2003 cobra concerns

[frank5o]

Ok guys, I need some help. I am curently in the process of purchasing a 2003 cobra. The car is a very early build and I'm wondering if I should be woried about the heads.
The car has 35,000 miles and seems to be well taken care of. It is bone stock, not even a K&N filter. The original owner picked the car up from a dealer in July of 2002. I've heard and read alot of stuff about the early cobra,mach1,avaitor heads. So are all the early cars bad news, or is it just a select few. Oh ya the car has had no warrenty work done and is making no funny noises at this time, but I'm sure this car has not been pushed hard at all, wich is what I am gonna do.

So should I be worried?

 

[CWCobra]

I have a bit over 36,000 miles on my '03 Cobra: a very early production car that I took delivery of in June of '02. It has been PERFECT! Modded since 4,000 miles: chip, pulley, CAI, exhaust. PERFECT! Best car I have ever owned: Any make, any model, any year. And I have had lots of cars in my 40 years of driving. Buy it!

CW

 

[frank5o]

Well thats cool to here CWCobra, I was thinking that all the early 2003's can't be defective.

 

[Jimmysidecarr]

The vast majority are just fine!!!
You often only hear about the ones that have had a problem or two...
Nice find!!! :rockon:

 

[ZINC AND BLOWN]

no problems with mine.......early production!

 

[Tommy98016]

no problems with mine.......early production!

Same here.

 

[SBlueSVT03]

35k early production and kicking!

 

[P49Y-CY]

i think that's great and good find - best of luck with it if you buy it

my only .02 is:

do you know this original owner? the one who put 36k on the car without even a catback or cai?

i have put over 45k daily driving two terminators and i could not imagine driving even for 10k on the corked up stock exhaust

 

[IronTerp]

Generally, if a early production 03 gets to 35,000 miles without some of the "problems" that we've heard about, you're probably in pretty good shape here.

 

[frank5o]

VERTIBLEMENACE The original owners are older, late 40's early 50's, and its the wifes car, so its female driven. This is from a personal buy not a dealer by the way. I know it sounds crazy to not want to modify something on the car, but these guys did'ent touch anything. That was part of my concern, cuz that means to me that the car has not been really pushed hard, and when I get it I 'm gonna be tachin it pretty hard, I'm not gonna toatly baby it. Any way I'm buyin it! It should be a great step up from my beyloved Mach1.

 

[P49Y-CY]

:beer: :beer:

 

[proxemics]

good luck

hope I can find clean one next year

 

[CobraBob]

It sounds like you found a very clean early run '03 which looks to be free of the usual gremlins found on some '03s. Hopefully the price (?) you pay will be make it a great deal. The price would be a very important factor to me in making the final decision. We've seen some great deals people have gotten on later run '03s and even '04s (with lower mileage). Best of luck!

 

[Evil Bender]

I have an early 03 model,( 9-02).I bought it used with 23.000 on the odom.It has been a good car,I had all TSB's done ( throwout,rear,tierods etc.) everything but the heads. My car has the early heads,4 thread sparkplugs,but they have never given me any problems.

 

[BuffDigits]

sounds like you might have found a rare car indeed, a nicely maintained, unmodded, most likely unabused cobra. nice.

as for problems, its hit or miss, some have them some dont, some get the tick some dont, no real rhyme or reason. Even 04 cobras have had the same problems as the 03's tick, vibe, pop/tink, etc.

so based you decision on the price and how well it was maintained, but if its truely nicely driven an not modded its like finding gold

 

[Powershift03]

I scored on my car too. It was built 12/02 and has only 3,750 miles. BONE stock... at least until UPS arrives here this week!

 

[cassini_rings]

Curious...what are you paying???

-Pat

 

[Antex]

no problems with mine.......early production!

Ditto! Mine has seen a lot of track time the past 2 years too... :burnout:

 

[frank5o]

OK guys the price is 22,000. I have to pay taxes wich will bring it to 23 somthing. I am very excited! Every other cobra I've looked at was in the high 24 to 26,000 range. I'm sooooo happy I found it before anyone else did.

 

[Doc2003Cobra]

Seems like a good price if it's pretty cherry like it appears.