To modify or not?

[Robert M]

i had a 90 GT that ran 12s in high school. some rich local made me an offer i couldnt refuse so i sold it. i always wanted a 93 cobra because they where different. not because they where rare! i guess their different because their rare, but anyway i told friends i would keep it all stock. well it stayed stock through high school, but i wanted alittle more. i got a blower and then so on. now its alittle over a year later and the car make 500plus rwhp! i guess my friend where right, i cant keep anything stock!

I do appreciate this also ^^^^^^^^^^^. You have to happy/satisfied with your ride, no matter what it is. I am in a different point in life. I am just starting a family in my mid 40's. I have been into vintage cars forever, until a couple of years ago when I sold the old cars (no time to deal with three 30+ year old big blocks) and raise our new born, now 3-1/2 year old baby girl. Since I have been into collector/specialty cars of all brands since before the time I got my drivers license (1976), I have owned many, many cars. Most I made money on at sale time or at least broke even. Some were modified, some were not. I decided not to pay off the house or throw the money on the bank, but to reinvest the vintage car funds into the late model market. The 93,95, 00 Cobra R's seemed like a great place to start. I took out additional loans to cover the difference and have never looked back. I drive them to local car show here in central Fla., at the larger shows I get drivers pulled together and I display all three R's together. I really don't have a lot of spare time to spend with the cars, and we now have a second baby on the way.

There is a point when lower production/specialty/collector cars hit their bottom and start to turn around in value. This is much earlier than the plain cars of the same time period. Once they turn around, collectors/hardcore enthusiest notice and buy in at the lower price and watch their investment grow while being able to drive/enjoy it, unlike the stock market where your investment is somewhere??, maybe?? I do have my 401K, but I diversify in special cars. The hardcores guys and general enthusiests who want "that special, not so common car" are the people who are looking for the prime original examples. I don't mind modded cars at all, the more that are modded, the rarer the prime original examples. It becomes a sellers market when the big bucks guys come looking for clean original cars.

Lee - My family, soon to be four, is the main reason for the recent 95 Convert./Hardtop purchase. Now we can all ride in one car to car shows!! Thank you for your help and knowledgable information during my recent search/purchase.



Robert

 

[DAVESVT2000]

and we now have a second baby on the way.

Congrats Robert !!!!! epper: :beer: :banana:

 

[Lee]

Robert - any time. This BBS is super about supporting and answering questions. Now that www.scoa.org has floundered this is the next best place for support. My family and I drove from Richmond to Nashville for the 40th. It was a 8+ hour trip with the hard top on. The stand came with a club member who towed her 60's mustang. My wife and 14 year old daughter thought it would be an uncomfortable trip but they were amazed at how comfortable the car was. Now they couldn't take all the clothes they wanted but they took more than enough. We cruised at 80 mph most of the way, with the stock 3.08s, and got 27 mpg. Not a bad economy car!

On the modding subject; the 5.0 Cobra is the "slug" of all the Cobras, stock, and the 2-top is the heaviest of all with the top on. One of these day's I may sell the 93 for funds to add a Kenne-Bell to the 95. It bugs me that there's so many "family" jap cars out there that are quicker than our beloved Cobras! :cuss: :-D

 

[sled]

i got beat by a old guy in a Caddy. from then on that was never gonna happen again!

 

[Robert M]

It bugs me that there's so many "family" jap cars out there that are quicker than our beloved Cobras! :cuss: :-D

But in reality, if ten year newer technology was not quicker/faster, something would be wrong. The same could be said about taking a highly valued 60's or early 70's muscle car (Sheby, BOSS302, etc.) and decreasing its value by modifying it to keep up with newer technology. It can be done, at the sacrifice of its value/investment. While looking at the current modern muscle car era, it seemed that 400h.p. was the mark 5 or so years ago, now the big boys are competing in the 500 arena and many passenger cars (even 4 doors and Caddys) are at 300-400h.p. before "chip" change. Time/technology marches on!

Robert

 

[LEE93COBRA]

But in reality, if ten year newer technology was not quicker/faster, something would be wrong. The same could be said about taking a highly valued 60's or early 70's muscle car (Sheby, BOSS302, etc.) and decreasing its value by modifying it to keep up with newer technology. It can be done, at the sacrifice of its value/investment. ................... Time/technology marches on!

Robert

That's true but unfortunately even the old cars you mentioned would whip the hell out of our cobras in the performance arena.

This really is a never ending discussion. Some of us like watching our cars sitting in a garage collecting dust, some of us think a stock 93 cobra is fun to drive, and some of us like our stock appearing cobra with performance mods. We all have things we either like to see on them or not. If you want to modify then modify it! Enjoy your car the way you want to. Just keep up the removed parts for a 'just in case' scenario

'IF', and that is a big if, these cars are the modern day boss/shelby/ etc (which I do not by any means think they are) then a 'restored' 93 will have some value when the time comes. It won't be the same as 100 mile one but it will have some value. Hell, look at the money the 'restored' 60's muscle cars bring now.

 

[Robert M]

That's true but unfortunately even the old cars you mentioned would whip the hell out of our cobras in the performance arena.

That is the thing most don't remember, the fastest advertised production Mustang from the muscle car era. is listed as the 71 BOSS351. This car ran consistant 13.8's. The top end was the low 100's because the car had its non overdrive 4 speed and a factory 3.91 gear. As for handling and braking, well, it did well for its day, but, not anywhere near a 4 wheel disc brake mid 90's Cobra. Since 13.8 is the accepted fastest 1/4 mile time for a vintage Mustang and the 71 BOSS 351 pulled those times repeatedly, that puts many, or a should say most, of the other vintage high powered Mustangs into the 14's or slower.

I don't want to sound like "mods are wrong". No way do I feel that way. I was looking at a Pro-charger for a 95 2-Top that I was considering. I might still do it on the one I bought. Yes, 240 (or what ever) h.p. is low, but is was what was needed in its day for the competition.

Robert

 

[Robert M]

'IF', and that is a big if, these cars are the modern day boss/shelby/ etc (which I do not by any means think they are) then a 'restored' 93 will have some value when the time comes. It won't be the same as 100 mile one but it will have some value. Hell, look at the money the 'restored' 60's muscle cars bring now.

I agree with the "IF" in your statement, no one can tell the future. It is hard to compare vintage cars to late model collectibles. The vinatge cars were built in a time when there had never been many, if any collectible cars in the past (the muscle car era), many cars were driven as normal daily driven cars. Some of these cars, even with well over 100K miles are restored "to original factory Ford specs" and bring big bucks. But, the cars that have been preserved as if in a time capsule with low miles (10-20 thousand), those cars draw a lot of interest. Now days, limited specialty cars are built quite often, but that does not make them any less desireable in the future, they are still limited production/specialty cars and will have a large following.

Robert

 

[Robert M]

Congrats Robert !!!!! epper: :beer: :banana:

Thanks Dave!!

Robert