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Ford GT Owners Rally 12: Old and New Ford GTs, Plus a Mustang Shelby GT350R

Ford GT Owners Rally 12

A rainbow of over 80 Ford GTs attended Owners Rally 12

In August of 2017 another gathering of Ford GTs and Ford GT owners came together in Park City, Utah. While this was the 12th Ford GT Owners Rally, it was the first to feature new Ford GTs alongside 2005 and 2006 models. I had every intention of driving my 2005 Ford GT to this rally. After all, it was the same road trip I’d made in my GT just 4 months earlier to attend the new Ford GT press launch.

2017 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R Grille

A Mustang Shelby GT350R is the perfect alternative to a Ford GT at this rally

Sadly, after planning to drive the GT my schedule shifted and I couldn’t afford the 2 extra days to make the trip up and back. I quickly purchased airplane tickets and wondered what kind of rental car I’d be stuck in while following GTs through the mountains of Utah. Then I had an idea. What if I contacted Ford and asked for one of the new Shelby GT350Rs? I hadn’t driven one yet, and I’d be showcasing the Shelby to a highly-targeted demographic of likely customers.

Ford GT Owners Rally 11 in Austin, Texas

Ford GT Owners Rally 11 Yellow New Ford GT

The Ford Performance booth housed a Triple Yellow new Ford GT

In September 2016 the Ford GT Forum hosted the 11th annual Ford GT Owners Rally in Austin, Texas. Austin is one of my favorite towns, so having a really good excuse to go there was fine with me. Austin is also home to one of America’s better track facilities, the Circuit of the Americas (also known as COTA), which made it a great excuse to bring my car.

Ford GT Owners Rally 11 COTA Entry

Over 70 Ford GTs lined up to enter COTA for a parade lap during Owners Rally 11

Ford GT Owners Rally 10: Back in Detroit

Ford GT Owners Rally 10 Ford World Headquarters

More than 100 Ford GTs assembled in front of Ford’s World Headquarters

On August 25th, 2015, exactly 10 years and 2 days after I picked up my Ford GT at Santa Monica Ford, the 10th Annual Ford GT Owners Rally kicked off in Detroit. My car had just completed a full mechanical refurbishment with the GT Guys before getting a full color correction and detail at Esoteric Detail in Columbus, Ohio.

Between the mechanical and cosmetic treatments my GT was feeling as “new” as it had in years when I pulled into Ford’s World Headquarters for a gathering of over 100 Ford GTs. Ford was kind enough to block off the parking lot in front of its headquarters so only Ford GTs could park in it.

Ford GT Owners Rally in Vegas and New Vacuum Gauge

Ford GT Rally Vegas

A Ford GT Owners Rally in Vegas meant an opportunity for GT service

By October of 2014 I had been staring at a dead vacuum gauge for over 2 and 1/2 years. I purchased a new vacuum gauge shortly after my original gauge died, but I only trusted The GT Guys to install it. Unfortunately, they’re based 2,300 miles east of Los Angeles, near Detroit, so getting The GT Guys and my GT in the same place at the same time isn’t always easy.

Ford GT Modified by Ford GT Guys before Owners Rally and Ferrari Swap

In August of 2007 my Ford GT got its first serious aftermarket upgrades (beyond the audio head unit I swapped out months earlier). The upgrades included more power, a short-throw shifter and a transmission cooler. The car also attended the second annual Ford GT Owners Rally in Newport Beach, though it didn’t complete the event because a failing shock had it banging over bumps. I also noticed some rubbing between the rear clamshell and the body above the side scoops. The odometer crossed 10,500 miles this month.

2005 Ford GT Long Term Spa Treatment

The Ford GT spent a day getting upgrades to its power and performance

Ford GT Gets Serviced by Ford GT Guys

August 1, 2007 at 10,058 miles

My Ford GT just spent a day in the spa-like, caring hands of The GT Guy. Rich and Dennis were part of the original team that maintained various Ford GTs during development and pre-production testing. They’ve done everything from replacing oil filters to rebuilding wrecked Ford GTs from the frame up. You might say these guys know a thing or two about working on the GT.

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