Decision Time...

So I have a great deal on a new 2019 Bullitt lined up. The car has all options but the Recaros (not a high priority option for me) and I can get it for 10K under MSRP. The catch is that I will have to trade in my Cobra. Of course I'm not getting top dollar on the trade in, but they did give me the number in my head that I could live with.

The Cobra is a black 03 Anniversary convertible. It has 37000 miles and change. It is in great shape and has been a stock pulley car its whole life so far as I know (I'm second owner).

After getting the car out from storage and getting it road ready I'm starting to have some feels about letting it go. The flip side of that being that I almost never drive it (maybe 1000 miles a year), and I have found that verts aren't all they're cracked up to be (always too cold or too hot out). On top of that it is approaching 20 years old and while it has been rock solid for me, I am concerned about increasing maintenance needs and scarcer parts in years to come. That being said I love the car, and the thought of letting it go is tough.

So what does SVT Performance think? Keep the Cobra or move on to something new?

If your planning on dailying it, absolutely. If it's a pleasure vehicle, I would not trade a cobra for basically a GT. I enjoy the true muscle car feel over a refined sports car.

Just my .02

VenomousDSG said:

If your planning on dailying it, absolutely. If it's a pleasure vehicle, I would not trade a cobra for basically a GT. I enjoy the true muscle car feel over a refined sports car.

Just my .02

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This. If you keep the 03/04, just install a blower upgrade, exhaust and fuel system and enjoy a monster.

I think it requires a lot of questions to be answered first.

Do you own the Cobra, or are you making payments?

Why is the Cobra rarely driven?

Will the Bullitt be purchased or financed?

Will the Bullitt be rarely driven?

If you own the Cobra and finance the Bullitt, do you want to finance a car you rarely drive?

I'm sure you can come up with a few more things to think about, but you get the idea.

How much of a trade allowance will the dealer give you for your '03 Cobra? That is a huge key number, because if it is significantly under market value, you're losing money. There's a reason why the dealer is requiring a trade-in. If you sell the Cobra privately, what is their price for the Bullitt?

If you're looking for the easiest path to the Bullitt, then yeah, go with a trade-in. Just be really sure that you ARE comfortable with the trade-in number.

Keep the cobra. After regretting more than a few cars I’ve sold I’ve now moved into collector territory. If I need to move the cobra to afford the bullitt i don’t think I would be able to do it.


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9397SVTs said:

I think it requires a lot of questions to be answered first.

Do you own the Cobra, or are you making payments?

Why is the Cobra rarely driven?

Will the Bullitt be purchased or financed?

Will the Bullitt be rarely driven?

If you own the Cobra and finance the Bullitt, do you want to finance a car you rarely drive?

I'm sure you can come up with a few more things to think about, but you get the idea.

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- I own the Cobra, title in hand.
- I don't drive the car like I used to, since we had our two kids. The car is usually blocked in by a pile of bikes and powerwheels, so getting it out to clean it up and take it out is sometimes more of a pain than it's worth. As I mentioned originally, it is a convertible, so the window of time during the year to drive it is fairly slim too.
- Remainder of the Bullitt price will be financed.
- That is a good question about rarely driving the next toy car as well. I guess I was hoping that it being a coupe would open up a couple more months out of the year to drive it so I thought I'd make a bit more effort to do so.
- Yeah, financing the weekend car is a hang-up for me as well. I would imagine that I would pay it off before the loan term is up. Paying cash outright for the remainder of the Bullitt is an option; but I have a good rate, and with all the down stocks in the market I'd like to keep as much cash on hand to take advantage as possible.

Thanks for the thought exercise. I'm going to continue to mull it over for a bit, and call the guy I'm working with later this morning to let him know one way or the other.

CobraBob said:

How much of a trade allowance will the dealer give you for your '03 Cobra? That is a huge key number, because if it is significantly under market value, you're losing money. There's a reason why the dealer is requiring a trade-in. If you sell the Cobra privately, what is their price for the Bullitt?

If you're looking for the easiest path to the Bullitt, then yeah, go with a trade-in. Just be really sure that you ARE comfortable with the trade-in number.

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Sorry I worded the part about the trade poorly. I am not required to trade in the Cobra to get the price mentioned. For the sake of my finances and marriage I cannot have two Mustangs in the garage though. There's no doubt that I would be leaving $3-4K on the table with the trade vs private sale, but I had a number in my head that I was comfortable with and was able to get it. I also don't really want to deal with a private party sale with all that's going on now, so the trade has a convenience factor.

