Thinking of selling the Cobra....talk some sense into me...please!

[JA$ON]

I dont know if any of you randomly search the classifieds on the Mustang websites like I do, stangnet, corral, all those. I put out a few "feeler" ads http://www.modularfords.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37248
about me trading my Cobra for a clean, built notch (87-93) + CASH. I have gotten some good responses about some sweet notchbacks, but most guys want to sell the cars outright.

I love my car, and thats part of the problem. The faster the car gets, the more of a racecar it becomes. Soon, I would be going 11.5 and it would need a cage to be legal. This is the problem, I dont think I have the heart to start hacking up a 2 year old car by pulling out the original seats, possibly installing a cage, solid 8.8, and auto trans. I love the car and love taking it to the track but I think I may be more happy with a dedicated track car......like a fast fox body. The car is mechanically perfect and has not had any warranty issues other than having the alternator replaced, no tick, no funny noises, and has been great to me everyday I have had it.

I do like my car, but long term, I'd like to have a low 10 second or high 9 second car as a goal. That is a long....expensive road with an 03 Cobra, were talking 2.4 KB's, fuel systems, built trans, solid 8.8. And in the end I have turned a nice $30,000 car into nothing but a pile of race parts. I am seriously contemplating trading down inot a nice clean notch (very light), with some mods, heads, cam, intake, and possibly some for of forced induction, and that puts me easily in the 10's or even 9's and I wouldnt have just torn apart a nice car.

Part of the problem is my Cobra is my daily driver, but I am buying a 4x4 truck or SUV soon for this winter, so I would be able to tow it next year. I pay almost $500 a month for the Cobra, and my payoff is about $19,000 , I would have a hard time saying no if someone came to me with a light, clean notchback that ran low 11's or high 10's and a check for $12,000 - $15,000. Am I out of line here, in my thinking?? Or do I just need to shut the hell up, get a truck or SUV to tow, and put a port / lower/ spray on this thing for next year and just drive it like I stole it (its only a car!!)???

I am sure that I am not the only Cobra owner that has thought about this before.......Any and all input is welcome. Thanks for listening

Jason

Click to read more...

 

[Oncebitten03]

hey, you're not the only one.. mines up for sale too (word of mouth for now).. so we're in the same boat

i cant justify hacking up a 30k dollar car and making it a drag car with a car payment, full coverage, etc.. when i could go faster with 10k including the car in a fox body..

i've basically reached the limits of a eaton/solid 03 cobra 6spd cobra and i really dont wanna dump another few g's for a few more tenths and still have the burden of a car payment and a risk of crashing at the track and/or on the street

 

[JA$ON]

hey, you're not the only one.. mines up for sale too (word of mouth for now).. so we're in the same boat

i cant justify hacking up a 30k dollar car and making it a drag car with a car payment, full coverage, etc.. when i could go faster with 10k including the car in a fox body..

i've basically reached the limits of a eaton/solid 03 cobra 6spd cobra and i really dont wanna dump another few g's for a few more tenths and still have the burden of a car payment and a risk of crashing at the track and/or on the street

Agreed, and well said, after the pulley, the Hp/$$/mod equation goes up real fast. And yeah, in just a few days, I have seen countless cars that'll go 10's for a $10K car, including mods. The beauty of the 5.0.......if you break it, take it apart in the driveway and fix it, or order a nice one from DSS right down the road for a lot less $$$ than it costs to fix a 32V DOHC 4.6

 

[ShelbyGuy]

i too am considering it.

the car opened a lot of doors for me and has definately enriched my life (boy does that sound shallow) but now i understand that maybe i'd have just as much fun with a half ton pickup, a car trailer, and a formula ford racecar.

 

[The Pun]

If you guys want to sell them go for it. If you want a strait up drag car just build a fox or hack up a older SN95 stang. It will be cheaper and less of a pain.

I like my car because I can cruise to the strip with the AC on and then run 11's on drag radials.

BTW - if you want to sell the bogarts let me know

 

[Wiked03]

Wow, you think a lot like me.... Well maybe not, because I have NEVER considered selling my Cobra.

