M5Power
I've driven several of these, one or two with excessive mileage, and this sounds like it's been driven too hard - too many performance parts, not enough break-in period, something like that.
It hasn't been driven 'hard' at all. Granted I have got on it quite a few times, but I've never powershifted it, done a burnout, etc. Besides, it's a modern day muscle car, with beefed up parts - it was meant to be driven hard. Well, I dunno, apparently not. Too many performance parts? Pffft. It's only got 463rwhp on a built/forged motor. None of the problems I listed are due to too many performance parts. the ticking is due to insufficient cooling to the 7th & 8th cylinders, or ****ty pistons. Not enough break-in period? Other owners who have waited until 10,000 miles to mod/drive it hard have the same damn problems. Then there are the few that took 'em to the strip day one with no issues whatsoever, or so they say - I think they don't like to complain about a car which they just dumped $35,000 into. Not me, I'll ***** about every little thing wrong with it.
Anyways, I've driven three of them that have been lightly modified like mine, and they've
all had the same issues/problems I had with mine. I drove a stock redfire vert. at Palmetto Ford, and with 47 miles it had all of the problems except for the leaky rearend. It even had the infamous tick, at 47 miles! I just recently drove an '04 screaming yellow coupe with about 300 miles, and it too had all of the problems save for the tick, and rearend leak. All I can say is go to the '03/'04 Cobra websites, and do some research. You'll see that 75% of threads are from owners *****ing, and that these cars have a ton of problems.
M5Power
...because you're a hick.
Well, I have owned Camaro's, Trans Am's, and now... a Mustang. I guess it's official now, and I really can't argue.
Oh, and to add to the thrill of owning the wonderful Cobra, it shredded the eaton belt the other day under
normal driving. It even destroyed the lower steel idler pulley. Fun fun! $26,000 and I'll sell it, and
everything else I have for it, to you. All headaches, and problems, included.
Edit - And another thing. Cobra's have ****ty resale value. I've seen some with the same mileage as mine(8k, now) going for $22-25,000. That's $10,000-$13,000 off the original price. Hell, I'm losing close to $7,000 by selling it to my Dad for $25,350, or whatever the hell it was. **** it.
I've ridden in over 6 of them, and none were 'poorly-built trash.' They were all really nice condition cars, and ran strong. The only problems I can think of is one's headliner was starting to sag, and one went through tires like you wouldn't believe - maybe it had something to do with a custom T3-60 turbo low output 2.3l Quad 4 set-up pushing well over 350hp on pump gas.
