Dented No More!

As I showed in my previous post, the beautiful Sterling Gray Mustang GT was the victim of a parking lot door ding. More than a ding. I was told today that it was a crease. I was also told that creases are typically not repairable by PDR. 

In addition, I was told that my PDR insurance (that I bought at the dealership when I bought the car) did NOT cover any repair for a crease. Naturally, I argued my case on the phone with the insurance carrier, but to no avail.

So, I called my dealership - Shawnee Mission Ford, in Shawnee, Kansas. After a few minutes explaining my situation to my contact there, he told me to have to the PDR shop go ahead and fix it, and have them send the bill for services to his attention at the dealership. Done deal.

An hour later I was driving home without my dent. I wanted to give Don Zimmerman at Z's Paintless Dent Repair in Belton, Missouri, a big shout out. He ignored the accepted wisdom that a crease cannot be repaired by PDR and worked his magic to restore the Mustang's dented body to its original pristine and perfect condition. The man is an artist when it comes to metal.

Also, another big THANK YOU goes out to Greg at Shawnee Mission Ford. I feel much better about the whole thing now. If you're in the Kansas City area and need a new Ford, you know where to go. And if your new car gets a door ding (or a crease) Don at Z's Paintless Dent Repair can fix you up in short order.

DING DING DING!

Yep. Got my first door ding, and it's a dandy. We were out at the Bass Pro Shop, having a great time looking at the fish and the boats and the guns. And when we left, I spotted the ding in the right rear quarter panel. Naturally, my heart rate increased.


It settled down a bit when I recalled that I had purchased the PDR option at the dealership when I bought the car. I called when we got home and they're supposed to come to the house in the next few days and  return my GT to its former perfection. I will post a photo of it when they get finished so you can see the result.


END OF DAY 163 - 3,788 MILES - 17.9 AVG MGP

Keeps getting better...

My gas mileage is increasing. That may be because I'm driving a bit more sensibly, or it may be because we've taken a few longer trips on the highway. 

When I picked the car up, the average miles per gallon on the computer showed 16.1. Not great, but it only had 11 miles on it at the time. Now that it has over 3,000 miles, it's currently moved up to 19.4. That's a good increase. On the highway, it typically averages out to about 26 mpg which is very good for a V8 with the displacement this one has.

Fortunately, I have not experienced any issues with the car so far. I'm glad that I have NOT noticed any of the problems that some buyers are having with the MT82 6 speed transmission. Mine shifts great with no notchiness. I hope it stays that way.

END OF DAY 138 - 3,026 MILES - 19.4 AVG MPG

Day 114 - and I still love it.

Yes, I still love it. In fact, I can't remember the last car that I enjoyed as much as I'm loving this Mustang. It must have been my 1964 Chevy Impala SS that I drove when I was in high school. (William Chrisman Class of 1967 - Go Bears!). 

If you're not a Mustang owner, you're probably wondering what it is about this car that I find so captivating. Explaining my enjoyment of this car is sort of like describing what a good cup of French roast coffee tastes like. But let me give it my best shot...

It begins with the looks—captivating. The Mustang has always had a great look, but the body on the 2012 is a classic blend of high-end (Made in USA) sports performance and sleek elegance that competes in style with any European import, all wrapped up in an affordable package that will keep a smile on your face every time you drive it. 

And since we're talking about driving—it drives like the wind. The V8 5.0L Coyote engine puts out 412hp with a stock tune. And when you punch the accelerator, it goes. I mean, it GOES! And it's a great feeling being in control of all that power.

So, in the 2012 Mustang GT, Ford has combined a classy and classic exterior with one of the best power plants in the pony car arena. If that wasn't enough, they've topped it off with one of the nicest interiors in this price bracket. The layout is perfect, the leather is soft and rich, and the visibility is better than any car I've owned in years. 

Being a perfectionist, you would think that after four months of living with this car, I would have found something, anything, that irritated me or that I didn't like. Well, there is one thing that bothers me about it: I regret the fact that I didn't buy one sooner. Simply put, I really do love this car. If you've ever considered a Mustang, I'll offer a prediction. If you buy one, you will love it.

And there's more to love than we've covered here, but we'll talk about some of those things on another day. I need to go for a drive.


END OF DAY 114 - 2,245 miles - 16.5 avg mpg

Day 90 — A Scratch No More

The first photo is the left hand side of the steering wheel. You'll notice a tiny chip or scratch in the surface finish. Naturally, I didn't want to live with that imperfection, so I decided to fix it.


