New Owner has Question

[Strad]

Hello, Just took delivery of my 2004 and after driving it for a while I have a question.
To me it seems as if there is a lot of driveline play...I hesitate to call it slop but it seems looser than anything I have ever owned. At first I thought it was engineered in..I have noticed a few things that are engineered in to impart a certain feel...But now I'm wondering...Is it normal? Are they all like that?

Thank You

[beerkat]

.
I hesitate to call it slop but it seems looser than anything

Yes you do not want to call it slop, call it slack and it is very common in the drive line of the '03/'04. My understanding is that it is in the T-56 transmission and thatit is pressent in other cars (vettes) as well. So do not worry about it and have fun.:thumbsup:

[RF Cobra]

Hello, Just took delivery of my 2004 and after driving it for a while I have a question.
To me it seems as if there is a lot of driveline play...I hesitate to call it slop but it seems looser than anything I have ever owned. At first I thought it was engineered in..I have noticed a few things that are engineered in to impart a certain feel...But now I'm wondering...Is it normal? Are they all like that?

Thank You
My '04 is the same way. Sometimes it is more noticeable than others and takes some getting used to but I have also been told it is normal.

[SlowSVT]

We call it the "clunk". It's the backlash in Tremic transmission. Don't worry they all do that. No one has reported any problems with it even after 30,000 miles. Corvettes use the same tranny and they have it too. It sounds kinda cheezey buying a $35,000 car and hearing it go "Clunk". You would think someone at Ford engineering would notice that noise too and say "wait a minute", Dah. Don't sweat it though. If you hear that noise and it gets you upset just press down real hard on the right pedal and that "Clunk" will turn into a "wooooooshhhhhh" and life is suddenly good again.

Other then that dirvetrain slop I love my Cobra and am real happy with it. People also moan about the paint being "thin" as well. After it's broken in I'm going to drop a Kennie Bell in there which will put me at the top of the food chain. Guys are getting 500 & 600 hp with these cars real easy. Welcome to the club

Russ :baby:

[Strad]

Thanks Guys...That makes me feel better.:cheers:
I thought it was engineered in.
I love the car..I'm not over happy about the paint..not because it's thin...aren't they all anymore?, but rather the "orangepeel"...My dealer agreed it wasn't up to snuff and they sent it out to be re-clearcoated and buffed out..it still isn't perfect but it's better than most I've seen on the showroom floor now.

To tell the truth I was kinda shocked at how well it handles as much as it's accelleration...it really sticks in the curves quite well.:D

[Skill]

My 04 does the same.After a few days of owning it I took it back to the dealer for the drivetrain clunk,drivetrain shift when shifting into first from a dead stop,and for that "hungry Cobra growling sound" while in first gear.I told them I didn't just pay $40k to hear clunking. All three items came back as normal condition.Technical Service bulletin #505000 .So like the other member said,just push the throttle down when you hear that-It will make you forget all about it.I work for GM and I personally think thats a little tooooooo much slack,slop,lash,whatever you want to call it.But if mine gets worse before 36,000 miles I will make sure It breaks right before then.Have fun with your new toy..................Skill

[beerkat]

about the paint..not because it's thin...aren't they all anymore?, but rather the "orangepeel"...
The clear coat Ebony on my car as a lot of orange peel also. I did not know that the dealers would/could do anything about it.:eek:

[BIGV]

I had a 01 cobra black and after driving it through 2 winters my hood looked like sh*t so I took it to the ford dealer and showed them I had about 30-40 chips in the paint some where the paint was flaking off they took a picture sent it to ford via the net and in 15 min said they would repaint at no cost to me. If you have serious paint issues take it back to ford and make a stink. I have seen volvos and such go through many winters with little or no paint problems fords paint sucks:banghead:

[Firme]

Alot of that driveline clunk can be remedied by doing upgrades to the IRS. Such as urethane bushing for the differential, IRS, and upper and lower control arms. A better differential helps to.

The Clunk is present in all of the IRS cobras, the 99's with the T-45 Transmission, the 01's with the TR-3650 transmission, and the 03/04's with the T-56.

A friend of mine just stuck a solid axle on his 99 ( :nono: ) and he said his clunk disappeared.

fords paint sucks:banghead:
agreed, I think in 99 (can't remember exactly) they switched to a "environmentally friendly" paint system which dramatically worsend thier quality of paint.

