IIRC, it's fairly common on many of the IRS Cobras. Mine makes a "thud" sound if I am at rest in neutral and put it into gear (most noticable from 1st into 2nd).
You may also experience the "clunk," where you are cruising along, lift off the accelerator, and then step back on it - you will feel a "clunk." I *think* that issue was due to driveline slop...
It's been awhile since I remember these questions being asked on the message boards by 99/01 owners who just purchased their cars at the dealer...wish I could help more.