Joined
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11 Posts
hey all-
i've been trolling this site for a few weeks now and figured it was time to say hi.
first, a little about me. no, i'm not looking for a date, but i figure it would make sense to let everyone know where i'm coming from.
i'm a 23 yr old recent graduate from Cal Poly SLO with a BS in Manufacturing Engineering. i work for a govt contractor in the San Diego area where it's my job to design all sorts of crazy fixtures and stuff as well as to fight the daily fires of the manufacturing world.
currently, i drive an 02 ford focus zx5. don't laugh bc it's my baby and insulting her is like making fun of my gf right in front of my face. i've owned the car since new and have invested a good deal of time, $$$, and effort into her. she doesn't make a lot of power, but i've invested a good amount of $$$ into the suspension so she's a blast to drive through the twisties. no rice, either. just a few modest cosmetic upgrades (wheels, SVT front and rear bumper, window tint). i'm a huge enthusiast of the focus, so much so that i'm a member of multiple focus forums and moderate one as well. she's a good car for a daily driver, but now that i've graduated i'm ready to step up to something with more power and a more adult look and feel.
i'm looking to purchase a vehicle sometime next summer. waiting until then will give me time to get a good down payment going (i'm thinking about $15K) and also give me time to thoroughly evaluate all my alternatives. i definetey want a FR car (front engine, RWD) and i want to keep the price somewhere around $30K. at 6'7" and 315lbs, this doesn't leave a ton of options. right now, the list comprises of 3 vehicles: Pontiac GTO, s197 (aka 05 and newer) Mustang GT, and the Infiniti G35 6MT. i'll admit that when i first started thinking of getting something new i thought all i wanted was the new mustang. after going by a Pontiac dealer and checking out the GTO in person, though, i have to say my mind is fastly changing. i love the understated looks of this car. it just screams sleeper IMO. combine a bigger engine, better interior quality, and an IRS, and it becomes pretty clear that the GTO is not really on the same plane as the Mustang. i also love the fact that it's rare and that most won't know what it is until they ask.
anywho, after reading many pages of posts here, i have a few questions:
1) why is everyone ordering a GTO? i read up on the horror story some of you are dealing with about the car being stuck at the dock, and it just doesn't make sense to me. i can go to Pontiac's website and tell it to search the inventory of every dealer within 100 miles from me. it comes up with several dealers who have multiple Goats on the lot in just about every color/tranny combo desired. so why order? is thsi car harder to find in other regions of the states?
2) one of the reasons i'm looking to get into this car (as opposed to the mustang) is that almost any ford dealer is asking over MSRP. i know this will go down soon, but i just can't believe people would pay over sticker for a car. that being said, are GTOs going for over sticker or no? i was under the impression that sales are slow, so much so that i could probably dicker on thr price a little and maybe get the car for under $30K if i wait til the right time of the year.
3) i've read a few posts where some have said they have removed the rear spoiler. do any of you have pics? how doe steh spoiler attach? if it uses bolts, how did you address the holes?
4) is this car going away anytime soon? i'd hate to have the car dissappear before i'm ready to buy one next year. bad enough they'll probably get more popular by then and the dealer won't want to dicker!
ok, i'm done. sorry that was so long.
Mike
i've been trolling this site for a few weeks now and figured it was time to say hi.
first, a little about me. no, i'm not looking for a date, but i figure it would make sense to let everyone know where i'm coming from.
i'm a 23 yr old recent graduate from Cal Poly SLO with a BS in Manufacturing Engineering. i work for a govt contractor in the San Diego area where it's my job to design all sorts of crazy fixtures and stuff as well as to fight the daily fires of the manufacturing world.
currently, i drive an 02 ford focus zx5. don't laugh bc it's my baby and insulting her is like making fun of my gf right in front of my face. i've owned the car since new and have invested a good deal of time, $$$, and effort into her. she doesn't make a lot of power, but i've invested a good amount of $$$ into the suspension so she's a blast to drive through the twisties. no rice, either. just a few modest cosmetic upgrades (wheels, SVT front and rear bumper, window tint). i'm a huge enthusiast of the focus, so much so that i'm a member of multiple focus forums and moderate one as well. she's a good car for a daily driver, but now that i've graduated i'm ready to step up to something with more power and a more adult look and feel.
i'm looking to purchase a vehicle sometime next summer. waiting until then will give me time to get a good down payment going (i'm thinking about $15K) and also give me time to thoroughly evaluate all my alternatives. i definetey want a FR car (front engine, RWD) and i want to keep the price somewhere around $30K. at 6'7" and 315lbs, this doesn't leave a ton of options. right now, the list comprises of 3 vehicles: Pontiac GTO, s197 (aka 05 and newer) Mustang GT, and the Infiniti G35 6MT. i'll admit that when i first started thinking of getting something new i thought all i wanted was the new mustang. after going by a Pontiac dealer and checking out the GTO in person, though, i have to say my mind is fastly changing. i love the understated looks of this car. it just screams sleeper IMO. combine a bigger engine, better interior quality, and an IRS, and it becomes pretty clear that the GTO is not really on the same plane as the Mustang. i also love the fact that it's rare and that most won't know what it is until they ask.
anywho, after reading many pages of posts here, i have a few questions:
1) why is everyone ordering a GTO? i read up on the horror story some of you are dealing with about the car being stuck at the dock, and it just doesn't make sense to me. i can go to Pontiac's website and tell it to search the inventory of every dealer within 100 miles from me. it comes up with several dealers who have multiple Goats on the lot in just about every color/tranny combo desired. so why order? is thsi car harder to find in other regions of the states?
2) one of the reasons i'm looking to get into this car (as opposed to the mustang) is that almost any ford dealer is asking over MSRP. i know this will go down soon, but i just can't believe people would pay over sticker for a car. that being said, are GTOs going for over sticker or no? i was under the impression that sales are slow, so much so that i could probably dicker on thr price a little and maybe get the car for under $30K if i wait til the right time of the year.
3) i've read a few posts where some have said they have removed the rear spoiler. do any of you have pics? how doe steh spoiler attach? if it uses bolts, how did you address the holes?
4) is this car going away anytime soon? i'd hate to have the car dissappear before i'm ready to buy one next year. bad enough they'll probably get more popular by then and the dealer won't want to dicker!
ok, i'm done. sorry that was so long.
Mike