Going from 2009 C6 Z06 to 2011-2012 GT500 or 2013 BOSS 302

[DOUBLE07GT]

Well I sold my low mile '09 C6Z 3LZ model after 2-yrs of ownership. By far one of the best all-around cars I have owned. I'm going to miss it. My only reason for selling was it became impractical, i.e., no back seat. Also, even with the warranty the constant reminder lingering in the back of my mind regarding the dreaded valve-drop issue some guys were having. My two kids always wanted to go with me to places and I had to damn near flip a coin for which one or neither would go. Got tired of that, so it's no longer in my garage. It was not my daily driver, nor will the new car be a daily driver.

Soooooooooooooo.............

In order to keep things "fiscally responsible" (LOL) on my part and to have a back seat (somewhat...LOL), the cars I am looking at are the '11-'12 GT500 or 2013 BOSS 302. '13+ GT500 is out of the question. I'm trying to be patient and not buy the first car I see/drive. I'd have to assume with the '15's coming out shortly the prices should drop and more cars will come available in due time. Of course the BOSS will be harder to find most likely.

Went to a dealer yesterday and drove an '11 GT500 w/21k miles. I've read a few threads on the site about the dreaded 1-2 tranny grind. I didn't notice anything on the shifts. Car drove great. Due to running out of time I didn't make any effort with the dealer trying to strike up a deal. I believe they were asking $44.7k for the car (no glass roof, no Recaro's, but did have NAV & SVTPP). Its Black w/Red Stripes. I looked the car over pretty thoroughly (minus putting it up on a lift) and it appears to have been well cared for. I have the VIN and found a thread on this site where one of the members will pull a carfax, so I am going to do that as soon as I finish here. I haven't looked at the actual reported values on this particular car, but does their price seem within the ballpark or way off? I was thinking somewhere around $38k-$40k.

Things I would have to consider for spending this amount of cash is "warranty" options. For the aforementioned '11 GT500 I'd have to imagine the factory 3/36 bumper to bumper is about done because of current model year/mileage, but there should be some type of powertrain warranty still remaining, right?

So, for either of the models I've mentioned I'm interested are there any more quirks or issues I should be guarded about or look out for when I look these cars over, etc? Again, I'm aware of the 1-2 grind in the GT500's.

I have not driven a BOSS yet. There is one at a local area dealer, but its a '12 and the original owner ordered it back seat delete or removed the back seat - an no it's NOT a Laguna Seca. I prefer the styling of the '13 over the '12.

Any info or advice from actual GT500 or BOSS 302 owners would be greatly appreciated.

BTW, I'm not a newbie to the performance or Stang world. I have owned plenty of FOX cars ranging from 10-sec street cars to 7-sec radial tire car. However, I am new to the GT500 or Boss world. Have always liked them, but never read much about them.

Sorry for the long post. Thank you in advance.

 

[NightRide]

Powertrain through ford is 5yr/60k don't waste your money on a extended warranty as you will most likely void it with mods anyways, especially if you spend any time on these forums. Personally I would go with the shelby, love the boss motor but the color/wheel schemes are hideous. All cars don't have the 1-2 grind, mine doesn't but you will only know on a red line race shift. When I saw the title I was going to say keep the Z but I have a stang for the same reason, nothing like going for a cruise with my girls.

 

[DOUBLE07GT]

Thanks NightRide.

Anyone else?

 

[PC03GT]

Was that the shelby at porter ford?

 

[DOUBLE07GT]

Was that the shelby at porter ford?

No.

 

[PC03GT]

My buddy has a 12 boss it's nice. Handles good and has a 2.3 tvs. I would get a shelby, the work is already done for you as far as the powertrain

 

[ShiftyThePirate]

Boss is just a forged 5.0 out the wazoo, which apparently the '15 GT is even going to beat stock. Plus it has the M82 transmission that has TONS of issues vs the TR6060s in the GT-500s. I'd get a 2011-2012 GT-500 for sure over a Boss, I used to be a sucker for it, but very quickly lost that when I realized how "downgraded" it is feature wise vs a GT-500, let alone power. 5.4l imo is a MUCH better engine as well to build up.

GT-500 I say, no question, as nobody wants the M82 trans, the TR6060 is a far stouter transmission and proven. Plus you are looking at what, 380TQ and 425HP vs 506tq @ just 4k rpms and 560 HP?

The Z06 has 505HP @ 6300RPM, if it's the LS7 then just 470-480lbs of torque, so a GT-500 would be the perfect balance, as the Vett is a good bit lighter, but the heavier GT-500 makes up for it with HP\TQ so the power to weight matches.

 

[IronTerp]

I would say that 98% of the folks here are going to recommend the Shelby.......Me included.

 

[Black Sex]

My friend has a '13 Boss with full exhaust/tune and suspension mods. The car is nice, handles great and pulls good for being NA. But it does not have the raw straight line power my GT500 has and the interior is pretty basic on the Boss. He paid the same amount for his car new as I paid for mine used with 1200 miles.
I vote GT500.