The second photo shows the product I used. This is a transparent water-based acrylic paint that you can find online or at most art supply stores. There are several brands, but I've used this one in my wildlife paintings to create shadows. It works great because it's transparent and doesn't cover the detail below it. 

Look at the third photo and check out how it worked for this application. It appears that Number 12 Medium Gray is a perfect Mustang match.

That's it. The scratch is gone and life is good once again.

Day 78 - Still Running Great (even better)

It's been 20 days since my last update, and I have some new information. I may have mentioned before that I was experiencing a bit of, for lack of a better term, "stammering" when I punched the accelerator. It was hardly noticeable to anyone but the driver. But it was there. And it bugged me.

After two months of living with it, I think I may have solved the problem. I believe it was the gasoline I was using. Since taking delivery on the car, I've been filling up with Shell gas. And beginning with the first fill up after I used the dealer-supplied full tank, I've been noticing this little "stuttering or stammering" when punching it.

The last time my fuel light came on, I pulled into my local Phillips 66. After filling the tank and driving away, the difference was immediately noticeable. The car seemed to have more power and a more sure-footed takeoff. I know what you're thinking, but the Shell and the Phillips were both 91 octane. I continued to the highway and punched it hard on the entry ramp. Perfect response from the 412 horses. Not a single horsie tripped or faltered. It was like the difference between night and day.

And if you're a betting man (or woman) betting that I'm going to be using Phillips 66 gasoline from now on is a sure win. If you're having any similar issues, give the Phillips 66 brand a try and see if it makes a difference.

END OF DAY 78 - 1,508 miles - 16.8 avg mpg

Day 58 - Rain is on the way

We are supposed to get some really bad storms tomorrow and tomorrow evening here in the Kansas City area. They're predicting the possibility of tornado activity. I'm not planning on taking the Mustang out into that maelstrom, but I may spend some time in the garage with the RainX that I bought several months ago but never took the time to use on any of our vehicles.

The GT continues to run great. I love the power, and the MT82 6-speed manual transmission is quiet and shifts very smoothly. I do need to check with the dealership to see if they switched out the transmission fluid after the TSB came out from Ford regarding the change over. I'm guessing that was done at the factory, because I haven't had any issues yet. Thank goodness.

END OF DAY 58 — 1,065 Miles — 16.5 avg mpg

DAY 51 and what I found in my grill...

I was cleaning the bug juice off my front bumper today and discovered something that I didn't realize was there. It's no wonder I'd never seen it before because it's hiding very low in the lowest portion of the front bumper cut out area.

After a bit of research on my two favorite sites for all things Mustang, the Mustang Source forum and the All Ford Mustang forum, I discovered that this interesting little space-age device is the ambient temperature sensor, which tells the car what the outside temperature is. Kind of interesting, but I wonder where this device was located on my Lexus. Or my BMW. Or my Corvette. I've never seen one of these until this one popped into my view.


END OF DAY 51 — 960 Miles — 16.7 avg mpg

Day 40 and Still Loving it...

As the counter on the right sidebar shows, I've had the Mustang for 40 days now, and I'm still loving it. I noticed yesterday that the exhaust note is getting richer. It's starting to remind me of the Corsa exhaust I had the Corvette. I'm not sure how to best describe it, but it's beginning to have more of a "rumble" than it did before, especially when you're going downhill and you let off on the accelerator.

So, that's about all I have to say for this post. I have reserved two license plates, which will come in sometime in June or July. One is STANG 1 and the other is GRAVY 8.

Leave a comment and let me know if you catch the last one. Some people don't. Also, let me know which one you like best.

Later. Drive safely.


END OF DAY 40 — 748 Miles — 16.5 avg. mpg

DAY 20 -Vanity Plate Name

I'm trying to come up with a good vanity plate. There's a poll on the right for the ones I've come up with that are available. Please choose your favorite (pick more than one if you wish).

Also, if you think of one that's not on the list, please leave a comment on this post and tell me what you've come up with.

Thanks for your help!

DAY 17 - Wheels

It's been a while since I posted. I've been busy driving. We're over 400 miles on the odometer now, and she's running great. Things are getting loosened up a little more and settling into place. I'm noticing that this car has really good rear visibility, especially with the blind-spot mirrors.

Tonight I cleaned the wheels and sprayed on a good coat of the Armor All Wheel Protectant. If you haven't watched the YouTube video on that, you really should. If you're bothered by brake dust on your wheels, this is the product that will ease your troubled mine and keep your wheels dust-free between washes. I love it.

