Looking for GT350 Owners' Feedback on the car...

Max97COBRAtkd

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Hey guys! Wanted to check in this section of SVTP as I am strongly thinking once my 03 Cobra sells of getting into a new 18 or preferably 19 GT350. I have owned a 788rwhp/700rwtq 13 Shelby GT500 before and my current Cobra makes 755rwhp/682rwtq on pump gas. I am torn between another Trinity car, waiting on the new GT500 or enjoying a totally different ride with the GT350's. I feel like having another Trinity car would end up feeling redundant so that option is about out the door. I have sat in a couple GT350's including a new 2018 at a local dealer last week and absolutely LOVE it. I love the S550 Shelby look and so does my Fiancee. I would be looking at Lightning Blue (or the similar new blue color) with black stripes and red pin stripe with electronics package and Recaros. Don't want to do an R since it doesn't have back seats and my boys like to ride with me as well. Not sure on when the new GT500's will actually come out but I assume interior would be just as nice but who knows if I would be able to get one without an ADM... and of course WHEN I would actually be able to get it. Preferably before Mustang Week 2019.

So, I am curious on actual owner feedback. I have heard good and bad things about the GT350's. I would hope that what it lacks in power is made up for in fun factor of taking it to 8250rpms and some spirited back road driving. I would only be using the car as a nice day fun weekend toy. Any feedback, suggestions, etc. would be greatly appreciated, good and bad! Thanks SVTP!
 

ClayDee

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I went from a FBO SB Cobra to a GT350. I do not have one regret in that decision. I do miss my Termi but the 350 is years apart in technology and handling. I would probably feel the same way if I had a 13-14 GT500. I would suggest you drive one, find an individual or dealership that will let you test drive. Being an exclusive Ford guy I cannot think of a different car I would want that's American Made. I'm sure others will chime in with their experiences. Good luck! Here is my LB GT350 FTMFW.
 

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07 Black Beauty

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Prior to my current 18 350R I had a 14 gt500 w/ 760 rwhp. The 350 is an overall more enjoyable driving experience. The only thing it really lacks is the low end tq, but I feel it more than makes up for it in all other aspects. The R's are the only 350's that come with the red pinstripes and red accents so you would need to go aftermarket to add or you can buy an R and add the backseat like I did.
 

Max97COBRAtkd

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Prior to my current 18 350R I had a 14 gt500 w/ 760 rwhp. The 350 is an overall more enjoyable driving experience. The only thing it really lacks is the low end tq, but I feel it more than makes up for it in all other aspects. The R's are the only 350's that come with the red pinstripes and red accents so you would need to go aftermarket to add or you can buy an R and add the backseat like I did.
Gotcha, will do and I will look into that with adding the rear seats. I assume you would have to get the seat belt assemblies and piece it together or did Ford let you special order it with rear seats?

I feel like the additions and new suspension tuning to the 350 in 2019 will bring the gap between the R and base 350 close enough to where they are very similar performance-wise other than the rims since I remember reading the R is unchanged for 2019.

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badmpg03

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Not an owner... but I've been driving Dad's 350r. I think off the bat you will notice the 350 is going to be soft on power. BUT...that is about the only drawback I see. I have found the r to be very fun to drive and it does 'stir the soul'. My background is road racing and it is a wonderful car that would bring endless joy on the track as well. You need to drive one and see what you think. Terminator is a shorter wheelbase, smaller car, smaller cockpit, all of which I like and is more my preference. But I could easily adjust.

They don't compare on build quality/interior. apples to oranges, 350 is miles ahead. I don't daily my cobra and never would, I would start to hate it. But it would be a pleasure to daily drive a 350.

I would personally wait a bit for the 500 to announce: it could be more the vehicle you want , 350's may soften even more when announced, and if the 350 is still your choice - the '19 will have some significant changes from the '18 that I would buy into. just my opinion but I am softly looking around for a 350 as well. Would keep the cobra though of course :D
 

07 Black Beauty

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Gotcha, will do and I will look into that with adding the rear seats. I assume you would have to get the seat belt assemblies and piece it together or did Ford let you special order it with rear seats?

I feel like the additions and new suspension tuning to the 350 in 2019 will bring the gap between the R and base 350 close enough to where they are very similar performance-wise other than the rims since I remember reading the R is unchanged for 2019.

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Ford Racing sells a complete kit w/ seatbelts and all for about $1k
 

WVTrakPak

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Former 13 and 14 GT500 the last one with 700+. I do not miss the power as it is hard to use it all anyhow. A blast from second gear to fifth in the GT350 and it is moving and the engine is just making the most glorious howl, I am simply in love with the GT350. I think the GT350 is a mustang that is 911esq. It has a handle and a feel that is pure and I love it. I had a hard time pulling the trigger on the trade and 6 months in and I am very happy.
 

gimmie11s

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LOL at the “I don’t miss the power” comments.

Who in their right might doesn’t want their toy car to have abundant power?

Respect to the few guys that actually tell the truth about how soft the power delivery is.


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WVTrakPak

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LOL at the “I don’t miss the power” comments.

Who in their right might doesn’t want their toy car to have abundant power?

