My new/used SPF.

[bnelsonod]

I have recently purchased SPF #2099 from a classic car dealer in TX. I am still waiting on delivery so I don't have it in my possession yet. It is a 2005 with Roush 427R and Tremec 600. The dealer is selling it for one of their best car collectors out of Dallas. He reportedly has a collection of over 50 cars all stored inside a large climate controlled facility (lucky guy right). The good part of that is the car looks emaculate. The dealer emailed me over 150 pics of outside, inside, engine and underneath suspension and tires. The bad part is actually the low miles, 556 miles in 6 years. I know that on many Cobras the mileage can be much more than the odo states but I believe it to be close. If you had 50 cars it would be hard to put a lot of miles on them. Ok so here is my question. What should I look for on a car that has sat inside not running most of its life? What problems can occur when a car sits for possibly months at a time with little or no maintence? The dealer said they "serviced" the car and changed it's oil (hopefully done correctly).

I know I will want to replace the suspension mounts and most likely the ball joints. And the tires are going to be questionable. They are like brand new but are likely even older than the car. They are Dunlop GT Qualifiers and they don't even make them anymore.

The best case scenario I can imagine is that if the previous owner had enough money to own that many cars he should have enough money to pay someone to maintain them. Drive them occasionally and do routine maintence so the fuel doesn't gum up or varnish the carbs.

Any areas you can think of to check out more in depth would be appreciated. I live in Missouri so there is no Superformance Dealer near me or I would let them look it over.

[madmaxx]

alot of wishing and hoping never makes for good business decisions. Most important aspects on Cobra is paint and body, it is the most expensive to address. Your tires are shot at 6 years, sure drive around the block and do some burn downs but replace. Why replace ball joints and bushings????????? I got 45 year old cars with 200k miles with original ball joints and bushings. I would change oil, check coolant and drive it.

[bnelsonod]

I look at purchasing and owning a Cobra a pleasure decision not a business decision. I don't think any of the toys I have owned over the years have been good financial investments but they sure were fun. I do agree with you about the body and paint and that is perfect as far as can tell and with such low miles it should look almost showroom new. Also I like your idea about the tires. I question the safety of 6 year or more old tires and don't think I would feel safe on such old tires. So I will try to get a few smokey burnouts with them and then look to replace them soon. The only real reason I would want to replace the ball joints is because of reading this forum. I know ball joints aren't going to go bad from sitting in storage but many SPF owners speak highly of their replacement joints from Cobra Valley. If it can make it smoother and easier to drive then why not. Thanks for the input.

[patrickt]

If it's been sitting in a climate controlled garage for six or seven years, the only things I would do is change the coolant, change the oil, and think about changing the battery. I'd look at the tire year stamp on the side of tire, and probably give it out to ten if you're not racing it. Most of these cars only break down if you drive them... they do pretty well just sitting in the garage.

[Hydramada]

Change the oil, change the coolant, inspect the battery, check the air pressure in the tires then drive it like you stole it.

[madmaxx]

The only other problem with the tires is if they have sat sationary for a long time they flat spot and will cause vibration. I think the ball joint theory is bs, mine is as solid as a rock with zero stearing or handling complaints.
Assume new engine:
1) try to twist distributor with hand, if it turns reset timing and get a new distributor hold down clamp which is more robust and does not plastically deform.
2) Check clutch slave cylinder reservoir for fluid. The POS wilwood is known to leak and should be taken apart and reassembled with seal all by the o-ring.
3) Ensure ball joints have been greased by greasing them.
4) check all suspension bolts, caliper bolts, header bolts, sidepipe to header bolts.
5) Change the $4.00 yellow oil line to your oil gauge with braided stainless, The yellow will leak at the connection at block, it is just a push in connector, aka, fuking joke on 45k roller. search this forumn for part number.
DONT TAKE THIS THE WRONG WAY. All Cobras are garbage compared to modern day GM's and Ford's etc. Bolts come loose, reservoirs and components leak, **** fall off them etc. They are like a high priced whore, fun to paly with for about an hour a week but you tire of their sheet on a dailey basis.

[patrickt]

... and I take it back; these cars do fall apart just sitting in the garage.

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Most of these cars only break down if you drive them... they do pretty well just sitting in the garage.

Yes, I can attest to this statement unequivocally.