I am new to the "fast" car scene, but I am totally hooked. I, like you, have ALWAYS wanted a "race" car. In fact your plans sound frighteningy close to mine. Only my goal is to have my fast as hell cobra for the street, AND an even faster notch for the track. Someday it will happen, but it is a LONG way off. The battle is keeping the Cobra fast enough in the meantime, while still maintaining its street manners.

I know how you feel though.... I have done all the "cheap" mods I can think of and now I am at a crossroads. Right now I am leaning towards a KB/Whipple and the level 5s. But that plan changes by the minute. I really don't wanna turn my Cobra into a race car, but at the same time.... I wanna go faster! And that is the problem.

I know I am wandering off topic, but I think you get the point. You aren't the only one with these thoughts.

 

[dohc97]

Jason,
I think your right on the way your thinking about getting your fix. Im about the same with cars, i love going fast but at the same time i wouldnt want to mess with an expensive car and turn it into a trailer queen. You have seen my car and you saw thats its stock. There is a reason for this, I used to own a 95 cobra some years ago and the modding got to the point where it turned into something that i no longer enjoyed driving. Sure my car was able to take anything that came up to me, but if i wasnt having fun doing it what was the point? I think that if you love the cobra you should keep it where its at, dont make it any faster and enjoy what you have: a very fast daily driver. Get a notch and make that into your race car and enjoy life.

 

[cobravenom39]

I though alot about this, too. I thought about building a drag car with slicks, cage, loose springs and all that jazz. Then, after pondering, I decided that I really liked this car, I like it's manner, the way it looks and the reaction I get from other enthusists while I'm driving it. What I want to do is turn it into a exotic performance white trash mobile. I want it to get to 100 in 9 seconds,and then be able to take a turn. That's why I shrug it off when you guys rip on me for not hooking when I have coil overs and suspension set up for road racing!!!!!!

You guys have seriously lost sight of why we got these cars in the first place. Maybe you're spending too much time typing and not enough time shifting.

 

[The Pun]

What I want to do is turn it into a exotic performance white trash mobile.

:headbang: Hell Yeah!!!!!

 

[Snowman]

What I want to do is turn it into a exotic performance white trash mobile.

You kill me.

I bought my car to have fun. I want to make it fast but I still need to have a nice car for road trips. It seems like every swingin' dick now has a 10 second mustang and its difficult to get that kind of performance without losing drivability. You sit there in traffic on needles and pins while your temp gauge keeps climbing. Its hotter than hell cause you pulled out the ac. Its louder then hell cause you pulled out the carpet and sound deadening mats. You really cant drive it far because your afraid more crap might break. The rarest mustang in the world is a stock one. My car is going to be a blend of the esoteric and the eccentric. Just like me. I like the old fox bodys, hell Ive owned like 5 of them. But the chassis is about as stiff as a pancake, the T-5 is a hemerroid two bolt main caps on the 5.0 weak crank four bolt head w/ bore distortion, they have never been able to make a good head for the damn thing, the oil pump sucks horsepower like a pig, lifter pump-up at 7000 with valve float the front end suspension geometry sucks. To get the motor to a stock cobra's output and durability your going to have at least 3500 into it. The newer cars have come a long way in my book. The 4.6 dohc despite it few shortcomings is the only american motor that can go 1500 hp on factory heads, block, and crank. Or so say SHM.

 

[03mineralg]

Why even buy a car like an 03/04 cobra if all you want to do is run a short straight line as fast as possible? The car is about much more than that.

 

[Mad Max]

A friend of mine has a 500.00 1985 Mustang GT, a motor out of a 89 GT and has about 2K total into his car. Runs 12's - and he is just having fun. No it is not a junk heap, just a inexpensive weekend runner. No FI or N2O - just NA and has already put over 250 runs on the car.

No, keep your Cobra (you will be sorry once you sell it)! Look for a rolling chassis and find a motor of your choice and have at it. :headbang:

 

[Wiked03]

Why even buy a car like an 03/04 cobra if all you want to do is run a short straight line as fast as possible? The car is about much more than that.

Yeah isn't it amazing that with billions of people on the planet that people want different things????

 

[SonicBlur]

You guys have seriously lost sight of why we got these cars in the first place. Maybe you're spending too much time typing and not enough time shifting.

