Buying a 95 Cobra what to look for

Hey Guys,

Have cash in hand and all set to go get myself a 95 Cobra for 5500 with 99xxx on the od b cam tb spacer 4.10 rears and full exhaust with x pipe...the guy im buying it from doesnt know anything about cars and this is mustang # 5 for me but my first Cobra im dropping quite a bit more cash than i have before on this car i usually pick up projects and work em up myself. anyway what im getting at is there anything i should look for when i go check this car out so im not dropping 5500$ and a 4 hour drive for a car with hidden issues....thanks in advance
 
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Make sure it's got all the cobra specific parts.. Check the 8th digit of the vin to make sure it's a real cobra. It should have the crab claw wing and no brake light on the trunk. White faces gauges cobra air bag.


Yellow Bear racing 2k13
 
Yeah I know the t to d vin difference. Wasnt aware of the rubber on the harmonic balancer though...so basically what you guys are saying is go about it like any other 5.0
Yup. They're nothing really special from a mechanical standpoint. FWIW, $5,500 would a steal for any year Cobra in my area. They seem to command a mint here in Ontario.
 
you guys may cringe when you see this but im having second thoughts....im slightly mulling over going with a 4.6 Cobra...cons are i dont know jack about the dohc 4.6 and i know quite a bit about the 5.0 i know the 4.6 is gonna cost more to build up but are they as reliable? any horror storys to guys who have had both? ive had a 97 npi 4.6 and hated it but the dohc is a different world. input?
 
Hey Guys,

Have cash in hand and all set to go get myself a 95 Cobra for 5500 with 99xxx on the od b cam tb spacer 4.10 rears and full exhaust with x pipe...the guy im buying it from doesnt know anything about cars and this is mustang # 5 for me but my first Cobra im dropping quite a bit more cash than i have before on this car i usually pick up projects and work em up myself. anyway what im getting at is there anything i should look for when i go check this car out so im not dropping 5500$ and a 4 hour drive for a car with hidden issues....thanks in advance
I would also check the synchros in the gear box when you test drive the car by shifting w/o the clutch. If all is well with the gear box you can work the gas pedal for the rpm sweet spot of the gear box while pulling/pushing the shifter toward the next gear and it should fall in place effortlessly. If all is not well, it will grind or have some other kind of adverse reaction. Hope this is helpful!
 
I would also check the synchros in the gear box when you test drive the car by shifting w/o the clutch. If all is well with the gear box you can work the gas pedal for the rpm sweet spot of the gear box while pulling/pushing the shifter toward the next gear and it should fall in place effortlessly. If all is not well, it will grind or have some other kind of adverse reaction. Hope this is helpful!


Ive heard of people doing that but wont the synchros grind if i dont get it in there perfect? ive never done this before so i wouldnt want to get it wrong and not buy the car cause i thought it had a bad trans
 
Ive heard of people doing that but wont the synchros grind if i dont get it in there perfect? ive never done this before so i wouldnt want to get it wrong and not buy the car cause i thought it had a bad trans
It absolutely will not be an issue if the gear box is working right. I have driven around for quite awhile w/o using the clutch just because I was to lazy to use my left leg.

The synchros are there tosynchronize the gear box rpms w/the engine. Once you are in 1st you should be able to go through the rest of the gears in that way. Just keep a wee bit of tension on the shifter and drive like a sane person. You will notice that the shifter will actually slide into the next gear like a hot knife through butter. I used to work at a Trans shop several years ago, and that is what I was taught to look for in a good gear box.

So, its not a matter of getting it in there "perfect". Its a matter of keeping a wee bit of tension on the shifter toward the next gear, driving mild with a purpose in mind, and letting the shifter fall into place. Once you try it you will see how easy it is, unless the gear box is bad.
 
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you guys may cringe when you see this but im having second thoughts....im slightly mulling over going with a 4.6 Cobra...cons are i dont know jack about the dohc 4.6 and i know quite a bit about the 5.0 i know the 4.6 is gonna cost more to build up but are they as reliable? any horror storys to guys who have had both? ive had a 97 npi 4.6 and hated it but the dohc is a different world. input?
I'm more universal when it comes to cars.

The Cobra 4.6 is a pretty sweet ride, with 300 horsepower stock. It's a Cobra R by that standard of power, just two years later.
If it were me, I would get the 5.0 up until a better deal on a 4.6 or a pretty damn good deal swooped in. If you're picking up a 4.6 cobra for 9 grand or something similar, I wouldn't bother.
 
my thoughts are it's not worth paying any premium for a 94-95 cobra since your not getting anything that won't be changed out later for more power. the only exterior difference is the front bumper and spoiler. if you want to play with a 4.6 again, a cobra is a good choice. they can be made fast, but a 5.0 will be cheaper.
 
my thoughts are it's not worth paying any premium for a 94-95 cobra since your not getting anything that won't be changed out later for more power. the only exterior difference is the front bumper and spoiler. if you want to play with a 4.6 again, a cobra is a good choice. they can be made fast, but a 5.0 will be cheaper.

You forgot about that oh so sexy hood. The pre-96 Cobra's didn't get it.

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Good thing you can get them for around $300. That would be the first mod to any '94-'95 I ever bought.
 

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Thanks Guys. Pulled the trigger on the 5.0 Cobra and finally just got home afrer heading out a 6am. The car is mechanically sound for the most part but the front seats need re covering. Thanks for all your input...by the way Cobra breaks seriously out perform gt breaks the difference is night and day.
 
Thanks Guys. Pulled the trigger on the 5.0 Cobra and finally just got home afrer heading out a 6am. The car is mechanically sound for the most part but the front seats need re covering. Thanks for all your input...by the way Cobra breaks seriously out perform gt breaks the difference is night and day.

Contact Jared TMIproducts. They're a site sponsor here on Stangnet and will have just what you need to recondition those old worn out seats. I just put new seat foams in my Fox and the difference between them and the old ones were night and day.