Tag: 2005 Ford GT

My 2005 Ford GT shortly after purchase

After 6 months of 2005 Ford GT ownership I’d found a few items to gripe about. The most disappointing flaw was in the paint, where small bubbles were visible near the edge of a couple body panels. At first I planned to have these repaired under warranty (as noted below) but eventually I left them alone. Digging into the car’s factory paint job was more troubling than leaving them alone. And I can confirm that, 13 years later, nobody has ever noticed them and I have essentially forgotten about them.

Ordering My 2005 Ford GT

By Karl Brauer

On April 26, 2018

In 2005-2006 Ford GT, Ford GT

2005 Ford GT Quick Reference Guide

When I was told I’d “made the list” to get a 2005 Ford GT, in April of 2004, I didn’t know exactly when I’d take delivery. At that point I was just happy to be getting a car. But after a year of waiting I’ll admit, I was getting antsy. The delays to the car’s production due to paint issues, the “ship-in-a-bottle” central fuel tank design and the extruded aluminum suspension pieces were well known to Ford GT fans and industry followers. By spring of 2005 cars were slowly trickling into dealerships, and any GTs not snapped up by dealer principals were going for $250,000-plus on the open market.

My order form for a 2005 Ford GT

Then in mid-April 2005 I received paperwork from Ford asking me how I wanted my GT configured. The car’s base price started at $139,995, and of the four options offered I knew how I wanted all four of them configured. “Yes” on the painted racing stripes ($5,350), “yes” on the BBS lightweight aluminum wheels ($3,500), “yes” on the (red) painted brake calipers ($750), and “no” on the optional McIntosh audio system ($2,100). I actually liked the McIntosh audio head unit, but the large subwoofer that came with it was mounted between the seats, blocking the view of the supercharger on the other side of the rear cabin glass.

My Second Drive In The 2005 Ford GT

By Karl Brauer

On April 25, 2018

In 2005-2006 Ford GT, Ford GT

2005 Ford GT pre-production press car with early headlight design

After briefly driving the Ford GT for the first time on Gingerman Raceway in October of 2003 I was given a second opportunity in April of 2004. This time I had the car for over 48 hours on the roads in and around Napa Valley. During this drive I also learned I was getting an allocation to buy a 2005 Ford GT, equipped the way I wanted and sold at MSRP. This is the road test I wrote and these are the photos that came from driving that pre-production test car. This article first published July 2, 2004:

2005 Ford GT pre-production press car in Fort Bragg, California

I Get the Word on My 2005 Ford GT Allocation, and the Word is Good!

By Karl Brauer

On April 23, 2018

In 2005-2006 Ford GT, Ford GT

2005 Ford GT Press Car in Fort Bragg, California, April 2004

In my 2-year effort to secure a 2005 Ford GT, preferably at MSRP, I had called over 50 Ford dealerships across the U.S. When I started the process in mid-2002 the most common response to “Would you commit to selling me a GT at MSRP?” was “Sure, we got Mustangs on the lot. Come on down!” Telling the dealer rep I was calling about a future Ford exotic car, with a mid-engine V8, was usually met with an extended pause, followed by “Umm…I haven’t heard about that. Let me get back to you.” Despite these challenges I had five dealers express interest in selling me the car at MSRP “…if and when it shows up.” I was surprised by the skepticism many dealers expressed about the car ever actually being built, which was increasingly frustrating as I watched the Ford GT progress from concept car to production vehicle over the course of 2 years.

Then, the Super Bowl commercial hit on February 1, 2004, and suddenly every Ford dealer was very aware of the car…and the potential it held for dealer mark-up. I can only imagine how many phone calls flooded showroom switchboards on the Monday after Super Bowl XXXVIII. Not surprisingly, when I checked back with the dealers who had previously committed to selling the car at MSRP (including one I’d sent a $2,000 deposit to), they had a different attitude after the Super Bowl commercial. “Yeah, we’re going to use a bidding process for the car.”

I Get to Buy a New Ford GT!

By Karl Brauer

On August 8, 2016

In 2005 Ford GT Ownership, 2005-2006 Ford GT, Ford GT, Ford GT40, New Ford GT, New Ford GT Ownership

New Ford GT Allocation Letter

It seems fitting to launch this site with a post about receiving an allocation for a new Ford GT. Ford has committed to building approximately 1350 of these unique vehicles over a 4-year production run, with only around 800 available in the U.S. Getting approved was not easy, but at the time I applied I had an 11-year/27,000-mile history of being an original 2005 Ford GT owner helping my case for a new Ford GT allocation.

This site will describe my ownership history with my 2005 Ford GT, which really began in January 2002. It will also chronicle my experience of ordering, receiving, owning (…and paying for…) a new Ford GT. I have over a thousand photos and over 100 ownership blog posts from the last 11 years, plus quite a few videos documenting everything I’ve seen and done since Ford unveiled its yellow GT40 concept car at the 2002 Detroit Auto Show. I’ll be posting all of them here over the next few months while also reporting on my impending purchase of a new Ford GT.