Category: 2005-2006 Ford GT Page 18 of 20

Everything related to the 2005 and 2006 Ford GT

My 2005 Ford GT Arrives

On May 2, 2018

In 2005 Ford GT Ownership, 2005-2006 Ford GT, Ford GT

My 2005 Ford GT, August 2005

It was late June of 2005 when I saw my Ford GT on the assembly line. It was early in the build process, and I was told it would be at least 2 months before the car was fully assembled and shipped to California. I was hoping to take possession before the end of August, but when my contact at Santa Monica Ford called me on August 22nd and said, “So, Karl, there’s this dark blue Ford GT sitting in my service bay” it still took me a moment to process the situation.

My 2005 Ford GT’s first photo on August 24, 2005

Remember, this was the culmination of a three-and-half-year journey. It started when I saw the concept GT40 in Detroit in January of 2002, continued with my contacting John Clinard at Ford when the GT was announced for production in March of 2002, and encompassed multiple trips to Detroit and a Michigan race track , plus a driving experience in Northern California, before seeing my Ford GT being produced on the assembly line. Now it was at a dealership less than one-mile away.

2005 Ford GT Technical Specifications Postcard

By Karl Brauer

On May 1, 2018

In 2005-2006 Ford GT, Ford GT

2005 Ford GT Technical Specifications Cover

2005 Ford GT technical specifications postcard cover (image courtesy of Ford Motor Company)

The 2005 Ford GT technical specifications were in flux for years before Ford committed to final numbers. Sound familiar? Before the numbers were finally finalized they were available on a heavy card stock postcard with a cool image of the Ford GT (above) on the front and the complete technical specifications (below) on the back. The horsepower number is listed at 500, but the final-final-final horsepower number for the 2005 Ford GT was 550.

2005 Ford GT technical specifications postcard back (image courtesy Ford Motor Company)

These cards were floating around the auto show circuit and Ford GT dealers throughout 2005 and 2006. But now they’re hard to find. I just checked eBay and only one showed up, with a “Buy It Now” price of $24.99 (glad I saved several of the copies I got for free). These images aren’t a scan of my 2005 Ford GT technical specifications postcard. They come from an original .pdf file from 2005, sized at nearly 3,300 pixels wide at 300 dpi. Click on the images to see them in full-size, easy-to-read glory.

My 2005 Ford GT Factory Tour

By Karl Brauer

On April 30, 2018

In 2005-2006 Ford GT, Ford GT

Completed Ford GTs at the Wixom Assembly Plant

In June of 2005, about 8 weeks after ordering my Ford GT, I got a call from my Ford contact. He had promised to let me visit the Ford GT assembly plant in Detroit while my car was being built, and he said he’d give me about a week’s notice so I could schedule travel. Well, that was the plan anyway. When he finally did call the first words out of his mouth were, “Your car’s on the line right now and will be done in the next few days. Can you get here this week?!”

I actually had a prior trip to the east coast scheduled over the coming days, but I was able to change my return flight for a stopover in Detroit. Of course there were weather issues in Newark on my way back, which meant I had to take a cab to JFK to get the last flight to Detroit, and that flight was delayed, getting me to my hotel at roughly 3 a.m. Factory tour start time at the assembly plant was 9 a.m., which meant another sleep-deprived Ford GT experience just like my first GT driving experience at Gingerman Raceway the previous October. And just like that event, I didn’t notice the lack of sleep once I arrived at the plant and saw hundreds of GTs in various states of assembly.

Ordering My 2005 Ford GT

By Karl Brauer

On April 26, 2018

In 2005-2006 Ford GT, Ford GT

2005 Ford GT Quick Reference Guide

When I was told I’d “made the list” to get a 2005 Ford GT, in April of 2004, I didn’t know exactly when I’d take delivery. At that point I was just happy to be getting a car. But after a year of waiting I’ll admit, I was getting antsy. The delays to the car’s production due to paint issues, the “ship-in-a-bottle” central fuel tank design and the extruded aluminum suspension pieces were well known to Ford GT fans and industry followers. By spring of 2005 cars were slowly trickling into dealerships, and any GTs not snapped up by dealer principals were going for $250,000-plus on the open market.

My order form for a 2005 Ford GT

Then in mid-April 2005 I received paperwork from Ford asking me how I wanted my GT configured. The car’s base price started at $139,995, and of the four options offered I knew how I wanted all four of them configured. “Yes” on the painted racing stripes ($5,350), “yes” on the BBS lightweight aluminum wheels ($3,500), “yes” on the (red) painted brake calipers ($750), and “no” on the optional McIntosh audio system ($2,100). I actually liked the McIntosh audio head unit, but the large subwoofer that came with it was mounted between the seats, blocking the view of the supercharger on the other side of the rear cabin glass.

My Second Drive In The 2005 Ford GT

By Karl Brauer

On April 25, 2018

In 2005-2006 Ford GT, Ford GT

2005 Ford GT pre-production press car with early headlight design

After briefly driving the Ford GT for the first time on Gingerman Raceway in October of 2003 I was given a second opportunity in April of 2004. This time I had the car for over 48 hours on the roads in and around Napa Valley. During this drive I also learned I was getting an allocation to buy a 2005 Ford GT, equipped the way I wanted and sold at MSRP. This is the road test I wrote and these are the photos that came from driving that pre-production test car. This article first published July 2, 2004: