97 Cobra Advice

[amorrow]

No brainer based on your description and your cost. Enjoy it!

 

[jman37]

Make sure it really does have 7k on it lol, match it to the title.

 

[FourSixPony]

23k... LMAO. Looks like its worth maybe 5k.

 

[Tillerman77]

And for any other Cobra of this vintage, in my area they are ranging from $12k with 80-100k miles, $15-$18k with 30-40k miles, and I’ve seen one with 11k miles for $21k. So to pick up a 97 one owner 7k mile almost mint cobra, with just minor defects in the paint and basic maintenance for $3500, I’m waaaay ahead of the ball. Even if it needed internal engine work, such as bearings, rings and a good hone, I’d still be ahead of the ball. Maybe $10k into a $15-20k dollar Cobra.

These values seem quite high for an SN95 Cobra. That said, I think your decision tree for choosing to get this car are sound. Enjoy and good luck!

 

[Adower]

So to sum this all up, I’m gonna go through with it. For a very low mileage, body at about 80% mint and interior 100% mint one owner car, I’d be a fool not to.

Any other 96-98 cobra I buy will have almost the same issues with basic maintenance repairs, but the paint/interior will be worse off as mileage will be higher. With mileage comes wear.

And for any other Cobra of this vintage, in my area they are ranging from $12k with 80-100k miles, $15-$18k with 30-40k miles, and I’ve seen one with 11k miles for $21k. So to pick up a 97 one owner 7k mile almost mint cobra, with just minor defects in the paint and basic maintenance for $3500, I’m waaaay ahead of the ball. Even if it needed internal engine work, such as bearings, rings and a good hone, I’d still be ahead of the ball. Maybe $10k into a $15-20k dollar Cobra.

This seems to be the best case scenario for a starting point for such an old car. But the end value doesn’t matter to me anyway, as once I get this, I’m never gonna let it go. I got rid of my other mustangs for 4wd vehicles and have regretted it ever since. And with multiple other “practical” vehicles, this can sit for the winters.

thanks everyone for both the good and bad options that I could be looking at with this thing. I’ll post up pics and stuff when I get it and get it running.

I bought my cobra two years ago. It is a 98 cobra with 24K miles. Full griggs gr40 suspension, through the floor subframes, cage, griggs torsion rear end, recaro seats, vortech S trim blower intercooled, built t45, long tubes, fuel system, short runner intake, export lights, export mirrors, and Im sure some other goodies im forgetting. I only paid 13.5K. You can do better.

 

[98 svt]

Adower: that’s her cash price. She would give me the car for a new roof on her house. Which would cost me about $3300 with materials, labor and waste removal.

I only paid 13.5K. You can do better.

Please explain how he can "do better" than $3300 for a 7k mile 97 Cobra.

 

[Adower]

Please explain how he can "do better" than $3300 for a 7k mile 97 Cobra.

Based on the OP's description:

I can see the brakes are rusted almost solid.

The paint has 2 plate sized rust spots on the roof, one on the right front fender, one on the rear quarter right below the small window, the paint is chipping along the leading edge of the spoiler, and the paint is chipping on the edges of both front fenders and the hood in the small gap.

It’s gonna need tires as they are cracked and dry rotted everywhere. All the belts and hoses are probably just as bad being rubber products as well. It will need a full tune up, fluids, suspension bushings, maybe shocks, Clutch and I can imagine much more to make sure it’s good/safe.

The major concern is the motor.

-----

After he fixes or addresses all of those items he might as well ponied up the money up front and not have to deal with a headache.

 

[98 svt]

Based on the OP's description:

I can see the brakes are rusted almost solid.

The paint has 2 plate sized rust spots on the roof, one on the right front fender, one on the rear quarter right below the small window, the paint is chipping along the leading edge of the spoiler, and the paint is chipping on the edges of both front fenders and the hood in the small gap.

It’s gonna need tires as they are cracked and dry rotted everywhere. All the belts and hoses are probably just as bad being rubber products as well. It will need a full tune up, fluids, suspension bushings, maybe shocks, Clutch and I can imagine much more to make sure it’s good/safe.

The major concern is the motor.

-----

After he fixes or addresses all of those items he might as well ponied up the money up front and not have to deal with a headache.

You are picking apart trivial shit though.

-Brakes are no big deal
- Thats not rust, that is the paint peeling/flaking form the primer. Very common issue.
-Nearly everyone upgrades tires/wheels when they buy a Cobra.
- A tune up and fluids and belt is under $100
- I bet the motor is ok.

For $3300 it is one hell of a deal to the right person.

 

[boost88]

Yeah 3300 bucks is a deal. Wouldn't pass it up.

Sent from my SM-G988U using Tapatalk

 

[98 svt]

Even if the engine was bad, they can be had pretty cheap these days.

 

[Adower]

You are picking apart trivial shit though.

-Brakes are no big deal
- Thats not rust, that is the paint peeling/flaking form the primer. Very common issue.
-Nearly everyone upgrades tires/wheels when they buy a Cobra.
- A tune up and fluids and belt is under $100
- I bet the motor is ok.

For $3300 it is one hell of a deal to the right person.

Brakes- two new front calipers if needed and rotors all the way around-700$?
Paint- he said it’s chipping in multiple spots. Get that all resprayed-500$?
Wheels and tires-$1k?
Tune up-100$
Shocks per op bilsteins?-600$?
Clutch per op- 100$?
Motor- 500$? For a used teksid block and not even counting anything else needed.

Even with just rough estimates that’s $6800. That’s not counting labor if he needs it or if anything else pops up

 

[coposrv]

No rust, I would do it in a second.


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[01silverstang]

$3,300 for a 7k mile one owner 97' Cobra is a steal... I'm willing to bet the engine is fine, and everything else can be done fairly cheap. Its not a sprint either so it can be done over time as you have funds. Good Luck! Post some pics once it's yours.

 

[98 svt]

For the record, my car sat for nearly 10 years, after spinning a bearing on a second engine. Brake calipers were still good. As well as the shocks and struts.
It's probably not nearly as bad as people think it is. I want to see better pics when the OP gets a chance.

We usually end up modding everything anyway, so some money on shit that needs to be replaced/upgrades wouldn't be so bad.