Quick story: On my second night with the car, I parked it in a shopping center lot behind Buffalo Wild Wings. It was the only car there. I went inside to eat, and when I came out, there were three other Mustangs parked around me. It’s good to see us sticking together!
The GT350 is new to me. The odometer shows 58k miles, but the engine has 32k miles on it. I also got the Extended Service Plan for the drivetrain. I drove it from South Carolina to the coast and then back to Virginia over the last two days.
First of all, this forum is great! A lot of people gave me advice, and it helped me make this happen.
Here are my questions, I’ll ask them all at once:
The oil is very clean, but the first time I checked it, I thought I smelled fuel. When I checked again, I didn’t smell it as much. Is that normal?
In 5th gear, there isn’t a grind exactly, but I feel a mild vibration. Is that something I should be concerned about?
The front lip has some damage. Is it part of the front clip, or can I replace just the lip without needing a whole new front end?
I’m thinking about adding some GT350 vinyl stripes along the bottom sides of the car. Does anyone have recommendations on where to get good quality ones?
I was thinking of replacing the badges with just the snake emblem, but I haven’t seen any examples of that yet. Has anyone done this? Any pics?
For question 1, you can send a sample of your oil to Amsoil for analysis. They offer one of the best deals on oil testing. The results might not be too helpful if you’re unsure of the current oil, but it’ll show if there is significant fuel dilution.
For question 2, you could drain the transmission fluid and check for metallic glitter. If it’s clean, that means nothing serious happened. Your car is nearing 60k miles, so it wouldn’t hurt to change the transmission and differential fluid. When I switched my MT82 to a different fluid, the shifting improved a lot. Tremec transmissions use ATF, but you might want to check Mustang or Shelby forums for fluid recommendations.
@Dru
I switched to BG Syncro Shift II based on some advice from road course and autocross drivers. It made the shifts feel much smoother, especially when it’s cold. I also used BG for the Torsen differential. I bought it as a kit from Optimum Performance Racing.
@Andy
That makes sense. My wife, who knows nothing about cars, had to get really close to see what was on the badge. At first, I thought the badges were small, but I see your point.
Journey said: @Andy
That makes sense. My wife, who knows nothing about cars, had to get really close to see what was on the badge. At first, I thought the badges were small, but I see your point.
If you’re trying to impress non-car people, I don’t think that’s the best approach. We all love it, and other car enthusiasts know what it is too. I’m doing a GT500 conversion on my GT, but I won’t change the badges. I’m keeping the Coyote badge.
I have a 350 too, and I haven’t noticed any grinding in 5th. All gears feel smooth. The only issue I’ve noticed over time is some throttle delay. But 5th should feel smooth, and you should be able to push it to higher speeds without any problem.
@Angel
Same here. I had a sticky reverse lockout at first, but no issues with 5th gear. The reverse lockout might be an issue with the shifter itself. There was even a recall for it. You should check into that.
Angel said: @Cort
I think the reverse lockout issue might have been a recall on the shifter. Mine was replaced for free, but I forgot to mention that before!
I took mine in during the warranty period, but they said it was ‘within specs.’ I wasn’t happy about that, but now I’m out of warranty. I wonder if recalls have a time limit?
I wouldn’t call a mild ‘grind’ in 5th gear normal.
As for the front lips, on my 500, they are replaceable on their own. Be prepared to pay a Shelby tax, though. The last time I checked, the front splitter was around $1300 just for the part.
For the badges, maybe you could ask Ford about getting 500 badges if you tell them you have a Shelby VIN. Otherwise, eBay might have some options.
I saw a GT350 on a car hauler recently in Indianapolis. Maybe it was yours!
I can’t answer all your questions, but I can relate to the 5th gear issue. I felt the same way and took it to the dealer just to be sure. They told me to just ‘drive better.’ At first, I wasn’t used to the Tremec, but now it’s fine. Just take it slow while you get used to it.
The front lip on my Mach1 is in two pieces and just riveted in. It’s a bit of a pain to drill out the rivets and replace it, but it’s possible.
If you’re worried about the oil, take a sample and send it to Blackstone Labs. Relying on smell and color isn’t very accurate. Blackstone does great oil analysis.
