Need some help..
09-18-2005, 04:00 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location:
Posts: 5
Need some help..
I am planning on buying my first mustang next spring but I am becoming caught up with a single problem most people on here will be able to help me with.
I want to buy an 03 cobra and do the usual mods (pulley, exhaust, tuner) and have a real fast car for daily driving weekenders. But a friend of mine has a 2002 GT mustang 5spd who will sell it for $15,000 with 20k on it still under warrenty.
My question is.. Would it be better to go with the 03 cobra and do a few bolt on mods maybe some NOS... OR would it be cheaper and just as good to go with the 02 GT and put more mods on it such as a Kenne Bell S/C and other more significant modifications which cost more money then I would put into the Cobra.
Hopefully someone can help me out I know the cobra has the forged internals and the 6spd as a plus but for a difference in thousands of dollars is it worth it?
Thanks in advance
I want to buy an 03 cobra and do the usual mods (pulley, exhaust, tuner) and have a real fast car for daily driving weekenders. But a friend of mine has a 2002 GT mustang 5spd who will sell it for $15,000 with 20k on it still under warrenty.
My question is.. Would it be better to go with the 03 cobra and do a few bolt on mods maybe some NOS... OR would it be cheaper and just as good to go with the 02 GT and put more mods on it such as a Kenne Bell S/C and other more significant modifications which cost more money then I would put into the Cobra.
Hopefully someone can help me out I know the cobra has the forged internals and the 6spd as a plus but for a difference in thousands of dollars is it worth it?
Thanks in advance
09-18-2005, 04:23 AM
#2
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Whitehall, Michigan
Posts: 2,638
RE: Need some help..
I would say Cobra all the way. The only thing I regret about my 04 GT is that I wish I would have spent the extra and found a Cobra instead!
(To put prices into comparison, my 04 GT with 7500 miles and still had the factory warranty was $17,900, $15,000 for one two years older with more miles seems a little high to me)
You won't need to worry too much about the Cobra's engine, quite a few say the 03-04 cobra engines are bullet proof, so you won't have to rebuild the engine with forged internals if you want to add any significant amout of boost with a blower, or a higher shot of nitrous later. On top of that, with the improved suspension, improved brakes among other things, I'd say puts the Cobra on top. You'll spend more getting Cobra parts from a scrapyard to turn your GT into a Cobra than you will getting the Cobra vs the GT.
That's just my opinion.
(To put prices into comparison, my 04 GT with 7500 miles and still had the factory warranty was $17,900, $15,000 for one two years older with more miles seems a little high to me)
You won't need to worry too much about the Cobra's engine, quite a few say the 03-04 cobra engines are bullet proof, so you won't have to rebuild the engine with forged internals if you want to add any significant amout of boost with a blower, or a higher shot of nitrous later. On top of that, with the improved suspension, improved brakes among other things, I'd say puts the Cobra on top. You'll spend more getting Cobra parts from a scrapyard to turn your GT into a Cobra than you will getting the Cobra vs the GT.
That's just my opinion.
I'm with him.
09-19-2005, 12:05 AM
#5
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Omaha, NE
Posts: 767
RE: Need some help..
ORIGINAL: ShadowDrake
I would say Cobra all the way. The only thing I regret about my 04 GT is that I wish I would have spent the extra and found a Cobra instead!
(To put prices into comparison, my 04 GT with 7500 miles and still had the factory warranty was $17,900, $15,000 for one two years older with more miles seems a little high to me)
You won't need to worry too much about the Cobra's engine, quite a few say the 03-04 cobra engines are bullet proof, so you won't have to rebuild the engine with forged internals if you want to add any significant amout of boost with a blower, or a higher shot of nitrous later. On top of that, with the improved suspension, improved brakes among other things, I'd say puts the Cobra on top. You'll spend more getting Cobra parts from a scrapyard to turn your GT into a Cobra than you will getting the Cobra vs the GT.
That's just my opinion.
I would say Cobra all the way. The only thing I regret about my 04 GT is that I wish I would have spent the extra and found a Cobra instead!
(To put prices into comparison, my 04 GT with 7500 miles and still had the factory warranty was $17,900, $15,000 for one two years older with more miles seems a little high to me)
You won't need to worry too much about the Cobra's engine, quite a few say the 03-04 cobra engines are bullet proof, so you won't have to rebuild the engine with forged internals if you want to add any significant amout of boost with a blower, or a higher shot of nitrous later. On top of that, with the improved suspension, improved brakes among other things, I'd say puts the Cobra on top. You'll spend more getting Cobra parts from a scrapyard to turn your GT into a Cobra than you will getting the Cobra vs the GT.
