03-04 Cobra or 01 Firehawk
#21
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Go for the 03-04 Cobra. My best friend has had 2 of them, he bought thie first one new in 03, he did not have any issues with it. At 35K he had the blower ported (Apten port job), smaller pulley, accufab TB, Kooks LT's... put down 519rwhp and just on 500rwtq on a mustang dyno. Ran it hard until it was unfortunately wrecked. It had 86K on the clock at the time, never missed a beat up till then. He now just recently bought an 03 sonic blue and just a few weeks back I took a ride in it. Man does it feel fast, this one has a Steg 3 ported blower, smaller pulley, aftermarket heat exchanger... had dyno graphs and it put down 530rwhp and 505rwtq and that is still with the stock manifolds. He is looking to put on another set of Kooks headers soon. Hence I am looking forward to the summer and seeing how the formy handles up to it... I am thinking with the 100 shot she might get the edge
#24
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In a prior life, every time a newer car would come out with 10 or 15 more factory horsepower, I'd sell my older partially-modded car and cough up $3,000 for a downpayment and roll my old payments into a new ride. The newer car was usually used, and so therefore, it was a car that someone else had purchased shiny and new, rode hard, then got sick of and sold for something else with 10 more factory horsepower. I kick myself now for spending all that money on shiny paint instead of speed. Why not keep the Firehawk, take half (10 percent?) of the money you'd spend on a Cobra to get a decent beater to keep miles low on the 'Hawk, and then take the rest and see what you can do with the Firehawk? Just my two cents.
#25
Thanks for all the replies. I still don't know what I want to do. I'm heading to law school next fall so money will be tight. I may just have to keep the Hawk. By the time I graduate law school, Nissan Maximas will probably be making 450 horse so what is quick today will be slow tomorrow anyway. Hell, I can remember when I was in high school back in the (cough cough late 80s) and 225 H.P. Mustang GTs were the quickest things going.
#30
Price of a cobra is really the killer, 25k for one with 18,980 miles on it is what i payed for mine. but also dont believe all the hype about there weight, there about 300 pounds more then an fbod, but thats an easy weight reduction plan if it bothers you that much. its a total coin toss, you win either way really.
my honest opinion, i love my cobra, and the fact i really never have to do any internal engine work so long as im not shooting for some insanenly high hp number past 800rwhp is nice. its a comfort you dont appreciate until you have had it really. but then again, you could just build out your hawk motor. either way, it costs money.
my honest opinion, i love my cobra, and the fact i really never have to do any internal engine work so long as im not shooting for some insanenly high hp number past 800rwhp is nice. its a comfort you dont appreciate until you have had it really. but then again, you could just build out your hawk motor. either way, it costs money.
#31
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IMO the Hawk is a nicer vehicle,but the Cobra is a bad ride.So is the GTO.I dunno,if it were me I'd probably keep the Hawk and build it and get a cheap DD while I was doing this.
#33
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Originally Posted by Ragtop 99
In law school you won't have a lot of time to mess with a car (or drive it). Keep the hawk. When you get out, reevaluate your income and your debt load and go from there.
#36
If I was spending 20k on a car it would be a Teminator not a Hawk.
The 03-4 Cobras seem to have held their value better. Im waiting to see one under 20k that isnt beat up
The 03-4 Cobras seem to have held their value better. Im waiting to see one under 20k that isnt beat up
#38
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You are not gonna find a Cobra that has under 20k on the clock for under $20k.... and good luck finding one that has not been beaten on ... unless you go to a dealer. then you are DEFINITELY looking at $25k+
#40
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Honestly,
I've owned four f-body's and one 03 Cobra. I love the F-body's but you can beat the horsepower per dollar in the Cobra. Cobra's are nice cars. There's a lot I don't like about then but there's also alos I do like about them. The can be made to be pretty quick with not a lot of money. Goood luck and shoot me a pm if you need any advice.
Tony
I've owned four f-body's and one 03 Cobra. I love the F-body's but you can beat the horsepower per dollar in the Cobra. Cobra's are nice cars. There's a lot I don't like about then but there's also alos I do like about them. The can be made to be pretty quick with not a lot of money. Goood luck and shoot me a pm if you need any advice.
Tony