KBillan - People Against Modding 1993 Cobras

ceetwarrior · Post by **ceetwarrior** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 1:38 pm

I was sent this on svtperformance. Being as I am not signed up on SVTperf I figured I'd post it here, LOL.

http://www.svtperformance.com/forums/fo ... e-56k.html

KBillan, LOL, unlike the Mona Lisa, there are/were 5100 93 Cobras out there! That's more common than one would think. In my town alone there are 6 that I know of. In the Rocky Mountain front range there are probably over 20 alone. That's a lot when there are only 3 colors to choose from.

IMO, stock ones don't impress me. Once you've seen one, you have seen them all. A Mustang is just another stock Mustang until you make it your own. Now, there's always exceptions as show cars, or cars that have low miles, mint condition, etc, that shouldn't be touched. But trying to "save" and "don't molest" a car that has 170,000 miles and is rusted as bad as I have ever seen a foxbody, is funny to me. There's nothing he can do to to save that car and make it worth what it could be worth. He understands that, and seems to be planning a full body repair, repaint, and MOD it to what he wants. God bless him!

93 Cobras being the first SVT cobra, really, suck. Think about it... They only had like 20hp difference, no cruise control, and LAME 3:08 gears. It took SVT a while but they figured out that a special car needs to have gobs of HP difference than a common GT. So, modding a 93 with tasteful bolt-ons, power/sound/performance-wise doesn't bother me one bit.

Obviously some major things do bother me, like auto swaps, color change, major appearance stuff, etc.

S***, everyone wants to have that snake on the side of the car, there were 3-4, clones at the drap strip last weekend! Not to mention about 7-8 had the badges on the side, of their notchbacks, LOL.

No hard feelings or nothin, just thought I'd throw that out there!

big frank · Post by **big frank** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 2:31 pm

I have to agree with the above post. Maybe a museum piece shouldn't be modded, like the one that was sold awhile back with like 12 miles on it. A true wrapper car. But beyond that, you should make the car your own.

I bought my car with 34k on the clock. it was pretty clean, and being a California inland car, absolutly no rust. All original paint except for some touch up and I had the rear bumper cover repainted as it had been bumped.

I origionally thought about keeping it all stok, but that soon went away when I decided, much like the poster above, that SVT shouldhave done allot more to these cars than they did, especially in the engine area.

I guess we all have ideas on what should be done and not done. But if you really want to stay completely factory, then you better start looking for original Gatorbacks and NOS pieces.

On another note...

I have a 68 Shelby GT350 that is all tore down for restoration. is the car going to go back to concours original? hell no! who would want their muscle car looking like a torpedo boat sitting at the curb (low in the back, high in the front) and why would I put back that anemic 245hp 302 when I could do so much more to it and still make it look stock? Stock exhaust? Not even! Will the car basically liook factory when it's done? Yep, but it won't be concours original, and i don't really care about that anyway.

kbillan · Post by **kbillan** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 2:48 pm

I dont know-- i guess this car is a bit more to me than it is to you guys. And thats completely fine.. but to me, the cobras should be left alone. There are millions of GT's and LX's out there that one can hog out and go crazy with.

and although there were 5100 made, how many remain? How many got the stick out rim/lowrider treatment? How many got lamborghini doors? Yuk to both.. i love this car for what it is. Not what it could be.

I have had some pretty awesome cars along the way. And i will concur- this car is a POS in comparison- even as clean as it is.. but thats what the 93 cobra is.

Always thought that. Always will.

and there is a line-- the gator backs.. im not concerned with that. But once you start talking about an all orginal down to the mufflers car-- no matter what blems it has (within reason).. it just seems foolish. Especially, when he could flip the car- and fund any number of GT or LX cars, with all of the mods he could hope for.. Hell- even a cobra body kit..

big frank · Post by **big frank** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 3:04 pm

kbillan wrote:I dont know-- i guess this car is a bit more to me than it is to you guys. And thats completely fine.. but to me, the cobras should be left alone. There are millions of GT's and LX's out there that one can hog out and go crazy with.

and although there were 5100 made, how many remain? How many got the stick out rim/lowrider treatment? How many got lamborghini doors? Yuk to both.. i love this car for what it is. Not what it could be.

