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Engine Issue on 1999 Cobra - Repair or Sell As-is
06-01-2018, 04:50 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: CA
Posts: 1
Engine Issue on 1999 Cobra - Repair or Sell As-is
Hi all,
I have a 99 Cobra with aftermarket supercharger and various other modifications unrelated to the problem. I floored it going onto a freeway and then when I exited the freeway, the entire coolant tank drained and white smoke billowed out of the engine bay, and soaked the ground below the car. After this the engine would crank but not turn over. After this the engine was able to start a few days later, but I had to basically tap the gas to keep it from stalling. Once again, it would not turn over after stalling.
I didn't have the money for repairs, as I had just bought a brand new car, and this is a monthly "for fun" car, so I just put it in the garage until I could afford repairs. 3 years go by and now I am not sure what to do with it. I am going to get it diagnosed tomorrow at a mechanic.
The question is what should I do with the car. I assumed it is a blown head gasket issue, as I saw no radiator leaks of any kind in the reservoir or tubing, all dry.
The car is otherwise in excellent shape and has only 60,000 miles on it. I have a buyer willing to pay for it as-is for about $4,000. The repair cost for a blown head gasket is approximately $2,500-$3,000 from ballpark quotes from mechanics in CA.
Is it worth getting it repaired, or sell as-is? I love the car and it is hard to part with, but I don't want to dump money into something that could have more damage. The KBB for a fair condition car is ~$8,000. So KBB minus the repair cost leaves me around $5,000. The car has probably about $10,000 worth of modifications in it (yes, I know this doesn't increase value of the car).
IS $3,500 to $4,000 a fair price for an as-is sale? I posted it on craigslist mentioning all this and got about 30 replies in a day of people wanting to buy it. Should I be charging more than $3,500-$4,000?
Please help...I don't know what to do and can't find anywhere online to value my car for me. Attached are pictures of the car currently:
I have a 99 Cobra with aftermarket supercharger and various other modifications unrelated to the problem. I floored it going onto a freeway and then when I exited the freeway, the entire coolant tank drained and white smoke billowed out of the engine bay, and soaked the ground below the car. After this the engine would crank but not turn over. After this the engine was able to start a few days later, but I had to basically tap the gas to keep it from stalling. Once again, it would not turn over after stalling.
I didn't have the money for repairs, as I had just bought a brand new car, and this is a monthly "for fun" car, so I just put it in the garage until I could afford repairs. 3 years go by and now I am not sure what to do with it. I am going to get it diagnosed tomorrow at a mechanic.
The question is what should I do with the car. I assumed it is a blown head gasket issue, as I saw no radiator leaks of any kind in the reservoir or tubing, all dry.
The car is otherwise in excellent shape and has only 60,000 miles on it. I have a buyer willing to pay for it as-is for about $4,000. The repair cost for a blown head gasket is approximately $2,500-$3,000 from ballpark quotes from mechanics in CA.
Is it worth getting it repaired, or sell as-is? I love the car and it is hard to part with, but I don't want to dump money into something that could have more damage. The KBB for a fair condition car is ~$8,000. So KBB minus the repair cost leaves me around $5,000. The car has probably about $10,000 worth of modifications in it (yes, I know this doesn't increase value of the car).
IS $3,500 to $4,000 a fair price for an as-is sale? I posted it on craigslist mentioning all this and got about 30 replies in a day of people wanting to buy it. Should I be charging more than $3,500-$4,000?
Please help...I don't know what to do and can't find anywhere online to value my car for me. Attached are pictures of the car currently:
06-16-2018, 12:58 AM
#4
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: SE Michigan
Posts: 939
It's hard to say, without knowing what's actually wrong with the car.
I'm not sure if I'm reading your post right, but if the starter is cranking yet the engine is not turning over, then there seems to be a problem with the starter engaging the flywheel. I can't imagine that this would be related to what happened on the freeway, though.
As for that coolant loss, you mentioned that the ground was wet. I don't think that necessarily indicates a bad head gasket. Did the engine ever have a chance to actually overheat, or did you manage to pull over right away before it got too hot?
As for that coolant loss, you mentioned that the ground was wet. I don't think that necessarily indicates a bad head gasket. Did the engine ever have a chance to actually overheat, or did you manage to pull over right away before it got too hot?
06-16-2018, 01:31 AM
#5
Banned
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 2,327
There is nothing to show you actually blew a head gasket. You will know when/if
you get the motor running, and you see bubbles in the coolant reservoir. The
very first thing to do to eliminate this possibility, is to have a pressure test done
on the coolant system. If it holds pressure, the head gaskets are fine. Or, have it
filled at a shop with a vacuum tool. They have a canister fill system that put vacuum
into the coolant system, and even then you can see if it is holding. Then, they
release coolant in place of air, as positive pressure into the coolant system to fill it.
I watched it done on my 2015 Jetta TSI. He put vacuum in, and waited to see if it
held, and it did at -28, so he released the coolant, and it fills the entire system up
in one shot. Damn neat thing that is. Do, first and FOREMOST, get the coolant
system pressure tested, this will let you know if there is a bad head gasket. If
there are hose or other leaks in other spots, you'll see them too...
IF the car did not actually over-heat, it should be fine. My son had a stuck
thermostat on his 2002, and three times it blew coolant all over the
engine bay, and emptied the reservoir. IT over heated three times, and
after replacing the thermostat, it's running fine thus far.
At WOT, and having a supercharger, you could have pulled coolant in through the
intake, not a sure thing considering where the intake air charge comes from,
but you never know.
Fill it back up with coolant, and start troubleshooting your electrical connections.
Getting coolant all over the engine bay, you could have all sorts of shorts at
harnesses, thus keeping the car from starting. I would start at the ignition
systems, sensors, ECU. With that car, no way would I give up on it until I
know for SURE it's mechanical.
you get the motor running, and you see bubbles in the coolant reservoir. The
very first thing to do to eliminate this possibility, is to have a pressure test done
on the coolant system. If it holds pressure, the head gaskets are fine. Or, have it
filled at a shop with a vacuum tool. They have a canister fill system that put vacuum
into the coolant system, and even then you can see if it is holding. Then, they
release coolant in place of air, as positive pressure into the coolant system to fill it.
I watched it done on my 2015 Jetta TSI. He put vacuum in, and waited to see if it
held, and it did at -28, so he released the coolant, and it fills the entire system up
in one shot. Damn neat thing that is. Do, first and FOREMOST, get the coolant
system pressure tested, this will let you know if there is a bad head gasket. If
there are hose or other leaks in other spots, you'll see them too...
IF the car did not actually over-heat, it should be fine. My son had a stuck
thermostat on his 2002, and three times it blew coolant all over the
engine bay, and emptied the reservoir. IT over heated three times, and
after replacing the thermostat, it's running fine thus far.
At WOT, and having a supercharger, you could have pulled coolant in through the
intake, not a sure thing considering where the intake air charge comes from,
but you never know.
Fill it back up with coolant, and start troubleshooting your electrical connections.
Getting coolant all over the engine bay, you could have all sorts of shorts at
harnesses, thus keeping the car from starting. I would start at the ignition
systems, sensors, ECU. With that car, no way would I give up on it until I
know for SURE it's mechanical.
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