Wow Andy, you must be a Zen Master, quoted by two different people. If you are looking for a straight-up drag car, then you made a mistake buying a 03/04 Cobra, or any Cobra for that matter. Everyone wants to go real fast in a straight line in a car designed more for the twisties. Sure, there's always going to be other options, maybe even cheaper. But you have to look at it like this. You sell your Cobra, buy a 5.0L put full drag suspension and whatever else you desire and you'll be right back here saying...."Man, I think I want to sell my drag car..." yada yada...after a while. You may just be bored of this car already. I don't know what to tell you, if you're bored then sell the car and give it to someone who has the same passion for Terminators you once had. I personally will not sell my car for ANY reason short of a crisis in my life *knocks on wood for good luck*. I've wanted a Terminator since I saw the first spy shot in MM&FF. Andy's quote is 100% spot-on. Drag racing is awesome, no doubt, but there's more to the whole "car thing" than just racing. If you are not happy, then why would you KEEP yourself un-happy? Nothing we say here will make you change your mind. That is up to you. One more thing, it has NEVER crossed my mind to sell my Cobra. You could wave keys to a C6 Z06 in my face with a title in hand, and I'd just keep on walking. I'm SVT Cobra for life. What ever you decide to do, good luck.

-Mike

 

[JA$ON]

Its not that I dislike the car at all. I love the car......that is the problem, but I want it to be faster....lots fater, and I'm just not sure that my long term goal can be achievhed in an affordable, reasonable manner with the 03. Its gonna get real pricey, real fast, after the upper pulley, lets face it, like Regis said, were talking thousands for the next couple of tenths. There is a big gap between a 11.6 Cobra and a 10.5 Cobra, thats the reality. I know its stupid, its a freakin second, but some of us would do almost anything in our power, and bank account for that last second.........Maybe I'll step away for a week and see how I feel. May be the best thing, a little time to reflect..... :alcoholic

Yeah I'm drunk now, that aint helpin :alcoholic

 

[boo]

12-15 seems a little high, fox body pricing has gone way up in the past few years, especially notches. I've seen retards paying anywere from 7-9 grand for clean notches under 100k miles with either stock or basic bolton parts.

A notch that runs legitimate 10's (how many ebay cars have we seen claiming 10's that never have or never will be anywere near that?) is probably gonna fetch 10k+.

Another thing people forget with the 5.0's is there not cheap to make power out of. Its a big myth. Yeah you can get 300 outta them with heads, cam, and basic boltons but to squeeze anymore power out of them you need a lot more parts and money. Above 300hp your going to need to either slap a blower on and throw in stronger internals or start from scratch with a motor with more displacement.

I'm willing to bet you can get a cobra into the 10's for a lot less money in mods then to get a fox body 5.0 into the 10's. There are suspension setups that are capable of putting these cars into the 10's and still be very streetable.

Interesting post on http://www.modularfords.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9006

This is what started the whole 5.0 magazine stir over in The Bar.

My car was the first to run a 10 at FFW in Epping last year, with KB @ 17 PSI. It was full weight, even sway bar in, BFG's on stock rims (275/40/17's), stock suspension, stock IRS, stock 6-speed, etc.

It has since run a 10.72 and backed it up with another 10.72. Evan Smith, MM&FF editor did the driving so those are pretty easily verified numbers.

I don't know of any Strictly run in the 10's with KB and no nitrous. I don't think they have ever claimed to run a 10 w/o nitrous and have never seen any proof either.

For that matter, I don't know of any KB w/o nitrous car to run a 10 with IRS and 6-speed. I've heard stories online but have not seen a single timeslip or video.
__________________
ModularFords.Com Staff

2003 SVT Cobra
Kenne Bell Blowzilla, Superchips Custom Tuning, JDM/Kooks Stainless Steel Long Tube Headers and Catted H-Pipe, Siemens Deka 55 lb. injectors, SCT/Hitachi 2400 CFM MAF, KB BAP, NGK TR-6's, KB/Accufab Throttle Body, JDM Idler, JDM 12" Filter, Hurst Line Locks, Raptor Shift Light, BFG 275/40/17 Drag Radials

715 RWHP, 705 RWTQ STD @ 26 PSI Boost on Race Gas

10.72 @ 133 MPH @ 650 RWHP, driven by Evan Smith

Also you don't need to gut and cage the car, any strip with loose tech will let you run until you hit the point you need a cage. You'll get kicked out but you'll still have that timeslip showing what your car ran.

