So i want a "fast car" no more then 40k and im a huge ford fan...i was looking at the 06 saleens but the s281 starts around 42k..i was leaning towards to stage 2 roush 06...is it a good buy?? or should i just buy a premium gt coupe??

If you like the 05-06 body style, i would go with the roush. I have a 04 cobra with 7K invested and i am pushing 570rwhp with a whipple at 16psi so if you like the 03-04 cobras i would go with that! and you would be saving money.

It depends how much more horsepower you need. The stock Saleen will get you 25 horsepower more than the Roush. It also has 3.73 rear gears, so it will be a little quicker off the line. I would think the price point between a Stage 2 Roush and a base Saleen would be pretty close when all is said and done.

Well if your buying a brand new one i would go with a roush, but get a stage three because stage two doesnt really mod your engine. There prices are going to be droped really soon with the release of the new cobra. Stage three gives you a full body kit wich is more muscle then sport like a saleen, also gets you a supercharged engine wich adds 115hp, new racing suspension, high perf. brake kit, and some interior mods as well. This car handles like nothing else. However i belive the new saleens are a lil faster, but cost alot more. also think insurence/gas

Go with the roush, I did.:)

Saleen all the way. I looked at both Roush and Saleen as well I considered the 07 Cobra. As I don't want to offend any Roush owners, you can PM me if you want to know more specifically why I chose Saleen. At least they are all Mustangs!!!!! Can't go wrong with that.

hey guys,

im in the same boat. roush or saleen or cobra. from what it sounds like, i wont have a chance to get the new cobra til winter 06 the earliest? and even then, i'll be paying way more than im looking to spend. i wonder if i can get a roush stage 3 or a saleen sc for around $45k? does anyone know what the insurance goes for (in NJ) for these models?

thanks

Customer Testimonial "Just wanted to drop you a quick note about the Saleen I just purchased from Gaudin Ford in Las Vegas Nevada. I sold my 1998 Corvette and started looking for a car I could have some fun with and still take my one year old granddaughter with me when needed. I test drove the Mustang GT just OK and the Jack Rouch was just not the quality I was looking for. Went to Gaudin Ford and the Saleen was setting on the showroom floor.THAT WAS IT!!! just setting in the car you could see a Hugh quality difference in all the detail outside and inside.The Saleen has an elegance unmatched by Rouch then you start the car and go for the test ride and you know there is only one choice to make the Saleen.The Saleen looks better, handles better, has a heavy solid feeling.It looks and feels worth the money your going to spend to be different." (Mar 7th)

Stage three gives you a full body kit wich is more muscle then sport like a saleen,(04Mach1DD)
Heres the deal. A Saleen body kit is completly designed by "form meets function or designed by the wind" what that means for an example lets look at the front fascia of the roush(couple things to note), the reason Saleen decided to remove the large fog lights from the grill is to allow more air through for better engine cooling, secondly look at the lower fog lights on the roush they are in-set about 4" all that will do is create an air pocket and increase drag, look at the Saleen you will find five that evenly produce down force and help keep the front of the car on the ground at all speeds. Also look at the Saleen foglights they are flush with the fascia of the car and have the same lumens brightness as larger fog lights. And thats just the front end were talkign about.

By claiming that the roush is more muscle looking that reverts back to you calling the Saleen cars "pretty" in your other posts. While infact by designing a car to look more muscle you are calling your own car "Pretty". And by saying a Saleen is Sportier, then we appreciate the compliment that our cars are not only "pretty" according to you but also "sportier" meaning that the over all Saleen exterior design looks great and performs better too!

Also by having the 3.73 gear ratio, and the extra 30hp. It makes the base S281 extremly fun to drive.

Did i mention the Saleen has an Established resale value backed by the NADA? (check it out www.NADAguides.com (http://www.nadaguides.com/uv/selectmake.aspx?LI=1-11-1-2081-0-0-0&Lnk=1&wSec=11&wPr=1&wPg=2028&ct=15) )

While the roush is recognized as a GT mustang with a kit.

ORIGINAL: DProsser

Customer Testimonial "Just wanted to drop you a quick note about the Saleen I just purchased from Gaudin Ford in Las Vegas Nevada. I sold my 1998 Corvette and started looking for a car I could have some fun with and still take my one year old granddaughter with me when needed. I test drove the Mustang GT just OK and the Jack Rouch was just not the quality I was looking for. Went to Gaudin Ford and the Saleen was setting on the showroom floor.THAT WAS IT!!! just setting in the car you could see a Hugh quality difference in all the detail outside and inside.The Saleen has an elegance unmatched by Rouch then you start the car and go for the test ride and you know there is only one choice to make the Saleen.The Saleen looks better, handles better, has a heavy solid feeling.It looks and feels worth the money your going to spend to be different." (Mar 7th)



That's the first time I've that comparison. Good to SALEEN has improved their body kit.

