Ok, as you may know, I believe the 93 Cobra is the best Mustang of all time. Debatable, sure, but that's my opinion nonetheless.
So, I bought one. I had my eye on a black on black car that used to belong to a friend of mine. He gave me first dibs on the car when he decided to sell it, so I gladly took ownership. The car is showing 50k on the odo (who knows if that's right???), and it's definitely worse for the wear. The paint is bad, the interior needs work, and the car has sustained a light front hit (maybe ditched???) that resulted in some light frame rail and apron damage.
So, along with my many other projects, I have my 93 Cobra sitting in the corner of my shop, needing attention, and I don't know which direction to take it. The damage and paint are easily fixable, as well as the necessary interior resto, and the car is complete with no rust. The motor runs great, and air blows cold. The car is stock with the exception of a Magnaflow cat-back and an Off-road H. The car is far from show quality now, but it's not a bad example of a complete, rust-free 93 Cobra.
I could easily have the damage repaired, do a quicky re-do, and enjoy the car in it's current form. It wouldn't be a "10", but with regular maintenance and minimal abuse, it could look good for a long time. In order to be a "10" everything needs to be gone through. I would like it to be a "10", but if I go through the time and expense of restoring the car, how should I do it?
Since everything would need attention, would it be worth the time to make some mods? Or, do I leave the car alone, hack one of my other, less valuable cars, and let the Cobra hibernate and appreciate in value? What looks to be a below average car will certainly improve in relative condition and value as other cars get wrecked, stripped, and modded to oblivion.
I must say, it's hard to fight the temptation to modify it. I would no-doubt leave the car looking stock, but do I install the conservative turbo kit, TKO trans, and built rear end? Dare I say take it to the track and flog the poo out of it on slicks after an in-depth restoration and tons of cash? Should I put the stock motor aside and build a 331 with forged rotating assembly, boss block, and AFR heads? What about a Cobra R brake kit and corner-carving suspension package? Plenty of these cars have already been modified, so mine would be no different, but if I keep the car for 20 years, will I regret taking away what really made it a Cobra in the first place, which is the best off-the-shelf product Ford offered at the time?
My generation will certainly remember the 5.0 for it's street dominance and infinite modification possibilities. Does that mean that a stock car will never be held in very high regard? Who wants a stock tri-five Chevy, 69 Camaro or 67 Fastback? Those cars, too, are known for being badass, and modified to the owner's taste and preference (and often destroyed in the process).
I'm at odds with this. I believe, like the aforementioned automotive icons, 5.0 cars will be worth big bucks in the future. In my opinion, the 93 Cobra represented the climax for the 5.0 Mustang, which, as a whole, can be accredited to bringing back factory performance as we know it today.
So the question is...leave it stock and do some quick resto to make it drivable? or do a full resto with all stock parts? or do a full resto, and make it fast? Help me out here.....