New Edge Graduation

[99Venom]

The 03/04 Cobra envy is officially over for me! After 13 years, 169,081 miles (245,581 total miles), 1 engine rebuild, 1 engine swap, a few clutches, and a very extensive list of repairs/mods, both successful and unsuccessful, I did what I never thought I could, or would, and that's get rid of my 99 Cobra and buy a Terminator.

Goodbye....

Hello...

 

[01yellercobra]

I did the same thing a couple years ago. But I do miss my 01 at times. It went to a good home though.

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[Dirks9901]

Congrats man!


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[murse]

Congrats!! Details on the terminator??

 

[olgreydog7]

Why?

 

[99Venom]

Congrats!! Details on the terminator??

2004 Oxford White coupe with 71,xxx miles, very clean inside and out. Stock Eaton with a 2.93 pulley, cold air, and catback, so not too modded which is just what I wanted. A great step up from my 99, and of course, far more power potential.

Why?

Age and miles were just getting too much on my 99. I was driving it less and less every year because I was always fixing something. Plus, I've always wanted a Terminator since they came out. So I bit the financial bullet and got one and now I can hang onto it for good.

 

[olgreydog7]

You know it's gonna get old too right? Just busting your balls a bit. I think we all have irrational tendencies when it comes to cars. I hope you enjoy the car!

 

[R.D.P.]

Are you saying you personally racked up 245k on your '99? If so, much respect - that's dedication. Even if it was only 170k, that's still a ton of seat time.

 

[99Venom]

You know it's gonna get old too right? Just busting your balls a bit. I think we all have irrational tendencies when it comes to cars. I hope you enjoy the car!

Haha, I have thought of that, I suppose I'm just rewinding the clock from 245k to 71k. But at least I'm rewinding it in a Terminator.

Are you saying you personally racked up 245k on your '99? If so, much respect - that's dedication. Even if it was only 170k, that's still a ton of seat time.

170K of it was definitely mine! It's amazing to think there were so many original parts in that car that I never had to replace. I did get 245k out of that transmission and suspension. In a way the thing I miss about the car is that it really felt like mine because I had driven it, repaired, modded it and kept it on the road all those years.

 

[01yellercobra]

170K of it was definitely mine! It's amazing to think there were so many original parts in that car that I never had to replace. I did get 245k out of that transmission and suspension. In a way the thing I miss about the car is that it really felt like mine because I had driven it, repaired, modded it and kept it on the road all those years.

Give it time. I remember when I first bought my 04 it didn't feel like mine. I felt like I was taking credit for someone else's car. After a few rounds of mods it feels like mine. There might have been some discussions during late night waxing as well.

 

[99Venom]

Give it time. I remember when I first bought my 04 it didn't feel like mine. I felt like I was taking credit for someone else's car. After a few rounds of mods it feels like mine. There might have been some discussions during late night waxing as well.

I hear ya, it has felt odd driving around such a great car that I haven't turned a wrench on yet. But I started out the exact same way with my 99 so you gotta start somewhere.

 

[01yellercobra]

I hear ya, it has felt odd driving around such a great car that I haven't turned a wrench on yet. But I started out the exact same way with my 99 so you gotta start somewhere.

Part of mine was when I bought my 04 was that it wasn't in the same shape as my 01. Even though my 01 was broke down a lot I took care of it. My 04 didn't live quite as good a life. The alignment was way out of whack from being lowered and the paint needed work. I've brought it back quite a bit, but it's still not 100% where I want it. The PO has tried to buy it back 3 times now.

 

[99Venom]

Part of mine was when I bought my 04 was that it wasn't in the same shape as my 01. Even though my 01 was broke down a lot I took care of it. My 04 didn't live quite as good a life. The alignment was way out of whack from being lowered and the paint needed work. I've brought it back quite a bit, but it's still not 100% where I want it. The PO has tried to buy it back 3 times now.

I know what you mean. The sentimental value was so high with my 99 I knew I would only give it up for a car that was way better. This 04 is practically flawless, I jacked it up the other day and searched all over it and didn't find an issue. Terminators are hard to find in this condition so as soon as I got in it and drove it I knew I was going to buy it.

That's crazy the PO tried buying it back so many times, he must have seller regret. Don't let it go, hang on to it, that's what I plan to do with mine.

 

[01yellercobra]

That's crazy the PO tried buying it back so many times, he must have seller regret. Don't let it go, hang on to it, that's what I plan to do with mine.

He had sellers remorse as soon as he saw me driving off. I could see it on his face. The third time he just called me out of the blue to try and buy it. I was at a show the end of April and he comes out every year to look at it. Another guy offered me cash on the spot in front of the PO and I turned it down.

 

[99Venom]

He had sellers remorse as soon as he saw me driving off. I could see it on his face. The third time he just called me out of the blue to try and buy it. I was at a show the end of April and he comes out every year to look at it. Another guy offered me cash on the spot in front of the PO and I turned it down.

You see evidence of that in the Terminator market section, where the "WTB/ISO" greatly outnumber the "F/S"

The 99/01's were great, but the Terminators are in a class of their own. Look around this site enough and you'll see plenty of sellers remorse in people's signatures. I honestly can't ever see myself letting go of this one. Partly because it took years to convince my wife, and I called in every single favor I had. But also because if I was gonna pick a 99 or a 03/04 to restore down the road, it's a no brainer. I'll drive it as long as I can, and when it needs it, I'll restore as close to it's original glory as I can.

