Zinc Yellow Terminator being saved from the crusher.

[_Lariat]

As the title states, I'm saving an 03 zinc yellow car from the crusher.

Backstory. This story goes back to February of this year. I had picked up a Laser Red 01 cobra with 56k and a rod knock to fix and flip. I slap an 05 aviator long block in it and try selling it. No hits at my price, which didn't surprise me. I'm rolling through the classified one day and see a listing. (04 cobra roller 9k OBO or trade) Seeing yellow and 04 I was freaking out thinking it was an SY car. I've always wanted a SB, SY, or CO cobra. I message the guy and find its not actually an 04, but an 03, he just fat fingered the keypad and hadn't had time to fix it, as the listing hadn't been up for more than an hour or two. I tell him, what I had to offer for trade, (the 01 cobra) and wanted to know more details on the 03. He shot me some photos and I had found it would come with a mostly in tact supercharger kit, all the wiring, side skirts, hood, 01 cobra seats, and a whole pile of parts. We come to an agreement and choose to meet half way. He is in Kentucky, and I am in Iowa. He's geeking out over a running 56k mile 01 cobra, and I'm geeking out over finally being a terminator owner.... Well... the owner of a terminator carcass! I get the car home and make a list of things I need, things I want, and things to do.

I thankfully already have a t56 for the car. Unfortunately I will have to rob it from my 97 cobra, so that will need a trans. I have a spare cobra spec t45, but I know its a bit janky. I'm currently in the process of sourcing a short block, and believe I have one found. So that makes things nice. I was initially going to build a short block from parts I have laying around, but for cost effectiveness I figure it would be wise to get something that came out of a wrecked car.

I still need to get some fuel system components, the supply line from the power steering reservoir, the supercharger coolant tank, a clutch, and some other small things that will inevitably pop up.

Excited is an understatement for me. Zinc definitely isn't even one of my top 5 colors, but with the prices of these cars right now, beggars cant be choosers.

Fixing abandoned project cars isn't new to me, so don't be worried about that. I've done this to two other cobras, albeit they were a 97, and a 99, but were in a similar condition thankfully with all their body panels. Same shit more money this time...

Also... How's JUNKSVT for a license plate?

I might add that I make more than $12/hr with disposable income, and I have the basic knowledge and tools to do the job. Just figured I'd say that before I get clowned like I'm seeing in another cobra post. :shiftyeyes:

 

[03' White Snake]

I know the thread you are talking about. These 2 cars do not compare. You have wiring, brake lines, wiper motors still present etc., not a bare stripped shell.

By quickly looking, you are missing an engine and trans, and it could be a runner. Throw one in there and worry about building it or upgrading later. Good luck.

 

[CobraBob]

Great story, great find for the price, and I have no doubt you'll soon enough have an '03 Cobra running that you can be proud of. Keep us posted. As far as colors go, yeah, SY is usually preferred over ZY, but a lighter yellow can be quite nice. Like these two.

 

[P49Y-CY]

congrats and best of luck with it

 

[BOOGIE MAN]

Lulz at the reference to other thread

Everyone always dogs the ZY, to each their own

Might want to try to source some amber tails sooner than later. The price of those will just keep going up and up and ambers on the zinc look purty good IMO

Good luck with your build

 

[prs97]

As a fellow ZY owner, I approve of this thread.

Looking forward to updates. Hope the project goes without too many headaches.

 

[2003RedfireVert]

As a Packers fan I approve of all yellow cars. Looking forward to the updates.

 

[_Lariat]

Lulz at the reference to other thread

Everyone always dogs the ZY, to each their own

Might want to try to source some amber tails sooner than later. The price of those will just keep going up and up and ambers on the zinc look purty good IMO

Good luck with your build

I'll probably keep the ambers off this one. I've got export tails on my 97, and my wife's 99 has hers. Don't need a multi million dollar insurance claim if a small fender bender happens in my driveway.

 

[04Mike55]

As the title states, I'm saving an 03 zinc yellow car from the crusher.

Backstory. This story goes back to February of this year. I had picked up a Laser Red 01 cobra with 56k and a rod knock to fix and flip. I slap an 05 aviator long block in it and try selling it. No hits at my price, which didn't surprise me. I'm rolling through the classified one day and see a listing. (04 cobra roller 9k OBO or trade) Seeing yellow and 04 I was freaking out thinking it was an SY car. I've always wanted a SB, SY, or CO cobra. I message the guy and find its not actually an 04, but an 03, he just fat fingered the keypad and hadn't had time to fix it, as the listing hadn't been up for more than an hour or two. I tell him, what I had to offer for trade, (the 01 cobra) and wanted to know more details on the 03. He shot me some photos and I had found it would come with a mostly in tact supercharger kit, all the wiring, side skirts, hood, 01 cobra seats, and a whole pile of parts. We come to an agreement and choose to meet half way. He is in Kentucky, and I am in Iowa. He's geeking out over a running 56k mile 01 cobra, and I'm geeking out over finally being a terminator owner.... Well... the owner of a terminator carcass! I get the car home and make a list of things I need, things I want, and things to do.

