96-98 Cobra: Red Headed Stepchildren of the Mustang world.

avitar290 · Apr 26, 2008

OK, let me just start by saying that this is going to be a bit of a rant. With that out of the way, on with the bitching. I am the proud owner of a 97 Cobra vert. I really like my car, but it just doesn't get the exposure that I am looking for and it is lacking in some very important areas. Let's start with the production of the car. SVT puts these super bad arse teskid blocks in them, then they drop in a very decent crank, and then they did something I don't understand...they put in rods and pistons that can't handle any after market power. I mean at the time of the inception the 5.0 had become an after market tuners wet dream come true. Did Ford not think that the mod motor would be the same way? That brings me to another complaint. What is with the prices/availability of after market power adders. Nitrous is easy enough, but god forbid you want to slap a supercharger on this thing. From what I understand, it's a great way to put a window in your block...thank you crappy rods and pistons. I don't get why I have to pay a significant amount more for a SC kit than I would for a GT of the same year.

I guess what this all boils down to is this. I just wanted a car that I could make 450rwhp without major modification and/or bankroll. I thought this car would be the ticket, but it doesn't look good. I just want to be able to slap a SC on over a weekend with some buddies and then go tear up the tarmac, but I guess that dream was not to be.

PS- I know I could put some nitrous to it, but that is not what I want. I want a GD supercharger and I don't want to sign over my first born and immortal soul to get it. Feel free to put me in my place and flame me if need be. I don't pretend to be an expert and I really do love my car, it just frustrates me sometimes.

AaRoN · Apr 26, 2008

You have to remember that you've only got 281 cu. in. to work with. As far as an aftermarket, the 4.6's (2V and 4V) don't have much support at all. That's the biggest "Modular" problem.

avitar290 · Apr 26, 2008

Here is a price list for what I could find.

Paxton Novi 2000 $4609.95
Procharger P600B or P-1SC $3399.00
Vortech SQ SC-Trim $4300.95
Kenne Bell TS1000 2.1L $3799.00

Add some more moolah for the rods and pistons and don't forget the labor. Cha-ching cha-ching! Had I but known all this before hand I would have bought one all ragged out and rebuilt the motor. Would have cost me as much as it did for me to just buy this car. :wall:

scarface · Apr 26, 2008

sell it and buy an LS1...thats what all the cool kids are doing now a days.

Brian95SVT · Apr 26, 2008

Scarface said:
sell it and buy an LS1...thats what all the cool kids are doing now a days.

:nonono:

uncltrvlnmatt · Apr 26, 2008

You should have just bought an 03/04 Cobra. That would have solved all your problems. Now go sell your 97 vert and buy an 03/04 Cobra. You will get you 450 rwhp with little mopre than a tune, headers and full exhaust.

Magic · Apr 27, 2008

you can make upwards of 400RWHP (with an S-trim for example) and still be on the safe side without worrying something is going to let go....depends on your right foot and the tune...one thing, when u do tune it with the blower, just dont remove the factory rev limiter...

Shocker98GT · Apr 27, 2008

Well really the big killer of the 4V in these situations is the very high factory redline, or at least even with a power adder, your desire to USE that factory redline. You have a 7000rpm redline, and remember that inertia loads on the bearings, rods and pistons increase with the square of RPM. So say the crankshaft speed increases by a factor of 3, the load is actually 9x greater. That's the reason engines don't blow at 2000rpm even with a supercharger, they blow near redline. That's also why the centrifugal supporters "having high boost and low RPM could damage the engine" argument isn't valid.

This engine is hard to intercool for a positive displacement application due to the sheer size of it, so the KB kit is non-intercooled and lower boost compared to say a 99-up PI gt. The tune is also more conservative to stave off detonation, another reason it doesn't make super high power numbers (considering the flow of the heads, anyway).

Personally, when people are worried about pistons and rods, I think turbo is the best option. You can run less boost to get your desired power output, and because you're running less boost you also don't strain the fuel system as much, you also strain the engine less on top of removing the load that a supercharger presents to the crank.

rick focks · Apr 28, 2008

science is coo

i'll trade you my GT for your cobra outright!?!??! :hammer:

seriously...yeah....moddin' a modular's expensive....i bet you'd be real happy w/a termy

Ciotti · Apr 29, 2008

I don't think red headed stepchild is the right description of the SN-95 Cobra's, it's more like the best deal out there man. I got mine for $5,500 and I found my dad one for $8,000, with $2,000 in mods you can have them up to 300 at the rear wheels, and for another 5 or 7 you can have a supercharged set up with supporting mods that will put down 450 - 550 all day every day. Need more? 10k will get you turbos and all the supporting mods to blow dam near as much boost as you want and make up to four digit horsepower numbers. No matter which way you go, you're still under the cost of a stock 400 horse Terminator, you have the same interior, a rear end that when built can handle almost limitless amounts of power, and you've got something different from the gobs and gobs of Terminators out there.

