Any 2011+ Mustang GT Owners here?

Anyone here driving a 2011+ "Coyote" GT? I have been thinking about a newer car now for several years, and have been all over the map. There are other candidates that would not ordinarily be cross-shopped (like the Ford Flex, among others) but what I really want is something that has sufficient power and at least a few accouterments, like leather, heated seats, decent climate control, and power.

The outgoing GT is a nice car, too, but I like the refresh so much more that it actually makes me dislike the outgoing model a little, and I like the idea of 400+ HP.

Anyway, any owners here? Any issues to be aware of? I'm looking at gently used 2011 models.

We have a guy that autocrosses with us (very good) and he traded in his STI for one and loves it. It's a big car for sure though. I haven't heard a negative word from him about it.

Supposedly the 6 speed manual transmissions are made of chinese glass. A number of people I know have no problems with them, but there are a LOT of complaints on the web.

SkyRender and a couple others on here have them. I have an 05, and I wouldn't trade up but i would love to drop in a Coyote someday in the future.

I've heard of the trans issues as well, so stay away from abused or raced cars, just to be safe. There are plenty of cars available that haven't been run hard. Other than that, no issues I know of. My 05 has been bullet proof, even after three separate accidents.

You may want to read Sky_Render's build thread on his pony: http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-threads-and-project-cars/project-2011-mustang-50-the-evil-pony/52984/page1/

Chris_V wrote: Supposedly the 6 speed manual transmissions are made of chinese glass. A number of people I know have no problems with them, but there are a LOT of complaints on the web.

And don't forget that every single WRX has a porcelain gearbox, and it's 100% guaranteed that every Fox/SN95 that came with a T5 transmission has had it replaced 5 times before it hit's 50k miles. I think it’s accepted by internet lore that the average Honda Odyssey doesn’t get off the dealers lot before needing its first transmission replaced etc etc. Where I work there are a E36 M3 load of Coyote Mustangs (hint there's a big blue oval on the side of the building - full disclosure) but I have never met anyone personally, including many who track and autocross their cars, who have had an issue.

'13 base GT with the Track Pack.

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/13-mustang-gt-1000-miles-and-1-month-of-ownership-review/56945/page1/

Depending on the size of my christmas bonus at work, I may go ahead and do the Steeda shifter. The trans has gotten better with miles (1700 now), but it still standsout as terrible behind that fantastic engine.

I've heard about the transmission, but I will actually be looking for an automatic, believe it or not. I'm checking the links, thanks guys!

I recently rode around the block in a stock '11 auto GT convertible, top trim level, all the options, that one of the guys here at work bought. No track pack though. It was a lot nicer inside than my 05, but it also felt softer, heavier....and not as fast as mine.

I've done some things to sharpen the experience on mine, better shocks, swaybars, and a tune/cold air that probably netted 25 hp on a good day, but nowhere near enough to cover the 100+HP difference. Of course, he was driving and I'd bet that vert has almost 500lbs on my older coupe.

I guess my point is, definitely compare a track pack to a standard GT, and seriously consider a tune as soon as you feel comfortable voiding your warranty ( or get the Ford Racing tuner.) The auto trans is not a bad one if that's what you want/need, but he regrets passing up a 6spd Cali edition and he's only had it a couple months. Only caveat to that is the auto is better for drags, generally.

You can get most of the Track Pack with the Brembo package. The Track Pack is available on manuals only.

The track pack adds the strut bar, 3.73s and Torsen, BOSS 302 radiator/oil cooler.

The six speed on my '11 is fine. Not the smoothest I've ever driven but far from the worst.

It's a great little car. Very popular with the casual HPDE crowd. I did a tune and CAI and woke it up a little bit. Probably picked up 20ish HP that way.

My 2013 V-6 Perf. Pack has the same manual transmission as the V-8 models (code MT82. Different gearing though) and I concur with the above- it takes a while to break in. I think it's pretty slick but then again my last car was a Mazdaspeed3, which had a notoriously vague shift action from the factory.

Something to note if you look for a manual is that Ford issued a TSB to replace the factory 75W transmission fluid in the 2011-early 2012s with their Dual-Clutch Transmission fluid in the late 2012s-2013s. It would be good to check if this was done.

Adrian_Thompson wrote: And don't forget that every single WRX has a porcelain gearbox, and it's 100% guaranteed that every Fox/SN95 that came with a T5 transmission has had it replaced 5 times before it hit's 50k miles.

Not entirely true...although I admit my '93 Cobra's T-5 did have several nice features that "regular" 5.0 cars didn't have, it survived many dozens of 11 second 1/4 mile runs, launching at 5000rpm on slicks. The ONLY reason I rebuilt it at 25k miles, was because of missing too-many power shifts (not the tranny's fault).

marks93cobra wrote:

Adrian_Thompson wrote: And don't forget that every single WRX has a porcelain gearbox, and it's 100% guaranteed that every Fox/SN95 that came with a T5 transmission has had it replaced 5 times before it hit's 50k miles.

