I am thinking real hard about ordering a 2007(?) Cobra if and when they become available. I have never ordered a car from the factory before, I've always settled for whatever was on the lot. Here are a few questions for dealers:

1. How do I know when ordering a Cobra is available? I surf this site pretty often and am hopeful that I will find out here. If I happen to miss it, however, is there some other way I can find out?

2. Is a down payment required at the time of the order, and if so, generally how much?

3. Can I have the factory put in modifications (maybe something from the Ford Racing Catalog) or an I stuck with the standard list of options?

4. Are orders handled by the factory in a first-come first-served basis, or is there a different priority system (i.e., how do I improve my chances of getting an early build date)?

Thanks in advance for any assistance,

C

 

i used to work at a ford dealership so let me answer what i can for you.

1. find an SVT ford dealership near you that sells a lot of SVT vehicles and ask for/find an SVT certified fleet manager. he/she will have news about upcoming production.
2. in california you can't take money to hold a car, so no.
3. NO, the dealer can install something like this but your list of options is SEVERELY limited from the factory due to the low production. they usually due the entire production run in less than a week.
4. high volume SVT dealers get first priority so if you want a low production date and you want to make sure you get your car get friendly with your local high volume SVT dealers fleet manager.

 

Thanks for the great information - two follow-up questions:

1. Is the 'no money down' thing nation-wide? I live in Utah...

2. My local dealer is an SVT dealer (according to the SVT website). How do I find out if they are (or who is a ) high volume SVT dealer? I don't dare ask my dealer, not sure I would trust their answer.

Thanks again for your help.

C

 

They may not be allowed to take money to "hold" a car, but they do require a downpayment when ordering a car. At least they do here.

 

on the "no money down", i'm not sure if that is nationwide or not. in california dealers are "not supposed" to take deposits, but some still do. the bottom line is if you can get a confirmed delivery date and/or a VIN number, leave a deposit and a reciept if they are asking for one and have them put in writing that the deposit guarantees the delivery of the car you have the deposit on. when a car is ordered and they start to produce it it will automatically generate a VIN number even before the car is completed.
i don't know where to find how much SVT product they sold but a look at the overall size of the dealership should give you an idea. if they sell a lot of cars overall, they will probably sell a lot of SVT too. a higher volume dealer is going to have very large lot, preferably in an automall, lots of inventory, lots of salespeople, advertising, etc... another source for SVT dealers believe it or not is the advertising section of Autoweek. i have seen ads for SVT dealers in there before, be careful though.
i hope this helps.

 

High volume dealers are big dealers. You may want to consider another, larger city (maybe San Fran?).

I've heard Ford has a special deal where if you lease a 2005 you'll be priority for a Cobra.