What to do...Wait for the 05 or save a ton on an 04 Mach

[SWTSWNG]

What to do...Wait for the 05 or save a ton on an 04 Mach?

Just what the title says. I am having sort of a dilemma. I currently have a 90 Gt that I love dearly but is starting to show its age. Has slight cooling problems, rides like a dump truck (suspension) and just doesn't have the pep it once did. I have run mid 13's with it so it isn't slow but the new stang bug has bitten.

So with that said, which would be a better buy? The Mach is putting out around 330FWHP and 350TQ and has what I believe to be some of the best seats ever put into a mustang. I could puchase one for around 24K now and surley less by the end of the year. It is also nice to have a limited production stang with a shaker hood. On the other hand, there is a much improved 05 mustang coming around the corner that will have a complete new platform including new interior, suspension, engine, etc. But then I have just a "GT." Which is also a great car. To be honest, I am not completely sold on the 3valve engine and I am very curious if ford ratings are "conservative."

Now I know what car is going to be more advanced, but I also cannot help but get excited at the fact that with mere bolt-ons, the Mach is acheiving 300rwhp and 320rwtq. Is anyone else looking at this option, or am I just crazy for considering an "old Fox platform."

 

[spanky442]

I feel the exact same way. I went down to the dealer this weekend and they offered me a left over 03 Cobra for $27K or a new 04 for $29K, they offered me. If I tried to bargain with them I could have them for less. The dealers around here can't sell their Mustangs because everyone is waiting for the 05. The Mach is a nice car to have, I don't think the new GT will be as great as they claim IMO. They claim 300 HP which probably means 250 or less! I even toyed with the idea of buying an 04 GT, I got them down to $18K for one fully loaded.

 

[torqueIT]

You've got yourself a pickle!

On the one hand you've got an older platform with more aftermarket mods available. The plus side is that like everyone else, most people are waiting for the 05, which means you can get the older ride for a much sweeter deal!

The 05' biggest pluses are essentially its complete revampment. More power, new platform, suspension, interior, etc. etc.

Guess it comes down to bragging rights. Do you want more power for your money, or are you more for the styling and handling of the 05'?

Obviously much of this is speculation till the 05' does come out. If I were in your shoes, I'd probably wait, test drive the 05', and compare the pros and cons of each model you're interested in.

Whichever has the most 'bang' for your proverbial buck should be the auto you go for!

Good luck!!!

 

[new22003]

Mach 1 plusses as I see them
More power
Proven Aftermarket
Limited production model (worth more if you keep it for 20 years )
4 valve engine
Seats/shifter/mach 1 trim
FOX platform uprgradeability

Minus
Old body style depreiciates in short term
Old chassis
Interior plasticy campared to 2005


2005 plusses
New body style
Chassis/brakes
Better quality materials in interior
Holds more value in short term

Minus
Less power than mach 1
First year quality
Having to pay sticker due to new model demand

Mach 1 is an awesome car for sure, and a great deal right now. You can even get some really good deals on 2003/2004 cobras which I hate to see as I will have to eat a lot of depreciation.

I have already seen 2003 cobras on ebay for $25,000. I hate to see what happens to them when the 2005 mustangs are released. You could find a really nice 2003/2004 cobra for the same price or less than a 2005 gt.

People always flock to the new models and pay a premium for it. First year cars also seem to have bugs than need to be worked out. Its a tough decision and I think about getting a 2005 all the time. Maybe after the mad rush is through.

 

[mp67]

Does'nt the mach one have 300hp at the crank and not 330? The new GT will have 300hp at the crank right? It was just debated on here a while back that both will have about the same hp numbers. I would wait on the new GT. Now a new 03 cobra for 27k sounds good. 390hp at crank, and with a few mods easy to get to 500hp at crank. Even the aging platform of the o3 cobra will probably drive and handle better than the new GT, and have a six speed to boot.

