Help and Advice on a potential purchase of a 2003 Cobra

[DaveZtoA]

Hello All!

I am new to the forum and speaking with another member about potential purchasing his 2003 Cobra. He has given me a list of modifications but I am not really 100% knowledgeable on most of them to make an educated decisions on if they are good or bad or what they all really do and function. So I wanted to reach out to you all and see if anyone would be kind enough to help me out, educate me on these and give me some advice so I don't make a costly and bad decision. Below is the info he gave me on the car. Also he is telling me that lots of the times 6th gear doesn't engage. You can put the shifter into 6th gear but when the clutch is released the car is basically in neutral doesn't go into 6th gear. Any insight on what that could be and the approximate cost to fix it Thank Youf or your time and help! I greatly appreciate it!

2003 Cobra 112,xxx miles 2.76 billetflow pulley JLT CAI VRS o/r X pipe Mac cat back All of the bushings in the IRS have been replaced with maximum motorsports LFP diff cover and gear oil changed with royal purple Full tilt boogie racing tie rod end and toe links in the rear Full tilt boogie racing adjustable sway bar end links also in the rear McLeod RST twin disc clutch Viper spec'd T56 Pro 5.0 shifter Kenwood double din radio with built in Sirius XM and Bluetooth radio HID headlights and fog lights 2001 Cobra tails Battery relocated in the trunk Kenne Bell BAP Intercooler pump replaced at 79k Car has been tuned at only 17 degrees timing because my tuner is super conservative and made 456/476, when he turned it up to 19 degrees timing it made 476/488

 

[VNM8OR]

I'm in the same boat,....i just bought 03 silver metallic termi vert,.....and new to this group,......im learning though,...theres slot of knowledgable guys here!

 

[DaveZtoA]

Congrats and Enjoy the Cobra! Yeah i am sure there are, I am looking forward to hearing their feedback and learning myself.

 

[P49Y-CY]

well the 6th gear does not sound like it'll be a cheap fix. are you going to test drive this car? the rest of the mods sound solid, the rst clutch and lpw cover are very nice upgrades. find out who tuned it and ask if the handheld tuner comes with it. best of luck with it :beer:

 

[DaveZtoA]

Thanks for your input brother! Appreciate it! I am going to test drive it and will ask who tuned it and about the handheld tuner being included. I will look into the 6th gear issue some more also. Thanks again!

 

[Quick Strike]

I am thinking that the car may have been de-modded. The rear end mods, clutch, BAP and battery location all speak to bigger power them you have. The trans will most likely need a rebuild. That will be a thousand before parts with you doing the removal/install.

 

[NateDogg]

I try to stress this to as many people as possible..

I recently got hosed because I was in a RUSH to get a car I've wanted a long time. GET A LEAK DOWN TEST...At minimum get a compression check. Go pick up a compression tester and do it your self when you go look at it!!Take the car to a ford dealer, have them throw it on a lift and do a "used car inspection"

I've had 3 of these cars, and the first two that I bought I took my time go the test done to ensure the motor was strong and ready to go. The ONE time I didn't cost me alot of money.

Anyway, the modifications seem good. Unfortunate that the tranny is acting up. I would suspect the car has had a bigger blower before (like mentioned above). Which isn't a terrible thing. If the deal is good enough, and the leak down test comes back good, I'd pick up a stock t56 and throw it in there. You'd probably be able to recoup alot of the money selling that tranny as is.

 

[Rich'sTRsvt]

A BAP doesn't always mean it had a bigger blower, lots of guys have needed a BAP with a smaller pulley. But I agree with the leak down and compression check.

 

[Zemedici]

I would steer clear of the car personally. There's too many GOOD cars out there to buy one with problems.

Not engaging one gear is extremely odd, and I bet trans would need a rebuild. So unless you're getting the car for a deal I'd keep looking

 

[danterakin]

I'd recommend doing leak down or compression test as NateDogg mentioned. Biggest issue with 03s are the heads which are notorious for the head tick. Transmission is pricey but I see them selling used for $1-$2k occassionally. I'd recommend getting a magnum T56 and your drivetrain would be bulletproof.

 

[R.D.P.]

Unless this is priced in the low teens, move on. 112k is very high miles for a Terminator (on average).

 

[DaveZtoA]

Thank You to everyone for the great advice and information! I truly appreciate it and it helps a lot.