2005 Ford Mustang GT

2005 Ford Mustang GT

2005 FORD MUSTANG GT BRINGS “RETRO” BACK
At the time of its release in 2005, the 5th-generation Ford Mustang turned a new page in the history of this iconic pony car. Ford had made a full circle in styling the new car, harking back to the 1st-generation. In particular, these “Retro-stangs” were meant to pay homage to the 1967-68 Shelby Mustang GT350s with their fastback styling and small triangular rear quarter windows. The entire car was styled faithfully in the image of the first-gen Mustangs that started it all. Ford really hit the nail on the head with this one! But it wasn’t destined to last long. For some odd reason, by 2009 Ford felt compelled to screw up the classic looks by bulging up the hood, changing the front and rear facias, giving it “cartoony” tail lights and trying to “make it look shorter” for some odd reason (according to the automotive press at the time). Who every wanted a shorter Mustang anyway? To me, this was just about the best-looking Mustang ever, and I’ve had a bunch of them. I like it so much that this one happens to be my own car. I just bought it. It’s a near-perfect one-owner creampuff with virtually every option that could be ordered on a 2005 Ford Mustang GT. It has 138,000 miles on it, but you’d never know it to look at it. And it’s a 5-speed. I’m loving it!!

MY TAKE ON MY 2005 FORD MUSTANG GT
I bought this lovely 2005 Ford Mustang GT in Mid-August 2016 with 138,000 miles on it. In the first 3-1/2 months I put on around 2,000 miles. I’ve been very impressed overall with how tight, and rattle-free a 12-year-old car with 140K on the clock can be. Just about the only rattle of any kind that I get is probably a bad exhaust hanger that only speaks up when I drive it down my bumpy gravel driveway. The doors still close well, the interior still looks new, everything works (except the CD player), and everything still feels tight. All the controls, the shifter, the pedals (clutch & brake), the steering all feel like a low-miles car. A very impressive achievement when you consider the price-point that Mustangs must be built to. Anyone can build a car that is rattle-free when its new (actually some can’t), but a 12-year-old stiffly-sprung performance car with 140,000 miles on it? Ford has obviously learned it’s lessons over the years and knows how to build a good solid car that does pretty much everything pretty well. It’s also a blast to drive. The exhaust has a wicked snarl, and while not a road rocket, it accelerates hard, handles and corners well, and brakes viciously. Yet you can drive this car hard for hours and not get tired. While I’m a huge Camaro fan, I have to admit that Ford does a better job of packaging the Mustang for real world livability. It’s easier to get in and out of, easier to see out of, in all directions, there’s more useable space inside and in the trunk, and they’re lighter, which helps everything.

MY COMPLAINTS:
Very few, really. Of course, as mentioned before, the factory CD player only gets about a half a song out before it starts skipping constantly. I like that the car is so original, so I was actually hoping to keep the factory stereo, but I may just have to buy a modern unit, with more tech than the old AM/FM/CD that was hip in 2005. But don’t worry, I’ll put the original in a box for posterity. The exhaust rattle, when I hear it, is rather annoying. But just about the only time I hear it is on my driveway, which is darn near a 1/4-mile of 4X4 test track. It’s my own fault for not putting it up in the air and finding the rascal. The seat bottoms seem rather flat to me. Good side bolsters so there’s decent support, but on long trips, my bum gets sore, and I think a better contour and maybe better padding would help. I am seriously considering taking it to a custom upholsterer who is capable of adding some contoured foam. I’m not crazy about where Ford puts it’s seatbelts. GM seatbelts are generally easier to reach, but in the Mustang it takes a long and awkward reach backward to reach the seatbelt to put it on. As mentioned above, this car came with nearly every option available on a 2005 Ford Mustang GT, and that included the “Shaker”, a massive subwoofer supported by a couple of big amps, all living in the right-side of the trunk. It took up about 25% of the usable trunk space, and when in use, produced more bass than my 61-year-old eardrums could tolerate. Younger people loved it, but for my purposes, and my taste in music listening, I decided to pull it out and free up that space. I was surprised at how much it weighed, so the weight savings was another benefit. But overall, I love the car, I’m glad I bought it, I really enjoy driving it, and I’ve been very impressed with it, considering it’s an $8000 used car!


2005 Ford Mustang GT PREMIUM INTERIOR


2005 Ford Mustang GT ENGINE


2005 Ford Mustang GT SPECIFICATIONS

Engine type:
Displacement:
Bore & Stroke:
Compression ratio:
Horsepower output:
Torque output:
Redline:
Fuel economy:
Transmission, auto:
Transmission, manual:
Zero-to-60 acceleration:
Zero-to-100 acceleration:
Quarter mile:
Top speed:
Wheelbase:
Overall length:
Overall width:
Overall height:
Trunk space:
Fuel capacity:
Oil capacity:
Curb weight, auto:
Curb weight, 5 speed:
Weight distribution F/R:
Tires, F&R:
Suspension, front:
Suspension, rear:
SOHC 24-valve 90-degree V8

4606 cc / 281 ci
90.2 mm X 90.0 mm
9.8:1
300 hp @ 5,750 RPM
320 lb/ft @ 4,500 RPM
6,250 RPM
16/24 City/Highway
4-speed w/OD 4th gear
5-speed Tremec 3650
5.1 sec
11.7sec
13.5 sec @ 103 mhp
155 mph (unlimited)
107.1 in
187.6 in
74 in
54.5 in
12.3 cu. ft.
16.6 gal
6 quarts
3,518 lbs
3,483 lbs
57% / 43%
235/55 ZR17
Independent, McPherson strut, 34mm sway bar
3-link, coil springs, Panhard rod, 20mm sway bar


2005 Ford Mustang PRODUCTION NUMBERS

Total Production:
Broken down by color: Black:
Satin Silver:
Torch Red:
Red Fire Metallic:
Mineral Gray:
Performance White:
Windvell Blue:
Sonic Blue:
Screaming Yellow:
Legend Lime:
160,412, all 2005 Ford Mustangs

29,335
21,194
20,110
18,627
16,590
14,890
14,393
9,094
8,438
7,741


2005 Ford Mustang VIN DECODER

1ZV – Ford Motor Company
L – Restraint sysem (L = Air bags & active belts)
T – Passenger car
80 – Body code (80=coupe, 82=GTcoupe, 84=convertible, 85=GT convertible
H – Engine code
6 – Check digit, varies
5 – Model year (5 = 2005)
5 – Assembly plant (5 = Flat Rock)
000001 – Consecutive unit number