 

[Sean`03///Zed4]

..Even the aging platform of the o3 cobra will probably drive and handle better than the new GT, and have a six speed to boot.

I test drove a 04 Cobra and the salesguy was pretty kind about my attitude towards the car.
I though it handled great, there was no hint of oversteer and i think it was pretty neutral, it was tight around the corners and ride quality was great...i think it was combo of the IRS and variable rate coils

it lacked the v8 growl while there is a distinct SC whine beyond 2800 rpm's. But power to the pavement is almost instantaneous, probably because the base engine size is pretty big, unlike those little turbocharged 1.8/2/0/2.50 litre ...Audi's, Mitsu's/Subaru's...

However if i was you i would wait for the 05 Mustang, there are so many reasons to do so but if it comes to performance and all that then be it because of the new DEW based chassis. I do realize that on a very well-tuned chassis and suspension, 300 hp is more of a joy to drive than if it was 500 hp on de-tuned chassis, so chassis/aero are as important as power...

Further the suspension, weight distribution and the fact that the new 4.6l is NA engine you should enjoy it more...imho always
Good Luck

 

[351CJ]

Does'nt the mach one have 300hp at the crank and not 330? The new GT will have 300hp at the crank right? It was just debated on here a while back that both will have about the same hp numbers. I would wait on the new GT. Now a new 03 cobra for 27k sounds good. 390hp at crank, and with a few mods easy to get to 500hp at crank. Even the aging platform of the o3 cobra will probably drive and handle better than the new GT, and have a six speed to boot.

Both the Mach 1 and the Cobra are seriously under rated.

The Mach 1 has around 320 - 325 FWHP and the Cobra has around 410 - 420 FWHP.

The 05 GT will probably handle better than the 03 - 04 Cobra. The Cobra with its S/C iron block engine is seriously front heavy, 57% weight on the front wheels, plus it suffers from that same old Fox too low front roll center.

 

[SWTSWNG]

This is good conversation. I need this to help me decide. The two things I am afraid of is if I do find a good deal on a Mach and purchase one, I hope I wont kick myself in the ass for not waiting. In a sick way I think I will be rooting against the new stang just to justify my purchase. On the other hand though, my luck, I go out and pay 3-5 grand more for an 05 and as soon as I pull it off the lot, I stuble upon a street race with a stock 03-04 Mach 1 and get OWNED. Either way, I will be getting a much better stang than I have now. Although project money for the 'ol '90 will be on hold for quite sometime.

To be honest I might be leaning a little toward the Mach. 3-5 grand will feel really good in my pocket. Although I probably will take the advice you guys so kindly gave me and wait to see how nice the 05 really is. It might be nice enough to sway my opinion. Lets just hope ford underrated it becuase in my opinion, designing a whole new engine for 40 horses doesn't seem worth it IMO. Especailly with the extra weight. The 4valve DOHC is a work of art and one of the best V8's out right now.

 

[PimpDaddyGT]

SWTSWNG,

I am so feeling your pain. I'm in the same boat but deciding between the '05 and an '04 Cobra. 90HP is a big difference and it would be about the same price. I also would prefer not to have "just" a GT. The good thing is that I won't be ready to buy for about a year or so, so I will be praying for an '06 "special edition" model. That would be my ideal as I really want the new style, but I will be tempted if the price for an '04 Cobra is ridiculous by then.

 

[SWTSWNG]

To be honest the Cobra has been in my sites as well to. It would probably actually save me money in the long run because I wouldn't have to spend as much money modding it!!

If I could get a cobra in the low 20's used and unmolested (preferably brand new) I would jump on it in a heartbeat. I have been in a new lightly modded cobra and for how fast they are, I would much rather have that over an 05 no matter how nice.

The way I look at it is this..There have always been hype over the new and upcoming models. The same thing happend with the '94, '96, and '99 GT's. It will eventually pass and in 2006 when the new body styles have been out for awile it won't be such a novelty. A budy of mine got the new 99-04 body style not to long after they came out and I did gawk at it. I wont lie. But he modded his, I modded mine, and when I beat him at the track, I wasn't so hypnotized by it.

