used 03 Cobra or New Mach 1??

95 yellow 5 0

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Feb 16, 2002
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The cheapest brand new 03 cobra left over i can find is for $31,000 and I am waiting for the salesmen to call back and let me know if that is before the rebate. It has 700 miles and he said it would be considered brand new and would maybe go a little lower on the price. but i would need that $4k rebate and I will have about $5500 to put down after i sell the WRX. I pretty much do not wanna pay more than $350 a month but I'm sure payments will be more like $380. A lot of the dealers around here aren't budging with MSRP for the Mach 1 and the Cobra... I can get an 03 Mach 1 w/o the IUP for 25,333.... but why do that when I could get an 04 with the IUP for the same price? You think it'd be wise to buy a used cobra, who ever owned it musta had something wrong with it to trade that car in. You think I can find a used 03 hard top around $25,000 or less? I've been looking and don't see anything. THe other problem is the rebates end March 31st and I still gotta sell this car. :(
 
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Check Ebay. They will work on price, just push them. I had a chevy dealer down to 10k off a new Zo6 but still passed for your reasons, trade value was not good and never took the time to sell on my own. So I said heck with it I will keep my two instead of only having one and mod the cobra. It has a few things from when I bought it and I just ordered a pro 5.0 and MM caster plates for it. Next will be full exhaust.
 
I got dealer quotes via email for 28XXX on 03 cobras with less then 50 miles on them, with your down payment you might not still be at the 350 you want, but you will get a heck of a deal. Im just waiting to sell my GT cuz they wont give me much on a trade with that mark down.
 
I just went through the same problem deciding between upgrading from a GT to a Mach or a Cobra. I searched around and found a 03 coupe for 26 grand. Just look around you're bound to find one. After it's all said and done, I'm glad that I got the Cobra.
 
IUP is the interior upgrade.....

I think i have to go with the Mach... obviously the Cobra is #1 choice is possible but i don't think dealers are gonna give the rebate on top of the lowered price. plus isnt there a gas guzzler tax plus the sales tax? and do you have to pay both every year? I know the two cars are totally different but with the money I could save, putting some 4.10's, short shifter and full exhaust in the Mach 1 i could very well keep up with a stock 03 cobra... but how many are stock? ha.... oh well I do liek the Mach 1 a lot though. it is different. I guess I'm gonna just keep looking. Hopefully I will be a mustang owner again before the month is over. :flag:
 
95 yellow 5 0 said:
putting some 4.10's, short shifter and full exhaust in the Mach 1 i could very well keep up with a stock 03 cobra...

As much as I would like to believe I can do the same, I'm sorry to say I don't think it would keep up with an '03 Cobra with just those mods. No flame.
 
"Quote:
Originally Posted by tfritz
As much as I would like to believe I can do the same, I'm sorry to say I don't think it would keep up with an '03 Cobra with just those mods. No flame.

Exactly"

I dont know if you guys have been keeping up on the MACH 1's very much but a mach one with limited bolt-ons (gears, exhaust, sticky tire, etc...) can be an easy high 12 second car in the quarter.

At the dragstrip the two cars, MACH1 (slightly modded) vs 03 Cobra (stock) are REAL close. IT is easier to launch the MACH, so the MACHs tend to reach the 1/8 just about as fast or faster than the Cobra. BUT from there the Cobra starts to real them in...pretty fast. By the end the MACH is doin 103-106 mph and the Cobra is chuggin in around 109-112.

Once the mods start hittin the Cobra though, bye-bye MACH. :spot:

Any other kind of racing (street, auto-x, etc.) and the Cobra pretty much owns the MACH.
 
If you look hard you can find a used 03 Cobra for $25,000 with low miles. There was one a few months ago, so I am sure you will be able to find more by now. If not, most of them are anywhere between $26-28k asking price, so you know you can haggle them down to $24-27k. If you can get one for $28 or under, I would get the 03 Cobra for sure. Now if you are looking at used Mach 1's that might be a different story if you can pick one up for under $20k. But still, I would probably go for the 03 Cobra. Plus if you pick it up used, you will save on depreciation costs if you HAVE to sell it. Never buy a brand new car. 1 or 2 years old is still pretty new IMO.
 
