So Many Shows, So Little Time...

Today I stopped by two local car shows. The first was the Triangle Italian Motorsports Group Car Show in Brier Creek. I didn't take many photos since the kids were with me, but I did shoot a handful of Cobra kit cars and a particularly nice late-model Ferrari.

>> Check out my photo album (14 pix!)

Later in the day, I drove out to Char-Grill in Raleigh and saw dozens of classics, and a few late-model sports cars. The bagged old Ford truck (see above) was really nice. Interestingly, the dark blue '68 Mustang coupe in my photos was painted by the same shop that painted my '66.

>> Check out my photo album (90 pix!)

I've Got ESP! (And I Didn't Pay Too Much.)

My 2006 Mustang GT had a three-year, bumper-to-bumper warranty from the factory. For the 2006 model year there was no extended powertrain warranty included beyond that new car warranty. With the warranty set to expire late last month, I set about finding an extended warranty. Ford offers an extended service plan or ESP through their dealers. The ESP is offered for various time/mileage options and with a range of service options. I wanted a seven-year plan (starts on Day One, so four years remain now) and a mileage of 60k miles (44k more than where the car is today).

I found Anderson & Koch Ford out of Minnesota and they hooked me up with the best Ford ESP out there called Premium Care. Premium Care basically covers everything including the radio, but no interior or exterior trim pieces though. (See plan details online.) They offer this particular plan I selected for $960 (with a $100 deductible) since my car was still under the new car warranty, and there are a few options you can choose for a small additional cost. I went with a $50 deductible and first-day rental.

This is the exact same Premium Care plan the dealer will try to sell you when you buy a new Ford, but sold online here for much less $. The plan documents arrived a couple days later in the mail. If you are in the market for a Ford ESP warranty, I suggest checking them out. [Update: I had a small $350 repair done in October (a common TSB actually). The plan worked great as expected, I got a free rental car, and my total repair cost was only $50. Cool!]

And So It Begins...

I really don't intend to modify this car, but couldn't resist a set of body-colored mirror covers in Satin Silver. I ordered the covers a couple weeks ago, before I even owned the car... :-)

They were $80 and are installed semi-permanently with 3M tape underneath. They fit perfectly, and the mirror housing is recessed to accept the cover just right. I believe the 2010 Mustang has a similar cover from the factory, so this mod seemed like a good thing to do. I definitely like them a lot.