I have had some pretty awesome cars along the way. And i will concur- this car is a POS in comparison- even as clean as it is.. but thats what the 93 cobra is.

Always thought that. Always will.

and there is a line-- the gator backs.. im not concerned with that. But once you start talking about an all orginal down to the mufflers car-- no matter what blems it has (within reason).. it just seems foolish. Especially, when he could flip the car- and fund any number of GT or LX cars, with all of the mods he could hope for.. Hell- even a cobra body kit..

For what he has in it, and what he could get out of it, I doubt he could fund one GT or LX project. At least not out here.

At best he could hope to flip it for say 3-4 grand (it's VERY rusty) and that is what a semi clean Fox goes for here. so where does that leave him? If he was to put 3-4 grand into that car, doing the work himself, he could have a nice (real) Cobra that would be worth maybe twice that much. doesn't seem prudent for him to sell, and he certianly doesn't want to it looks like.

I just don't see where tasteful mods that are reversible back to stock is a problem. Will all the mods that I have done to mine, in a weekend, it could be back to stock again. Don't know why anyone would want it that way, but hell, to each his own.

I bought mine to enjoy it. I very much enjoy it when I I feel the boost come on. It's a lot more enjoyable to drive now than it was stock.

ceetwarrior · Post by **ceetwarrior** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 3:16 pm

big frank wrote: For what he has in it, and what he could get out of it, I doubt he could fund one GT or LX project. At least not out here.

I bought mine to enjoy it. I very much enjoy it when I I feel the boost come on. It's a lot more enjoyable to drive now than it was stock.

Hell yeah, boost is sick. And performance parts are well worth the money. Unless your and old fart who wants to drive around in a quiet, stock Stang that talks the talk but can't walk it. Now-a-days with all these doushes in these ricers running 13's ya gotta back up the SNAKES on the side of the car. Or take them off!

That red car is SO rusted if anyone ever saw the pictures of what it was before they would never pay a premium for it, no matter how good it looks after repainted. The damage is done, he might as well fix it up and keep it! And keep it away from snow/rain. And mod it.

big frank · Post by **big frank** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 3:26 pm

ceetwarrior wrote:
big frank wrote: For what he has in it, and what he could get out of it, I doubt he could fund one GT or LX project. At least not out here.

I bought mine to enjoy it. I very much enjoy it when I I feel the boost come on. It's a lot more enjoyable to drive now than it was stock.
Hell yeah, boost is sick. And performance parts are well worth the money. Unless your and old fart who wants to drive around in a quiet, stock Stang that talks the talk but can't walk it. Now-a-days with all these doushes in these ricers running 13's ya gotta back up the SNAKES on the side of the car. Or take them off!

That red car is SO rusted if anyone ever saw the pictures of what it was before they would never pay a premium for it, no matter how good it looks after repainted. The damage is done, he might as well fix it up and keep it! And keep it away from snow/rain. And mod it.

Hey, I resemble that old fart guy! But I don't want to drive around in a stock car.

hell, even my F-250 powerstroke is modded!

SPEEDFREEK · Post by **SPEEDFREEK** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 3:37 pm

Yea I'd fix that one up and mod the hell out of it. It is perfect for that. It has been wrecked previously anyways so its been thru the wringer already. It is perfect for a restomod.

nmm347 · Post by **nmm347** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 4:10 pm

I'm split right down the middle on this topic. I'm all for keeping a cobra stock but that's only if it's original and looks good. If it's been touched or had body parts replaced (or rusted) tear that thing up and slap a turbo on it.

laz2447 · Post by **laz2447** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 6:54 pm

Opinions are like...well you know the saying.

If its an investment, keep it stock.

If you use it as a street car or weekend warrior, mod it lightly and accordingly and within your budget.