Not entirely true...although I admit my '93 Cobra's T-5 did have several nice features that "regular" 5.0 cars didn't have, it survived many dozens of 11 second 1/4 mile runs, launching at 5000rpm on slicks. The ONLY reason I rebuilt it at 25k miles, was because of missing too-many power shifts (not the tranny's fault).

I am fairly certain that he was being facetious

tuna55 wrote:

marks93cobra wrote:

Adrian_Thompson wrote: And don't forget that every single WRX has a porcelain gearbox, and it's 100% guaranteed that every Fox/SN95 that came with a T5 transmission has had it replaced 5 times before it hit's 50k miles.

Not entirely true...although I admit my '93 Cobra's T-5 did have several nice features that "regular" 5.0 cars didn't have, it survived many dozens of 11 second 1/4 mile runs, launching at 5000rpm on slicks. The ONLY reason I rebuilt it at 25k miles, was because of missing too-many power shifts (not the tranny's fault).

I am fairly certain that he was being facetious

Are you implying that people on the interweb may stretch the truth?

The manual transmissions had manufacturing issues with early '11s. They have been fixed. If you get a bad one, have it replaced under warranty. This is yet another problem the Internet has blown out of proportion.

There are two TSBs that affect early '11s, like mine. One is for the automatic transmission shift solenoids, and the other (that I need to have done) replaces the two separate drive belts with a single one used on later Coyote 5.0s. (This fixes an intermittent "knocking" sound at lower RPMs that is actually just the timing cover rattling a bit.)

The car is very comfortable; definitely the most comfy I've ever ridden in. It can be very competitive at autocross, as well, with some upgrades. First and foremost, the stock dampers SUCK.

I have over 26,000 miles on mine, with zero issues. It is (almost) daily-driven.

Post up some specific questions, and I'll answer them!

I have to say the 6spd AUTO's are damn tough for an OE transmission. All you really have to do is get a different converter for your application and go race until the 9's. My only beef is the elimination of the age old dipstick tube, but oh well.

If you break the chinese 6spd, there are a couple companies out there, D&D Motorsports in Wixom and my buddy Justin who owns JPC Racing in MD, selling T56 Magnum trans kits that are a direct bolt in for the S197 chassis. Just be prepared for the 4k price tag, but you get everything, SFI bell, trans, shifter, clutch, and driveshaft.

Adrian_Thompson wrote:

Chris_V wrote: Supposedly the 6 speed manual transmissions are made of chinese glass. A number of people I know have no problems with them, but there are a LOT of complaints on the web.

And don't forget that every single WRX has a porcelain gearbox, and it's 100% guaranteed that every Fox/SN95 that came with a T5 transmission has had it replaced 5 times before it hit's 50k miles. I think it’s accepted by internet lore that the average Honda Odyssey doesn’t get off the dealers lot before needing its first transmission replaced etc etc. Where I work there are a E36 M3 load of Coyote Mustangs (hint there's a big blue oval on the side of the building - full disclosure) but I have never met anyone personally, including many who track and autocross their cars, who have had an issue.

Every Tundra frame has rusted in half, every mod motor will spit it's plugs out, every early Miata has a bad crankshaft, every Ford 3.8 will blow it's head gaskets, I could go on.....

If they were that bad, Ford would be getting slammed with warranty returns, which would be costing them money. Corporations don't like to spend money. Therefore they are incentivized to make sure problems like this are at least minimized.

Ranger50 wrote: I have to say the 6spd AUTO's are damn tough for an OE transmission. All you really have to do is get a different converter for your application and go race until the 9's. My only beef is the elimination of the age old dipstick tube, but oh well.

The stock automatic can hold north of 800 horsepower.

FYI, it is actually a German design (by ZF, to be exact) that is manufactured in Michigan. Interestingly, the automatic is a $1,000 option, which is approximately the price saved by manufacturing the manual transmissions in China...

Sky_Render wrote:

Ranger50 wrote: I have to say the 6spd AUTO's are damn tough for an OE transmission. All you really have to do is get a different converter for your application and go race until the 9's. My only beef is the elimination of the age old dipstick tube, but oh well.

The stock automatic can hold north of 800 horsepower. FYI, it is actually a German design (by ZF, to be exact) that is manufactured in Michigan. Interestingly, the automatic is a $1,000 option, which is approximately the price saved by manufacturing the manual transmissions in China...

Which I find amazing given my experience with previous ZF's... They make it last for just the stock HP/torque, anything more and they explode.

Sky_Render wrote: The manual transmissions had manufacturing issues with early '11s. They have been fixed. If you get a bad one, have it replaced under warranty. This is yet another problem the Internet has blown out of proportion.

It's still a clunky, noisy transmission.