2003 Cobra with head tick.... should I trade?
10-17-2014, 01:35 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: PA
Posts: 10
2003 Cobra with head tick.... should I trade?
Hello,
I am looking at a 2003 cobra with 11k miles. He says he has taken it to Ford and they have said it was the head tick. He is asking 18k for it. He would trade for my car that is worth about 15k plus 3k cash. What is your opinion on this? Is it worth it? How expensive would it be to fix?
Link: 2003 Ford Cobra
Link to the video of the ticking: Tick Video
Let me know what you think of the video too.
I know I have seen some similar cobras with similar mileage for sale at about 25k. What realistically would the car be worth once it is fixed and assuming everything else about it is clean?
Thanks!
I am looking at a 2003 cobra with 11k miles. He says he has taken it to Ford and they have said it was the head tick. He is asking 18k for it. He would trade for my car that is worth about 15k plus 3k cash. What is your opinion on this? Is it worth it? How expensive would it be to fix?
Link: 2003 Ford Cobra
Link to the video of the ticking: Tick Video
Let me know what you think of the video too.
I know I have seen some similar cobras with similar mileage for sale at about 25k. What realistically would the car be worth once it is fixed and assuming everything else about it is clean?
Thanks!
10-17-2014, 02:04 PM
#2
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Missouri
Posts: 227
Well book is $17k-$18k. Cobras seem to hold their value better than book suggests from what I've seen. If he's offering for trade + $3k, maybe try to talk him down on the cash?
I'm not extremely familiar on the value of Cobras. A head tick with only 11k miles seems odd to me though. If it were only a head tick, head tick being very general--like what exactly in the head is causing the tick as it can make a big difference on the labor required, why is he selling it for $8k less than what it could be sold for with a fixed head (going off your numbers)? For that much you could get TFS heads with cams installed and still have money left over.
I don't know, I don't like to play the guessing game of what's my car worth over book value. You're "guaranteed" around book value if you sell it in good condition. Obviously a ticking head isn't good condition. He's asking book for it. You're call. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable on Cobra value can chime in instead of me just spouting off the obvious...
Edit: From Dan04COBRA on the SVT section:
"Even early DOHC Cobra's have the head tick. There was a design flaw with the heads, the coolant wouldn't flow properly and the valve guides would wear and make an annoying tick/rattle noise.I was told by SVT that is it NOT a catastrophic problem. There are no known engine failures where the valve broke and damaged the engine. Many people have had the tick and coincidental failures at pistons #7&8 though.
You can purchase the new 2005 redesigned head from Ford pre-loaded, the passenger side head is around 850 and the driver side head is around 650 complete to the best of my knowledge."
Of course that's from back in 2007. I was unaware of the Cobra head tick. I'll withdraw from this conversation as I'm probably doing more harm than good
I'm not extremely familiar on the value of Cobras. A head tick with only 11k miles seems odd to me though. If it were only a head tick, head tick being very general--like what exactly in the head is causing the tick as it can make a big difference on the labor required, why is he selling it for $8k less than what it could be sold for with a fixed head (going off your numbers)? For that much you could get TFS heads with cams installed and still have money left over.
I don't know, I don't like to play the guessing game of what's my car worth over book value. You're "guaranteed" around book value if you sell it in good condition. Obviously a ticking head isn't good condition. He's asking book for it. You're call. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable on Cobra value can chime in instead of me just spouting off the obvious...
Edit: From Dan04COBRA on the SVT section:
"Even early DOHC Cobra's have the head tick. There was a design flaw with the heads, the coolant wouldn't flow properly and the valve guides would wear and make an annoying tick/rattle noise.I was told by SVT that is it NOT a catastrophic problem. There are no known engine failures where the valve broke and damaged the engine. Many people have had the tick and coincidental failures at pistons #7&8 though.
You can purchase the new 2005 redesigned head from Ford pre-loaded, the passenger side head is around 850 and the driver side head is around 650 complete to the best of my knowledge."
Of course that's from back in 2007. I was unaware of the Cobra head tick. I'll withdraw from this conversation as I'm probably doing more harm than good
Last edited by unitedwestang; 10-17-2014 at 02:13 PM.
10-17-2014, 02:22 PM
#3
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: PA
Posts: 10
Yes I am trying to talk him down. He started at 4k.
And yes I understand It would probably sell over book value. But since it has that problem, I am trying to make the value in good condition 18. I would prefer to add maybe 1k to 1.5k but he is persistent at 3k.
