Rental in Houston

[John Laidlaw]

ok so I rented a 5.0V8 Mustang here in Houston.
It was supposed to be a convertible but luckily they didn't have any so I got a hard top/coupe
Only drove it an hour tonight from IAH to Westlake but first impressions...
Pluses
Quite quick - not the normal USA lazy car
Seems well bolted together, build quality actually very good
Seating position and seats pretty good
Negatives
Door mirrors are wholly useless
Typical bouncy suspension
Too many switches, no idea what they do?
The typical no auto lights...bad news when you're hiring !

 

[turbopete]

mirrors on US cars are BIGGER than the UK spec ones. not sure what you mean by 'useles' though (cant set them right for yourself or blind spots etc)

suspension id imagine is set up differently for US cars to the ones we would buy here

lights, I thought were available with auto settings over here but possibly not on hire car spec models in the states

switches always looked self explanatory to me in the pics ive seen BUT ive never had the opportunity to drive one. they are on the radar for me when (if) the prices ever come down enough. I think they look amazing and (in V8 form) sound amazing too. just a shame we don't get the GT350R etc (different engine to the regular 5.0, flat plane crank V8, revs harder etc) over here.

I'm guessing (as its a US car) its auto?

 

[John Laidlaw]

^ it is an auto indeed Pete, and i must say a good one too.
On the switches I'm probably being a bit harsh, straight off the plane onto beltway 8 isn't possibly the best bedding in experience!
On the mirrors, they are miniscule! Luckily the rear view is the size of a 747 wingspan....
I'd be tempted i must admit, price is amazing for what it is

 

[00slk]

I've a couple of buddies with Mustang's, one is a Rouse supercharged 2014 with 427hp and the other is a 2016 model with 200miles on the clock, only comes out when the carer of the collection deem it necessary to take it for a run, both car have never seem rain
Yes the USA cars are much improved over the older models of at least the 50's, 60's and '70's I used to have, come to think of it, the 80's and 90's too

 

[umblecumbuz]

"Houston, we have a problem. Too many switches. Repeat, too many switches."

 

[turbopete]

^ it is an auto indeed Pete, and i must say a good one too.
On the switches I'm probably being a bit harsh, straight off the plane onto beltway 8 isn't possibly the best bedding in experience!
On the mirrors, they are miniscule! Luckily the rear view is the size of a 747 wingspan....
I'd be tempted i must admit, price is amazing for what it is

sounds good to me! I have to admit, ive never really heard anyone with a bad press on the Mustang. yes a few niggles that I'm sure over time you get used to, like the switches etc, but nothing as yet that would put me off!
we just need to get some superchargers bolted onto those V8s! and I'm off to autotrader etc to see how little I can get a Mustang for, with the steering wheel on the 'correct' (for over here) side of the car!

 

[coxyhog]

I first went to the US in 1981 & had a car pre booked,I forget who with.When I got to the office he said we can't supply your preferred car but you can have this one.When I got to it I found it was a Mustang....wow! I was 27 & had never driven anything like this.It was dusk & when I started it one headlight was out so I went back & they found what I had originally booked,a Ford Ranger which was their version of an Escort from what I remember,heap of junk.Ho hum.

 

[John Laidlaw]

Pete...I found the auto lights
Also understand the switches now...
I'm loving this car....please help me

 

[turbopete]

View attachment 38036 Pete...I found the auto lights
Also understand the switches now...
I'm loving this car....please help me

I can help no worries. when you get home, head to your nearest Ford dealership...............

 

[Lord_Lucan]

Parked like a yank too! You learn quick

 

[John Laidlaw]

Parked like a yank too! You learn quick

I was waiting for someone to spot that, or comment! Haha - SWMBO spotted it right away surprisingly.
Last night I was in a lovely watering hole called 'Twin Peaks' and whilst outside waiting for a cab I watched in complete disbelief a lady trying to get her car out of a parking spot because someone had parked opposite in a Porsche....she gave up eventually and stormed back into the pub shouting the odds trying to find the owner to move it.....unreal

 

[EmilysDad]

....

I'm guessing (as its a US car) its auto?

Is there an option of something else?

 

[EmilysDad]

Is there an option of something else?

A friend is a retired HGV driver. We were talking generally about some of older stuff he'd driven, stuff with crash 'boxes. He was once given a new vehicle, he jumped in, saw just 2 pedals & jumped back out he said. Refused to drive it .... don't like autos he said. I asked if he'd actually ever driven anything automatic, he'd not, but knew he didn't like them!
As they say in America ....... go figure!

 

[JBell]

View attachment 38036

Needs stripes and a blower like this

http://www.shelbyamerican.com/?topic=vehicles&art=Supersnake

 

[turbopete]

Needs stripes and a blower like this

http://www.shelbyamerican.com/?topic=vehicles&art=Supersnake

that's the one! but in the US, a Shelby conversion is covered by Ford warranty. somehow I think UK dealerships would avoid warranty work as its been 'modified'

 

[turbopete]

Is there an option of something else?

yes. a proper drivers gearbox

 

[EmilysDad]

yes. a proper drivers gearbox

It's already got one ......

 

[Frosty149]

What's with the California plates?
I thought you were in Houston?
Or shouldn't we ask

 

[keefysher]

It's a rental, so doesn't matter which state it is registered in.

They are relaxed about things like that. The 2 weeks before 9/11 had a people carrier on hire from O'Hare airport in Chicago, had no plates nor was it registered at that point, took it up into Canada and back. No one batted an eyelid.

Now, Australia is a whole different matter Just don't park against the traffic

 

[John Laidlaw]

What's with the California plates?
I thought you were in Houston?
Or shouldn't we ask

Haha ....no nothing dodgy (this time at least!)- the plates are often used by rental companies now to make us renters less of a target, they don't look like rentals any more...unlike when I was in Sweden recently driving around in a rented XC60 which had a huge AVIS sticker on the back