Red headed step child my ass, a better choice is more like it.

badass98svt · Apr 30, 2008

Ciotti said:
I don't think red headed stepchild is the right description of the SN-95 Cobra's, it's more like the best deal out there man. I got mine for $5,500 and I found my dad one for $8,000, with $2,000 in mods you can have them up to 300 at the rear wheels, and for another 5 or 7 you can have a supercharged set up with supporting mods that will put down 450 - 550 all day every day. Need more? 10k will get you turbos and all the supporting mods to blow dam near as much boost as you want and make up to four digit horsepower numbers. No matter which way you go, you're still under the cost of a stock 400 horse Terminator, you have the same interior, a rear end that when built can handle almost limitless amounts of power, and you've got something different from the gobs and gobs of Terminators out there.

Red headed step child my ass, a better choice is more like it.

I couldn't have said it any better myself. Seriously,I don't know who told the O.P. that you can't mount a SC without major issues. Go visit the SN area of SVTP and ask some questions. You'll be surprised.
As Ciotti mentioned, these car are readily available for $8000 and under. How is THAT a bad deal?

Ciotti, I didn't know your Dad bought a SN too...pics please...

AaRoN · Apr 30, 2008

Also throw in the fact that these cars are 10+ years old.

Black97GT · Apr 30, 2008

+1 to Ciotti and badass.

badass98svt · Apr 30, 2008

There's lots of 96-98 Cobras out there making 400+hp on the stock shortblock

Ciotti · Apr 30, 2008

badass98svt said:
Ciotti, I didn't know your Dad bought a SN too...pics please...

He borrowed my car for a week and when I went to get it back he says "find me one of these ASAP, I want one" so I got him an 80,000 mile one in pretty much showroom condition for $8k.

Here are a few pics of his moments after we got it...
http://www.ciottiindustries.com/gallery/?Qwd=./Cobras/7. The Death Eater/WhiteSnake&Qiv=thumbs&Qis=L

And for the record, I wasn't trying to be a dick in my original post, I just love these cars that's all

uncltrvlnmatt · Apr 30, 2008

Ciotti said:
badass98svt said:

Ciotti, I didn't know your Dad bought a SN too...pics please...

Click to expand...

He borrowed my car for a week and when I went to get it back he says "find me one of these ASAP, I want one" so I got him an 80,000 mile one in pretty much showroom condition for $8k.

Here are a few pics of his moments after we got it...
http://www.ciottiindustries.com/gallery/?Qwd=./Cobras/7. The Death Eater/WhiteSnake&Qiv=thumbs&Qis=L

And for the record, I wasn't trying to be a dick in my original post, I just love these cars that's all

I let my dad barrow my Cobra for a couple days and he almost bought one to. "She Who Must Be Obeyed" said NO.

avitar290 · May 1, 2008

OK, A lot of people seem to think that I feel the car was a bad deal. Like I said in my original post...I love my car! The problem is with the upgrades. They are EXPENSIVE and not as readily available as the GTs or other year mustangs and the parts that are available are EXPENSIVE. Did I mention they are expensive? :crazy2: Some have said also that some folks are getting 400+ rwhp with the stock internals. If that is so then happy days are here again, but I have read many a post and article stating that you will likely grenade your block with the stock guts and that much hp. I just thought I would be able to pick up a centrifugal supercharger system for about 2500$ and have a quick street ride. I guess I could go with nitrous, but I don't really want to.

Black97GT · May 1, 2008

avitar290 said:
I just thought I would be able to pick up a centrifugal supercharger system for about 2500$ and have a quick street ride. I guess I could go with nitrous, but I don't really want to.

Go to the corral.net classifieds. Find yourself a good deal on a used S-Trim. Probably get a complete kit for 2500-3k. If you can install it yourself all you have to worry about is tuning it/fuel stuff if the kit didn't come with that. That is probably the quickest/cheapest way to get to 400rwhp.

Here is a link to where you want to go

http://forums.corral.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=273