Although a stage III Roush and a S281sc are pretty similar, one area they are not is in the blower. Roush is still using a roots blower on their stage III setup. The roots blower they use needs to push more psi than the Saleen series 6 unit, which adds to the Roush's heat buildup and lack of efficiency vs. the Saleen series 6 blower. The diffence is considerable, enough that if I was undecided between the 2, I would default to the S281sc.
I'll be perfectly honest; not to flame on Roush, but their lack of a twin screw unit in their new cars shows that they are $ conscious and not performance consious. On top of that, the hp curve with the Roush blower is considerably flatter on top, compared to the Saleen's. Shame on Roush for using old, inefficient technology in the cars.

ORIGINAL: .eclipse

So i want a "fast car" no more then 40k and im a huge ford fan...i was looking at the 06 saleens but the s281 starts around 42k..i was leaning towards to stage 2 roush 06...is it a good buy?? or should i just buy a premium gt coupe??


You get what you pay for but Saleen mods at all levels. Rousch is only at stage 3 and like Birdie said, they used an older technology which is why they are less than a comparable Saleen. For 40K...buy a base 06/07 Mustang GT for 27K then use teh remaining 13K to add a blower and fine tune the suspension and possibly even upgrade some of the internals in the engine to handle more boost. You'll end up with a faster car minus the wasteful body kit and interior 'fluff'

when considering the option of starting with a base GT, would you say the majority of stang owners do the engine upgrades themselves, or have professionals do it? Trying to consider risk of messing up vs. cost....

ORIGINAL: Lordewoks

when considering the option of starting with a base GT, would you say the majority of stang owners do the engine upgrades themselves, or have professionals do it? Trying to consider risk of messing up vs. cost....


internals have someone do them, the install of the booster do it yourself but then have a shop double check it and tune it. Although, if someone doesn't have any automotive experience, inclinations, or confidence, then spend the money to have everything done or buy one 'out of the box'. I've always been one to do a mix of both. When in doubt, go to the professionals. I guess knowing your limits is where common sense kicks in. Something I often find lacking in this world.

Anytime you buy a car and add to it all you do it accelerate your depreciation. By buying a base GT then adding numerous mods to it you are doing a number of things 1. Your walking a thin line with your warranty. 2. Depreciating the value of the car. 3. Making it harder on your self to sell your vehicle, or heaven forbid you try trading it in, a dealer will not give a dime for the 20k you went and put in the car. Im sure many of you have experienced this.

Couple reason you would choose a Saleen in this scenario. ( This one being the best )
I'll prove to you how the cost of ownership on a Saleen is less then buiying a gt regardless of the general Saleen vehicle price.

Example:

2001 Mustang GT
msrp 24,190
average retail price is 13,400 ( no miles specified ) www.nadaguides.com
cost of owner ship is 10,790 (msrp-retail price =)
depreciation of 44%

2001 Saleen s281 Supercharged
msrp 37,399
average retail price is 28,900 (low retail is 27100)
cost of ownerhsip is 8,499
depreciation of 22%

2001 Saleen s281 Base
msrp 31,199
average retail price is 26,500 (low retail is 24,800)
cost of ownership is 4,699
depreciation of 15%

All of this information can be found on www.NADAguides.com

second reason you get a high performance car, with full suspension and engine work, and full custom interior that can be serviced at Authorized Saleen Ford dealers, and you retain your full Ford warranty.
Try taking your gt with a vortech blower into a ford dealership to get work done or even suspension work for that matter.

I had to sign up for this one.

Man you should be ashamed since you work at Saleen as SALES: They are not Fog lights! they are the turn signals.

"the reason Saleen decided to remove the large fog lights from the grill is to allow more air through for better engine cooling, secondly look at the lower fog lights on the roush they are in-set about 4" all that will do is create an air pocket and increase drag, look at the Saleen you will find five that evenly produce down force"

Since there is a typo I will assume that you are referring to the 5 lower bumper opens. Since when do openings create downforce??? Please I would like to know!


The Saleen is far better in every aspect than the Roush, especially looks. AS far as price, you get what you pay for.

