The problem with the S197 cars is that Ford kept bumping the power almost every year. When I traded in my 09 they undercut me badly on the price using the justification that the new V6s have as much horsepower as my 09 GT did. I knew dealers that were all but giving away GT500s because they couldn't charge the premium price when the new Shelby was already both lighter and more powerful than the year before. I saw two GT500KR Shelbys that were tagged at 130K when they came out and and two years later I had both dealers offering me the car for 35K because they couldn't move the cars. I even saw a dealer with a brand new four year old Saleen that looked just like that one. Again they only wanted 24K for it, but at that point a new V6 Mustang likely would've been faster.

Eh.
It was a v8 here..
Or so i think?
It had 2 sets of 4 cylanders
so
v8?
xD
with an overhead camshaft.
Very pretty.
I should of snapped a hood pic.
and yeah
He got the 5.0 GT in return
but I still think it wasn't a fair trade.

Because
you can buy 100 GT 5.0s.. years from now
question is..
How long will Saleen be around?

I go a ways back with Saleen as a company. Years ago like in the late 80s early 90s they were buying suspension parts from Hotchkis, who I worked for. Eventually they started running a tab and couldn't pay the bill anymore so we stopped selling parts to them. That was about the time that Steve Saleen had basically split from his own company and they were in their slow death spiral. Over the years I've gotten a chuckle out of the whole "prestige" label behind some of the brands out there. He's a nice guy though. I've met him a few times at car shows and he's got some really good stories about the business side of things.

I sucks that he left the company on its own for a while and basically had nothing to do with it. He only got back into it when it got so bad that they wouldn't even warranty their own cars anymore and left a lot of Saleen owners in the lurch. He's doing a good job of salvaging it at least but yeah somehow the luster just isn't there for the brand like it used to be. When those first came out I went to see one at the dealership in Concord and they wanted 70K for it and I laaaughed and laaaaughed. Told the dealer I could buy a Corvette for that kind of money and he tried to sell me on the "prestige" of owning a Saleen. I may like Mustangs but if I'm dropping 70K into a car it better be a damn good one.

They also sold some "Racecraft" GTs which were basically the same thing but without Saleen in the name or the extra high price tag. I almost bought one from Napa Ford when I got my 09.

http://www.muscularmustangs.com/200.....ecraft420s.php

I can see why he would trade it in I have had a few friends who bought them only to find out it was not putting out the horsepower the stats sed it would that and why buy saleen when roush is vastly better faster stronger and better built if one of those was a trade in id flip out and ask why. still a sexy car the saleen is But that to much for a silly boy ricer body kit and very little go fast goodies id dump that cash in to a 73 classic pony car.

That "silly boy ricer bodykit" has been wind tunnel tested, so you know, it makes the car more aerodynamic

not a smart thing to call a Ford a "ricer"
#I'mjustsayin...

I know but it just seems all show no go to me i like simple body lines and mostly stock looks on body this just looks silly to me. I love roush they just look so mean and have a much better ride on the track i got to do a ride along in both cars the saleen felt bulky in tight turns that bugs me i like some thing that can really thrash about on the track.