GT500KR: Can you afford to fix this car?

[Undercover_Brother]

Shelby GT500KR: You own one, but can you afford to repair it?
8/27/2009


So you’ve taken out the second mortgage, told the condescending unsupportive wife to hit the road, and you’ve finally obtained your dream car. But now that you have it, and you’re most likely up to your ears in debt, ask yourself the following question:

If the worst should happen, and I damage my KR, can I afford to repair it?

Recently, I was contacted by the owner of a GT500KR who suffered the ill-fortune of being involved in a minor encounter with an unfortunate animal. Well, the incident wasn’t so minor for the poor four-legged contender, having been fatally wounded in the accident. Having said that, the GT500KR fared pretty well………or so we thought. Aside from a crumpled right front fender, a door that was slightly misaligned from the fender, minor hood damage, and a dislocated mirror, the car seemed to fare pretty well. It truly looked to be about $5,000 in damage in my opinion. Lord, was I wrong.

What should have been a quick and easy fix has turned into a nightmare for this Shelby owner. Not only has this person had to confront this damage every time the garage is entered, this nightmare has gone on for nearly two months. It seems that the insurance company and the manufacturer are unable to come to an agreement on how to price the hardware involved, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The damaged parts are expected to be returned. Yes folks, you read that right. You bought the car. You own the car. Every piece on that car is (should be) considered your property. Guess again. If you want this car repaired, not only will you have to jump through hoops, and back flip your way through a pile of paperwork, you’re also going to need to send those damaged parts back – at your expense, of course.

Think about this for a moment. What if some crazy delinquent steals your hood in the dark of night, thinking that might make a nice add-on for his buddy’s ’06 GT? You don’t have a hood to return, so does that mean you’re out of luck? Perhaps you should drive the car without one? Or worse yet, what happens if the part in question is so heavily damaged that there’s nothing left? Are you expected to stick around the scene of the accident, picking up the pieces of your shattered mirror with a dustpan and an evidence bag?

Yes friends, these are just a few of the little-known perks of owning an $80,000.00+ vehicle. Envious onlookers giving you the thumbs-up of approval. Prime parking at your local cruise-ins. The compulsion to park half a mile away from other cars in any parking lot, to ensure that some jerk face doesn’t throw a door into your spotless finish. And perhaps the biggest of them all, owning a car that you can’t seem to get fixed.
To further illustrate the issues at hand, I am going to share the prices that the owner was quoted for new replacement parts. It’s probably best if you take a few antidepressants and sit down while you read this.

Edited 09/09/09 to reflect updated hood and headlight prices:

Grille bezels = $690.00/pair

Headlight = $960.00/each

Wheel = $1753.55/each

Emblem kit = $201.25

Front spoiler = $3392.50

Hood = $21,000.00

Carbon fiber mirror cover = $400.00

Hood pins = $632.50

Hood vents = $661.25

Bumper stripes = $530.00

Hood stripes = $575.00

And this is how what LOOKS like $5,000 in damage turns into $31,000 in damage. Over $21,000.00 for a hood? Hell, you can buy an entire car for less than that! A car that you can fix, one in which the manufacturer and the insurance company don’t give a collective rip what you do with your old parts.

Will the GT500KR get repaired? Will it remain in a wrecked state? Will it be driven without the hood? I can’t answer that. But I can promise you that one way or the other, the exciting conclusion will be posted right here.



More to come……………………………………

*Edit 9/11/09 - The contents of this story have been confirmed to be correct by the fine folks at Autoblog, who spoke to Jim Owen*

Click for Autoblog's 9/11/09 story

[Rev.Hammer]

I LOVED that movie!!!
Eddie Griffin was never better!

[Evil95GT]

Ok, lemme get this straight.

You pay around $50K for the car itself. Tack on another $35K or so for the KR package. And then you find out that you don't even own the corresponding sheetmetal?

No way in hell would I return those parts. I think I'd sue the shit out of Ford, the insurance company, and anyone else laying claim to my property. However, I'm just evil like that.

I'm very interested in seeing how this is handled. I swore of Fords forever when they voided the warranty on my '95 GT in 1998. However, they redeemed themselves 18 months later by compensating me with some cash to cover what I paid for the repairs. I swore them off again in 2003 when I purchased what turned out to be the biggest piece of shit on four wheels, a 2003 SVT Focus. They refused to do anything about the fact that the subframe bolts kept falling out, and left me helplessly stuck with a lemon. They will not win me back as a customer. Not now, not ever.

[secoobra]

i say make ford buy the parts back that just plain sucks

[Evil95GT]

Originally Posted by secoobra

i say make ford buy the parts back that just plain sucks

There's a good idea! If they want those parts back, they should have to pay a premium, just like their shit-out-of luck Shelby owner with a $31K repair tab.

[JP]

Originally Posted by Michelle

No way in hell would I return those parts. I think I'd sue the shit out of Ford, the insurance company, and anyone else laying claim to my property. However, I'm just evil like that.

I believe Shelby Automotives is the source for these parts and this pricing.

[Evil95GT]

Originally Posted by JP

I believe Shelby Automotives is the source for these parts and this pricing.

I heard it was Ford Racing.

[Joe G]

Originally Posted by Michelle

I heard it was Ford Racing.

Hmmm... that's a good question.

I may have to check into that.



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[Evil95GT]

Originally Posted by Joe G

Hmmm... that's a good question.

