Decisions Decisions S197 or Termi

thomas91169

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If your worried about maintenance costs stay away from the cobra. They are 10+ years old at this point. And alot of them have been beaten to shit.

I bought mine with 35k miles several years ago. The engine gave up the ghost at 48K. I'm betting the previous owner tracked it.

Proves that mileage means jack shit these days.

id grab a 50-70k terminator any day of the week before a "low mileage, never raced, never abused" one. Ill take the car that has the miles on it to show it was driven normally on a daily basis rather than one that was flogged every weekend because the owner drove some decrepit geo metro mon-fri.
 

CobraBob

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If you're interested in a Terminator, consider driving to Hi-End Auto in Appomattox, VA if you can. They have a lot of them in inventory.
 

SuperBlownGT

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I've got both a terminator and s197 and the only thing I like mote about the s197 is my interior. I'm 5'11 204lbs so I have more in it. The stock radio is nothing special with the shaker 500. I do like the my color gagues to. I'd pick my cobra over it all day that being said.
 

KurtDog

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The engine in your cobra gave up? I doubt tracking it was the culprit. As long as you do the basic maintenance (oil changes, misc fluids, etc) tracking it won't hurt the motor. Did you check the tune when you bought it? A bad tune can destroy any motor, no matter how new or built it is.

What actually happened was the water pump went out. Causing it to overheat in a matter of seconds. This caused it to blow a head gasket and fry two of the cylinders. All of this happened cruising at ~60.

As far as I know the tune was stock. The pulley was stock with the cage. I have no idea what was done to it previously.
 

JStyles

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What actually happened was the water pump went out. Causing it to overheat in a matter of seconds. This caused it to blow a head gasket and fry two of the cylinders. All of this happened cruising at ~60.

As far as I know the tune was stock. The pulley was stock with the cage. I have no idea what was done to it previously.

Sorry to hear that man. Sounds like it was just a legit failure then, which could have been caused by age as you mentioned earlier. Age is more likely the culprit than any prior track use. It's still probably a good idea to get the tune checked. With these cars, you never know. I hope you got it back up and running now though.

To the OP, drive both and decide. Before I got mine a few years ago, I searched for over a year. I was debating between the cobra and an '11 5.0 and decided on the cobra. FWIW, I also test drove a new camaro SS and a C5 Z06 before making the move on the cobra. The car that challenged the cobra most was the C5, but I like the raw feeling of each both the Z and the cobra. The 5.0 and the SS were both too refined for me. I now own my dream car, I wouldn't be saying that if I had gotten a 5.0.

It's been said time and time again on here, but I think the deciding factor is whether you want a "raw" feel from your car or if you want something more comfortable and refined.
 

Dragu1a

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S197. I miss my old one & I wouldn't have gotten rid of it if it was a manual. The interior is nicer & comfortable & the ride was smooth also. I see your in Willmington, NC. There's a lot here in fayetteville that has an 07 GT manual fully loaded with 21K miles for $19K. Only mods on it is borla AB & K&N AB it's a real nice car.

if you pay nearly $20k for an '07 gt with exhaust....:nonono:

Depends on what your definition of fun is. An S197 is going to be a helluva lot more fun in the twisties than any new edge will be. Some people do actually like to turn their cars.

my car turns just fine.


OP - IF you're going to go s197 over a terminator(for whatever reasoning you may come to) i'd take a saleen s281sc over a roush. i'm sure the roush performs just fine, it's just a styling preference.
 

VenomousDSG

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Depends on what your definition of fun is. An S197 is going to be a helluva lot more fun in the twisties than any new edge will be. Some people do actually like to turn their cars.

Even in turns, both cars are equally matched. I'd rather have my IRS all things equal though.
 

xXGadfly09Xx

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Even in turns, both cars are equally matched. I'd rather have my IRS all things equal though.

urgh I hate having discussions with the uninformed...

It tkaes more than just the suspensions set up to determine how a car handles.

You have to look at wieght distribution, weight transfer, chassis stiffness etc...overall the S197>ANY NEW EDGE the Terminator "looks better" (subjective) and has a better motor (objective).
 

Sick03Vert

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urgh I hate having discussions with the uninformed...It tkaes more than just the suspensions set up to determine how a car handles.

You have to look at wieght distribution, weight transfer, chassis stiffness etc...overall the S197>ANY NEW EDGE the Terminator "looks better" (subjective) and has a better motor (objective).

That's funny...me too. :bored:

From the Car and Driver review of the 2003 Cobra:

"An aluminum driveshaft connects the six-speed box to the rear axle, where a limited-slip diff with a 3.55:1 final-drive ratio resides in an aluminum case. That case is attached to a new tubular cross brace that is part of a revised independent-rear-suspension subframe. Bushing, mount, and spring rates are all-new, and the rear geometry has been revised to reduce roll steer.

Monotube Bilstein shocks, which provide better response to suspension deflections, according to SVT chief engineer John Coletti, are fitted at all four corners. For the first time, coupe and convertible Cobras have different spring rates to deal with their specific structures and applications. Both models get new five-spoke cast-alloy wheels with nine-inch rim widths (up one inch), and they wear impressive 275/40ZR-17 Goodyear Eagle F1 rubber."

Continued:

"Even when drifting with all four wheels in a slide, the Cobra was receptive to messages from the brakes, throttle pedal, and wheel. In fact, the overly quick off-center steering response we recall from previous Cobras has been transformed to properly linear steering gain as you add pressure to the thick, leather-wrapped rim.