 

[RedZR]

I was in the exact same position last fall.i have owned Corvettes for the past 20 years and in 2007 I purchased a new c6 with the ls 3 and z51 packages frankly, if I could have found a dealer to sell me a GT 500 at sticker I would have purchased one then, but I chose another Vette.

After a few years I got really tired of the vette. First, two of my kids always argued who would ride in the car and the car was just No fun to drive anymore. It scraped on everything and it was too hard to climb in and out of, plus the oil pan had started to leak (common on LS 3 engines).

I stumbled onto a 2008 Shelby with 9000 mikes last fall and jumped on it. I too looked at the Boss 302 but the Shelby was just way too cool to pass up. The sound of the supercharger alone is justification for the reason to get one. I make my choice and am very happy with the Shelby

 

[ShiftyThePirate]

I was in the exact same position last fall.mi have owned Corvettes for the past 20 years and in 2007 I purchased a new c6 with the ls 3 and z51 packages frankly, if I could have found a dealer to sell me a GT 500 at sticker I would have purchased one then, but I chose another Vette.

After a few years I got really tired of the vette. First, two of my kids always argued who would ride in the car and the car was just Jo fun to drive anymore. It scraped on everything and it was too hard to climb in and out of, plus the oil pan had started to leak (common on LS 3 engines).

I stumbled onto a 2008 Shelby with 9000 mikes last fall and jumped on it. I too looked at the Boss 302 but the Shelby was just way too cool to pass up. The sound of the supercharger alone is justification for the reason to get one. I make my choice and am very happy with the Shelby

ONLY purpose of the Boss is for track. It has less tq but higher HP than the 5.0 GT, and has strut-bars and everything, the Laguna Seca one is even crazier, but regardless, both are aiming to tackle the M///, and all Boss's are striped down, even the fog lights are fake and you can't even get a proper nav with them if I require. The one I drove didn't even had back-seats, just had bars.

To me a 302, well, the real one (even the non laguna has no nav\etc), Laguna Seca, is like the Z\28 Camaro, no one would want to drive it unless they had A. No kids, B. did not have to haul anything\carry anything, and C. Do not care about comfort. If you want flat out speed, ZL1 over the Z\28 any day, and the Boss, well the Boss is old news as literally all of that is being implemented into the newer GT as I hear. Aside from the exhaust.

Around a track a 2010-2012 Shelby would catch catch up and pass a Boss 302 with ease, but on turns, I think that is where the Boss would, though drastically less powerful, would beat it. Straight line is def not what the Boss is made for, I always hear about Boss owners hitting 9k RPM wise which is just crazy, but that's the 5.0. Pulls hard after it gets going, def not a torque motor, and torque is fun.

 

[DOUBLE07GT]

WOW. All good info guys. Greatly appreciated. Yep, I am fully aware the Boss does not come "dressed" like a Shelby. I was more enticed by the low production number of them. And to be honest, I will most likely NOT mod whatever car I buy. If I change anything, I will do the exhaust. The only mod I did on my Z06 was CAI. My plan would be to purchase the car and enjoy it for what it is.

I'd still like to hear more stories. Keep 'em coming guys!

 

[wakebum2507]

Lets keep in mind:

the 5.0 motor is a newer and possibly better motor than the OLD 5.4 design. Sure, people are making good power numbers, BUT for the price of a 2012 shelby, I walk past them from 40 rolls, consistently, and have less $ in my car.

with some avid forum searching and working with vendors, you can have a 5.0 that revs to 7200 safely, on E85, with a blower on it that weighs a couple hundred lbs less than a Shelby.

Keep in mind, I'm biased, and do with I had the "SHELBY" across the back of my car simply for the heritage and cool factor that comes along with it. If he were throwing a 13/14 out there as a viable option, Id say that any day over the options out there, but I think the 5.0 motor and platform is a great start for someone.

If I had known I was going to go the route I did on my car, I may have stepped into a 13 shelby at the time, but we all know when you get something like this, it pushes you to mod mod mod.

my car on E85, paxton, 3.33, wastegate set at 9lbs, making close to 700 on stock motor, is not nice to the older shelbys.

 

[ShelbyGT5HUN]

OP, Vettes always are considered by me to be the best bang for the buck road racing cars, and horrible DD, for all the reasons you mentioned. Slower or not, I love the GT500 over any Vette, on the street or strip, but that's my opinion. The Boss is a nice car, but I would go GT500 over it any day. There were threads about the Boss vs. GT500 when the Boss came out and people were saying the Boss is better. Even all the car "rags" preach high and mighty about Porsche this, Boss that, GTR this, and how great it laps Laguna Seca or the Nurburgring. So what. Even my relatively stock 2010 is more than fast enough to drive on the street. You can only go so fast around a corner on the street so many times before you make a mistake.