END OF DAY 17 — 444 Miles — 17.3 avg mpg

DAY 12 - Just driving

We missed a day, but I didn't really have anything to tell you. Today isn't much different. I didn't do anything special today. Just drove to McDonald's and to the grocery store. It runs so great. I'm loving it. The stories of issues with the MT82 transmission were a bit scary, but mine shifts perfectly, and I love the short throw on it. I'm having no issue with the skip-shift feature, and it's only engaged one time since I picked the car up. I'm very pleased with everything so far. Great job, Ford!

END OF DAY 12 — 278 Miles

DAY 10 - Picked up some Quick Detailer

I didn't do much with the Mustang today. Did make a trip to Walmart for some ice cream and picked up a new bottle of Meguiar's Quick Detailer, since mine was about gone. This is a great product for wiping the car down when you get home from a drive. It removes the road dust and puts a light coat of wax on top. Very handy between washes.

END OF DAY — 264 Miles

DAY 10 - Ambient Lighting Features

We're not actually going into the interior today, but I wanted to share the illuminated doorsills with you. This is part of the Ambient Lighting feature which comes standard on the GT Premium Package. In addition to the footwell lighting, the doorsills light up with the MUSTANG name when you open the doors. Kind of classy.

We didn't drive far today. Only a short trip to Sonic to get some lunch. Engine did reach operating temperature and it drove great. No complaints from this driver.

END OF DAY — 258 Miles

DAY 9 - Interior Details

As I may have mentioned, the interior on the new Mustang is very nice, especially with the Premium Package. The leather seats have the exposed stitching, giving them a quality appearance. They're comfortable, too, and the power seat option will let you set your preferences for that perfect driving position.

My car was equipped with the upgraded interior which adds a contrasting stripe down the center of the seat, changes the seating portion from the perforated and ribbed construction to a solid, non-perforated leather. In addition, the light brushed aluminum dash is changed to a darker, almost bronzed, aluminum finish. Very classy look. The shifter is also changed out from the leather to a solid matte finished chrome ball. The upgraded interior also gives you a beautiful, silver pony on the door panels. You maybe be able to see it in the photo.

So far today, I haven't gotten the bumpers waxed, but we did take a trip to Wally World to pick up a few items. The car seemed to stutter a bit on acceleration on the way home, similar to the way it acted yesterday. I need to figure out what's going on with that. Maybe it was just cold.

END OF DAY — 252 Miles

DAY 8 - Some pictures (Finally)

It was nice and warm today so I took Sally out for a bit of a ride and a trip to Wendy's. We brought home lunch. Before leaving the house, and after backing out of the garage, I snapped a few pics with my iPhone. It doesn't take the best pictures, but at least you can get an idea of what she looks like. You can click the pic to make it larger. The color is Sterling Gray, and it was discontinued for a while because of the tsunami in Japan which caused a shutdown of the factory that supplied some of the paint ingredients.

I did notice a bit of an issue after leaving the driveway and getting out on the road. It's probably something that will go away. At least, it should. If not, a trip to the dealership will be required. Here's what happened: The engine was very cold at the time, the needle hardly off the peg, when I punched the accelerator. The response was immediate. There was no lag like you typically experience with an engine with a turbo installed.

The issue that concerned me was the definite intermittent surging of the power. I'm thinking it was because the engine was cold because I did the same thing on the way home and there was no surging whatsoever. I've been told that the computer goes through a "learning" process as you're breaking it in.

I'm still loving it! So glad I opted to trade the BMW in on this one.

END OF DAY — 244 Miles

DAY 7 - Picture Day (Not)

The sun is shining. Well, sort of. It's actually a bit overcast but it doesn't look like there's any danger of rain. The temperature is almost 50 degrees today, and that's so unlike our typical February here in the Midwest. I'm thinking about backing Sally out of the garage and finishing up the waxing—two doors, two fenders, rear bumper and front bumper.

After that, I can take some photos to share on here, because I know you're all anxious to see what she looks like. So check back a little later and see what's here.

It's later now. I finished up waxing both doors and both front fenders. Still have the front and rear bumpers to do. And I know you're all wanting to see pictures of it, so here's a tease showing the window tint and a little of the waxing. Hopefully, tomorrow I can get her out and take some good shots. It's supposed to be 65 degrees here in KC and no rain. Sounds good to me.

Oh, by the way, I previously mentioned those bubbles that were under the window tinting. You remember? The ones the dealer told me would go away in a couple of days? Well, he was right. They're gone, and the windows look perfect. I'm happy about that.

