Terminator Roadster Build by cChrisM - MK3 7011

Now that I was really to build the ultimate car, I needed the ultimate donor. The 2003 Mustang Cobra Terminator.

I decided the best option was to get an actual donor as the pallet option left too many unknowns. I searched all the sites, Craigslist, Ebay, Car Forums and never seemed to be quick enough or committed enough to put out the money wrecks were going for. So I joined a couple of online insurance auction broker sites. These sites you bid online. The highest bidder's offer is taken to the actual auction. What I didn't know is that the broker could actually get the car for much lower than your winning online bid and they pocket the difference. Well i would search everyday for the few Terminators that would come up. I also didn't want one that was too banged up. I kept losing on the bidding. After months and months, I decided I needed to raise my limit and won an auction. I was so excited I won. Then the overwhelming feeling of what have I done??? I just spent $10,900 on a wrecked Mustang that I never saw before. Brilliant!!! Then you get hit with taxes and fees and have a few days to arrange shipping from FL to NJ. Another large bill. Won Donor on 7/10/08.

The donor finally arrives on 7/21/08, and I am away on business. The car is on a car carrier like the dealers use, two level giant thing. They can't get close to the house so my wife meets them at the nearby major roadway. She calls a flatbed to drop it off at the house. The wife's tolerance is extremely high and she was a great sport dealing with it all. I was so excited to see the car in person. The online site gave plenty of pictures but nothing is like sitting in it and touching it. I was so excited I even washed it. The neighbors all came over to ask when I got the car and when I crashed it.

Another tid bit, the cars get man handled at the auction site. The exhaust was dented from the forklift they must have used to move the car around. The rear bumper was a little more mangled from being apparently pushed around. The tail lights were broken and other lose items were torn from the car and thrown in the trunk for transporting.

The battery was dead so I charged it. The radiator was destroyed but the motor looked in tact. The oil looked good. So I crossed my finger and turned the key. VVVrrroooom!!!! What a beautiful noises. It Worked!!
As soon as I started it, I turned it off.
[IMG]http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss43/cChrisM/Donor%20tear%20down/cobra2.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss43/cChrisM/Donor%20tear%20down/cobra8.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss43/cChrisM/Donor%20tear%20down/cobra7.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss43/cChrisM/Donor%20tear%20down/cobra4.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss43/cChrisM/Donor%20tear%20down/Copyofcobra5.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss43/cChrisM/Donor%20tear%20down/cobra3.jpg[/IMG]