Since the supercharger installation adds about 160 pounds to the front end once you add in the Eaton blower, the cast-iron block, and the intercooler installation, one might expect the resultant weight redistribution (56.6/43.4) to produce a nose-heavy car with snappy rear-end breakaway characteristics.

But somehow that's not translated to the road, even with that phenomenal low-end-torque potential waiting for an injudicious stab of throttle. Somehow, SVT has made the chassis tolerate the nose-heavy weight distribution and big rear-drive muscle. Tolerate it? Hey, this thing loves the track."

:bored:

So *cough* bullshit *cough*...I'm sorry...you were saying something?:-D
 

usmcsvt98

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This gets better every time I hop on. Lol, so basically we have raw power, muscle car feel, resale value, more moddable, going to the termi! We're as a s197 sage 3 roush is going to be a more refined, over all package, more comfortable, ( I'm 6'3" 260)... Any body have some real world numbers of what a stock and mild bolt on roush stage 3 is running? Not what motor trend tested it for under ideal conditions 5 years ago!!! The 3v has been around awhile and it seems to be a solid motor. I had problems with my old 4v, but I know that they are supposed to be excellent motors so I'm not letting my one bad experience hold me back on that. What's your guys' take on reliability, DRIVE TRAIN wise between the two.. I don't care to here about the small problems.
 

PSUCOBRA96

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Although I like the car, when I drive my fathers 05 it feels like a boat. The front end is massive compared to the previous models. Go drive them back I back but my vote is the terminator. If you never want to mod the car then the GT is fine but it will be lacking in power and those cars are starting to show their age as well.
 
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Mikeyb619

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This gets better every time I hop on. Lol, so basically we have raw power, muscle car feel, resale value, more moddable, going to the termi! We're as a s197 sage 3 roush is going to be a more refined, over all package, more comfortable, ( I'm 6'3" 260)... Any body have some real world numbers of what a stock and mild bolt on roush stage 3 is running? Not what motor trend tested it for under ideal conditions 5 years ago!!! The 3v has been around awhile and it seems to be a solid motor. I had problems with my old 4v, but I know that they are supposed to be excellent motors so I'm not letting my one bad experience hold me back on that. What's your guys' take on reliability, DRIVE TRAIN wise between the two.. I don't care to here about the small problems.


My boss has a 08 Roush 427R with under 10k miles. He babys the thing, never gets on it too hard, and wouldn't dream of driving it on less than perfect conditions. One day he went out to start it and the engine literally seized up in the work parking lot before his way home with 0 warning signs or symptons. We were all shocked to say the least... He has since replaced the block with a Boss block and put the roush blower back on and is making 550hp according to him. He's scared to raise the boost any further because his tuner said the block can't handle much more, his words not mine... I honestly don't know much about the new 5.0's. On the other hand, every time he sees my car he's reminiscent of his old GT and talks about how comfy my seats are. Despite the exclusivity and price tag of his Boss, my terminator is quite often more the topic of conversation. S197's just feel too big to me, still like em but unless its a 12+ GT500, terminator all day every day to me.

Right now since I'm stock minus a catback, he's definitely faster... but the potential power vs power, I feel I'd be spending a lot less than him to get an advantage.

I've DD'd my cobra since i bought it in 09 with no major problems (not even an alternator phew) and loved every bit. The amount of looks I get surprises me almost everyday and my girlfriend absolutely loves the attention it gets. I've contemplated selling it for other "life decisions" if u will but my gf has told me that she never wants me to sell it....being that she comes from a GM family, I'd say that's pretty damn good.
 

Sick03Vert

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My boss has a 08 Roush 427R with under 10k miles. He babys the thing, never gets on it too hard, and wouldn't dream of driving it on less than perfect conditions. One day he went out to start it and the engine literally seized up in the work parking lot before his way home with 0 warning signs or symptons. We were all shocked to say the least... He has since replaced the block with a Boss block and put the roush blower back on and is making 550hp according to him. He's scared to raise the boost any further because his tuner said the block can't handle much more, his words not mine... I honestly don't know much about the new 5.0's. On the other hand, every time he sees my car he's reminiscent of his old GT and talks about how comfy my seats are. Despite the exclusivity and price tag of his Boss, my terminator is quite often more the topic of conversation. S197's just feel too big to me, still like em but unless its a 12+ GT500, terminator all day every day to me.

Right now since I'm stock minus a catback, he's definitely faster... but the potential power vs power, I feel I'd be spending a lot less than him to get an advantage.

I've DD'd my cobra since i bought it in 09 with no major problems (not even an alternator phew) and loved every bit. The amount of looks I get surprises me almost everyday and my girlfriend absolutely loves the attention it gets. I've contemplated selling it for other "life decisions" if u will but my gf has told me that she never wants me to sell it....being that she comes from a GM family, I'd say that's pretty damn good.

:thumbsup:
 

VenomousDSG

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urgh I hate having discussions with the uninformed...

It tkaes more than just the suspensions set up to determine how a car handles.

You have to look at wieght distribution, weight transfer, chassis stiffness etc...overall the S197>ANY NEW EDGE the Terminator "looks better" (subjective) and has a better motor (objective).

You are just about the most ignorant person on this forum saying you "hate discussions with the uninformed".

And Aaron Hernandez hates murderers too. :D
 

MachJoe

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if you pay nearly $20k for an '07 gt with exhaust....:nonono:

A buddy of mine paid $21k for a 07 GT with 37k miles and exhaust. Now he's way upside down cause no dealer will give him more than $14k for it. I'm sure that salesman had 1 nice vacation cause of him.
 

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