If you take it to the track, mod it heavily and spare no expense.

Bottom line, enjoy the damn thing. Because one day, when your dead and gone someone else will drive it or mod it or not mod it the way they want too!

red95gts · Post by **red95gts** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 8:21 pm

laz2447 wrote: Bottom line, enjoy the damn thing. Because one day, when your dead and gone someone else will drive it or mod it or not mod it the way they want too!

Agreed. When I bought mine, I was all set to make it just like a stocker and drive it. Then, I realized they aren't much fun to drive when they are bone stock.

I've limited my mods to things that can be reversed without leaving a trail (and will continue to do so). Now that Vortech has released a V-3 internally lubricated Fox kit, it opens that option since you don't have to punch the oil pan.

kbillan · Post by **kbillan** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 8:29 pm

i dont know-- just seems that there are so many other cars out there that are so much faster that are dime a dozen... Seems like a waste of money to put mods into this car-- to make it almost as fast as ______.. but hey- thats why there is chocolate, and vanilla.

I find mine plenty of fun to drive as is.. and i have had a blown GT in the past. I guess im just not in that place in my life anymore

NOW- if i ever find MY project car-- IE a stolen recovery-- or a salvage-- the car will be pissed.. but for a car that has made it this far (105k) in near stock form.. i feel it would be defacing a work of art.

But thats me. Id be lying, if i said i wasnt trying to talk him in to another car, in an attempt to BUY that one

Unfortunately, these things never seem to fall in my lap.

drkhrse · Post by **drkhrse** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 11:00 pm

A lot of you are missing the point of "Bolt on's." As long as you don't cut or weld the origional parts it can always be made stock again. I have all the parts to mine in boxes. Most 50K+ mile cars go for more money with a few mods anyway.

I'm all for modding within reason. You want rare, my 93R isn't stock, nor will it be while i own it.

it's to stinking slow!

kbillan · Post by **kbillan** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 4:42 pm

So I have been thinking about this more.

The more you mod a car- the more stress you put on the car. Once you start putting some decent HP= the torque boxes get beat up== the frame starts to twist..etc.. I guess this is my issue-

Now little bolt on parts, absolutely-- no problem. But once people start dropping in 306's and such.. thats when i cringe.. and thats fine, if thats what your into. My buddy is the perfect example-- he is (as I type even) putting in a 306 with TFS heads etc... he is doing it because he blew his stock engine up (he is an all star)

Hypocritical-- I am now thinking a nice set of equal length shorties would look neat under my hood-- already have an X pipe and cat back.. might as well, right?

93Cobra1928 · Post by **93Cobra1928** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 7:46 pm

Don't know if you are aware of this but a stock motor can do plenty of damage to your torque boxes, it's all a matter of how you drive.

Oh and a 306 is merely a .030 overbore to your cylinders and that in itself will achieve little in terms of hp.

IMHO if you paid for it, do what you want with it. The bonus for all the purists is that the more I mod my car the more their trailer queen will be worth in the long run, but I feel certain that I will enjoy mine more than they will. It was made to drive and that is what I will do.

kbillan · Post by **kbillan** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 7:52 pm

93Cobra1928 wrote:Don't know if you are aware of this but a stock motor can do plenty of damage to your torque boxes, it's all a matter of how you drive.

Oh and a 306 is merely a .030 overbore to your cylinders and that in itself will achieve little in terms of hp.

IMHO if you paid for it, do what you want with it. The bonus for all the purists is that the more I mod my car the more their trailer queen will be worth in the long run, but I feel certain that I will enjoy mine more than they will. It was made to drive and that is what I will do.

I am aware

OBVIOUSLY-- if you paid for it- do what you want with it..

but think of it this way-- you know all of those cars they show on the Mecham auctions?.. perhaps SOME day- 35 years from now, youll see an unmodded example of a cobra on there bringing big dollars.. I suppose you are correct, the more of you out there that do mod your car, makes my unmodded car more special.