I may have to check into that.



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See what you can find out. It's my understanding that getting the repair parts is "out of Shelby's hands", and the parts can only be purchased through Ford Racing.

[Bruno]

That's bullshit...
I've worked at bodyshops, and there is no way that can happen...
And why would you take it to the dealer anyway...

Plus, just cause it's a GT500KR doesn't mean shit...
You can call a Ferarri or Lambourgini dealer right now and order anything you want, and they will ship it to you, and they won't ask for the old parts back..
Come on now!?!?!?!?
It's just a Mustang....

[Bruno]

And the stripes costing that much, Why????
You could paint them on yourself for about, $100
Or pay a professional around $500

[Joe G]

Originally Posted by Michelle

I heard it was Ford Racing.

From someone "in the know" Michelle:

SAI owns the rights to the KR hood and front spoiler molds. The only way to get those is through SAI. Even the twist hood pins are not available through FRPP,and SAI won't sell them, I know I tried, same with the 40th badges

So, your buddy and mine is the reason behind most of this.

Make it "exclusive" and screw your best customers.

Nice way to make/keep lifelong relationships, don't ya think?



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[Evil95GT]

Bruno, there's so much about this that's illegal and/or wrong but that's what makes it a compelling, sad story. NONE of these things should be happening, but this is how a high-dollar customer gets treated.

P.S. A little birdie told me that we're getting updated tonight. Things aren't looking good.

[Undercover_Brother]

The companies involved are refusing to cooperate with the customer at this point. 9 days shy of two months, and this car is still sitting in limbo.

Here's a little update. The latest price on the hood is $23,544.42 to the doorstep. I guess the tax and the shipping account for the extra $5100 tacked on to the original quoted price.

If there are any doubters, I urge you to call SAI. I'm confident they'll affirm the validity of the story in question.

Remember folks, they won't give you pricing. You need your serial number along with pics to prove the corresponding damages before they'll tell you ANYTHING.

All this in the name of exclusivity. I ask you............

is it worth it?

As always, more to come.

[Evil95GT]

Here's an idea.............

If I had the misfortune of owning one of these cars, this is exactly what I would do with it.

I'd leave the Shelby GT500KR in a state of collision. I'd search for the largest Ford car shows in my area. Not your rinky dink, run-of-the-mill little cruise ins. BIG car shows. I'm talking on the scale of the Carlisle All Ford Nationals or Knotts Berry Farm.

I'd scour the car, making sure that everything was clean as a whistle. Even the wrecked, crumpled body panels.

I'd then DRIVE the car to one of these shows, and open the trunk.

In the trunk, I'd have four HUGE handcrafted posterboard signs. They would have large letters and say something like "Look at my KR! See the damage? The company won't sell me parts to fix it!", "This is what an $80,000 paperweight looks like", "For Sale: Unrepairable EXCLUSIVE GT500KR! Be the first to own one", and "I spent crazy money and all I have to show for it is this damaged vehicle".

I'd give them the WORST possible PR imaginable.

But that's just me, and I'm known as a vindictive bitch.

[Bruno]

Well if that's the case, then here's the solution....

Take the car for a nice sunday cruise, and destroy it, get out on the highway at exactly the speedlimit and run it right into the center divider!!!

And then let the insurance company pay you off, and go buy something else!!!!

[Evil95GT]

The more I read this, something really strikes me as strange.

Not long ago, I was considering buying a carbon fiber hood for my '95 GT. I figured what the hell.............it costs a few hundred dollars more than fiberglass, and it actually came out lighter than the Cervini's counterpart I was making eyes with.

I've seen these carbon fiber hoods in person. They are made by a company called VIS, and the quality is second to none. Pricing on the hood I liked was a hair under $900.

Yes, nine HUNDRED dollars.

The replacement hood for the Shelby GT500KR is right around the same price as 24 of the VIS carbon fiber hoods. How ridiculous is that?

So what's the deal? Why in the hell is it so expensive?

Is it because..............

the part is associated with the Shelby name?

exclusivity has a hefty price tag?

someone is greedy as hell?

they know the die-hards will pay this amount to keep repair their car and keep it within the original specifications?

IMO, the entire ordeal is teetering on foolishness, priomarily on the part of the companies involved. If *I* were the (un)lucky owner of this particular car, I'd probably suck it up, and buy a higher quality aftermarket carbon fiber hood. I'd throw the insurance money in my pocket, or maybe even buy another toy with it. I'd do all of this AFTER I drove the car around wrecked long enough to aid in diminishing the value of my own car and every other.

[BackyardResto]

Doc, I

[Evil95GT]

Prior to permitting this thread to be posted, I requested some sort of proof to substantiate the claim.

I currently have documentation in hand that backs up the pricing, as well as the company's claim to the parts involved in the collision. I have had the opportunity to view the photos of the damaged GT500KR, but I refuse to post those pics without the express written consent of the owner of this vehicle. He has been invited to post them here if he wishes as well.

Hopefully the poster will continue to update us as this story progresses. As bad as it sounds, if I did own one of these cars at this very moment, I'd be seriously considering dumping it. With luck like mine, I'd probably wreck it too and be stuck with a very expensive garage ornament.

[JP]

Hope there's an update soon.


I think a lot of people want to see how bad a company will screw a loyal customer all in the name of being "exclusive".


Jerks - table of 1. Jerks - table of 1.