New guy with a few questions

[mvp1222]

Fellas (and ladies?),
New to the forum and wanted to introduce myself and pose a few questions to help me in my search. Ive read most of the posts from this year and havent really found what I am looking for.

Originally from South Florida, spent ten years in the Navy and now I'm living in cold-ass Pittsburgh. Ive owned a 91 5.0, an SN-95, and 3 S-197's. My most recent, a 2008 GT500, had to be traded in for a Subaru when my wife-to-be discovered that driving in the snow isnt quite as easy as Florida driving.

With the wedding finally paid off and a nice little bonus on the way, I am starting to look for a new toy. The toys in consideration were a Grand National, a 03-04 Cobra, an 07-09 Cobra, a 95 Supra, a 02-03 911, and of course, the 1993 Cobra.

I am looking for something to drive on weekends in the summer and maybe do a little work on. No interest in investment value so I dont really care about miles as long as that doesnt lead to excesive maintenance. With that in mind I think I am looking for a lightly modded car with 40-100K miles somewhere in the $9-$14K range depending on mods and mileage. Im fairly mechanically inclined, but constant relocation with the Navy hasnt left me with much of a garage.

Thanks for reading this far, on to the questions:

1. Any guidance for purchasing a 1993 Cobra? I think I know where to look (forums, ebay, craigs list, car cruises). Anything else I should be looking for other than Carfax, check VINs? Should an accident really matter to me if the car has been properly repaired/restored? Again, not really concerned with investment value. Along the same lines, I dont think I care about a repaint either...is that wrong?

2. If something does go wrong beyond my limited repair abilities (computer, transmission, etc), can I just take it to a dealership or do I need to find some kind of specialty shop that works on Fox bodies? If so, does anyone know of one in Western PA?

Thats all I can think of for now, but Im sure I will think of some more as the research phase moves into procurement. Looking forward to picking your brains and hopefully I can contribute as well.

Thanks in advance for helpful responses,
Mark

PS...Can anyone fast track my access to 1993cobra.com? Seems like some strings need to be pulled. Thanks

 

[WillyB93]

Mark,
If you are searching for a 1993 cobra. I think with your price range it should be able to land a nice mid mileage car, might have a few mods. If in the long run you will still be happy with a repaint, or previously wrecked car then go for it. There are several out there that have still have original parts and paint though that can be had for about what you are looking to spend. IMO
If you have problems with it you can generally hit the forums for ideas, suggestions, or even the problem solvers if explained correct. Send me a PM with the email and username you registered on 1993cobra.com and I will send a message to the owner to try and get you activated.

 

[dbrennancobra]

yeah what willy said, on the 1993 cobra forum, there seems to be a new 93 cobra popping up every week. i would say you can get a fairly nice 93 cobra for that price range (14K-16k) 50-80k miles. good luck man. :banana:

or a repaint with high miles (over 80K miles) for 10K-13.5K

 

[cobra1993svt]

I have a friend selling a 93 Teal with gray leather with 68K for $14200. I just spent 3 days cleaning the entire car and it looks great. He did have a guy who came and looked at in on Sat and wanted the weekend to sleep on it. He has first dids on the car. Monday I should have more answers.
Its a good driver with minimal mods.

 

[buddha93]

Since you not to worried about mileage/orginality, the only thing I'd look out for is the normal stuff such as aclean title, accidents, mechanical stuff, etc. Thse cars are easy to maintain and it's nothing to get 150k+ miles out of the drivetrain.

It's a buyers market right now, so you can buy a pretty decent car in the $10-12k range. Just take your time, as you'll see prices all over the place. You see more overpriced cars than anything, so just shop around so you can get a feel for what's fair and what's not.

 

[mvp1222]

Thanks Buddha and dbrennan. Does a minor accident matter that much as long as it was repaired properly?

cobra1993, I am not quite ready to pull the trigger. Thanks for the info. Does he have it on Craigslist?

Willy, PM sent.

 

[buddha93]

Thanks Buddha and dbrennan. Does a minor accident matter that much as long as it was repaired properly?

cobra1993, I am not quite ready to pull the trigger. Thanks for the info. Does he have it on Craigslist?

Willy, PM sent.

There are millions of cars on the road that have been in accidents, and if fixed right, aren't a problem. These cars aren't any differnet except from a collectible car standpoint, that being the more original, the better.

The more you look around, the more you'll get idea of what you want and what's out there.

 

[war_machine92]

welcome to the site, great people on here. ive always been able to come on here and get help and theres a LOT of threads posted by others that are very helpful as well. good luck in your search