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  •  » 1981 cobra mustang

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    9/07/2021 7:34 PM  #1

    val fulesday
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    Registered: 9/23/2013
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    1981 cobra mustang

    considering a 1981 cobra mustang, t5 which is still in the car, no engine, but the rest of the car is there, BUT it is a typical west texas car, meaning the interior is shot. no title, shouldn't this car have the 8" with four lug hubs and a limited slip? what do you think the car is worth?

     

    9/07/2021 8:03 PM  #2

    MS
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    From: Canyon Lake, Texas
    Registered: 1/24/2013
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    Re: 1981 cobra mustang

    Probably a 7.5” rear.

    Money you enjoy wasting is NOT wasted money... unless your wife finds out.
     

    9/07/2021 8:40 PM  #3

    josh-kebob
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    From: Madison, AL
    Registered: 4/06/2013
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    Re: 1981 cobra mustang

    Are you sure it's a T5?
    If an original trans for that year, should be a SROD (single rail overdrive) 4 speed...considered weak but then again, the power plants for that 81 weren't very powerful.
    Of course, someone could have stuffed  T5 in there after the fact.  Take a closer look to be sure...

     

    9/08/2021 5:03 AM  #4

    TKOPerformance
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    From: Newark, DE
    Registered: 12/15/2014
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    Re: 1981 cobra mustang

    Definitely 7.5" rear.  If it has a T5, which I doubt, its a NWC.  It would have to be a screaming deal. 

     

    9/08/2021 6:49 AM  #5

    val fulesday
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    Registered: 9/23/2013
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    Re: 1981 cobra mustang

    thanks for the replies, I am waiting on the vin number and pictures. doesn't sound much like a 350 mile trip, each way to go get

       •Thread Starter
     

    9/08/2021 7:18 AM  #6

    Rufus68
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    From: Knoxville, TN
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    Re: 1981 cobra mustang

    That cobra on the hood reminds me of the Pontiac screaming eagle.

    1968 T-code Coupe with a 302.  Nice car, no show stopper for sure, but I like it.
     

    9/08/2021 7:25 AM  #7

    Rufus68
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    From: Knoxville, TN
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    Re: 1981 cobra mustang

    This, https://www.mustangspecs.com/1981-mustang-axle-information/, shows an 8.8 axle was available.

    This, https://www.mustangspecs.com/1981-mustang-mechanical-information/, shows a 5 speed was available.

    You'd have to get the VIN to know.

    1968 T-code Coupe with a 302.  Nice car, no show stopper for sure, but I like it.
     

    9/08/2021 7:52 PM  #8

    val fulesday
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    Re: 1981 cobra mustang

    I do have the vin ORO3A117191, hoping to get it checked out, the owner said she was told there wasn't enough digits in the vin number,

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    9/08/2021 9:29 PM  #9

    josh-kebob
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    Re: 1981 cobra mustang

    Not enough digits....vin has 17 digits.

    Vin will tell you engine, where manufactured, body style, year, plant were built,sequential unit number.

    Need the info from data plate decal to decode trans, axle, color, etc...

    See if seller can take pics of vin and data decal for you.

    Last edited by josh-kebob (9/08/2021 9:36 PM)

     

    9/09/2021 4:32 AM  #10

    val fulesday
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    Re: 1981 cobra mustang

    I understand what the vin does, I have pictures of the vin there are only 11 numbers both,  the door tag and the dash. could this have come out of mexico and be different? in a box to the right of the vin number  are these f0172, but still one number short.

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    9/09/2021 5:48 AM  #11

    josh-kebob
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    Re: 1981 cobra mustang

    Good luck..

     

    9/09/2021 5:56 AM  #12

    TKOPerformance
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    From: Newark, DE
    Registered: 12/15/2014
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    Re: 1981 cobra mustang

    Rufus68 wrote:

    This, https://www.mustangspecs.com/1981-mustang-axle-information/, shows an 8.8 axle was available.

    This, https://www.mustangspecs.com/1981-mustang-mechanical-information/, shows a 5 speed was available.

    You'd have to get the VIN to know.

    The 8.8 didn't start being used until 1986.  The first year Fox Mustang actually had a 6.75" rear, after that it was the 7.5" until 1986, and then only the V8 cars got the 8.8". 

    '79-'82 Fox cars had the 4 speed SROD trans.  The T5 started in '83, and then it was NWC.  WC T5 started in '85.

    Sorry, these early cars didn't have good drivetrains in them because they were weak kneed and didn't need the strength.  The good news is that all the good stuff will swap in, but we come full circle to: it better be cheap to be worthwhile. 

     

    9/09/2021 6:53 PM  #13

    BILLY WALTON from GEORGIA
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    From: CARROLLTON GEORGIA
    Registered: 4/14/2013
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    Re: 1981 cobra mustang

    Due to my last 27 years of running vin numbers as a police officer ....it is 80 model the ORO3 MEANS ITS A 1980 COBRA HATCH BACK
    Reason being is prior to 81 vin numbers were 11 digits they changed to 17 digits in 1981 our dispatchers had to run VIN prior to 81 models under a different code.

    Also we stopped using the letter O or the number 0 in vins also in 1981.

    The vin  you provided ORO3A117191 breaks down as follows

    O means  1980
    R means   San Jose California
    03  means hatch back or Cobra optioned   (not sure the difference because O3 is used on regular Mustang too)
    A   means 2.3  88hp  SOHC  4cyl non-turbo   (may be regular Mustang cloned to look like Cobra ) cause no turbo
    117191  is the sequential unit number

    Also  5 speeds were not put in mustangs till 1983.

    Its really me....I fixed my caps lock .
     

    9/09/2021 8:37 PM  #14

    val fulesday
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    Registered: 9/23/2013
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    Re: 1981 cobra mustang

    thank you very much, I really appreciate it, not worth the trip to go get it, even for free I will let her know.

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    9/09/2021 9:15 PM  #15

    BILLY WALTON from GEORGIA
    Carrollton, GA Bash Host

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    From: CARROLLTON GEORGIA
    Registered: 4/14/2013
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    Re: 1981 cobra mustang

    your welcome

    Its really me....I fixed my caps lock .
     

    9/10/2021 10:01 AM  #16

    Steve69
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    From: Madison Wisconsin
    Registered: 4/01/2013
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    Re: 1981 cobra mustang

    I had a 1979 Cobra when I was in Army.  Loved that car.  It was really fast being it was so light.  I had the 4 speed OD transmission.  I went through a couple of them.  There not very strong.  I think a t5 would bolt right up in its place.  It looked really similar to the 4 speed.  When I bought my 69 Mustang in 1992 I sold the Cobra.   Steve69

     

    9/10/2021 3:19 PM  #17

    TKOPerformance
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    From: Newark, DE
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    Re: 1981 cobra mustang

    I've read that a Tremec bolts to the SROD bellhousing.  Now the T5 is currently produced by Tremec (Tremec bought the design from Borg/Warner some years back), but I'm pretty sure the Tremec 3550, TKO, TK500, TK600, and TKX use a different bellhousing than the T5.  I would verify that before planning to swap anything.  I'm going by what I've read on some of the Fox forums over the years.  Academic anyway, obviously he's not buying the car at this point.  Sounds like the seller doesn't know what she has, and that's usually a bad start to owning a car. 

     

     

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