Before we get to the drive, it’s worth noting that my daily driver is a base model 2007 Corvette 410 hp with a stage 3 clutch. This puts down a lot of torque. My other car is 1970 Mustang pushing out 300 hp and I dive that a couple times a week.
Last year, I drove the Ford Taurus SHO and that was a nice with plenty of pep. But I wasn’t ready for this years ride, 2013 Mustang 5.0.
The car manufacturers set up a small auto cross track, under a 1/4 mile in length, it had a starting line and brief straight way in to a “switchback” turn, another straight way combined with a moderate turn and than the finish.
You are sharing the track with mild-mannered cars, like a Ford Focus and Chevy Cruz and the Corvettes and Camaros of Bondurant School and the Super Snake and Shelbys. There is a lot going on.
So I hopped into the Mustang, along with a ‘handler’ ( he rides along) and we pull in to line behind two Bondurant Corvettes. This Mustang is the automatic version of the 412 hp 5.0 and it feels small and light (much different than my C6).
The handler gives me the nod and I hit the gas. The rear wheels spin for a second and the you can feel the 420 hp launch the car forward. I was at the switchback curve in about 3 seconds – didn’t notice the speedometer but the handler said ‘slow into..’ but I was in an out of corner. The Mustang had excellent handling at about 50mph in a tight turn. I told the handler I that I raced SCCA with my vette, but don’t think that made him any more comfortable. I finished curve and punched the gas and breezed through the short straightway and then the final curve at about 60 mph and a quick braking and done!
Ok…again, I’m no big time automotive journalist, but I know cars. So, here are my impressions of the 2013 5.0 Mustang.
Interior was much better than previous years and it felt like sports when sitting in the seat, much like my Vette. I’m not normally a automatic transmission enthusiast but this one shift smooth as ice on a professional hockey rink. It launched really well, didn’t fell like 390 ft lbs of torque, felt straight and although a didn’t notice the band of rubber it was sporting, it did feel grip well. The car felt stable going into the two curves and it was enjoyable.
With more horsepower than my Vette it still couldn’t match the quickness of my C7 (oh….Freudian slip) …um C6 with more torque and almost 500 less pounds ( 3350 vs. 3800 curb weight).
Over all I WOULD purchase a new Mustang – but something at the next level than the base model 5 liter. The Boss 302 (maybe in the Laguna Seca) or the GT500)
Ok now there’s no debating that I’m a two bit blogger with no car industry pull. So Chevy, Ford and Mother MOPAR aren’t dropping cars off for me to beat up or even just to test drive.
Nope, if I want to test drive a car I have to hope a friend buys one (and let’s me drive – given my rep it’s a tough sell) or I have to go to the dealership. I’ve drove 100 miles out-of-town to test drive a C6 Corvette. You really have to convenience the salesman you are serious and in this particular case I did and the salesman accompanied me out on to highway and on a remote entrance ramp allowed me to open it up. That’s rare, normally you are lucky if you get to travel a couple blocks and maybe a spirited lunch at a traffic light.
Ok enough whining.
At Barrett-Jackson the dealerships – well at least Ford and Chevy have a venue set up where you can actually test drive some of their latest offerings. The lines are long and you aren’t going to be able to drive the Shelby SuperSnake or Z06, but there are some good rides there. What’s more, you aren’t driving on a city street….yeah…you are driving on an auto cross track – short but effective.
So I got to drive the 2013 Mustang 5.0, 412 hp on this short track.
That did I think? That coming up in the next post.
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Perhaps is was my imagination but there seemed to be a lot of guys dressed like the late Carroll Shelby (dark clothes, dark wide brimmed hat). What wasn’t my imagination was all the Shelby Mustangs up for sale, there were a lot. Normally, there are quite a few but there were more than usual.
I grabbed a lot of shots and I thought I’d share them.
1967 Shelby Mustang:
Here is a quick vid of them bringing a Shelby GT 350 in from auction. I had hoped they would fire it up but they were waiting for few cars in front of them to park.