95 yellow 5 0 said:
...plus isnt there a gas guzzler tax plus the sales tax? and do you have to pay both every year?

Guzzler is built into the price of MSRP... when have you ever had to pay sales tax every year after your purchase of the car? Both are one-time charges, guzzler is part of the price and sales tax is added to the price.

Dude, don't go through life wondering what would have been if you bought the cobra. Forget the Mach 1 and find a cobra used for $26-28k.

Even with those mods you mentioned, the cobra is still a better all-round vehicle that you can go as far as you want with. The Mach1's are still as handicapped as the 01 cobras are, trying to get the reliable power over 500rwhp
 
I haven't bought an issue of Mustang Trader in a few months but there were several listed a few months ago. You can get a damn good deal if you work at it. There are sites on the net that you can enter what you are looking for and someone will usually contact you with an exceptional deal. Just my opinion, but if you are looking for easy power, the 03 is the way to go.

My buddy bought a new 10th anniv. coupe from Brandon Ford near Tampa for $29.2k Labor Day weekend last year. They had base coupes a little over $27k. Since my 03 is a daily driver and I've had mine since June 02, no. 21 of coupe built, I seriously considered trading since I'm getting a PU for a daily driver this summer. But, I couldn't see crawling back up another one to install headers, exhaust, gears, pulleys, CAI..................................................... :bang:. No freakin way.
 
stvdman said:
"Quote:
Originally Posted by tfritz
As much as I would like to believe I can do the same, I'm sorry to say I don't think it would keep up with an '03 Cobra with just those mods. No flame.

Exactly"

I dont know if you guys have been keeping up on the MACH 1's very much but a mach one with limited bolt-ons (gears, exhaust, sticky tire, etc...) can be an easy high 12 second car in the quarter.

At the dragstrip the two cars, MACH1 (slightly modded) vs 03 Cobra (stock) are REAL close. IT is easier to launch the MACH, so the MACHs tend to reach the 1/8 just about as fast or faster than the Cobra. BUT from there the Cobra starts to real them in...pretty fast. By the end the MACH is doin 103-106 mph and the Cobra is chuggin in around 109-112.

Once the mods start hittin the Cobra though, bye-bye MACH. :spot:

Any other kind of racing (street, auto-x, etc.) and the Cobra pretty much owns the MACH.

No I haven't been following the Mach that close, just doesn't appeal to me. That's new to me about the Mach being in the 12's with just 4:10, a shifter and exhaust. I guess the Mach is geared more towards straight line then what the Cobra offers as you stated.
Don't play catch up and just get the Cobra...my opinion. :nice:
 
so you think it's possible with $5500-6000 down payment i could get a used 03 cobra that will still have the warranty? I don't wanna pay over $400 a month. Don't you think any used 03's have some issues? why would someone wanna get rid of one?

I gotta worry about sellin the WRX first though I guess, then see my options once i got the cash. i really want an 03 cobra.... :hail2:
 
You get what you pay for....modded mach1 may hold its own w/ stock cobra but without a ton of moola in mods that cobra is a headbanger!! I looked at a lot of cars...I know money dont grow on tree's, I did a lot of budgeting. The Cobra is well worth it...i did'nt sleep for a week after I bought it!!! Or the week before I bought it!
 
RedSquad7 said:
You get what you pay for....modded mach1 may hold its own w/ stock cobra but without a ton of moola in mods that cobra is a headbanger!! I looked at a lot of cars...I know money dont grow on tree's, I did a lot of budgeting. The Cobra is well worth it...i did'nt sleep for a week after I bought it!!! Or the week before I bought it!

I owned a 99 and an 01 Cobra. I had about as much in my 01 for engine mods as I have in my 03. My 01 Cobra with every bolt-on I could get: 305 rwhp SAE, forgot what the torque was. My 03 with a few bolt-ons:500 rwhp SAE and 550 rwt.