I thankfully already have a t56 for the car. Unfortunately I will have to rob it from my 97 cobra, so that will need a trans. I have a spare cobra spec t45, but I know its a bit janky. I'm currently in the process of sourcing a short block, and believe I have one found. So that makes things nice. I was initially going to build a short block from parts I have laying around, but for cost effectiveness I figure it would be wise to get something that came out of a wrecked car.

I still need to get some fuel system components, the supply line from the power steering reservoir, the supercharger coolant tank, a clutch, and some other small things that will inevitably pop up.

Excited is an understatement for me. Zinc definitely isn't even one of my top 5 colors, but with the prices of these cars right now, beggars cant be choosers.

Fixing abandoned project cars isn't new to me, so don't be worried about that. I've done this to two other cobras, albeit they were a 97, and a 99, but were in a similar condition thankfully with all their body panels. Same shit more money this time...

Also... How's JUNKSVT for a license plate?

I might add that I make more than $12/hr with disposable income, and I have the basic knowledge and tools to do the job. Just figured I'd say that before I get clowned like I'm seeing in another cobra post. :shiftyeyes:

A righteous cause!

 

[01yellercobra]

I prefer ZY over SY myself. When I first started hunting for an 03/04 I was looking for ZY to replace my ZY 01.

 

[LS WUT]

I’m excited to see the progress as well, I feel a lot of us have mentioned our cautions regarding the other thread you’re referring to. As stated above, two completely different situations, and current conditions. I’ve Always been one to save a cobra. So seeing this brings a smile to my face. I wish you luck in this journey of yours, Thanks for saving another one. Also I think the plate fits.

 

[_Lariat]

I did find the last guy to have ran the car. It had what he describes as a built engine with Todds cams and a 4.0 whipple on it. The videos he sent me were wild. Was pulling on what i was told to be a Yamaha R1. It got pulled apart due to finding a DSG roller that he wanted over the ZY. It does have some damage history on the car fax. A small rear end report from like 06 which appears to have just been a bumper cover, and a run in with a semi blowout on the interstate back in 2019.

 

[_Lariat]

Well, spoke with Nick at Blu Auto Parts this evening. Ill have a 78k mile short block on the way from an 03. Said it failed leak down on exhaust valves. Pulled heads and claimed short block appears to be in good condition. Works for me, I've got a set of 9 thread DC heads laying around that I anticipate using.

Engine will be pretty basic for awhile. Stock short block, heads, flipped passenger secondary tensioner, 3v pump with boundary gears. May throw a set of Accufab secondary chains in along with modified primary tensioners. If I can get find a good deal I may nab some billet primary guides. I want to have a "bomb proof" timing system should I throw a 2-step of sorts in it. It wont live on it, but I have horrid luck with dumb stuff breaking.

I've got a set of Pacesetter long tubes and O/R x for it as well. I was going to run a stock set of manifolds, but forgot I had the headers laying around that were given to me some time ago when I put my wife's 99 back on the road. It got the hookers that were going to go on my 97, but her car was more deserving of ceramic coated goodness. Not really keen on the SLP LM1 IRS cat back I have for it, but its what I have to work with. Note, I stated car was SRA swapped. Ill just be a poser with "fancy" exhaust.

I do have a few questions for those reading.

1. Who, that knows what they're doing, still tunes these cars? I don't exactly feel like dropping 1k on an e-mail tune due to the "cobra tax," I just want a tune that would work well with light daily use, and weekend warrior stuff.

2. How good were stock tunes on these cars? I have access to Ford dealer software and will be flashing the ECM back to stock. I may find a stock pulley to run for awhile to shake the car down. My concern is the L/T's. do I risk running lean? I've read the L/T's drop boost, but we all know that's just more air flowing into the cylinders efficiently.

3. PCV system routing? Are there any good sources for appropriate routing of the lines from the bottom of the manifold to up top. I haven't been able to find any good diagrams in my service literature. (that make sense to me that is.) I don't particularly care to delete the PCV system.

I'll likely have more questions as I move forward. Just happy to finally have an engine on deck for this thing.

 

[cj428mach]

Lasota racing was the cheapest email tunes at one point. He wrote the tuning manual everyone uses so you assume he knows his stuff.

 

[2003RedfireVert]

I bought my car with a cold air intake on it a 2.8 pulley and a catback. It was on the stock tune. It probably shouldn’t have been, but it ran fine. It was richer than Elon Musk but it ran good. The stock tunes on these are very conservative, so I don’t think long tubes will cause any issues. Other than the O2’s not heating up fast enough, which will throw a code.

