windshield Crack

By Karl Brauer

On May 18, 2018

In 2005 Ford GT Ownership, 2005-2006 Ford GT, Ford GT

My Ford GT suffered its first real damage in December of 2006. Twice. The initial damage was caused by road debris that punctured a tire and also took a small nick out of the bodywork. The second instance happened just 2 days later, in the form of a nasty rock chip in the windshield. But that’s what happens when you drive your car versus sticking it under glass. Speaking of driving, the odometer crossed 7,000 miles this month.

The A-pillar metal and passenger door weatherstripping (pictured) showed signs of gouging

Ford GT Door Gouges

December 4, 2006 at 6,286miles

Something weird is going on with the GT’s passenger-side A-pillar. There’s an unmistakable “gouging” in the Midnight Blue paint where the A-pillar’s weatherstriping meets the painted section of the passenger door. It’s almost as if gravel got in between the weatherstriping and door frame, and then chewed into the door each time it was shut. There’s even a white, chalky dust on the weatherstriping (shown in picture), but no actual “chunks” of anything large enough to cause the gouging are present (maybe whatever it was has all been ground into dust by now…). The upside is that this is an area you normally don’t see (certainly not when the door is closed), so the damage is more a curiosity than anything else…