Does anyone recommend or know someone that has driven with the tick and not gotten it replaced? How did that end up?
And yes I understand It would probably sell over book value. But since it has that problem, I am trying to make the value in good condition 18. I would prefer to add maybe 1k to 1.5k but he is persistent at 3k.
Does anyone recommend or know someone that has driven with the tick and not gotten it replaced? How did that end up?
10-17-2014, 02:28 PM
#4
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: IL
Posts: 335
Well book is $17k-$18k. Cobras seem to hold their value better than book suggests from what I've seen. If he's offering for trade + $3k, maybe try to talk him down on the cash?
I'm not extremely familiar on the value of Cobras. A head tick with only 11k miles seems odd to me though. If it were only a head tick, head tick being very general--like what exactly in the head is causing the tick as it can make a big difference on the labor required, why is he selling it for $8k less than what it could be sold for with a fixed head (going off your numbers)? For that much you could get TFS heads with cams installed and still have money left over.
I don't know, I don't like to play the guessing game of what's my car worth over book value. You're "guaranteed" around book value if you sell it in good condition. Obviously a ticking head isn't good condition. He's asking book for it. You're call. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable on Cobra value can chime in instead of me just spouting off the obvious...
Edit: From Dan04COBRA on the SVT section:
"Even early DOHC Cobra's have the head tick. There was a design flaw with the heads, the coolant wouldn't flow properly and the valve guides would wear and make an annoying tick/rattle noise.I was told by SVT that is it NOT a catastrophic problem. There are no known engine failures where the valve broke and damaged the engine. Many people have had the tick and coincidental failures at pistons #7&8 though.
You can purchase the new 2005 redesigned head from Ford pre-loaded, the passenger side head is around 850 and the driver side head is around 650 complete to the best of my knowledge."
Of course that's from back in 2007. I was unaware of the Cobra head tick. I'll withdraw from this conversation as I'm probably doing more harm than good
I'm not extremely familiar on the value of Cobras. A head tick with only 11k miles seems odd to me though. If it were only a head tick, head tick being very general--like what exactly in the head is causing the tick as it can make a big difference on the labor required, why is he selling it for $8k less than what it could be sold for with a fixed head (going off your numbers)? For that much you could get TFS heads with cams installed and still have money left over.
I don't know, I don't like to play the guessing game of what's my car worth over book value. You're "guaranteed" around book value if you sell it in good condition. Obviously a ticking head isn't good condition. He's asking book for it. You're call. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable on Cobra value can chime in instead of me just spouting off the obvious...
Edit: From Dan04COBRA on the SVT section:
"Even early DOHC Cobra's have the head tick. There was a design flaw with the heads, the coolant wouldn't flow properly and the valve guides would wear and make an annoying tick/rattle noise.I was told by SVT that is it NOT a catastrophic problem. There are no known engine failures where the valve broke and damaged the engine. Many people have had the tick and coincidental failures at pistons #7&8 though.
You can purchase the new 2005 redesigned head from Ford pre-loaded, the passenger side head is around 850 and the driver side head is around 650 complete to the best of my knowledge."
Of course that's from back in 2007. I was unaware of the Cobra head tick. I'll withdraw from this conversation as I'm probably doing more harm than good
10-22-2014, 10:39 AM
#7
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location:
Posts: 1,229
I would never pay 18 grand for a 10 year old vehicle with an engine problem. We're all assuming that the tick is the typical issue, who knows 11k miles is plenty of miles to over rev it and destroy something else. Could be a follower, lash adjuster, wrist pin etc. There are plenty of things that can cause a "tick" all of which require the engine coming apart.
If you are dead set on a the car I'd offer him a straight trade. I don't see 18 grand there. People over pay for these cars all the time because it's a "terminator". Personally I'm sick of hearing about them. They were cool cars back in the day but now it seems like everyone has one. They're kind of losing that charm they used to carry.
I've got more money into my GT than what I would have spent on a terminator and I feel like now I'm the odd ball out for driving a GT. I also love the fact that my car is kind of a sleeper of sorts. People never expect a GT to be fast.
If you are dead set on a the car I'd offer him a straight trade. I don't see 18 grand there. People over pay for these cars all the time because it's a "terminator". Personally I'm sick of hearing about them. They were cool cars back in the day but now it seems like everyone has one. They're kind of losing that charm they used to carry.
I've got more money into my GT than what I would have spent on a terminator and I feel like now I'm the odd ball out for driving a GT. I also love the fact that my car is kind of a sleeper of sorts. People never expect a GT to be fast.
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