New guy new project car

[Tim300wsm]

Just bought my 1st mustang last night. I bought a 97 cobra that needs some love. The drivetrain seems solid and it has a clean title. No rust 87k on the odometer. That’s the good. The bad there was some hidden front end damage( gotta get on a lift to see severity) I don’t think it could be to bad as the penal gaps are pretty good and it tracks perfectly. The paint is awful. It has some electrical issues. windows go down not up. seat goes forward but not back. Dome light won’t shut off. Only a few gauges work.Right front has a squeak when driving. Rear end clunks (was told but can’t confirm). The interior is rough. It was smoked in, and generally dirty. Needs a center console and front seats. Its rough but I wanted a project to bond with my sons. My oldest is getting into cars and racing (hopefully the other 2 do as well). The plan is autocross as that’s about the easiest way to get into racing. I will probably have lots of questions as I dive into this. Hopefully I found a diamond in the rough and I’m not trying to polish a turd lol. It’s my 1st ford so I’m pretty unfamiliar with these.

 

[Maximum95]

Nice find, gonna be a great project! What did you pay for it?

Once you wash it off, you may be able to breathe some life into the paint with a polish.

Looking forward to seeing progress, I'm so happy to see lots of cars like this being found and fixed up.

 

[Tim300wsm]

I got it for 4k which I think is pretty good for what it is. The paint on the hood and roof is a lost cause but the rest seems ok. I’m too tall for the stock seats with a helmet so they had to go either way which eliminates the seat wear and electric issue with them. It has lots of little issues but no real big ones

 

[Maximum95]

Wow, great price. Especially for a Cobra!

I was never much for the stock seats anyway, you'll be happier and more comfortable with something aftermarket.

Here's a Cobra hood I picked up a while back. I thought the same when I picked it up, but after a couple hours of polishing it came out pretty good.

Before



After

 

[NEURON]

Good deal, kinda rough for 87K though,must be neglected.

 

[Tim300wsm]

Good deal, kinda rough for 87K though,must be neglected.

It hasn’t been on the road in at least 6 years. It was sitting in a barn. The guy I bought it from bought it as a project car but never got to it. Whom ever had it before him severely neglected it. I am however glad as I was able to buy it fairly cheap.

 

[Warhorse Racing]

I'm looking forward to following your build!

If you ever have any questions about autocrossing your Mustang (mods and driving techniques), I'm always happy to help. I'm including a link to my YT channel. My videos cover many aspects of autocrossing 79-04 Mustangs with a focus on helping novices. These cars can be incredibly capable autocross cars with the right mods.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOEWzAT17XoeGzSWysT1NXw/videos

 

[Tim300wsm]

I'm looking forward to following your build!

If you ever have any questions about autocrossing your Mustang (mods and driving techniques), I'm always happy to help. I'm including a link to my YT channel. My videos cover many aspects of autocrossing 79-04 Mustangs with a focus on helping novices. These cars can be incredibly capable autocross cars with the right mods.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOEWzAT17XoeGzSWysT1NXw/videos

I’m going to be honest I am currently watching your budget front suspension video. I’ve been binge watching your channel for a few days. Your channel is a goldmine of information on exactly the thing I plan to do. I’m sure I will have several questions for you in the months to come. Thank you for putting these videos together.

 

[Warhorse Racing]

I appreciate you checking out my channel. I'm hoping to create a trustworthy resource for people autocrossing their Mustangs. I really enjoy making the videos and helping people with their builds. You and your sons are going to have a blast autocrossing the Cobra.