My hang-ups at this point are definitely less on the financial end. As mentioned above, I'm now having trouble with the idea of trading my Cobra in for what amounts to a GT Mustang. The flip side being that the Gen 3 coyote cars are awesome and light years ahead of the New Edge era cars. I thought that with the good deals out there the Bullitt would be a good target as it is at least somewhat differentiated from the base and performance pack GT's.

Machdup1 said:

This. If you keep the 03/04, just install a blower upgrade, exhaust and fuel system and enjoy a monster.

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At one point I was considering this, but if I kept the car I don't think I'd do too much more in terms of mods. It already has a full Bassani exhaust, intake, H&R springs, and subframe connectors. I would possibly consider a blower pulley if I did keep it though. Again, the potential scarcity of factory parts makes me shy away from getting too crazy, though my concerns about that may be overblown.

I am a big fan of the terminators having owned an 04, but part scarcity and old tech is a reality which is going to get better going forward. I would trade into a newer vehicle. Ideally something that your wife and kids could enjoy on occasion with you especially if your kids are younger. If space and financing are involved try to come up with a solution that benefits the whole family. The wife especially will be happy. When you get older and you have the ability to pay cash for a toy, then go for something that is just for you. I assume I will get flamed for these comments....

I’ve owned a few 03/04s and they are fun cars but at the end of the day for me, I’m a fan of technology.
If you trade I assume you get the tax credit? Not sure what state you are in? Good luck, having a car payment does suck, if you can swing it then go for it!

I feel you on this, it is a rough decision. It sounds like you're leaning more towards the new car and it's hard to come back when you start doing that lean. I remember when I traded my 01 Cobra a few years back. I thought it's better to get out of it while it still has some value so I traded it. I don't regret it.

Maybe tell SVTPerformance what your secret number is for the cobra and sell it to an enthusiast not a dealer? I personally would keep the Cobra.

on a side note I am only 3 hrs away if you sell lmao so about that price...

GOTSVT? said:

I’ve owned a few 03/04s and they are fun cars but at the end of the day for me, I’m a fan of technology.
If you trade I assume you get the tax credit? Not sure what state you are in? Good luck, having a car payment does suck, if you can swing it then go for it!

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Yeah, I would get the tax credit as well. So in reality I'm probably only about $2-3K behind private party value on my trade-in. My hang-ups at this point are mostly nostalgia based, just trying to figure that part out.

Chersch7406 said:

Maybe tell SVTPerformance what your secret number is for the cobra and sell it to an enthusiast not a dealer? I personally would keep the Cobra.

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If I had more time and we weren't in the middle of a pandemic, I would absolutely be looking to private party the car. The trade number is again, the number that I had in my head that I would be comfortable with, and this is pretty much a decision I have to square away today.

I am almost in the exact same boat. Mine is a Black Coupe with 46k miles on it.

I too rarely drive it. Its fun to blast around in on occasion, but the older it gets the less I want to drive it hard. It has been pretty damn solid. ABS module was the last thing replaced about 4 years ago.

I am looking at letting it go and moving onto a GT350/GT350R or possibly a C8 w/Z51 pkg as I want to start running some laps at the track (road race style) and my Cobra just isnt really set up for track days like that.

A friend of mine wants to buy it. He isnt a huge Mustang fan but his questions about the car were intriguing. He asked if the throttle was directly connected from the pedal to the engine. I thought that was very odd, he explained he like that feeling of being part of the car, along with direct connection from clutch pedal to trans as well. Took him for a ride and he just grinned and laughed and basically said you just cant find a new car with that type of raw muscle car feel, sound, or smell (ha!).

After nearly 17 years its hard to let it go.

Have you test driven the Bullit? Is it really that much better?

If it puts a smile on your face and you just enjoy the crap out of it, go for it. Also, if you can sell it outright, coming in and making a single deal is a better buying experience IMO (no trade negotiation)

Good luck!

stvdman said:

I am almost in the exact same boat. Mine is a Black Coupe with 46k miles on it.

I too rarely drive it. Its fun to blast around in on occasion, but the older it gets the less I want to drive it hard. It has been pretty damn solid. ABS module was the last thing replaced about 4 years ago.

I am looking at letting it go and moving onto a GT350/GT350R or possibly a C8 w/Z51 pkg as I want to start running some laps at the track (road race style) and my Cobra just isnt really set up for track days like that.

A friend of mine wants to buy it. He isnt a huge Mustang fan but his questions about the car were intriguing. He asked if the throttle was directly connected from the pedal to the engine. I thought that was very odd, he explained he like that feeling of being part of the car, along with direct connection from clutch pedal to trans as well. Took him for a ride and he just grinned and laughed and basically said you just cant find a new car with that type of raw muscle car feel, sound, or smell (ha!).

