1997 Cobra SVT Roush - what do I have?
06-01-2013, 05:10 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: MD
Posts: 15
1997 Cobra SVT Roush - what do I have?
I am not a Mustang person, I like cars but not an aficionado; however, last week on a Craigslist whim I bought a 1997 Cobra, convertible. It has the Roush package (not the supercharger). The car is in really good shape and all stock. It has 81K miles. It does not look raced or dogged and drives great.
I am not sure what I have as far as reliability and other factors. I bought it because it looked cool and the guy was not asking much for it. N?ow that I drove it a week I really love the power it has and have a problem that I don't want to get rid of it. I have a BMW SUV another car and a minivan so I need to get rid of something.
My questions are:
1) Is a 1997 Mustang worth keeping as a primary car (reliable?)?
2) Does this car have any collectable value?
3) Are Mustangs expensive/difficult to work on? In other words, do mechanics charge a lot like BMW thieves?
4) If I keep it, should I leave it stock? Its plenty fast for me now.
5) If I sell it, what is it worth?
6) whats so special about these cars that people seem to like it? After all its a 16yo car.
Anyway, thanks a million for your knowledgeable feedback.
<div style="width:480px;text-align:right;"><embed width="480" height="360" src="http://pic2.pbsrc.com/flash/rss_slideshow.swf" flashvars="rssFeed=http%3A%2F%2Ffeed1227.photobuck et.com%2Falbums%2Fee428%2FQuetz70%2FStang97%2Ffeed .rss" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" /><a href="javascript:void(0);" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/share/icons/embed/btn_geturs.gif" style="border:none;" /></a><a href="http://s1227.photobucket.com/user/Quetz70/library/Stang97" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/share/icons/embed/btn_viewall.gif" style="border:none;" alt="Quetz70's Stang97 album on Photobucket" /></a></div>
I am not sure what I have as far as reliability and other factors. I bought it because it looked cool and the guy was not asking much for it. N?ow that I drove it a week I really love the power it has and have a problem that I don't want to get rid of it. I have a BMW SUV another car and a minivan so I need to get rid of something.
My questions are:
1) Is a 1997 Mustang worth keeping as a primary car (reliable?)?
2) Does this car have any collectable value?
3) Are Mustangs expensive/difficult to work on? In other words, do mechanics charge a lot like BMW thieves?
4) If I keep it, should I leave it stock? Its plenty fast for me now.
5) If I sell it, what is it worth?
6) whats so special about these cars that people seem to like it? After all its a 16yo car.
Anyway, thanks a million for your knowledgeable feedback.
<div style="width:480px;text-align:right;"><embed width="480" height="360" src="http://pic2.pbsrc.com/flash/rss_slideshow.swf" flashvars="rssFeed=http%3A%2F%2Ffeed1227.photobuck et.com%2Falbums%2Fee428%2FQuetz70%2FStang97%2Ffeed .rss" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" /><a href="javascript:void(0);" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/share/icons/embed/btn_geturs.gif" style="border:none;" /></a><a href="http://s1227.photobucket.com/user/Quetz70/library/Stang97" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/share/icons/embed/btn_viewall.gif" style="border:none;" alt="Quetz70's Stang97 album on Photobucket" /></a></div>
06-02-2013, 07:47 AM
#3
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: South FL
Posts: 8,540
I replied to your thread in the Roush section before I saw this one with more questions.
In short, yes, Roush kicked out a few Cobras in the early years. Some are more rare than others - but all are very rare and will carry 'collector status'. We're talking about a total number you can count on your fingers. Most being "One of one" made in a given configuration.
If they are kept up, they are very solid cars. (My supercharged Roush just rolled passed 240,000 miles and was my daily driver for a commute over 100 miles a day until I picked up my SVT Contour two weeks ago.)
Mustangs are very straight forward to work on and parts can be found all over. That being said, the early generation Roush parts are VERY hard to find. There are some out there sitting in closests being horded by current owners "just in case". (I'm guilty of that.)
Yes, leave it stock - especially if you want the 'rare' part to stay rare. The early Roush cars are climbing in value right now.
Right now, there are a few Stage 2 GT Roush cars on the market. I think the cheapest is listed at $12,000. The highest first generation cars are the '95 Stage 3 - last one I saw listed at over $20K. A great condition R-Cobra will be in between those. Valve will vary with condition of the car and it's options from Roush.
As for why it's special: The R&D Roush put into them put them leaps ahead of other Mustangs on the market back then. Formost was the suspension followed by brakes, interior, wheels, aerodynamics etc... The way it all comes together is far better than just slapping a bunch of random 'aftermarket performance parts' together. Roush (the name) carries a lot of racing history with it as well. No other name in automotive racing has won as much.
In short, yes, Roush kicked out a few Cobras in the early years. Some are more rare than others - but all are very rare and will carry 'collector status'. We're talking about a total number you can count on your fingers. Most being "One of one" made in a given configuration.
If they are kept up, they are very solid cars. (My supercharged Roush just rolled passed 240,000 miles and was my daily driver for a commute over 100 miles a day until I picked up my SVT Contour two weeks ago.)
Mustangs are very straight forward to work on and parts can be found all over. That being said, the early generation Roush parts are VERY hard to find. There are some out there sitting in closests being horded by current owners "just in case". (I'm guilty of that.)
Yes, leave it stock - especially if you want the 'rare' part to stay rare. The early Roush cars are climbing in value right now.