END OF DAY 7 — 239 Miles

DAY 6 - Staying inside

It's a rainy, drizzly day. My wife has given the new GT a name. She calls her Sally (as in Mustang Sally). So from now on, that's the name we'll use. The point of this post it to let you know that Sally stayed in the garage today, safe and sound, dry and clean, partially waxed. I need to get the waxing finished. Maybe I can do that later today.

END OF DAY 6 — 239 Miles

Day 5 - A back seat passenger

Edmunds calls the rear seat of the Mustang "cramped." I'll admit, there's not a great deal of room back there. We decided to give it a road test today. My granddaughter was the guinea pig. She's fourteen years old, a cheerleader, (see photo) and about my height at 5'-9". I wasn't sure we could stuff her lanky frame into the back seat without a shoehorn.

My petite little wife is 5 feet tall. By the time we moved the passenger seat forward, our granddaughter slipped easily into position and told her Nana that she could move the seat back if she needed to. There's that much room back there! It wasn't cramped at all, either in front or in back.

END OF DAY 5 — 239 Miles

Day 4 - Wax on Wax off

It was a warm day, so I decided it was time to wash the Mustang (again) before giving her the first waxing. One thing I have noticed about the body and paint work on this car in the short time I've had it is that it seems like a higher quality than what I found with the BMW. The metal in the Mustang's body panels seems to be thicker as well. Plus, I had the BMW for almost a year, and I never fell in love with it. And at the price I paid for it, I darned well should have adored it. I know the Bimmer fans are probably going to say, "Yeah, but it's still a Ford." That's not a problem for me. Ford has stepped up their quality to a world class level, in my opinion. I enjoy driving an American product with the great look and power of the Muscle Cars of the 60s.

Anyway, enough of this nostalgia. Let's get back to the subject at hand. Those of you who have read any of my other auto blogs know that I'm a die-hard Meguier's fan. I love their products. So I started in on the Mustang with my favorite, the Gold Class Wax. And, in case you're a newbie to the auto care and detailing world, always use microfiber towels to prevent getting any of those pesky paint swirls in your beautiful paint job.

I'm a slow waxer, and I sometimes go over the area twice, so by the time I had finished for the day, I had gotten the roof, the trunk lid, and the rear quarter panels waxed. I considered clay barring it first, but there didn't seem to be a need. I remember the BMW was terribly in need of the clay bar when I got it. But not the Mustang. That saved me some time.

END OF DAY 4 — 219 Miles

Day 3 - Stealth Mode

I drove the Mustang back to the dealership today for the window tinting. The after-market guy convinced me to go with the 20% tint. The car was gone for two hours, and when it arrived back at the dealership the windows looked great.

However, when I got in it to drive home, I noticed a lot of bubbles under the film. I asked the salesman about that and he told me those would all go away in two or three days after the moisture evaporated from under the film. I'm hoping he's right. I really like the look of it now.

END OF DAY 3 — 203 Miles

Day 2 - Cool Runnings

When I got the Mustang home and safely in the garage last night and turned off the engine, one of the first differences I noticed was that the hood was not nearly as hot as the hood of the BMW always was. Even two or three hours after killing the motor, the hood of the BMW remained uncomfortably hot when I touched it.

However, the hood of the Mustang was barely warm, even after immediately turn off the key. I like that characteristic, because I do not like an engine that overheats. I have heard some tales of the BMW 3 series going into limp mode on the track when the engines overheat. I give the Mustang a big PLUS ONE on that score.

We took it for a ride today. Actually did quite a bit of driving. Rosie drove it, too, and was able to shift through the manual transmission with no problem whatsoever.

END OF DAY 2 — 147 Miles

Day 1 - New Mustang Arrives

After conducting a couple of months of research on various cars, I made the decision to trade in the 2011 BMW 335ix for a 2012 Mustang GT. I found one en route to a local dealer and reserved it. It had the options I was looking for and was in my preferred color. Here are the details.

If you'd like to read the details, just click on the window sicker for an enlarged view. The interesting thing is that you can determine the build date from the sicker. This particular car was built on 1/31/2012.

The car had 28 miles showing on the odometer when I picked the car up today and drove it home. It was raining, naturally, so the beautiful Sterling Gray paint now has a white, dusty cover of road dirt that I'll need to remove before photographing it and placing the pictures on this site. I hope you'll come back and see what it looks like. And if you're a Mustang owner, I'll be calling for photos of your cars to feature on here as well.

END OF DAY 1 — 68 Miles