[767Jockey]

Originally Posted by PNW 1

Hi,

I'm a long time enthusiast & looking to make my first purchase ASAP. I would love some advice.

I'm looking at a 1998 Everett-Morrison Cobra. It's listed as recently completed with less than 500 miles. Paint & exterior recently finished & looks great. Engine starts & runs great, sounds great, but haven't driven yet because of the weather.

How can I tell if there has been more mileage put on the engine & if it is really a new engine, and if its been sitting mostly over the past 20 years, what are the risks with the engine & tranny? It has a small oil leak which appear to be off the passenger side rear valve cover gasket & leaking down to the oil pan. I can't quite see it, but I am concerned it could be somewhere else off the engine or rear main. If that was the case, what would it cost to repair.

Any advice one E-M quality?

The engine is listed as a 383 stroker & claims 500 hp. Without a dyno, can I even be sure what the hp is?

Their is a 6 speed trans, not sure of the gearing. I haven't seen many Cobras with a 6 speed. Why? What would be my concerns with getting a 6 speed vs. the 5 speeds?

Would love to buy the car, but don't want to end up putting another $10k into to fix the motor or trans. I'm not opposed to putting money in, just don't want to miss any major items.

Tires, rims, & outside looks new. The seller has mentioned to check the alignment & comments I may need to get an alignment done. Sounds like a red flag, but not sure if he knows it needs. The seller is the second owner & said he picked it up unfinished & comepleted out tuning the engine & finished the paint.

Any other recommendations on what to look out for, frame looks pretty good.

Thank you for the feedback.

Forgive me if this sounds harsh, as I certainly don't mean it to come off that way. However it sounds to me like you're perhaps jumping into this purchase too quickly without enough knowledge to really know what youre buying.

The only way to really know anything about the engine is through receipts. Who built it and when? You say a 383 stroker. More often than not, a stroker engine measuring 383 cu. in. is a small block Chevy. I'm not about to try to start a Ford vs. Chevy debate, that can go on forever. What's not debatable is that a Cobra with a Chevy engine usually carries a very significant price discount. Is this in fact a Chevy engine? Without a build sheet from the builder, there is absolutely no way to know what this engine is. For all you know it could be a junkyard engine with a fresh coat of spray paint on the outside. All you have is the sellers word on what it is.

You mention that it's a 1998 car. Was it built in 1998? If so what do all the rubber compnents look like? Rubber degrades over time even when just sitting. Check out all the rubber seals, gaskets, suspension bushings, etc careflully. How about the tires? They may look good visually but how old are they? There should be date codes on the tires. Why did he drive the car 500 miles yet it still needs an alignment? Why didn't he get that done? That's usuallly one of the first things done when a car is completed. That's concerning. Does the seller even know for sure what he's selling? If he doesn't know, how can you possibly know what you're buying?

A 6 speed transmission is usually a good thing, what transmissiion is it? What clutch is in it? It sounds to me like you may need to learn more about Cobras in general before you start to learn more about this particular car. You mention you want to buy this car ASAP. I would suggest you slow down and learn more about Cobras before you buy this or any other Cobra. Lots of red flags here.