To make things worse, I have many friends that have stangs. One is saying wait for the 05, another is saying get a Mach or Cobra and the other is saying "turn the 90GT into a strip car!" Not making it easy for me

 

[GaPonyFarm]

I was feeling your pain not too long ago. I decided to let Ford work out the bugs for a couple of years before I move to the new platform. I bought a new 2003 Mach for $22,325, and haven't regretted it for a minute.

If you can find an '03, you should be able to get a great deal...even '04s are getting good rebates and discounts, depending on where you live. They are virtually identical cars, so I took the better price on the '03, Azure Blue, Auto (I'm getting old!) I figure that the depreciation will be much less for those of us who paid lower 20's for the Mach, which makes it a much better investment.

I absolutely promise you, that Ford will not be giving discounts & rebates for at least the first 2 years of production, on the new platform... there are just way too many people lined up to spend their money on them.

 

[wardog]

I'm kind of in the same boat. Looked at a sweet 03 Cobra with 3K miles for $27K. They sit really nice, and I've always liked the looks of this body.

I'm heavily leaning towards the 05 though. I drove an 02 GT vert, and was dissapointed in the way it drove. Sweet sound, good power, but crappy ride numb steering, and horrible seats. Just not that much fun to drive. Falling in love with the look of the 05 the more time I spend looking at it.

I'm sure the new car will have better steering feel, handling, and ride. I'm also hoping that the 300 HP number is underrated. The Cobra and Mach seem to be, so I hope they continue this trend. I don't think they want the 99 Cobra debacle to ever come back again, so maybe they'll underrate all Stangs from now on.

I'll make my final decision after I see and drive an 05.

 

[66Satellite]

Keep waiting. Drive an 05 first, then decide. No rush to buy an 04--they can only get cheaper.

 

[Sean`03///Zed4]

...One is saying wait for the 05, another is saying get a Mach or Cobra and the other is saying "turn the 90GT into a strip car!" Not making it easy for me

I know what you mean...here is my story ...my first bimmer was 97 328i(2.8l square inline 6, sedan-torquey smooth puppy) and I loved it...It got totalled and I moved to a 2002 325ci (2.5 litre oversquare inline 6 coupe,not that torquey but very flat, great high end power and crisp and precise handling)...I loved it even more...besides it had double vanos over the single vanos in 97...then I crashed the 02 and i decided to sell it a year later, as I started to run into electrical problems with the SRS system...(bimmers are notorious for electrical glitches)...now i drive a 03 Zed4 and in short it's fantabulificient....this car is a keeper...well last year i happened to get a 87 IrocZed literally for free...I fixed up the tranny, fuel pump, cooling system..i got pulled into what I consider the "American Muscle Car" addiction...now i absolutely love the V8 rumble so much i drive the IrocZed almost all weekends...the Zed stays nicely tucked in the garage....
the only thing missing is driving an American V8 with a stick...the Zed is stick but it's a sweet inline 6...smotth and f1 whiney yes but not muscularly rumbling...so I want a Mustang ...the problem like yours is the new 05 or a 03-04 live axle Mach1 or GT...

As i have been pampered by the BMW handling , i lean towards the 05...but people are right when they say that every car manufacturer has to sort out first year bugs...this has been always true and I have always stuck to post first year cars...heck 2 years is even better...the exception to this rule has been the Zed4..but everything in the Zed save for the chassis is a carryover (best of breed carryover) from the other BMW models...for instance the suspension is from the 3-series, the tranny and the engine is a carryover from the 2.5 litre department...so this puppy holds out nice...