 

[01yellercobra]

I really liked my 01. I had modified it to the point beyond most 03/04's. Biggest thing about the 04 was that I wanted the Mystichrome paint. It wasn't an option for 01. If it was I might've gotten another 01.

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[olgreydog7]

So crazy question for you guys. Why not just buy the parts from an 03/04 and swap over to what you have? We modify the crap out of these cars and they aren't rare anyway, so why not keep that sweat equity and get the look you want? I assume that's all you are going for. The only thing my car doesn't have from those cars, mechanically anyway, is 31 spline axles. Which I am looking to pick up sometime soon. I've got more cubes, more power (than a stock one anyway), better gears, better suspension, better transmission, better fuel system, tighter chassis, better everything mechanically. Is it just the aesthetics of it?

 

[99Venom]

So crazy question for you guys. Why not just buy the parts from an 03/04 and swap over to what you have? We modify the crap out of these cars and they aren't rare anyway, so why not keep that sweat equity and get the look you want? I assume that's all you are going for. The only thing my car doesn't have from those cars, mechanically anyway, is 31 spline axles. Which I am looking to pick up sometime soon. I've got more cubes, more power (than a stock one anyway), better gears, better suspension, better transmission, better fuel system, tighter chassis, better everything mechanically. Is it just the aesthetics of it?

No it's definitely not just aesthetics for me. I hear you what you're saying as far the genuine feel you get from modifying the car you've spent so much time with and building. The biggest factor for me was time. With 2 kids age 5 and 8, the time I had to work on the Cobra was just becoming more and more non-existent. Plus there are so many things I did on the cheap just to keep that car on the road. So I could have done the 03/04 swap, with a big time and money investment, but I was also sinking that investment of time and money into a car with 245k on it.

Time investment was the biggest reason, but the financial investment is what won me over. Everything the 03/04 had I wanted my 99 to have. Aluminum driveshaft, 31 spline axles, better seats, painted mirrors, better fuel system, more power, but more importantly, more potential power. For N/A I had taken my 99 as far as I was willing to go. So I felt better sinking my money into a 71k mile car that had been treated so well. Like I said in a previous post, I not only rewound the clock, I also got all the upgrades I was looking for at the same time.

Maybe your car is closer to a Terminator than mine was, cause I would have had to sink a lot of money into it to get it to the same level. The suspension on my 99 was all original, so was the IRS and the transmission. I just went with my gut and my gut was just not as motivated as I once was to spend so much time working on it.

But I totally see your point, and I could understand someone going in the exact opposite direction of me. I've never been good at letting go of a vehicle I've owned, cause I've modded them all. But when I got in my 04 and test drove it, it felt right. That's the feeling I'm looking for when I'm about to move on from a vehicle. The new one should erase all doubts, and it did for me in this case.

 

[01yellercobra]

So crazy question for you guys. Why not just buy the parts from an 03/04 and swap over to what you have? We modify the crap out of these cars and they aren't rare anyway, so why not keep that sweat equity and get the look you want? I assume that's all you are going for. The only thing my car doesn't have from those cars, mechanically anyway, is 31 spline axles. Which I am looking to pick up sometime soon. I've got more cubes, more power (than a stock one anyway), better gears, better suspension, better transmission, better fuel system, tighter chassis, better everything mechanically. Is it just the aesthetics of it?

Because I've wanted a Mystichrome since it came out. My wife mentioned painting my 01 Mystichrome, but to me it's not the same. I wanted the factory option on my car. That's really all it came down to it for me. Well, that and seeming like something broke every week. Granted the reason stuff broke was because I was pushing limits, but I was tired of working on it more than I was driving it.

It's funny to tell people my 01 was a lot faster than this one. Everyone thinks the 03/04 is the end all be all of fast new edges. I know this one can be fast, but I'm enjoying driving it right now.

 

[99Venom]

You were definitely in a different boat than me. My 99 was bolt ons, tastefully upgraded, but would never be mistaken in the performance or driving experience category as a Terminator.

I'm wondering if you could ever have painted your 01 or not.
I've always wondered if this is true for Mystichrome (from the wikipedia page):

The resulting Mystichrome paint, sold to BASF who finally supplied the paint to Ford, contained ChromaFlair pigments that rendered a shift from a bright topaz green to cobalt blue, then to royal purple, and finally to a deep onyx black.[298] A high amount of metallic aluminum flakes were added to give the Mystichrome paint some sparkle. The paint is called "2004 Ford Mustang Cobra MystiChrome Metallic" and cost, at the time, about $150 per pint.[299] As the Mystichrome paint is still very expensive, any kind of exterior damage to the car is financially problematic. If a damaged Mystichrome Cobra requires repainting at a reputable Ford dealer's body shop, a Ford employee from Dearborn headquarters is required to bring the paint in person and supervise the usage of the special paint. The damaged car must be verified that it is a factory-built Mystichrome Cobra. Once the body shop is finished using the Mystichrome paint, all unused paint must be put back in the can and sealed, and the supervising Ford employee returns to Dearborn with the unused paint.