After nearly 17 years its hard to let it go.

Have you test driven the Bullit? Is it really that much better?

If it puts a smile on your face and you just enjoy the crap out of it, go for it. Also, if you can sell it outright, coming in and making a single deal is a better buying experience IMO (no trade negotiation)

Good luck!

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Yeah, sounds a lot like my current thought processes. Fortunately the negotiations are pretty much done at this point and the numbers themselves look good. I have not driven the Bullitt yet as the dealership is three hours away. I am scheduled to go there tomorrow and test drive the Bullitt, get final trade appraisal on my car, then seal the deal. So, really if I get there and don't like the Bullitt I can probably still back out. I put a small deposit down to hold the car, so may lose that should I flake on the deal but whatever.

In the interest of gathering info...
Why a Bullitt? Are you looking at it as a potential investment/collector one day?
Instead of the Cobra buried in bikes and toys, will just be the new car instead regardless of its roof?
Why not just get a GT? Change to Bullitt style wheels, meet in the middle, and save yourself a few bucks.

My two cents:
Keep the Cobra. It's paid for so it can sit all you want it to without feeling guilty. Obviously maintain it so it runs and drives. Personally, Bullitts never appealed to me. I don't flat out dislike them, but I see them as more of a marketing ploy and a way for Ford to dig an extra few grand out of your pocket. Much like a youngster these days sees a yellow with black stripes 5th gen Camaro and thinks of Transformers, the Bullitt is kind of the same thing for those who have been around long enough or know about the movie. Sure it's going to stand out from a regular GT to those who know what to look for, but aside from some appearance and interior changes, you're still just getting a more expensive GT. No, the Cobra isn't nearly as modern and plush, but that's part of its appeal. Just like so many of us still love a 60's or 70's muscle car; they're all business and no fluff. Plus you don't see them every day, they're creeping up in value, the market is like 3 to 1 for wanted versus selling ads, and anyone who has had one usually wishes they'd kept it.

I'd say make it a family decision. If they like the Bullitt more than go for it! It sounds like a great deal on a brand new Bullitt. No doubt you'll miss the Cobra but it's not like you are trading it in on a mini van.

The Bullitt will be a sweet ride to scratch that fun car itch. I'd also prefer the coupe over the vert. If you don't like it, sell it and hop back into a 03/04 convertible Cobra. They seem to always be available with relatively low miles.

TerminatoRS said:

In the interest of gathering info...
Why a Bullitt? Are you looking at it as a potential investment/collector one day?
Instead of the Cobra buried in bikes and toys, will just be the new car instead regardless of its roof?
Why not just get a GT? Change to Bullitt style wheels, meet in the middle, and save yourself a few bucks.

My two cents:
Keep the Cobra. It's paid for so it can sit all you want it to without feeling guilty. Obviously maintain it so it runs and drives. Personally, Bullitts never appealed to me. I don't flat out dislike them, but I see them as more of a marketing ploy and a way for Ford to dig an extra few grand out of your pocket. Much like a youngster these days sees a yellow with black stripes 5th gen Camaro and thinks of Transformers, the Bullitt is kind of the same thing for those who have been around long enough or know about the movie. Sure it's going to stand out from a regular GT to those who know what to look for, but aside from some appearance and interior changes, you're still just getting a more expensive GT. No, the Cobra isn't nearly as modern and plush, but that's part of its appeal. Just like so many of us still love a 60's or 70's muscle car; they're all business and no fluff. Plus you don't see them every day, they're creeping up in value, the market is like 3 to 1 for wanted versus selling ads, and anyone who has had one usually wishes they'd kept it.

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I don't know that I'd be looking at the Bullitt as an investment, nor would I with any car really. The Bullitt is appealing mainly due to the deal, and it is somewhat differentiated from a normal GT so improved resale value is a possibility.

Most certainly there would be a risk of the new car just getting dusty in the back of the garage as well. Currently I maybe put 1000 miles per year on the Cobra, so if I could even squeeze in another 500 miles due to the coupe vs. convertible factor I may be able to justify with myself.

The pricing / options make the Bullitt appealing to me. If I got a GT for the sake of saving money I would at the very least want a PP1 car w / leather. I can probably find one for a bit cheaper than the Bullitt but it probably wouldn't have Magneride, the B/O stereo system, digital dash, active exhaust, plus it would more than likely be used. Bullitt is also further differentiated w/ the GT350 intake. I'd probably have to start looking at PP2 cars to feel like I'm getting an equivalent deal and at that point the price would be a wash. Beyond that, I just like the way the Bullitt looks.