Likewise if you break apart the 05 and do some analysis you would find that...what's totally new in the DEW based chassis is not really new...the DEW is a proven design, the 3 valvle vario-cam tech is perhaps new, so except some glitches possibly...but the base engine design is not brand new, so this should hold out fine...the suspension design is not new, like the front l-arm setup is used on the M3 so the suspension will hold out but expect Ford to do some minor tuning on spring rates, shock rebounds as years go by...again it could get better or worse from a performance perspective...

In short you might as well wait for another 10 months or so and drive the two models back - back...and make your decision...I will possibly wait for the 06 model...get a Cobra

 

[ttown]

You can see what I decided, Good Luck. The Mach will be only produced for 2 years and probally have less then 15k made. On the other hand the new 05 GT will be the same basic car for years to come so there's always time to get the 05 style and in 3 years or so they'll probally put a higher HP motor in it if the past is any indication.

I love my Mach and I'm sure I made the right decision, my next car will be in 07 in the form of an Cobra/Boss/shelby

How many Mach's have you seen on the street? You won't be able to say that in a few years on the new platform they'll be very common.

BTW do the math on my sig, at 15% drivetrain loss I'm right at 330HP/350TQ and most o4's are putting at least that and up to 287RWHP

 

[XenoDragon]

If i was in that position which i will be in a few months...i would wait for the 05' GT over the mach 1. On the other hand i would take the 04' Cobra over the new 05' GT. Also think of it this way. How many new 05's will you see all over the road when they come out...probably a ton. The mach 1's and cobra's will be a lot less common..

 

[FNG 2001]

If I could get a cobra in the low 20's used and unmolested (preferably brand new) I would jump on it in a heartbeat. I have been in a new lightly modded cobra and for how fast they are, I would much rather have that over an 05 no matter how nice.

I think many of us would jump on this opportunity too. I am waiting for the new One to come out before I make any purchase. I will follow the price of the Mach 1s and Cobras to see how far they are going down. If they fall down to a "too good to be true" point I will probably get one. If not, I will go ahead and get a new one in 2006.

 

[SWTSWNG]

I think many of us would jump on this opportunity too. I am waiting for the new One to come out before I make any purchase. I will follow the price of the Mach 1s and Cobras to see how far they are going down. If they fall down to a "too good to be true" point I will probably get one. If not, I will go ahead and get a new one in 2006.

The Mach 1's and Cobras will fall down to the "to good to be true price" I gaurantee. Those cars sitting on those lots will stay for a long time if they dont reduce the prices. To be honest IMO the 04 mustang line up is sort of like the computer business. Many future 05 Mustang owners will look at them as being "obsolete." The worth of those 04 cars six months from now is going to plummet. Ford, Im sure will offer great financing to move these cars. You sure as heck aren't going to get under 5% for the new 05 mustang not if you finance with Ford Credit. That is what is also going to sway my opinion. If I can save 3-5k on the price plus another 1-2k on finance charges, you are looking at quite a bit of savings.

 

[SWTSWNG]

I was feeling your pain not too long ago. I decided to let Ford work out the bugs for a couple of years before I move to the new platform. I bought a new 2003 Mach for $22,325.....

You got a brand new one for that price. How did you manage that? That is like 6K under MSRP!!

 

[ttown]

You got a brand new one for that price. How did you manage that? That is like 6K under MSRP!!

That was the going rate when the 04's hit the lots 22k-24k depending on what part of the country you were in. They overbuilt the 03's (9500ish) because 04 will be a short year and the plant is being converted in April so no more Mach's so don't count on it happening again, I doubt they'll make over 5k in 04.

As far as them getting cheaper I really don't think they will they aren't overbuilding them this year and they've already dropped the price. A used low mileage Mach can be had for 20k so they can't drop a whole lot.

My high production 02 GT will be the one that gets smashed, but with no SVT the Cobra/Mach will hold it's own IMO. In fact so many are on the edge of buying a Cobra/Mach but want to see the 05 there maybe a shortage if it doesn't pan out. It's your choice and the chance you have to take with all the 05 hype out there. They won't be building them anymore in a couple months and both cars are very limited production models only made 2 years