I'd never trade my GT500 for a Boss. "Perhaps" the Boss is better around a road course, but who really does that anyway? There are better track cars, ie. Vettes :burnout:

Lets keep in mind:

the 5.0 motor is a newer .

Is your turbo kit emissions legal? In many places you have to pass emissions. Selling a turbocharged conversion will only appeal to a few people when you go to resell it, and you never get what you paid for the mods back. When buying used, I never would buy a modded car.

Buying a stock 2013 is what I would do. You have the GT500 name, and resale value. Plus you can swap out the blower if needed, then throw the stock one back on when you go to re-sell, and not take such a big hit. I wouldn't go any older than 2010 though.

 

[wakebum2507]

Not sure about emissions, as the state of oklahoma probably can't even spell emissions.

I agree. slapping a KB or something on a 13, and some bolt on's and call it a day.

 

[NightRide]

Lets keep in mind:

the 5.0 motor is a newer and possibly better motor than the OLD 5.4 design. Sure, people are making good power numbers, BUT for the price of a 2012 shelby, I walk past them from 40 rolls, consistently, and have less $ in my car.

with some avid forum searching and working with vendors, you can have a 5.0 that revs to 7200 safely, on E85, with a blower on it that weighs a couple hundred lbs less than a Shelby.

Keep in mind, I'm biased, and do with I had the "SHELBY" across the back of my car simply for the heritage and cool factor that comes along with it. If he were throwing a 13/14 out there as a viable option, Id say that any day over the options out there, but I think the 5.0 motor and platform is a great start for someone.

If I had known I was going to go the route I did on my car, I may have stepped into a 13 shelby at the time, but we all know when you get something like this, it pushes you to mod mod mod.

my car on E85, paxton, 3.33, wastegate set at 9lbs, making close to 700 on stock motor, is not nice to the older shelbys.

It's madness to think the gt motor is somehow better than the "old" 5.4 Forged one. You are one brave soul to be running that much power on the stock block, most 5.0 guys and builders will tell you 600 is the max unless your pushing it to the limit. On the other hand these old 5.4s are considered pretty much bulletproof to 750whp.

 

[wakebum2507]

people run 700 or so on these relatively often. I know that I'm going to build the motor in a few months, so not too concerned.

When you're on E85, you're not concerned about detonation and going bang. You're concerned with oil pump gears failing, which I am...but not overly.

 

[NightRide]

people run 700 or so on these relatively often. I know that I'm going to build the motor in a few months, so not too concerned.

When you're on E85, you're not concerned about detonation and going bang. You're concerned with oil pump gears failing, which I am...but not overly.

Interesting, I ran e85 in one of my other cars but it cost more than premium and had even worse gas mileage but I guess that's the price you pay for having a race car. With the 6-8k you have in mods so far plus the built motor couldn't you have just bought a new shelby? I like the idea of a sleeper car it just seems like a lot of money to invest with little resale value.

 

[wakebum2507]

Probably not. I got the car from a friend that is the GM of a dealer, so got the car at cost, and have gotten vendor deals on everything in exchange for repping them.

motor build will prob put me at around 10K in the car, and still 20K less than the 13 Shelby's cost at the time I purchased the car new.

but like I said earlier, If I had known I was going this route with the car, I prob would have gone a diff route. When I bought this, It was my daily. now....definitely not.

but our 93 is 5$ a gallon and our E85 and E100 is $3 a gal...

 

[DOUBLE07GT]

Thanks again, guys. All good points and I am letting it all soak in. However, I've pretty much made up my decision. I'm going to go test drive a few more Shelby's and go from there. Before I bought my Z06 I drove a new Shelby and I didn't like the feel of the Recaro seats and that made my decision easy to pass on the Shelby (weird), plus I didn't like the color and it was the only one on the lot at the time. Funny how the tides have changed.

If I do purchase a Shelby it will be 2011 - 2012. The added cost to get a 2013+ is not something I want to spend unless I come across a really good deal. Perhaps if I wait a bit I might find a good deal with the '15's coming out shortly. Like I said previously, I'm not going to mod the car with mods to gain a significant increase in HP. Our state has emissions. I'll be happy with how it is bone stock; that is plenty of power on the street. Going fast on the street or track with this Shelby is not my goal. This is one reason I never modded my Z06 - it let me know on plenty ocassions that it's 505HP was more than enough power on the street. Also, the fact that I didn't mod it made it easier to sell without questions or stories.

Lastly, this is something I forgot to ask. The Shelby I do buy will probably come from a dealer most likely since they seem to be the only ones for sale locally. What are some things or obvious identifiers to look for that would clearly indicate a particular car might have been heavily modded prior to being traded-in? Would the dealer or any Ford dealer be able to hook into the computer to see if the car has had a special tune, etc? My preference is a Shelby that was unmolested - no major mods ever. Probably hard to find, but I will hold out for the right car/price. Thanks again!