That's just my opinion.
)….
09-19-2005, 01:08 PM
#6
Super Moderator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location:
Posts: 14,917
RE: Need some help..
Having owned an 02 GT and having the mod bug only to run mid 13's and low 13's with a set of drag radials, I gave up and purchased an 04 Cobra.
The difference between the 2 cars is enourmous. First, the seats hug you, they are a 6 or 7 way adjustable seat, once you figure out what you want out of the seat, it'll be the most comfortable seat you've ever been in.
The brakes, the brakes are a HUGE upgrade, that's all I can say, they stop on a dime, very sweet.
The transmission, it's a much much tighter feeling transmission, much easier to switch gears, shorter throw and way less 'notchy'. Plus, you can abuse the snot out of this T56.
The IRS + suspension makes the car handle very nice. There is absolutely no body roll hugging street turns and playing around on long sweeping turns. It doesn't roll & wheel hop through turns like a GT.
The engine, just can't beat the feeling of the instant boost the Eaton produces when you tap the throttle. Forged internals + an easily modified supercharger can make for one hell of a potent car for 1/4 of the MODIFICATION $$ you'd spend on the GT to get near 400RWHP. A simple cat-back and handheld tuner can get you well over the 400RWHP mark on an 03/04. The motor is bullet proof, not to mention the motor was built by a 2 man team at SVT.
Advantages to the Cobra now, you can pick up a 10-15,000 mile Cobra from a private party for around 23,000-27,000 depending on how lucky you get. That's about the sticker on a fairly base model 05 GT, you're getting 3 times the car and something that is rather rare and will only appreciate in value with low mileage. From an investment point of view, it will take 10 years to look at having a real value on the car, from a modification point of view, it's hands down the best bang for your buck race car with plates from the factory.
After canning my 02 GT for the Cobra, I bought the GT looking to go fast for fairly cheap, and I guess you can say for a street car mid 13's is respectable. But now that I have my Cobra, I really wonder what the hell I was thinking and I'm kicking myself in the *** for dropping so much on mods, I look at it now and figure I could have paid for a pulley swap, couple bolt-ons and a nice tune to have myself over 500RWHP.
Oh well, that's what winter is for
The difference between the 2 cars is enourmous. First, the seats hug you, they are a 6 or 7 way adjustable seat, once you figure out what you want out of the seat, it'll be the most comfortable seat you've ever been in.
The brakes, the brakes are a HUGE upgrade, that's all I can say, they stop on a dime, very sweet.
The transmission, it's a much much tighter feeling transmission, much easier to switch gears, shorter throw and way less 'notchy'. Plus, you can abuse the snot out of this T56.
The IRS + suspension makes the car handle very nice. There is absolutely no body roll hugging street turns and playing around on long sweeping turns. It doesn't roll & wheel hop through turns like a GT.
The engine, just can't beat the feeling of the instant boost the Eaton produces when you tap the throttle. Forged internals + an easily modified supercharger can make for one hell of a potent car for 1/4 of the MODIFICATION $$ you'd spend on the GT to get near 400RWHP. A simple cat-back and handheld tuner can get you well over the 400RWHP mark on an 03/04. The motor is bullet proof, not to mention the motor was built by a 2 man team at SVT.
Advantages to the Cobra now, you can pick up a 10-15,000 mile Cobra from a private party for around 23,000-27,000 depending on how lucky you get. That's about the sticker on a fairly base model 05 GT, you're getting 3 times the car and something that is rather rare and will only appreciate in value with low mileage. From an investment point of view, it will take 10 years to look at having a real value on the car, from a modification point of view, it's hands down the best bang for your buck race car with plates from the factory.
After canning my 02 GT for the Cobra, I bought the GT looking to go fast for fairly cheap, and I guess you can say for a street car mid 13's is respectable. But now that I have my Cobra, I really wonder what the hell I was thinking and I'm kicking myself in the *** for dropping so much on mods, I look at it now and figure I could have paid for a pulley swap, couple bolt-ons and a nice tune to have myself over 500RWHP.
Oh well, that's what winter is for
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