steppin up to a 4V

[SSG96GT]

So I got to thinking about my situation with my 96 GT.
Motor needs rebuilding / replaced, new rack and pinion, ball joints, head lights as well as alot of lil stuff I want replaced that are just worn cause the car is 12 years old.
I dont have a place to work on the car to do a motor swap or any work (not even a garage)that is not simple bolt ups.

So when I get back from Korea.....Feb 2010 I am going to trade in the 96 GT for a 01-04 Cobra. Depending on what I can find. I would love to get a 03, but it all just depends. I know I am going to loose money on the GT, but its in Oklahoma in a storage unit and I am going to get hit with Recruiting duty most likely in TN. The car might make the 15 hour drive to TN, but only after I sank a few hundred bucks in it first. Not sure if I should put the money in it and drive it back and sell it, or just cut my losses and trade it in.

I am pretty siked about the decision to get the Cobra and the wife is supportive too. She just said if my Cobra gets faster then her 2007 Subaru WRX then I have to put money in her car to make it faster....How awesome is that!!!! :headbang:

 

[94darkhorse]

I want to have a wife like that!

 

[uncltrvlnmatt]

You will love the 4V.

 

[SSG96GT]

I have been looking around and not had too much luck on info/parts and that kind of stuff on the 01-04 cobras. Also, do the 01-04 Cobras all have the same internals? I know the 03 Termi's are the best, but do the 01 and 04 have the same internals?
I saw a video on youtube of a 03 with a TT pushing 18lbs of boost and over 800HP to the wheels on the stock long block! Thats awesome! I am definately going with a Kenne Bell thou!

 

[95PGTTech]

03 and 04 terminators are identical and different from a 1999 or 2001 Cobra. 03/04 is supercharged, better fuel system, forged rods/pistons, slightly different heads and camshafts, six speed, upgraded clutch, better rear independent suspension.

get a 2003 or 2004. a 1999 or 2001 cobra is nothing more than a mach1 and nothing really significantly different than a 1996-1998 Cobra other than a slight horsepower bump and independent rear suspension. if you buy a 1999 or 2001 cobra, you'll be doing like all of us do and spending a lot of $$$ per horsepower and always wishing to do a terminator upgrade.

I'd be happy with an 04

tints
wheels
springs
diff brace
gears
lower pulley
lts, catted x, catback
intake + dyno

make over 500 at the tires, look drop dead gorgeous, run and drive reliable, quiet, like stock, call it a day.

 

[DropTopPony]

Why not keep the 96 and do a 4V swap? Its not hard and 4V parts can be found at good prices over on Corral.net etc. This way you can keep the sexy body and build a 4V the way you want it from the ground up. A Twin Turbo 4V in a 96 body sounds pretty damn sweet to me.

 

[dafizuck]

Why not keep the 96 and do a 4V swap? Its not hard and 4V parts can be found at good prices over on Corral.net etc. This way you can keep the sexy body and build a 4V the way you want it from the ground up. A Twin Turbo 4V in a 96 body sounds pretty damn sweet to me.

I dont think I would have used a single different word in that statement (except for 98). Man... youre good. You should def do that and make a build up page, with 100s of pics.

 

[95PGTTech]

Why not keep the 96 and do a 4V swap? Its not hard and 4V parts can be found at good prices over on Corral.net etc. This way you can keep the sexy body and build a 4V the way you want it from the ground up. A Twin Turbo 4V in a 96 body sounds pretty damn sweet to me.

and it's still a 13 year old chassis. With a glass transmission.

not to mention the interior changes, fuel system, suspension, rear, etc.
terminators are not ugly by any measure

 

[SSG96GT]

I would but I have no where to work on the car at all. Plus the dependability of a 03-04 with low miles is very appealing!

 

[rick focks]

go termi

 

[SSG96GT]

tell me this dont make you want a termi with a kenne bell

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2lQX3cOAbes&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2lQX3cOAbes&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

 

[95PGTTech]

the argument for the terminator was that bolt ons = fast, reliable, fairly cheap, light modifications.

a kb is not a light modification.
kbs notoriously run hot and require a very skilled tuner on the dyno.
kbs look like home depot supercharger kits.

stock or whipple. accept no imitations.

 

[realitygt]

I'm wanting to step up to a 4v too but only an 01 or maybe a 97/98 both with very low miles. Just wanting a low mileage cobra that I can do some mods to and dd for a couple years... then put away with less than 50k on the clock and buy a different dd

I'd mod my gt more but I just can't really justify it in my head... since it's "just a gt"

 

[snoball]

the argument for the terminator was that bolt ons = fast, reliable, fairly cheap, light modifications.

a kb is not a light modification.
kbs notoriously run hot and require a very skilled tuner on the dyno.
kbs look like home depot supercharger kits.

stock or whipple. accept no imitations.

New Kb's are fine.. Whipples are overated. Hellion twin turbo kit ftw.

 

[SSG96GT]

I looked into whipples too. They are pretty nice, I just couldnt find a price for them. I have a 07 Subaru WRX so I have a turbo'd car I want a supercharger now!

 

[NERD]

4v's are great but they are not the end all in perfection. If you do a swap, 03+ 4v's are your best bet. A termi swap would be a lot harder people are leading on just because of the price and the availability of them. Buying a Cobra would be pretty easy and it would be worth the money any way you look at it. Although, I bought and built my 2v for cheaper than a nice 03 Cobra would cost stock.

And, a car being a cobra just has a bit more appeal for me but also remember they are twice as expensive to mod the heads and cams.

 

[ThePope]

If your gonna pick up a 03/04 cobra, I would get a 04. I know the 03's have that cylinder head recall. If the 03 has the updated heads then that ok. But stay away from an 03 that didn't get the updated heads.

As for the early 99+ plus cobras, I would stay away from them too. I see alot of those with alot of engine problems. Unless you know the person took really good care of it, stay away.

Thats just my input from what I seen and what I seen people have experience with.

 

[realitygt]

^^ i really haven't seen very many engine problems in the 99-01 cobras, only the 03 with the head tick cause of the cooling

and on early pi engines the spark plug holes would strip and the plug would fly out... I think that's much more prevalent in new edge stangs than problems with the cobra's

 

[NERD]

^^ i really haven't seen very many engine problems in the 99-01 cobras, only the 03 with the head tick cause of the cooling

and on early pi engines the spark plug holes would strip and the plug would fly out... I think that's much more prevalent in new edge stangs than problems with the cobra's

+1 all years have their average problems associated with them. Get what you can afford, be a reasonable start and have the potential you need.

 

[95PGTTech]

the argument for the terminator was that bolt ons = fast, reliable, fairly cheap, light modifications.

a kb is not a light modification.
kbs notoriously run hot and require a very skilled tuner on the dyno.
kbs look like home depot supercharger kits.

stock or whipple. accept no imitations.

New Kb's are fine.. Whipples are overated. Hellion twin turbo kit ftw.

yeah, because turbo kits on mod motors are so reliable and easy to tune.
never any drive ability issues at all.