[Strad]

The clear coat Ebony on my car as a lot of orange peel also. I did not know that the dealers would/could do anything about it
We talked to Ford and they were willing to have it re-painted,,but this Ferrari-Aston Martin guy said it was in the clearcoat and he could re-do it...I am not sure what he did, claims some two step re-clearcoat process..to me it looks like he buffed it and did something simular to the "MING" process...cost the dealer $1500 and though it's not perfect they are willing to work on the spots I still have a problem with and it looks 100% better than showroom..so I am going to keep it...FORD was willing to give me another car,,,but even if it was better than my original finish, I don't think it would be as good as what I've got now that they did what they did...CHIPS???The paint on my 99 Aurora is better, but is plagued by chips and has been re-painted twice...I think it attracts them. ;)

I am still trying to figure which exhaust...The sound of Flowmaster, Borla and Bassini don't really do it for me...We will see...Thanks again for the help.

[SVTcobra04]

ive got a new 04 cobra and after about 1000 miles sometimes when the clutch is disengaged or the clutch pedal is all the way to the floor or close when im stoped a noise comes from the gearbox area that sounds like a screaching.if i put the car in neutral and let out the clutch it stops.does anyone know why my cobra is doing this or anything about it. and ive adjusted the clutch how it says in the owners manual.thnx

[ausie]

Before I bought my new 04, during the test drive I was impressed how tight the tansmission was. Now with 60 miles added it is still smooth and crisp. Other than that the rest of the drive line is similar to my ol' 01.

I can only hope to keep the new one as clean as the black 01. I was given many comments on how good the paint was (lack of swirl marks). I only wish I cleaned it before I went to the Ford dealer. That was the first time someone complimented me on how good the paint looks when it was dirty.

I know what the SLP loudmouth did for my 01 :D sweet:cool: , I will just have to see what it does for my 04. :bounce: (should have taken it off before I traded it in)

[davelegguy]

I now have 26000 miles on my 03 about 9000 of those are with a kenne bell running a 15 psi pulley. I just change the oil and put gas in it. once I got a custom dyno tuned chip I got a car that runs smoother than stock and gets better mileage with over 500 rwhp and torque. the only thing I've worn out is the tires. I am not doing 3500 rpm launches with slicks and I have become a much better (smoooooother) driver and that helps keep the driveline intact. I look forward to owning an 07 cobra . these :p cars have no equal in bang for the buck from any car maker in the world (yet) :p

[Mirage]

davelegguy~ "these cars have no equal in bang for the buck from any car maker in the world (yet)" I couldn't have said it better myself! :thumbsup:

[cobra330]

We talked to Ford and they were willing to have it re-painted,,but this Ferrari-Aston Martin guy said it was in the clearcoat and he could re-do it...I am not sure what he did, claims some two step re-clearcoat process..to me it looks like he buffed it and did something simular to the "MING" process...cost the dealer $1500 and though it's not perfect they are willing to work on the spots I still have a problem with and it looks 100% better than showroom..so I am going to keep it...FORD was willing to give me another car,,,but even if it was better than my original finish, I don't think it would be as good as what I've got now that they did what they did...CHIPS???The paint on my 99 Aurora is better, but is plagued by chips and has been re-painted twice...I think it attracts them. ;)

I am still trying to figure which exhaust...The sound of Flowmaster, Borla and Bassini don't really do it for me...We will see...Thanks again for the help.


I may need to know how you got Ford to help you with the paint on yours. It seems to me the paint stinks, that don't prep the vehicles right to travel which means they arrive in not the greatest condition and unless you were lucky enough to get yours and pull the stuff off of the car yourself...the Ford Dealers either let them sit on the lot with bird crap and dirt which hurt or the showroom floor..and watch people get in and out of them..while thier feet hit the side spats or they lean against them scratching them. I gotta tell you I like the car that I have but, the outside was less than desirable..Ford should do something better for thier SVT cars. Like I said any help with legal or who to call at Ford if mine is not acceptable. I mean it's only going to be 5 days they have had it...at this point. And it's VERT...with 5 of our best days here in Maryland for a VERT! I am so pissed!!!

[SVTcobra04]

what causes the growl sound comin from transmission in first gear.

[casey99COBRA]

yeah the paint sucks.

[ausie]

Probably just the mesh, My 01 made a similar sound when it was new but it was not as loud as it is in the 04. I only hear it if I am going really slow. Reverse makes much of the same noise. For some reason it sounds normal since I am used to hearing that from just about every standard transmission I have driven.

My ex-wifes Accura made similar sounds but it was more of a whine than a growl. You get the same sound if you pull out in 2nd gear too.