Respect to the few guys that actually tell the truth about how soft the power delivery is.


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It does have abundant power, it doesn't have stooopid power. I do miss the power of my GT500 but not I did not go to a corolla. People make it sound like the car has 175 horsepower and that is not the case. If you want 700 horsepower the GT350 is not for you.
 

07 Black Beauty

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It does have abundant power, it doesn't have stooopid power. I do miss the power of my GT500 but not I did not go to a corolla. People make it sound like the car has 175 horsepower and that is not the case. If you want 700 horsepower the GT350 is not for you.


Agreed, the 350 is still a 500+hp car so by no means slow . I've daily driven every Shelby I've ever owned and find my R to be the most enjoyable.
 

Max97COBRAtkd

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LOL at the “I don’t miss the power” comments.

Who in their right might doesn’t want their toy car to have abundant power?

Respect to the few guys that actually tell the truth about how soft the power delivery is.


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Are you an owner of a GT350? Just curious if your opinion is based on facts. Again, would love to hear the good and bad from folks that have lived with one. Does it really feel like that much of a slouch? I couldn't imagine that it would. Seems like it's still a respectable amount of power. If you want more, twin turbo seems like the way to go with these cars.

I personally have gone from a single turbo 03 Cobra to a pullied stock blower Cobra. While I missed the power number, it still pulled hard and that Eaton sounds so good. It was still fun to drive. Wasn't the fastest thing out there but neither is my current Cobra. I will say that my current 03 Sonic Blue Vert is faster than my old 13 Shelby and the Turbo Cobra I had (measured by my butt Dyno, haha). It pulls very hard and takes corners fairly well too with all the suspension work. It's a really nice Terminator but I'm after all the new tech that has been put into the GT350 and the S550 chassis.

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badmpg03

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Are you an owner of a GT350? Just curious if your opinion is based on facts. Again, would love to hear the good and bad from folks that have lived with one. Does it really feel like that much of a slouch? I couldn't imagine that it would. Seems like it's still a respectable amount of power. If you want more, twin turbo seems like the way to go with these cars.

I personally have gone from a single turbo 03 Cobra to a pullied stock blower Cobra. While I missed the power number, it still pulled hard and that Eaton sounds so good. It was still fun to drive. Wasn't the fastest thing out there but neither is my current Cobra. I will say that my current 03 Sonic Blue Vert is faster than my old 13 Shelby and the Turbo Cobra I had (measured by my butt Dyno, haha). It pulls very hard and takes corners fairly well too with all the suspension work. It's a really nice Terminator but I'm after all the new tech that has been put into the GT350 and the S550 chassis.

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IMO, 350 doesn't have the butt dyno factor - ie you are feeling low end tq. Your eaton still makes great tq 2800-4500 RPM.
Positive is it makes it much more controllable on the road course because you can be full throttle at apex or mid turn and put 100% of the power down which is fun. On the street not as fun.
Depends how you look at it though. After driving my Tahoe for months while Cobra was down, my friends A7 felt like a rocket ship.

Just know you can't be the bully on the street anymore with a stock 350. Any car running more than 120mph or more in the 1/4 is going to pull on you
 

GT Premi

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It does have abundant power, it doesn't have stooopid power. I do miss the power of my GT500 but not I did not go to a corolla. People make it sound like the car has 175 horsepower and that is not the case. If you want 700 horsepower the GT350 is not for you.
Exactly. Some people act like the car can't get out of its own way. It has plenty of power. No, it doesn't have rib crushing torque off the line. But, you know what? It is SO nice to be able to put your foot in it off the line and not be sideways through the intersection.

OP, the only thing you need to keep in mind is that the engine loves revs. If you want to be hooning, just keep the revs up. If you're scared to run a car past 5000 RPM, the GT350 isn't for you. If you like to grab a car by the scruff of the neck and make it do what you want, you'll love the GT350. If you want a car that pulls a knife on you every time you drive it, keep your current car.

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gimmie11s

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Are you an owner of a GT350? Just curious if your opinion is based on facts. Again, would love to hear the good and bad from folks that have lived with one. Does it really feel like that much of a slouch? I couldn't imagine that it would. Seems like it's still a respectable amount of power. If you want more, twin turbo seems like the way to go with these cars.

I personally have gone from a single turbo 03 Cobra to a pullied stock blower Cobra. While I missed the power number, it still pulled hard and that Eaton sounds so good. It was still fun to drive. Wasn't the fastest thing out there but neither is my current Cobra. I will say that my current 03 Sonic Blue Vert is faster than my old 13 Shelby and the Turbo Cobra I had (measured by my butt Dyno, haha). It pulls very hard and takes corners fairly well too with all the suspension work. It's a really nice Terminator but I'm after all the new tech that has been put into the GT350 and the S550 chassis.

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You don’t have to be an owner to know how weak the car delivers power.

I was in the market for one when I bought my 2018 GT. I drove 2 GT350’s because the first one was so underwhelming I told myself something was wrong with it so I drove another.

Nope. Both weak. No wow factor whatsoever in the acceleration department.

