Some individuals develop up in Ford households. Their mother and father are loyal to the blue oval and once they get sufficiently old, they find yourself driving an Explorer or an F-150 as their first car. I used to be raised in what you may name a Ford-adjacent family. My mother and father primarily drove Asian imports once I was a child, however my dad did have non-running 1964.5 and 1965 Mustang convertibles that have been in determined want of restoration. Their potential at all times made me daydream about what it might be prefer to drive considered one of them with the highest down. That need for a Mustang solely grew in highschool because of buddies that had their very own. After faculty, I had a girlfriend who let me drive her black New Edge GT, which gave me a style of what I had been curious to attempt. A number of years later, I used to be lucky sufficient to check about 10 varied S550 fashions, together with the Shelby GT500, as a contract journalist. As if it wasn’t clear earlier than, these experiences made it simple: I needed to get a Mustang.
In September 2022, I lastly did. I signed on the dotted line for a 2008 Mustang Bullitt, considered one of solely 5,808 produced for the mannequin yr (Ford made an extra 816 for 2009, in accordance with Steeda). Not solely did I lastly get what I assumed was my dream automobile, however I additionally acquired a year-long studying expertise, which I’m going to interrupt down into a couple of tales. On this first half, I’ll share what I ought to’ve completed in a different way in my pre-purchase course of.
Be Calm
I think about myself level-headed about my funds. I at all times watch for gross sales and by no means really feel that my cash is burning a gap in my pocket. Even once I was arising with my short-list of potential new automobiles, I assumed I used to be being life like. Certain, they weren’t all that sensible, however additionally they weren’t ridiculously costly. I thought of the 2003-2004 Mercury Marauder for its modern appears to be like and passenger house, however the ones with low costs had too many miles and the much less road-beaten ones have been greater than I cared to spend. Then there was the 2003-2004 Mustang SVT Cobra. Maybe if the fitting one would’ve popped up close to me, I’d’ve loved the frenzy of 390 supercharged horsepower. The 2003-2004 Mustang Mach 1 was additionally on the checklist and provided 305 horsepower and the novelty of a shaker hood scoop. Any severe considered that instantly vanished once I noticed a vendor close to me had an completely Arizona-owned Darkish Highland Inexperienced 2008 Bullitt with solely 25,000 miles on it. So did my restraint. (Extra on that later.)
Suppose About My Life-style
The yr earlier than I purchased the Bullitt was the primary one in practically a decade I’d had a commute. The earlier eight I had labored from dwelling. After I acquired the Bullitt, I used to be working in an workplace roughly an hour away from my home three days every week. My preliminary pleasure over the acquisition numbed me to the grind of driving a handbook automobile with a heavy clutch in Phoenix rush-hour visitors. That caught up with me as soon as I needed to commute 5 days every week – a few of which hit 115 levels – in a automobile with a Darkish Charcoal leather-based inside.
Within the lead-up to getting the Bullitt, I envisioned happening rallies with different Mustang house owners and taking my fiancé (now spouse) down wonderful driving roads to romantic locations. We’ve had our share of these, however we spend most of our weekends within the suburbs or in Scottsdale. Apparently, horses aren’t the one creatures who put on blinders.
Contemplate Others
I knew once I was getting nearer to the ultimate buy that I used to be being indulgent, however I felt I had earned the privilege. I had at all times needed a Mustang and I used to be lastly going to cease dreaming about it and make it occur.
It wasn’t till later that I noticed how egocentric I used to be in making the Bullitt my solely automobile. To mark the 40th anniversary of the film “Bullitt,” Ford geared up its commemorative mannequin with a wide range of beauty and efficiency upgrades. It provided the GT-based mannequin in solely two colours: Darkish Highland Inexperienced and Black. Regardless of which one you picked, the Bullitt had a low-key look consisting of a pony-less grille, no Ford emblems, and film car-inspired 18-inch “Euroflange” wheels and exhaust tweaks. In keeping with Ford Efficiency, along with stiffer shocks, springs, and a strut tower brace, Ford’s in-house gearheads put in a Ford Racing Energy Improve Package deal that bumped the output of the 4.6-liter V8 as much as 315 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque.
Ford paired the improved engine with a TREMEC five-speed handbook gearbox completely. The love of my life didn’t know learn how to drive stick, so if for some motive her automobile was out of fee, I couldn’t lend her mine. I used to be nonetheless pondering like a single man, not somebody who was going to get married in two months.
Then there have been my soon-to-be in-laws. We spent plenty of time with them making an attempt totally different eating places, purchasing, and happening day journeys. They each had automobiles that provided house for everybody. Whereas technically a four-seater, the Bullitt successfully had no again seats. Even when my fiancé and her mom determined to contort themselves into the again row and endure the ache of practically zero legroom, my future father-in-law wouldn’t be snug within the shotgun seat for lengthy as a result of he was 6’5”. Each time all of us went someplace collectively, it wasn’t in my automobile. My indulgence had turn out to be an inconvenience to the individuals I liked.
That was just the start of my lesson. I discovered much more once I bought my first trendy collector automobile, which I’ll cowl within the subsequent half, so keep tuned!