ROUSH Performance Set for GRAND-AM Season Opener at Daytona ROUSH Performance is ready for next weekend’s GRAND-AM season opener at Daytona where they’ll attempt to kick-start their 2013 season the same way they began their 2012 campaign – with a win! The team will enter a trio of Mustang Boss 302Rs – the No. 61 driven by Jack Roush Jr. and Billy Johnson, the No. 51 piloted by Shelby Blackstock and Joey Atterbury and the No. 49 for Roly Falgueras and Brian Ortiz. Cheer on ROUSH Performance and the rest of the Mustang Boss 302R contingent this weekend at Daytona!
I happen to live where the weather is nice nearly year round. You could almost always work on your car. But even here in Southern Arizona, we get a cold spells….HEY…36 degree (morning temperature) is cold!!!!
Ok…enough whining. There are many of you that live a bit North of here and driveing much less working on your project car is more like Man vs. Wild in the Antarctic – I know I’ve lived in Nebraska and up-state (way up) New York.
So one cool way to spend the winter it collecting model cars (actually you can do that any time). I wrote a piece about 3 years ago (Yikes I’ve been writing this blog for that long!!!) about collecting model cars. Here a link: When You Just have to have that Classic/Muscle Car?…Think Small!!!! http://wp.me/p2YxYx-1rV
As you can see (compared to 3 years ago) my collection has grown a bit.
The Mustangs
The Vettes
Few others
More of the collection.
These are only a few that I have room to display. Of course these were all purchased and unless you are big in to dusting, this isn’t really going to help those winter months speed by.
But building your own can be rewarding. Here are a couple I have on deck for building.
This is a 1963 model kit of a Stutz Bearcat and a Model T
The Stutz model pieces are not there, but yes I’m gong to but the Model T together.
After that I have this one coming up:
1930 Packard. This is a 1960’s model – the original box is long gone
What am I working on now?
How about an Edsel? Yup love those cars.
Here’s the body in the first stage of painting:
Edsel in paint
This is an experiment. It’s the first model car I’ve painted by spraying on the paint. This is the first coat and it will be sanded and re-sprayed. I want this two toned with the rear quarter panel inserts will be black or white. So I experimented with some liquid masking that my wife uses when she is doing her rendering.
Art Masking Liquid
This actually worked very well. After it’s applied it rubberizes and protects the area from paint spray. It comes right off when you are done. I used a pencil eraser (exactly what my wife uses on her hand rendered drawings and I used a tooth pick to get around the lettering.
So spend you winter building a classic, or a hot rod, or a muscle car!
This is a repeat – it got lost in the move to the new domain – I had to add it back to the archives so I could refer to it in my up and coming post on Model Cars.
I should throw “collecting” in the title of this blog (but it’s really long enough), because, although it’s about 2.5 months old, I have mentioned collecting a bunch of times. But really that is part of hobby as well.
Of course if I were to list all the cars I’d love collect, it would be fairly long and in reality (my reality) unaffordable..unless you are Jay Leno… I hate that guy. Ok..I don’t hate him…not really..the green-eyed monster made me say that.
Since I’m not as funny as Jay and I have to work for a living….what?…..ok..ok….I’m sure Jay works very hard…I guess…it’s tough reading funny newpaper clips….ok…Sorry Jay, I have “substituted” this alternative method of obtaining the cars I’d love to own.
You all figured it out yet? I’m talking about models, scale diecast replicas. There is an entire industry out there that produces, imports and markets these items. Some of them are extremely well done.
Here are some shots of my collection. I’m concentrating on the Mustangs and Corvettes in the sizes 1/18 or 1/24 scale.
These are a few of Mustangs
And these are a few of the Corvettes.
A Few of the Vettes
Most of these are Danbury Mint and GMP pieces, I do like what they produce, lots of details and they are affordable (around $100.00 each).
Here is a few shots of the 1967 GT 350.
GMP 1967 GT350 Interior
GMP Mustang GT350 Engine compartment
The Franklin mint produces cars, Greenleaf, Motormint, just to name a few.
It’s fun and affordable and they do increase in value. It’s gotten so popular that even the mainstream car magazines like Hemmings (they normally have at least one article in every Motor News edition), Mustang Monthly and Corvette magazine have articles that discuss this portion of the hobby and even rate the quality of individual brands and their offerings.
If you collect already or want to get started drop a comment to this post. Toss in some pic as well.