Is it a great car overall? Sure it is. But don’t sit here and say how impressive the power output is because, well, it isn’t.
 

AustinSN

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I absolutely adore it, it was my dream car and it's more than lived up to my expectations.

It's a really well balanced, well rounded, communicative car. Sounds like you have a big power car, I think you are correct that adding a second one may be redundant.

As previously mentioned, I would try to find someone who will let you drive one.
 

jvandy50

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I just traded a 350 for a ZL1, so i will give you my experience and hope it can help in some way. Keep in mind i’ve never driven a trinity car, but have driven a callaway vette(Eaton 2300 i think), an 18 Z06, and now the ZL1.

I got the 350 on a whim after my 16 GT, didn’t dig the Recaro at first coming from the premium in the GT, but ended up LOVING them. I also was underwhelmed at first with the low end, but just kept the RPM a little higher and it was kinda fun. She wanted to be revved, so i revved her! There is no denying they are fun to drive, you just need to keep her over 4k.

My experience with the 350 was soured by the dealership, and it is commonplace with this car. The splitter wasn’t installed correctly, came off at 140+, then i was told it couldn’t be warranty because i had to have hit something. I’m a bit stubborn, since i didn’t hit anything, and fought til they bought one. It also ripped the engine splash guard, and back of the front bumper. I asked for the parts and my dad and i would install...they said no. They left 16 pieces of hardware out of the splitter and splash guard combined...i had to actually take meds to calm myself when i had it up on the lift checking things out lol.

Thennnn at 6k out of nowhere, the oil consumption monster showed up. I had been tracking what i added just because of the reputation for the car, and couldn’t believe what i was seeing. Anyway, that process SUCKED... And the voodoo was backordered weeks... and the dealer who couldn’t bolt on a splitter after i sent them their own instructional video was installing the numbers not matching block. So i had a 3-legged gazelle for 5 months.

When i got it back, i was ready to set it on fire...but she was STILL fun to drive. A simple resonator delete and MGW shifter make it something you could just take off and drive for hours.

In the end, if you like torque, i’m really not sure its the one for you. But there are plenty of other things to fall in love with on this car. And going to the Utah track attack shows owners why the car is the way it is, really purpose built and an atypical “mustang” IMO.
 

Max97COBRAtkd

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I just traded a 350 for a ZL1, so i will give you my experience and hope it can help in some way. Keep in mind i’ve never driven a trinity car, but have driven a callaway vette(Eaton 2300 i think), an 18 Z06, and now the ZL1.

I got the 350 on a whim after my 16 GT, didn’t dig the Recaro at first coming from the premium in the GT, but ended up LOVING them. I also was underwhelmed at first with the low end, but just kept the RPM a little higher and it was kinda fun. She wanted to be revved, so i revved her! There is no denying they are fun to drive, you just need to keep her over 4k.

My experience with the 350 was soured by the dealership, and it is commonplace with this car. The splitter wasn’t installed correctly, came off at 140+, then i was told it couldn’t be warranty because i had to have hit something. I’m a bit stubborn, since i didn’t hit anything, and fought til they bought one. It also ripped the engine splash guard, and back of the front bumper. I asked for the parts and my dad and i would install...they said no. They left 16 pieces of hardware out of the splitter and splash guard combined...i had to actually take meds to calm myself when i had it up on the lift checking things out lol.

Thennnn at 6k out of nowhere, the oil consumption monster showed up. I had been tracking what i added just because of the reputation for the car, and couldn’t believe what i was seeing. Anyway, that process SUCKED... And the voodoo was backordered weeks... and the dealer who couldn’t bolt on a splitter after i sent them their own instructional video was installing the numbers not matching block. So i had a 3-legged gazelle for 5 months.

When i got it back, i was ready to set it on fire...but she was STILL fun to drive. A simple resonator delete and MGW shifter make it something you could just take off and drive for hours.

In the end, if you like torque, i’m really not sure its the one for you. But there are plenty of other things to fall in love with on this car. And going to the Utah track attack shows owners why the car is the way it is, really purpose built and an atypical “mustang” IMO.
Thank you, I agree dealerships can either make or break your experience with a car. I wonder how many other have had oil consumption issues or if it's just a certain year/build dates of the motors. That is the number 1 thing that scares me. I guess as long as the dealer is willing to take care of it... but still, it's a design flaw or install flaw of parts in the motor.

I couldn't bring myself to buy a ZL1. I know it's quite an amazing car, just couldn't buy a Camaro, lol. I would consider a C6Z but really need a back seat option for my kids.

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96gt02

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You don’t have to be an owner to know how weak the car delivers power.

I was in the market for one when I bought my 2018 GT. I drove 2 GT350’s because the first one was so underwhelming I told myself something was wrong with it so I drove another.

Nope. Both weak. No wow factor whatsoever in the acceleration department.

Is it a great car overall? Sure it is. But don’t sit here and say how impressive the power output is because, well, it isn’t.

This is extremely accurate, they are pretty gutless below 4K power wise, interior/exterior and handling/braking are awesome but thats about it. Plus with the 18/19s out now, a loaded one is basically 90% a GT350 without the name and looks.
 

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