Right now, there are a few Stage 2 GT Roush cars on the market. I think the cheapest is listed at $12,000. The highest first generation cars are the '95 Stage 3 - last one I saw listed at over $20K. A great condition R-Cobra will be in between those. Valve will vary with condition of the car and it's options from Roush.
As for why it's special: The R&D Roush put into them put them leaps ahead of other Mustangs on the market back then. Formost was the suspension followed by brakes, interior, wheels, aerodynamics etc... The way it all comes together is far better than just slapping a bunch of random 'aftermarket performance parts' together. Roush (the name) carries a lot of racing history with it as well. No other name in automotive racing has won as much.
Last edited by LilRoush; 06-02-2013 at 07:51 AM.
06-03-2013, 11:49 AM
#4
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: MD
Posts: 15
Thanks for all the great info LR. The car is great and I bought it out of curiosity more than anything, but as I drive it and read up on it I might just keep it and sell my BMW money pit. It's a different ride than the Beamer, but its a lot more fun. Again, thanks for the info. I don't suppose there is a way to find out how many of these cars are around is there?
06-03-2013, 05:38 PM
#5
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: South FL
Posts: 8,540
You got very lucky to find one of them! It took me years of looking and waiting to get my '98. Be proud, you have one rare Mustang to take care of!
If you load pics to photobucket or something similar, you can post them here with the IMG feature. If you want, I'll PM you my email address, and you can email them - and I'll post them for you.
What color is it? (I may have missed that part if you posted it already.) I'll start kicking over some rocks and see what I can find out for you about the original build. Going out on a limb, somewhere between 5-10 Roush Cobras were made between 96-98. The 03/04 was a handful more (but at least one Roush Terminator was totalled).
If you load pics to photobucket or something similar, you can post them here with the IMG feature. If you want, I'll PM you my email address, and you can email them - and I'll post them for you.
What color is it? (I may have missed that part if you posted it already.) I'll start kicking over some rocks and see what I can find out for you about the original build. Going out on a limb, somewhere between 5-10 Roush Cobras were made between 96-98. The 03/04 was a handful more (but at least one Roush Terminator was totalled).
06-04-2013, 07:22 PM
#7
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: South FL
Posts: 8,540
Here's a link to an old MM&FF article on a '98 R-Cobra (Stage 1 car).
http://www.musclemustangfastfords.co...mustang_cobra/
I'll post these of the '98 R-Cobra with the SC package. Over a 400 rwhp car that was a perfect blend of power, suspension and brakes for the road course. Vortech was on it from Roush and tuned by them.
Original owner (in Oklahoma) got rid of this in favor of a S197 Roush Trak Pak, and actually liked the performance of the RC better.
These were taken at a Roush get together in Dallas a few years ago. New owner is in Dallas.
http://www.musclemustangfastfords.co...mustang_cobra/
I'll post these of the '98 R-Cobra with the SC package. Over a 400 rwhp car that was a perfect blend of power, suspension and brakes for the road course. Vortech was on it from Roush and tuned by them.
Original owner (in Oklahoma) got rid of this in favor of a S197 Roush Trak Pak, and actually liked the performance of the RC better.
These were taken at a Roush get together in Dallas a few years ago. New owner is in Dallas.
06-04-2013, 08:10 PM
#8
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 2,966
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but judging from the link you posted (http://s1227.photobucket.com/user/Qu...ibrary/Stang97 will bring you there), all I see is a Roush exhaust so I'm not convinced it's actually a Roush (stock Cobra wheels and bumpers). I don't know enough to tell you for sure if it is or isn't, but maybe LIlRoush here can help you with identifying for sure. People like to put aftermarket Roush and Saleen stuff on their cars.
Either way, unless you paid a big premium for the Roush name, a 97 Cobra is still a fantastic car. I just bought an 06 GT, but I was looking first for an SN95 Cobra. Those cars are great as they are, but they also provide a great base to build from, and I personally love the SN95 body style. I'd love to have a monster 4v SN95 to spank GT500s with, hehe.
Mustangs are FAR cheaper to work on than BMWs, but if the mod bug bites you you might end up spending all your money on it still. I had a BMW myself, and I can completely agree with your statement. If I lived in the mountains, a BMW would probably be more fun, but the imperfections of the Mustang coupled with a decent amount of power are what make it so fun.
Either way, unless you paid a big premium for the Roush name, a 97 Cobra is still a fantastic car. I just bought an 06 GT, but I was looking first for an SN95 Cobra. Those cars are great as they are, but they also provide a great base to build from, and I personally love the SN95 body style. I'd love to have a monster 4v SN95 to spank GT500s with, hehe.
Mustangs are FAR cheaper to work on than BMWs, but if the mod bug bites you you might end up spending all your money on it still. I had a BMW myself, and I can completely agree with your statement. If I lived in the mountains, a BMW would probably be more fun, but the imperfections of the Mustang coupled with a decent amount of power are what make it so fun.
Last edited by AJ06GT; 06-04-2013 at 08:14 PM.
06-04-2013, 09:42 PM
#9
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: MD
Posts: 15
06-04-2013, 09:54 PM
#10
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: MD
Posts: 15
I finally figured out the pics thing. Thanks you.
Its not bad news to me that this may or may not be a "real" Roush. I did not know one existed so to me it was just a mustang that sounded cool and had power. It was only later that I figured out what SVT and Roush meant, so it was icing on the cake
As I mentioned, it does not have the SC, but it does seem to have the suspension, but I don't know much at all and surely don't know more than any of you guys, so I appreciate the feedback.