Still waiting for the upgraded fasteners for the Long-Term Ford GT's interior door trim. The double-sided tape has given up on several other cars, and while the trim on this car has never fallen off it was loose and moved around a bit. I had Santa Monica Ford order the upgraded fasteners based on a Ford-issued TSB about a month ago, but still no word from them.
However, with the upgrade imminent, I decided to take the interior trim off myself this past weekend just to see what the underside looked like. The trim was surprisingly difficult to remove once I decided to pull it off. I doubt it would have ever fallen completely off -- at least not without some major temperature extremes over time. Most of the tape is thin and clear, but with very strong "stick" power. The dealership had to pull this same piece off before acting on the TSB, and it looks like they added another piece of tape to keep it secure until the parts arrive. I was able to stick the trim back on and it seems (relatively) secure once again.
Depressing to find this on a $160,000 exotic? Yes. Unique to the Ford GT? Not according to other exotic car owners I've spoken with or heard from. Apparently these kind of "creative" assembly procedures are pretty common. At least Ford is offering a free upgrade.
Karl Brauer, Editor in Chief, Edmunds.com @ 9,247
stephen987 says:
08:42 AM, 07/16/07
It's obvious that the Ford GT really is built exactly like a Ferrari. Ever get a good close look at a Ferrari under restoration?
actualsize says:
09:40 AM, 07/16/07
Yeah. I was just noticing the similarity of this post to that of the 308 just before it.
"At least Ford is offering a free upgrade" is hardly the same as doing things right in the first place. A halo car such as this is supposed to showcase the best of what an automaker can do, isn't it?
mirth says:
10:42 AM, 07/16/07
Given the speed with which they developed the GT, it's amazing the whole thing doesn't rattle apart at speed.