EDIT: Talk to text sucks...wow....

 

[_Lariat]

I bought my car with a cold air intake on it a 2.8 pulley and a catback. It was on the stock tune. It probably shouldn’t have been, It was on the stock tune. It probably shouldn’t have been, but it ran fine. It was richer than Elon mus but it ran fine. It was richer than Elon musk. The stock tunes on these are very conservative, so I don’t think long tubes will cause any issues. Other than the O2’s, not heating up fast enough, which will throw a code.

Itll be some response time code wont it? Ran into that with my wifes 99.

 

[2003RedfireVert]

Itll be some response time code wont it? Ran into that with my wifes 99.

Yes, slow to heat up. I forget the code number.

 

[bull_dog190]

As the title states, I'm saving an 03 zinc yellow car from the crusher.

Backstory. This story goes back to February of this year. I had picked up a Laser Red 01 cobra with 56k and a rod knock to fix and flip. I slap an 05 aviator long block in it and try selling it. No hits at my price, which didn't surprise me. I'm rolling through the classified one day and see a listing. (04 cobra roller 9k OBO or trade) Seeing yellow and 04 I was freaking out thinking it was an SY car. I've always wanted a SB, SY, or CO cobra. I message the guy and find its not actually an 04, but an 03, he just fat fingered the keypad and hadn't had time to fix it, as the listing hadn't been up for more than an hour or two. I tell him, what I had to offer for trade, (the 01 cobra) and wanted to know more details on the 03. He shot me some photos and I had found it would come with a mostly in tact supercharger kit, all the wiring, side skirts, hood, 01 cobra seats, and a whole pile of parts. We come to an agreement and choose to meet half way. He is in Kentucky, and I am in Iowa. He's geeking out over a running 56k mile 01 cobra, and I'm geeking out over finally being a terminator owner.... Well... the owner of a terminator carcass! I get the car home and make a list of things I need, things I want, and things to do.

I thankfully already have a t56 for the car. Unfortunately I will have to rob it from my 97 cobra, so that will need a trans. I have a spare cobra spec t45, but I know its a bit janky. I'm currently in the process of sourcing a short block, and believe I have one found. So that makes things nice. I was initially going to build a short block from parts I have laying around, but for cost effectiveness I figure it would be wise to get something that came out of a wrecked car.

I still need to get some fuel system components, the supply line from the power steering reservoir, the supercharger coolant tank, a clutch, and some other small things that will inevitably pop up.

Excited is an understatement for me. Zinc definitely isn't even one of my top 5 colors, but with the prices of these cars right now, beggars cant be choosers.

Fixing abandoned project cars isn't new to me, so don't be worried about that. I've done this to two other cobras, albeit they were a 97, and a 99, but were in a similar condition thankfully with all their body panels. Same shit more money this time...

Also... How's JUNKSVT for a license plate?

I might add that I make more than $12/hr with disposable income, and I have the basic knowledge and tools to do the job. Just figured I'd say that before I get clowned like I'm seeing in another cobra post. :shiftyeyes:

The body looks great. tons of potential and awesome to see one being saved from doom! congrats man!!

 

[_Lariat]

The body looks great. tons of potential and awesome to see one being saved from doom! congrats man!!

Thanks! Its not exactly a show car, nor do I want to to ever be. I want a car that I can enjoy driving.

I've looked at buying a running higher mile car to drive around, but I know I would have a lot to dig into and find out, then fix.

This car gives me the opportunity to know what I have for a cheaper entrance price that I have been able to spread over time.

People say time my time is worth money. I don't disagree, but I also know investing my time into my hobbies is priceless. I could be a sack of potatoes on the couch watching TV, or playing video games. Spending my time on this makes me feel accomplished, so I will never bill myself for my labor on my hobbies. I'll have the memories and knowledge, and my friends that come and help, or choose to shoot the shit over an engine bay is something in my life that money itself could never replace.

I'm young, I'll make more money tomorrow.

 

[2003RedfireVert]

Thanks! Its not exactly a show car, nor do I want to to ever be. I want a car that I can enjoy driving.

I've looked at buying a running higher mile car to drive around, but I know I would have a lot to dig into and find out, then fix.

This car gives me the opportunity to know what I have for a cheaper entrance price that I have been able to spread over time.

People say time my time is worth money. I don't disagree, but I also know investing my time into my hobbies is priceless. I could be a sack of potatoes on the couch watching TV, or playing video games. Spending my time on this makes me feel accomplished, so I will never bill myself for my labor on my hobbies. I'll have the memories and knowledge, and my friends that come and help, or choose to shoot the shit over an engine bay is something in my life that money itself could never replace.

I'm young, I'll make more money tomorrow.

Never understood the “my time is worth x amount of money” when it comes to hobbies or anything outside of actual work. Maybe that’s why I’m a poor peasant.