What would you do? Stock or not?

LEGALLYFAST · Mar 8, 2023

Good morning everyone,

I am thinking about selling my 1994 Cobra with 61544 miles, to fund a house purchase. I have replaced a few parts since I owned the car. Some things I can put back, some I can't. I have replaced most of the suspension. I put on Borla exhaust. I put on AFR 165 heads and a Steeda 19 cam. Cobra R wheels. What do you guys think? Put stock heads/cam back in? Everything was bought brand new last year. I have a few extra parts for it, like V3 system (bought new) and I just ordered Glenn's fuel system a couple weeks ago (still waiting for it). Car is clean and interior is stock other than boost and air fuel gauge where clock goes. A/C works too. Parts have definitely gone up in price, but is it worth the work to convert back?

All Da Beanz Racing · Mar 8, 2023

If the car is pristine and has never been in any accidents, it might be worth thinking about putting back to stock. If the car shows well, but isn’t perfect, I would leave it as is.

LEGALLYFAST · Mar 8, 2023

All Da Beanz Racing said:
If the car is pristine and has never been in any accidents, it might be worth thinking about putting back to stock. If the car shows well, but isn’t perfect, I would leave it as is.

Ya isn't perfect, not bad, but not perfect.

maillemaker · Mar 8, 2023

I just bought a '95 Mustang. One of the selling points for me was that it was pretty much bone stock. It had new wheels, headers-back new exhaust with no cats, and someone had stuck some Mach 460 tweeter pods on the doors.

It seems hard to find these cars where people have not made "improvements" with new ignition systems, intakes, cams, whatever. I'm not opposed to these things (I think they are great if someone installed them properly) but I always wonder if they were installed properly.

But, I'd be just as leery to learn that it was modified and then "put back", I think, because now there are two possibilities for mistakes to have been made. Of course if you don't advertise what was done when you sell it nobody is the wiser without close inspection.

Frank.JD.Perez · Mar 8, 2023

As stock as possible will help with the sale, but if you have a well documented car with receipts and the work was done at reputable shops then you shouldnt have a problem

LEGALLYFAST · Mar 8, 2023

Frank.JD.Perez said:
As stock as possible will help with the sale, but if you have a well documented car with receipts and the work was done at reputable shops then you shouldnt have a problem

I did the work. I used to be a tech with GTR Performance. I mostly focused on Fox and 5.0 SN95, but I did coyote cars as well.

The motor is still stock looking in appearance. Still is smog legal, and functional.

Michael Plummer · Mar 8, 2023

1. The Vortech Supercharger you can sell: $$$$
2. The cylinder heads you can sell: $$$$
3. The Borla catback I would sell (hopefully you still have the box): $$$
4. The camshaft is not worth removing based on the money you'll get back
5. Cancel the fuel system if you can. If not, resell: $$$
6. Leave the suspension stuff on the car. PITA to swap out, sell and box up.

Good luck with the sale of the car and new house
Michael Plummer

Snorky · Mar 20, 2023

What suspension parts do you have on it?

If its done right someone who looks at it will know right away... parting the heads_/cam out as a package deal as well as the blower will bring in a pretty penny. Suspension only if it's a good combo.

b1pig · Apr 2, 2023

You have to look at what you put into it, what you take off of it and how much return on all that work of removing/reinstalling "stock" parts. Once you mod the car, its not stock anymore. I'm not talking about replacement parts as they fail. Performance suspension, staggered wheel sets, power adders, aftermarket heads, cams etc...

Once the car is modified and has been for several thousand miles (proven by receipts, photos, etc) then you have a track record. The LAST car I would ever consider is someone who "just put in a fresh engine".... "New Supercharger"....

A modified car in a "finished" state with a proven record of miles and reliability will sell in its proper value to the right buyer.

Also depends on your market locally. Good luck with your choice.

maillemaker · Apr 2, 2023

I just bought a 1995 Mustang GT. I looked a long time to find one that was pretty much stock. I'm very leery about buying someone else's tinker toy.

r3dn3ck · Apr 3, 2023

If it's not concourse level good on the interior there's no point trying to do it to the rest of it. A nice clean cobra with the upgrades you have on it would be worth more to me the way it is than with all the stock bits put back in place, that is assuming that the work was done right such that nobody that knew what they were looking at would grimace and shake their head.

LEGALLYFAST · Apr 4, 2023

I appreciate everyone’s feedback. I have had the car for one year and it was bone stock when I got it. I added the supercharger to the stock engine and drove it about 1000 miles. Then I started to upgrade the suspension and then I did the heads in the cam but I haven’t been driving it because I needed a tune. So it’s been sitting in my garage. I decided to go ahead and pull the supercharger off, but to list the car with the heads and cam and the suspension on it. Nothing wrong with the car. I bought another toy, so I am just slimming down the toy farm.

LEGALLYFAST · Apr 25, 2023

So I got everything sorted out, but I am going to keep it. I appreciate everyone's comments. It was a good learning experience for sure.

I came to the conclusion that it is one of the nicest mustangs I have ever owned, and it is a Cobra as well. Too hard to let go in the long run. Will probably get harder as time goes on.

r3dn3ck · Apr 26, 2023

Good man!

b1pig · Apr 26, 2023

LEGALLYFAST said:
So I got everything sorted out, but I am going to keep it. I appreciate everyone's comments. It was a good learning experience for sure.

I came to the conclusion that it is one of the nicest mustangs I have ever owned, and it is a Cobra as well. Too hard to let go in the long run. Will probably get harder as time goes on.

Went through that phase with my Jeep a few years ago. Wife talked my out of it. I share your feelings about harder as time goes on.

LEGALLYFAST · Apr 26, 2023

Even better, resparked my interest. My fuel system will be here in a couple weeks. Found a deal on a Holley intake. Went ahead and put some more money for my short block. I have been driving the car and it is honestly so much fun. It’s not everyday we see a clean SN-95, let alone a Cobra on the road.

r3dn3ck · Apr 28, 2023

Good man! When I see other clean looking SN95's out on the road, especially the Cobra varieties I know that right there is a car that's being really loved. For it to even be running much less looking good someone has to put MBaT (money, brains and time) into it on the regular. They like all other cars are money pits if you don't keep up with the maintenance.

LEGALLYFAST · Apr 28, 2023

Ordered pads and rotors from LMR, will be here Monday. I am going to change trans fluid this weekend. Will start prepping for intake swap. I am going to slide engine into rear holes on K member. Then I will put the blower back on. I sould have my fuel system from Glenn's in a couple weeks. Ordered the cobra tank and everything. Planning to start dialing tune in on the QH.

I have a few things to do in the future. Here are the plans:
Rebuild rear end with 3.73 gears, 31 spline axles. Not 100% on the diff yet.
TKX or T-56.
Pretty set on the 363, but still thinking about the 427.

Lastly, I usually just put cars in the garage and dump money into them. I need to drive it!

unterstutzung87 · May 1, 2023

Nice good call, these cars are getting rarer by the day I know I have put a ton of work into mine but it's getting to the point where you don't see clean SN's very often it's becoming a classic and a rare car to see. I know mine isn't even close to done and people already comment on it alot. Muscle cars are like guns for me if I sell them and say I will buy another I won't something always comes up lol. So my rule for the past few years has been don't sell cars or guns unless I already bought it's replacement. Enjoy your nice ride !

Daryl · Sep 18, 2024

If you're the guy from San Diego, be leery of mods that will not pass Smog Checks. This includes any modifications to the fuel system. You'll fail the visual right off the bat before they even shove the probe up your tailpipe! Unless, of course, you can find a station that doesn't notice or doesn't care ;-)