ORIGINAL: DProsser

Customer Testimonial "Just wanted to drop you a quick note about the Saleen I just purchased from Gaudin Ford in Las Vegas Nevada. I sold my 1998 Corvette and started looking for a car I could have some fun with and still take my one year old granddaughter with me when needed. I test drove the Mustang GT just OK and the Jack Rouch was just not the quality I was looking for. Went to Gaudin Ford and the Saleen was setting on the showroom floor.THAT WAS IT!!! just setting in the car you could see a Hugh quality difference in all the detail outside and inside.The Saleen has an elegance unmatched by Rouch then you start the car and go for the test ride and you know there is only one choice to make the Saleen.The Saleen looks better, handles better, has a heavy solid feeling.It looks and feels worth the money your going to spend to be different." (Mar 7th)

Stage three gives you a full body kit wich is more muscle then sport like a saleen,(04Mach1DD)
Heres the deal. A Saleen body kit is completly designed by "form meets function or designed by the wind" what that means for an example lets look at the front fascia of the roush(couple things to note), the reason Saleen decided to remove the large fog lights from the grill is to allow more air through for better engine cooling, secondly look at the lower fog lights on the roush they are in-set about 4" all that will do is create an air pocket and increase drag, look at the Saleen you will find five that evenly produce down force and help keep the front of the car on the ground at all speeds. Also look at the Saleen foglights they are flush with the fascia of the car and have the same lumens brightness as larger fog lights. And thats just the front end were talkign about.

By claiming that the roush is more muscle looking that reverts back to you calling the Saleen cars "pretty" in your other posts. While infact by designing a car to look more muscle you are calling your own car "Pretty". And by saying a Saleen is Sportier, then we appreciate the compliment that our cars are not only "pretty" according to you but also "sportier" meaning that the over all Saleen exterior design looks great and performs better too!

Also by having the 3.73 gear ratio, and the extra 30hp. It makes the base S281 extremly fun to drive.

Did i mention the Saleen has an Established resale value backed by the NADA? (check it out www.NADAguides.com (http://www.nadaguides.com/uv/selectmake.aspx?LI=1-11-1-2081-0-0-0&Lnk=1&wSec=11&wPr=1&wPg=2028&ct=15) )

While the roush is recognized as a GT mustang with a kit.

My Apologies on the fog light comment.

Secondly as far as the front end goes the 5 holes are cut at forward angles \\\\ plus the lower opening is angled slightly upward for downforce improvement. The overall design of the front fascia is to cut through the air better, the entire car is what will create most of the down force.

I apologize again for the fog light comment. They are turn signals.
I must have blacked out or something :) ha ha thanks for the correction :)

ORIGINAL: DProsser

Anytime you buy a car and add to it all you do it accelerate your depreciation. By buying a base GT then adding numerous mods to it you are doing a number of things 1. Your walking a thin line with your warranty. 2. Depreciating the value of the car. 3. Making it harder on your self to sell your vehicle, or heaven forbid you try trading it in, a dealer will not give a dime for the 20k you went and put in the car. Im sure many of you have experienced this.

Couple reason you would choose a Saleen in this scenario. ( This one being the best )
I'll prove to you how the cost of ownership on a Saleen is less then buiying a gt regardless of the general Saleen vehicle price.

Example:

2001 Mustang GT
msrp 24,190
average retail price is 13,400 ( no miles specified ) www.nadaguides.com
cost of owner ship is 10,790 (msrp-retail price =)
depreciation of 44%

2001 Saleen s281 Supercharged
msrp 37,399
average retail price is 28,900 (low retail is 27100)
cost of ownerhsip is 8,499
depreciation of 22%

2001 Saleen s281 Base
msrp 31,199
average retail price is 26,500 (low retail is 24,800)
cost of ownership is 4,699
depreciation of 15%

All of this information can be found on www.NADAguides.com

second reason you get a high performance car, with full suspension and engine work, and full custom interior that can be serviced at Authorized Saleen Ford dealers, and you retain your full Ford warranty.
Try taking your gt with a vortech blower into a ford dealership to get work done or even suspension work for that matter.






Any comparison with mileage on that? A saleen or roush with any number of miles on it will depreciate just as fast as a regular ol' GT. Not to mention, good luck finding roush or saleen authorized dealers these days. Even teh ones on Saleens own web site (as of Dec/Jan) of this year was over stated in terms of the number of dealers. One guy here in AZ with a Saleen said that all but one (out of like 4) were no longer doing work on the saleen. Of course it was the one dealer ship he had problems with.

I guess my whole thought process is, if you're going to buy a car that could be considered a collector car, don't buy it with the intention of being a daily driver. THAT (mileage) depreciates any car.

hmmm, thats pretty interesting about the saleen dealerships. do you guys know of any that are in the NY/NJ metropolitan area?

there are 4 dealership in NJ and 8 dealerships in NY. clifton, egg harbor toenship, hillside, neptune, bay shore, blauvelt, corona, east syracuse, kenmore, kingston, riverhead, schenectady.

theyre are 4 dealership in arizona kingman, prescott, scottsdale, and tucson