So, I noticed the Ford dealer where I just bought my '12 Focus from had a nice looking Crossfire coupe out front and I decided to stop and take a look at it. It's an '04 Limited w/ 19.5k miles, manual trans, in perfect condition inside and out. I really want a roadster but had never driven a Crossfire so I wanted to take it out to see how I liked it. My salesman threw a dealer tag on it and said, "key's in it, see ya later".

Observations: For only being a couple hundred HP, it has a lot of torque and is surprisingly quick. Hit 95 briefly on the hwy pretty quick and it seemed happy as a clam. The structure is rock solid and looking in the engine compartment it seems like there is ample room for routine maintenance and for repairs. My Focus is an easy manual to drive, the Crossfire is harder to launch smoothly and I found myself either burning rubber from a stop or lugging it and bucking off the line. I would assume I would overcome this with time. I'm 6'4 155lbs and was just at the limit of head and legroom, but was comfortable. It's low to the ground but I'm 25 so I can climb out...for now. Overall I was impressed.

Questions: When at hwy speed and coasting, there was a loud hum that came from the rear end. Once you were back under power it was quiet. Is this a common issue? Another thing I noticed is when shifting at slower speeds and when rolling up to a stop and shifting transmission clunked noticeably. Is this normal? Last thing, the shift *** was loose and felt like very cheap plastic. Are there good replacement ones?

The dealer is also a Chrysler dealer, so my salesman's going to keep and eye out for any roadsters that come in on trade. Preferably one in rougher shape that I can pick up pretty reasonable. My dad has a shop and we don't mind reconditioning cars.

Thanks

 

hey! yeah you do get use to the taking off at first when i got my crossfire i was like also either a mini burnout or a jittery start, i haven't experienced the chunk sound when rolling to the lights but i do know the Chrysler crossfire first gear can pop out of gear some times.

i had the same problem when i bought my crossfire the gear **** moved around and felt cheap i easily bought a aftermarket **** very easy to install, you can get a OEM Mercedes gear **** off ebay for about $100

as for the sound i always have music on lol but it may be the spoiler..?

hope you find a good price for one they are great cars.

 

Thanks for the reply. I'm pretty sure it was the rear end humming when coasting, then under power it quit. Maybe the transmission, I didn't think to throw in the clutch while coasting to see if that made a difference. Oh well, I'm sure I'll be test driving others, so I'll see if they make the same noises.

I'm planning on using it for 3-4 fun days at the local road course (Nelson Ledges) and for driving on nice days (no winters). It seems plenty peppy for my purposes...and I've always loved the looks.

I've been searching all of my sources: Autotrader, Ebay, the forum, dealer auctions I can bid in. I should have been looking more aggressively over the winter when prices were a little better.

 

My 04 crossfire does hum a little while at very low throttle, I've read of others having the same thing happen from day one but it doesn't seem to have been related to any problems so far. When driving, I press the throttle just a tad more and the humming disappears.

 

Hi D-boy, with the way our winter has been, I don't know if prices went down that much this year or not.
Out of all the manual transmissions I've owned, the Crossfire is one that took some getting use to. No big deal really, but it doesn't shift as smooth as any Japanese cars I've owned. Just a little "notchy" shifting from 1st. to 2nd. Sitting in as close proximity to the differential as one does in the XF, does enable you to hear the rear end more clearly than most other cars. But that's not to say the one you test drove didn't have a problem. (it sounded like a bad pinion bearing from your discription).
If you have access to the dealer auctions, then I'm sure you can find just what you're looking for. Hold out for a roadster if that's what you really want, and you should feel just a little more comfortable in convertible thanks to a little more headroom.
What side of Cleveland are you located?
I'd like to hear more about your Corvair P.U
I'm a big fan of of the old Dodge A100's myself, but always liked the Vairs too.