need advice on 03 purchase

[aksvt]

hey guys,im new to the cobra site but currently have a svt focus and have enjoyed this forum for sometime.im currently looking to step up with the big boys and purchase a cobra or mach 1.i am looking for feedback from current cobra owners on how there cars have stood up to some miles and if any major reliability issues have plauged there cars.i plan on putting on 15000 miles a year and im not going to race the car much (i have a backhaved drag car that gets raced most of the time)my current svt has been a pile since day one and in less than a week is being bought back from ford from disspute settlement hearing.(long story)anyway im not bagging on ford, i have had them all my adult years but this focus was a pos.please let me know how you guys have felt about your cars,thanks in advance.:beer:

 

[YoungCobra]

I love my car. Best car I've ever driven. Get one and start enjoying life.

 

[jonas]

my cobra has been deemed the hoochie magnet by my buddies. They called my old gt the hooptie stang.

The cars out now dont have all the probs many of the earlier run cars have like the 80+mph vibe or a ticking head.

I suggest you take a testdrive in the cobra you want to drive and test for the vibe. It seems its the one thing ford cant fix. Just drive it fast and if the car vibrates over 80ish pass for another. Everything else has a fix through tsb's Guys maybe you should list all the common probs. Its too late and I'm too lazy

 

[aksvt]

thanks for the advice,3 cobras here have been here for a while.ill see if i can find the highest vin # to drive.i drove one yesterday and it did seem to have a shimmy in the steerin wheel.

 

[CobraBob]

I looked at the Cobra last September/October. Ordered one in late November and took delivery on January 25th. My first Mustang. My first Ford for that matter. Man do I love this car. I had a '94 Callaway Camaro (450 hp motor) but it pales to this one. It's fun to drive, lots of power (even with a stock motor) and rides great (thank to the IRS). I really can't say enough about it. Heck, I think I'll take off from the office now. I hear my Cobra calling me.
:lol1:

 

[SVT4ME]

Let us know how it works out

 

[Killer Cobra]

If I could suggest anything it would be to TAKE YOUR TIME and test drive as many as possible until you find one without the known issues like, Vibration at 60mph, Drive line clunk off and on the gas or switching gears, Head that ticks. all the other issues are simply to fix. Prepare yourself to be taking her in a few times to get all the issues taking care of if some come up. Hang in there and happy hunting!

 

[EatonEggbeater]

Mine's fine right out of the box (so far). I recommend it highly. You oughta start thinking about driving schools, this beast has a lot of ability that you're going to need to explore. Plan on improving yours.

Spend as much on you as on bolt-ons.

 

[Coyote 5.0]

test drive! test drive! test drive! before you buy. make sure no shimmy or vibration!

 

[CWCobra]

I took delivery of mine in June of '02. It was the first one in my city. It has been perfect since day one. Now have 12,000 miles. No problems at all. Best car I have ever had. No tick, no vibe, no nothing. Perfect. Only regret was buying early and having to pay sticker. '03s can be had now for well below sticker, especially 'verts.

Good luck to you.
CW

 

[flyn high again]

They're working on fixing "the vibe" on mine, but I would still highly recommend a Cobra to you or anyone who enjoys a powerful car. You get a lot of performance for the money!:burnout:

 

[jmimac351]

aksvt, I have been very happy with mine. I had a vibration issue and a squeaky seat. The vibe issue was fixed by balancing the tires and the seat was easily fixed by the dealer by installing the shim kit as noted in the TSB. No "clunk", no "tick", although I did test drive one that did have a clunk in the drivetrain. Mine does not. I am thrilled with the car and am very glad I bought it. The power it makes, and the power it is capable of making, ~475rwhp with bolt-ons, pump gas, a/c, and stock driveability is pretty incredible, IMO. When the 4.6 was first introduced I never believed that Ford would actually produce a car like this.

This is my 3rd car/truck in 2 years: 2002 WRX, 2002 Lighting, 2003 Cobra. No car is perfect but this one is a keeper and an absolute bargain when you consider its capabilities.

Jim

 

[KOTH]

http://www.alfageek.com/03faq.htm

Lots of good info on the above link.

I really like the car.

Pretty much everyone has the driveline clunk no matter when it was built.

Engines built after 11/1/02 are not supposed to have the tick according to the TSB on the tick fix. You can find the engine build date on a white sticker near the rear of the valve covers.

If you are expecting Honda or Toyota "done right the first time" quality, don't buy this car. If you want a bad ass muscle car that will need some follow-up tweaks at the dealer then this may be the ticket.

My car has been pretty good and I honestly would not exhange it for another car. I wanted a muscle car with some modern features and this car delivers on that with the best $/HP ratio in the land.

Good luck with your decision. :coolman:

 

[aksvt]

thanks for all the info,with the hood up is the tick noticeable on a new engine?also the vibration,do you feel it threw the hole car or just at the wheel?my dealer here is the only svt dealer in alaska and has 1 red and 2 shadow grays.i have been driving buy the 2 gray ones for a couple months so there not to new but im not sure about the red one.is there any way to find out prod dates buy looking at the window sticker?