 

[CobraSusie]

When it comes down to it, your going to do what you want to do,
(but I hope you don't regret selling your Cobra - I would)

You guys all have different goals with your cars then I do,
all I plan on doing is a ported blower (to keep her fast but not ask for trouble)

Everyone that I know that has sold their 03/04 has regretted it,
so the real question is... do you want to make that same decision?

Fox bodies are nice and have alot of potential, but will it be enough?
These are really slick looking cars, remember why you bought her in the first place, and make up your mind from there

You can always pick up a fox body cheap, and slowly build that,
(and leave the Cobra as a fast cruiser too :biggthump )

Good Luck

 

[1MEANGT]

Fox bodies Rule................ :biggthump

 

[Blood on Blood]

Do what you will, but I have had built camaros and fox body Mustangs. There is a fact, the faster you go, the more you will break. The more you break, the more it costs to fix.

Then you will be singing a blues song on how you go rid of a 03/04 Cobra that reliably ran 11's for a 10 second fox body that spends more time apart rather than on the road.

Dave

 

[Wiked03]

Do what you will, but I have had built camaros and fox body Mustangs. There is a fact, the faster you go, the more you will break. The more you break, the more it costs to fix.

Then you will be singing a blues song on how you go rid of a 03/04 Cobra that reliably ran 11's for a 10 second fox body that spends more time apart rather than on the road.

Dave

Exactly why my plan is to do both.

 

[ShelbyGuy]

ya gotta understand though that not everyone wants to turn that clean '91 notch into a drag turd. thats why we pay the premium for one that hasnt been hacked to bits or driven into the ground by street racing from every stinkin stoplight.

 

[hj16]

There is a big gap between a 11.6 Cobra and a 10.5 Cobra, thats the reality.

Yes there is. When you mentioned turning it into a race car...or trashing a 30K car to run faster...please eat crow. Terry from ModularFords runs low 10s@135+ at a full weight of 4100lbs. Full interior, 18" rims, stereo system, etc.

Its all about the path you choose to get there.

 

[JA$ON]

Yes there is. When you mentioned turning it into a race car...or trashing a 30K car to run faster...please eat crow. Terry from ModularFords runs low 10s@135+ at a full weight of 4100lbs. Full interior, 18" rims, stereo system, etc.

Its all about the path you choose to get there.

Of course there are examples of very fast, streetable cars. I think you may have taken what I said out of context.....When I mentioned the big gap between an 11.5 car and 10.5 car, I was referring to the $$$ that needs to be spent to bridge the gap. I didnt mean "trashing" a 30K car, but every mod done, does devalue the car more and more, thats all I meant. I'll probably keep thr Cobra, get a tow vehicle, and hopefully port it / put on a lower / maybe a little sauce.

The idea of a bad ass notch is fun, but I really cant fathom going to the liquor store & driving an SUV or truck everyday,and only having big power on the weekends, but who knows, anything is possible.....

 

[whistlen93]

this is a debate of the ages.. i bought my 1993 cobra with one goal... fast as hell street car.. hoping for 10s next year but will settle for low11s. but i refuse to make it a drag car.. ive sunk alot of time sweat blood and tears to try to get the car to do evrything well.. corner, drag, and cruise. i could have bought a terminater and done that alot easier.. but you do what you like and if the passion is gone...... its time to move on.

 

[Boost12]

the money to take a 11.5 car to a 10.5 is not that much if you look at it in the right way. For example. I know with my setup now with my new ET streets I can go a 10.9 with good weather. I went 11.4 @ 124 with my old shitty BFGs with a 2.0 60ft. To take that to a 10.5 all I would have to do is bump the Spray a bit add injectors and a retune and it would be good to go 10.5's with a good driver :headbang: I know spray in a way sux cause you dont have it all the time and I agree also there but its a easy power adder that works well with these cars. I think about selling my car every day so your not the only one man trust me....