FNG

cobrajeff96 · Feb 1, 2022

Howdy,

I used to be pretty active on just about EVERY facebook forum, but I deleted my presence there about a year ago. Anyways, I've had this 1996 Cobra convertible since 2004, been changing out things here and there over the years since. It's currently a gen2 Coyote swap with a T56 Mag and kind of a crazy IRS among lots of other things that are currently in the works. I've been in Germany for about 7 years now as a telecommunications contractor just trying to live the dream. I hope to get this car fully finished to include paint and body either this summer or next, and then finally tour the continent before it's time to head back to the good ole USA. Here's some recent pics attached.

Oh, BTW, I'm starting up another thread after this regarding DIY workshops, something that anyone here might take interest in!

Thanks.

Jeff

lwarrior1016 · Feb 1, 2022

Welcome! Glad to see another coyote swapped car on here. There’s a handful of us on here already.

Do you do any kind of racing?

Also, could you explain how you plumbed up your cooling system? And can I see more pictures of that IRS?

white95 · Feb 1, 2022

Did someone say Coyote?

cobrajeff96 · Feb 1, 2022

lwarrior1016 said:
Welcome! Glad to see another coyote swapped car on here. There’s a handful of us on here already.

Do you do any kind of racing?

Also, could you explain how you plumbed up your cooling system? And can I see more pictures of that IRS?

Howdy. Thanks. Glad to be back in the forums, as I left Facebook under my real name over a year ago.

Not sure this car will see any type of racing, I've had my fill of it briefly as an amateur long ago. Don't think I want to risk this car getting totaled or anything crazy.

For the cooling system, I had someone TIG the heater core with -10 AN male fittings, and I converted much of the heater hose system on the engine block to AN as well (-12 on the passenger side which tapers down to -10, and -10 on the driver side). I tried to make every line on the car carrying fluid a quick-disconnect to the greatest extent possible or practical, either by way of Staubli, Jiffy-Tite, or Aeroflow fittings. Each segment of heater line has these three-way tee fittings with 1/2N NPT on the runs and a 3/8 NPT on the tee so that temp sensors and a temp switch can be installed. Two for the factory sensors (gauge and CCRM fan) and a 195-210*F switch on the last one because the 96 ECU for some reason cannot command the low speed fan to activate even though everything has been thoroughly tested and verified working.

But yeah, that's pretty much it aside from the big-A -24AN lower radiator hose and the mostly stock upper. The upper has this air pocket sensor by Cartek that'll light up when it detects air in the hose for 3 or more seconds.

Oh, and I reused the 96 Cobra OEM reservoir because it has that handy low coolant sensor built in. Just used some Mishimoto silicone hoses for the reservoir connections. Engine also has a head cooling mod just in case.

cobrajeff96 · Feb 2, 2022

And here's some IRS shots, as well as the air pocket detector in the upper radiator hose and the heater core shot that I forgot to attach last time.

white95 · Feb 2, 2022

Very cool.

I will be looking for a build/progress thread

lwarrior1016 · Feb 2, 2022

Totally awesome. Curious though, why did you cut the top mounts off the cradle?

cobrajeff96 · Feb 2, 2022

Thanks. Not much more to go until she's road worthy.

Shifty Powers · Feb 3, 2022

welcome to the forums! Nice car too.

So how is having that car in Germany? Obviously not many of them over there

cobrajeff96 · Feb 3, 2022

Thanks. It's definitely nice to be able to go fast and not look over your shoulder, scenery can be great too. I've actually seen one or two of the SN95s here, but they look like they're hurting.

white95 · Feb 3, 2022

lwarrior1016 said:
Totally awesome. Curious though, why did you cut the top mounts off the cradle?

Is that considered the “hard tail mod”?

Shifty Powers · Feb 15, 2022

cobrajeff96 said:
Thanks. It's definitely nice to be able to go fast and not look over your shoulder, scenery can be great too. I've actually seen one or two of the SN95s here, but they look like they're hurting.

On the highways sure. Do you get any looks around town as I am sure they are a bit rarer than obviously the german scene.

Sucks the other ones are hurting a bit. But I am sure parts are not as easy to get over there.
Slightly easier with the newer models but yea still hard

cobrajeff96 · Feb 15, 2022

white95 said:
Is that considered the “hard tail mod”?

Looks like I missed this one...

This IRS is a product offered by the great Kenny Brown. Slashes off the odd Ford cantilever rear mounts and this goes direct to the frame rails, eliminating any flex back there for the subframe (got Delrin slugs in the front mounts, too). Kenny also chops off every pickup point for all the arms and the toe links to get the roll center as low as possible. I can't wait to get this thing driving to experience the difference.

Here in Germany, you get mixed reactions. I've seen some people give me some giddy thumbs up almost like they know what they're looking at and that they probably enjoy seeing it. Others... yea. There are some haters (and they are extremely full of hate), but I think most of them out there with the fast euro cars just want to see what the noisy 'Merica v8 can do against their extremely quiet twin-turbo 4 or 6 bangers.