[bnelsonod]

I figured most things will be like new, but after sitting for so long with minimal use the speedometer stopped working correctly ( I understand many never work correctly) so they had to replace it with a new Smiths unit. I was just curious about other issues. I'm not a mechanic and any knowledge I have about Cobras I learned from this forum, right or wrong. I have read every thread about Superformance and most from the general Cobra talk. But I am no means an expert in anything. I was more curious about mechanical issues such as leaking clutch reservior or parking brake and caliper issues due to minimal use. I didn't think about changing the coolant until brought up because I don't regularly change it in my newer vehicles. But it sure can't hurt. Also I will check with the dealer about what oil and how much they used. They have the Roush manual so it should have been done correctly. And the battery may be brand new or it may have been sitting around for years in storage I will check it when it gets here. And I am curious about the age of the tires I will look at the made date on the tires also. At best they are 6-7 yrs old. It doesn't sound like they were a popular tire for Cobras so I will just have to check for dryrot and see how they ride and if they have grip or not. Not worth having a bowout at highway speeds so I will probably just replace. Not a lot of choices for 15 inch rims.

[patrickt]

The "conventional green" coolant that most of us use is really only good for about three years. So, if that's what's in there, you really need to change it out. All of the other stuff you mentioned, I wouldn't worry about it unless it doesn't work or unless there's a puddle under your car from it. Seriously.

[dont]

Congratulations on your new car. The rear upper shock mounts are a very important thing to change. As far as the ball joints that is a personal preference. The original ones probably will never wear out because they are Chrysler ball joints made for a much heavier car. They are very stiff compared to the new cobra valley joints. The new ball joints allow the front tires to articulate much quicker and precise. When you get your car be sure and check out SCOF. There is a tech library that will answer most all question concerning the car.

[madmaxx]

his car was made after they changed the rear upper shock mount bolt issue. Hey if you get a noise like the tire is hitting the fendor get some krytox grease and lube your sway bar bushings. krytox has no hydrocarbons so it wont attack the rubber or cause it to swell overtime.

[dont]

I believe the change was 2-10mm bolts instead of 2-8mm bolts. The RT mounts use 4 bolts so that the bracket can not pivot. Overkill, maybe but it sure helps my piece of mind.

[Cobrajames]

If your car is the Cloisonne Blue one that was for sale, the color is really nice.

[JLip]

The mileage is very seldom correct on these cars since it's so easy to disconnected. You're going to have a blast! Just keep a little extra cash where you can easily get to it.

Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!

[jeffgrice]

Congratulations on the SPF purchase!!! They are great cars. All good advice above. Check all the nuts and bolts including engine intake, valve covers and oil pan.

Contact the Superformance Owners Group to join. You'll get a lot of advice and good friends there. spf@superformance.org

Jeff

[STEVE-O]

Congrats on the purchase!
In addition to changing the oil, you may want to doublecheck what oil filter is being used. There has been some discussions comparing a 'racing' filter vs a regular one.
Example, Wix 51515R is a racing filter but only filters 60 microns. The Wix 51515 filters down to 20 microns.
Roush site for my 402 engine calls for the Motocraft FL1-HP or equivalent. This filter is a 20 micron filter.
Be aware of how you are going to use your car and what type of filtering you want to avoid unnecessary engine wear.

[STEVE-O]

Also, you may want to doublecheck the gas filter in the back near the tank even though there isnt alot of miles on the car.
I recently replaced mine after a few thousand miles of driving and was surprised of the amount of junk in it.
They are cheap and easy to replace.

[Blas]

A couple other things to check:
The main ground from the battery to the chassis: Located behind the battery under the carpet. Be sure the connection is clean and sound.
On the drop-down fuse panel. There are a few posts with large red and green wires connected to them. Be sure they are snug, but be careful not to twist the posts off the drop-down panel.
Both cooling fans should pull air into the engine compartment.
Battery should be load tested and fully charged.
I fully agree with the flush of the cooling system, oil and filter, gas line filters..
Tires should be inspected but if the car was stored properly (temp controled enviorment) and under 10 years old they should be safe to use for a while.
Brakes should be inspected.
Regarding the suspension changes, inspect everything, especially the rear shock mounts, but if all looks good and sound, I'd back burner those modifications untill after you have some miles on the car.
Wheels: The most fun project may be removing the wheels, lubing the pins, and reinstalling them. You will need a good lead hammer (bigger is better here) and some anti-seize compound. (And maybe a 6-pack of beer) - I'll bet they have never been removed...You can get help here on CC or contact me if you like.

[madmaxx]

FL-1hp is a horrible choice. Bypass open at 19 psig, you would be starving the engine for oil if an issue arised. Most are 8-9 psig. remember it is differential across the filter, my testing at 40F with fl-1a showed 2 psig at 4k rpms so 99.9999999% not an issue. You going to spend $15 on a filter get the Royal Purple not the FL-1HP