Save my 04 or move on?

efnfast

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Curious for some thoughts on what others would do.

My 04 'vert (ported/pullied/intake/tune) has 250k on it (3rd owner from 10k) and has been rock solid. Just eats multiple throw-out bearings, rear pinion seal once and had to replace rear hub after the axle nut came loose and I drove like that for 2k miles (oops).

Roll pin broke in the transmission over the winter and when the shop fixed it they didn't bother to rebuild it because they said I could probably go another 200k miles with the shape the syncros/etc. are in. And my clutch is still the stock clutch with I swear half its life remaining.

It is my daily driver in Canada, so that means it sees salty winters. My rear quarters have rusted and I've had them repaired a few times, but it's at the point now where the bodyshop fixes the bubbling paint (wheel arches and lower area beneath side scoop) and 2 weeks later the paint starts bubbling again. They can't weld new metal in because there's nowhere to weld it basically, lol

Replacing the rear quarters is $5-6k (for both) because it's a cut and weld job, not bolt in.

I keep debating on if I should sell my 04 cobra and get another, or fix the quarters.

I'm leaning towards fixing the quarters because the car's been good to me mechanically and with my luck I'd buy a lower mileage car that likely has mechanical issues. But it is a lot of mileage....
 

P49Y-CY

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if you enjoy driving it, i'd say fix it and keep it! mine are so much fun to drive i feel like i could never sell. and one main narrative you can see over the years is that most people who have sold theirs end up regretting it.

on a side note, a ported/pullied car with 250k on the stock clutch? thats amazing. i assume you don't do alot of dragstrip-type launches!
 

efnfast

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If you're tired of putting money into it someone will buy it. Id like to see some pics. You drive it all year round?

I basically havn't put any money into it in 15yrs .... dead-nuts reliable .... I drive it even when it's -50*C and snow up to your knees.

I'm a detailing snob so from 10ft away it looks 10/10 (also because it's silver) ... then you get close and you see the hood rock chips (meh, whatever) and the bubbling paint on the rear quarters (99% of the population wouldn't even mind it since I get the bodyshop to fix it before it gets too out of hand, but the underside metal is pretty bad apparently)

As you can tell I'm not a picture-taking snob, lol, best I have on hand
47460019272_876dfed906_c.jpg
vpr2 by Alex M, on Flickr

if you enjoy driving it, i'd say fix it and keep it! mine are so much fun to drive i feel like i could never sell. and one main narrative you can see over the years is that most people who have sold theirs end up regretting it.

on a side note, a ported/pullied car with 250k on the stock clutch? thats amazing. i assume you don't do alot of dragstrip-type launches!

occasional on-ramp pulls but other than that I don't push it hard.

if I sold I'd buy another 04 but then I could be walking into who-knows-what mechanically (it is a 16yr old car that most people are going to beat on after all)

but when I see panel replacement requires cutting and welding I just wonder if that's going to open up a can of worms (I've got a good bodyshop I use, but it's not exactly minor surgery).
 

sonicx

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How often you wash the cobra? Any other rust… I’d say that’s not bad (overall). Is the mileage on KM or not?
 

efnfast

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I've thought about those but one thing that turns me off is the lead-time.

I like to build component vehicles in my spare time (I've built a FFR 65 cobra, RCR porsche 917, RCR porsche 962, RCR sl-c) so I know full well how 6-8 week lead times on custom parts quickly turns into 6-8 months.

In theory you’d just rot another one out due to the weather there.

I say fix it if you were going to buy another anyway

Sent from my iPhone using svtperformance.com

That's one reason why I have thought about HCM's carbon fiber quarters, but if it took 15yrs of daily driving for signs to start showing on the original panels (and we're just talking paint bubbling, not full-out rusted through yet, although that's coming in a few years) I'm not sure the higher costs for the panels and install (because they probably arn't going to fit like an oem panel) will be worth it.

How often you wash the cobra? Any other rust… I’d say that’s not bad (overall). Is the mileage on KM or not?

Miles ... I convert from km into miles when writting since most here won't know how our fancy metric system works, lol

I probably wash/wax once a month in the spring/summer and maybe every 2-3 weeks at the car wash in the winter.

No other rust on the body, although that said the roof bar (i.e., the piece of metal above the windshield) did have some rust issues because rocks always seemed to whack it the wrong way in the winter. But several years ago the bodyshop ground it down, re-painted it and then put a clear-bra on it and it's been perfect since.

Rust on the underside, well, hehehehe, that's a given :)
 

sonicx

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I've thought about those but one thing that turns me off is the lead-time.

I like to build component vehicles in my spare time (I've built a FFR 65 cobra, RCR porsche 917, RCR porsche 962, RCR sl-c) so I know full well how 6-8 week lead times on custom parts quickly turns into 6-8 months.



That's one reason why I have thought about HCM's carbon fiber quarters, but if it took 15yrs of daily driving for signs to start showing on the original panels (and we're just talking paint bubbling, not full-out rusted through yet, although that's coming in a few years) I'm not sure the higher costs for the panels and install (because they probably arn't going to fit like an oem panel) will be worth it.



Miles ... I convert from km into miles when writting since most here won't know how our fancy metric system works, lol

I probably wash/wax once a month in the spring/summer and maybe every 2-3 weeks at the car wash in the winter.

No other rust on the body, although that said the roof bar (i.e., the piece of metal above the windshield) did have some rust issues because rocks always seemed to whack it the wrong way in the winter. But several years ago the bodyshop ground it down, re-painted it and then put a clear-bra on it and it's been perfect since.

Rust on the underside, well, hehehehe, that's a given :)

I’m impressed you’re on 250k miles (USA) and original Clutch.
 

DSG2003Mach1

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the upside to keeping it is you know the car inside and out, problems it does/doesnt have etc... a new car is pandora's box.

If you do replace those panels what about coating them with something?
 

CobraBob

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You've received some sound advice and you pretty well know the pros and cons of keeping vs. selling. It's understandable you're on the fence because of the history you have with it. Now you have to figure what is best for YOU based on those pros and cons. One concern that I would have at this point if that Cobra was mine, is that with the miles already at the 250K mark and you driving it daily (year round), it's only a matter of time before maintenance costs slap you. If you're prepared for that, awesome! Selling it and then buying a low mileage '04 Cobra (ideally with a verifiable history and near stock configuration) to drive daily is a real consideration. And hopefully one that has a solid engine and has been carefully/regularly maintained. Decision time!
 

hotcobra03

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Glad to see another daily driver,

I've had the same success with ours ..we just passed 400k ,

Many tobs,but also drivers head issues ..

Our bone yards here are flooded with this model now. But also south Texas,,no rust.

My buddy's 65 is just as clean underneath as my 03

Wonder how hard it is to cut up for parts
 

CobraBob

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@efnfast, did you make a decision yet as to whether or not you're going to keep your '04 Cobra and put money into body repairs?
 

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