​Scimitars e Cimitarra
2018 Ford Mustang GT Convertible
2022
I guess this was an itch that needed to be scratched! I'd always admired the 1st generation Mustang and although subsequent iterations left me somewhat cold, the 5th generation was a distinct improvement and the ready availability of the 6th generation S550 in right hand drive at last made ownership a realistic opportunity. The S550 6th generation Mustang was introduced to the British public at the Goodwood Revival in September 2015. Initially available either with the 'Coyote' V8 5.0 litre normally aspirated engine or an 'Ecoboost' 4 cylinder turbocharged 2.3 litre. The one thing I loved most about my old BMW 645Ci was the V8, so it had to be the engine of choice and although I really wanted a fastback, my other half has always been very keen on convertibles, so the choice was made! A couple of suitable cars were up for sale at Targa Florio Cars, near Chichester, so I made an appointment and went to have a look. One was an interesting shade of green with cream facings to the seats and although this looked lovely I decided that cream might not be too practical and I wasn't too sure about the resale potential of a green car, might be fine if you have a 'Bullitt' version fastback, but it's a very unusual colour for a Mustang convertible.
Alongside the green car was a Magnetic Grey car with a black interior, this was a little newer being a 2018 car and had only a little over 9000 miles on the clock. The test drive went well and a deposit was placed. The car had been fitted with spacers on all four wheels by it's first and only previous owner, which I asked to be removed. There was also one odd tyre, so I requested this be changed so that all four matched. A week later I picked it up and very soon after, used it on the run down to Goodwood for the 79th Members Meeting. During the drive I noticed a whirring noise that seemed to be coming from the wheel hubs on the drivers side, which had not been at all evident during the test drive. I consequently contacted Targa Florio and returned the car to them for investigation. They were very apologetic and resolved to get the matter sorted, loaning me a car in the meantime. It turned out to be the wheel bearings as I had suspected and once fixed all was fine. I have to say Targa Florio Cars are an excellent company, they underwrite their own warranty and there was absolutely no quibbling about getting the car fixed.
Whenever I've bought a new sports car I have always ended up joining the appropriate marque club. This time was no exception as I joined the Mustang Owners Club of Great Britain, however, it was whist wandering around the cars at the Easter Classic Car Gathering at Brooklands in April that I came across a large display of Mustangs assembled by the Surrey Mustang Owners Club. Their membership fee was minimal, so I joined on the spot and as a new member my car was included in their latest set of 'Top Trumps'. I believe this is now the eighth set that they have produced.
There are a couple of things on the car that could do with attention, there's a small chip in the paint on the rear offside wing, some of the interior trim has some small scratch marks and the hood could do with a deep clean and reproofing. I would also like to fit a slightly louder exhaust and racing stripes. I think once these items are dealt with I'll feel happier with the car.
The GRRC Open Day at Goodwood House was held on Sunday 14th August, so had a run down and a quick look at the cars on display (which included a really beautifiul 1968 Shelby GT350 Mustang), before popping to the circuit for the obligatory photograph at the entrance (below left).
After contacting a few potential suppliers I settled on getting racing stripes added to the Mustang by a local branch of Signs Express, who carried out the work on Thursday 18th August (see above right). I have to say their service was excellent and the guy who did the job was brilliant, fully understanding all my concerns and helping put my mind at ease. I had been deliberating for quite some time before deciding on what colour(s) to go for, finally settling on silver with yellow outer pin stripes, which I think works quite well with the Magnetic paint.
After quite a lot of searching on the internet, to replace the stock items on the car, I settled on Cobra axle back exhausts, with the aim of releasing a little more of the Mustang sound. These are made to order here in the UK, manufactured from 304 grade stainless steel by Cobra Sports Exhausts in Sheffield. I ordered these through AmD Technick in West Thurrock, Essex and they carried out the fitting on 27th August. New carbon fibre tips were included to give a non-stock appearance. The sound now is much better but not at all intrusive when cruising at motorway speeds.
Working through my list of improvements the next item was replacement of the dashboard mounted air inlet louvre/vents. The face of the originals were deeply scratched and looked like they'd been opened/closed by someone with claws! I was a little uneasy at first about replacing these myself, assuming that removal would require disassembly of the dashboard. An internet search however revealed a YouTube video of someone in the USA simply pulling these out with long nose pliers so, with the confidence of having seen this, replacements were ordered through my local Ford dealership. They arrived from Germany within a week and fitting proved as easy as expected. The old items pulled out quite readily and fitting the new units was a straight push-in job. The dash now looks a lot better, further enhanced with yellow gap filler to pick up on the same colour on the racing stripes.
2023
Having missed a number of events during the previous year, I was determined to change this and in May attended my first event, on a lovely sunny day, as part of the Surrey Mustang Owners Club display at Brooklands for the MOPAR Muscle Association Day. In July it was the Surrey Mustang Owners Club Annual Barbecue at The Fairmile in Cobham and then, last event for the year, Brooklands American Day, again as part of the Surrey Mustang Owners Club display.
MOPAR Muscle Association at Brooklands.
Surrey Mustang Owners Club Annual Barbecue.
Brooklands American Day
