there is no car like the 2003-4 cobra hands down

The 2003-4 is the best race car ever put into the hands of street and track racers. Its a god if you ask me. The cobra is out the box 390hp. thats tight as hell as it is. With just the change of a pulley and slicks the car runs 11's. change the blower to a kenne bell blower (easy swap),and change out the irs rearend for a 8.8 rearend and the car will run 9's all with the stock motor. Alot of people look at stock numbers and judge. You should look at number of mods to make power. lets see:

2003 cobra $34,000(not bad)
blower pulley $140.00(not bad)
rear end and bullet proof it. $500 (cheap)
slick and extra rims. $600(not bad)

will you pay $1240 give or take a few dollar, (for the guy who can't do the work theirselfs) to run 10's.

the best part its still street legal. change off you slicks and drive it home. cant beat that with a sti or z06 huh!

do you know and cars that could hold 1200hp without taking off the fictory valve covers?

Yeah, it would be great if teh entire world was made up of a quarter mile track, and people didnt want a car that was, um, reliable.

Worship your god - I have a different opinion.

I agree. The Mustang Cobra RULES!!!!!! The cobra actually gets more than 390 horsepower. Ford underrated the engine. The output of the engine is actually more around 420hp/420tq. I can't wait for the next generation cobra. My uncle works at a ford dealership. He told me that the next cobra will a supercharged 5.4L V8 with 480hp. :)

I am not trying to be a dick but they dynoed one on MM&FF and it only got like 380 and so did the one they dynoed on Horsepower TV. I do agree tho the Cobra is one bad mamajama.

I am not trying to be a dick but they dynoed one on MM&FF and it only got like 380 and so did the one they dynoed on Horsepower TV. I do agree tho the Cobra is one bad mamajama.

Yea but 380RWHP on a car that is suppose to have 390flywheel hp.... it's definetly underated by Ford.

03-04 Cobra is not the god of cars but for it's price range and what it can do and take.... it is rather amazing. IT's a demi-god lol

i have absolutely NOTHING against the 03-04 cobras, but 1200hp?. there are a lot of people out there doin that but its not safe. the motor was rated at 1000hp before major components begin to fail, that means it could happen before that or it could hold until 1500hp, whether you throw a rod or the crank snaps and goes through both ends of the block. it can and at those power most likely will happen. but if you have the money, why the hell not, go ahead and beef it up. im tellin the truth here, if i had the money, i would drop in an 03 cobra motor as soon as i could. (and id boost the HELL out of it). hell for just $800 (custom chip, pulley, and cat-back exhaust) you could be runnin really high tens. that to me is a gift from god

Yea but 380RWHP on a car that is suppose to have 390flywheel hp.... it's definetly underated by Ford.

03-04 Cobra is not the god of cars but for it's price range and what it can do and take.... it is rather amazing. IT's a demi-god lol
I dont get why people keep confusing FWHP/BHP to RWHP... :dunno:

i have absolutely NOTHING against the 03-04 cobras, but 1200hp?. there are a lot of people out there doin that but its not safe. the motor was rated at 1000hp before major components begin to fail, that means it could happen before that or it could hold until 1500hp, whether you throw a rod or the crank snaps and goes through both ends of the block. it can and at those power most likely will happen. but if you have the money, why the hell not, go ahead and beef it up. im tellin the truth here, if i had the money, i would drop in an 03 cobra motor as soon as i could. (and id boost the HELL out of it). hell for just $800 (custom chip, pulley, and cat-back exhaust) you could be runnin really high tens. that to me is a gift from god

Yeah 1200 is higher than I've heard.. But I've seen videos of a late 90's mustang, I think a '98, running 8.6 somethin 1/4 miles on a stock cobra short block(block, crank, rods, pistons). That means he should be puttin down 800-1000hp at least. I don't know of a single other short block, hell even a stock engine block, that can take 1000hp, let alone in a car that is $35,000 brand new. They're probably be best bang for the buck cars right now.

The 2003-4 is the best race car ever put into the hands of street and track racers. Its a god if you ask me.



Let the flaming begin!

i'd rather take a mach1 , 12's on slicks n/a, i dont respect any FI factory car, they could have just put in a H.O. 302 and made money braging the return of the 5.0

I'm not impressed by the performance #s of the cobra, especially with a supercharger, but the short block is to die for. Thats a quality motor even if it is sub-par(to my standards) stock.

i'd rather take a mach1 , 12's on slicks n/a, i dont respect any FI factory car, they could have just put in a H.O. 302 and made money braging the return of the 5.0


Well that was about the most pointless and stupid thing said on this thread. Sorry man, To say that you don't respect any FI factory car is dumb. It makes you sound like alot of LS1 guys that are all butthurt about the cobra owning the LS1 camaro's. Also what is the big deal braggin about how someone can hit 12/11's all engine with no NOS and still be street legal. Well, I can go down the track with my thumbs up my butt, does that make me special? NO! I guess there are people just just like feel of pure power and speed no matter how you achive it, all engine, Turbocharged, Supercharged, Nitrous. Then you have the people that like to sit in the corner and brag to eachother how they ran blah blah blah numbers with a thumb up there butt and steering with their teeth.

untill you can beat a car that you make fun of, you had better respect it.


Andy

im sorry but if they have a car w/ bascily the same motor thats not forged making only marginaly lower times. if ford has to make it suercharged to get in in the low 12's thats sad. NOTHING from ford impresses me.

not teh 18k mid 15sec focus, not the v8 sc car that only runs mid 12's, not the slow family cars.

nissan has a 14 sec i4 cheeper then the focus
SHO set the benchmark for family v6's, had a jap motor
and they feel the need to use a sc to get the cobra in the 12's? i'd rather have a n/a car running 12's anyday

i'd rather have a low 14 sec n/a tuned escort then a srt-4 anyday, and for 10k i can get 318whp, and kill teh srt-4

I agree with Hypsi as well.

i gotta agree with HYPSI. i have my opinions, but i keep them to myself. if you like a car that i dont im not goin to bash on it or you. because i respect you and your car

i love corners...straightline power is overrated...1/4 mile is overrated...if all ur doing is makin lots of power for 1/4 mile an straightline...u need to get out more...true u may be able to beat that Sti....until u hit a corner

yeah im more of a corner guy too, but i still like to see pure acceleration

The best cars can do it all. And I agree with HYPSI. Why does it matter how you got the power if you have it?

Looks like some folks are here to start a flame war, nothing else.

im sorry but if they have a car w/ bascily the same motor thats not forged making only marginaly lower times. if ford has to make it suercharged to get in in the low 12's thats sad. NOTHING from ford impresses me.

not teh 18k mid 15sec focus, not the v8 sc car that only runs mid 12's, not the slow family cars.

nissan has a 14 sec i4 cheeper then the focus
SHO set the benchmark for family v6's, had a jap motor
and they feel the need to use a sc to get the cobra in the 12's? i'd rather have a n/a car running 12's anyday

i'd rather have a low 14 sec n/a tuned escort then a srt-4 anyday, and for 10k i can get 318whp, and kill teh srt-4
:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::r ofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:



I could break down your post but Ill just laugh at you instead.

I love N/A hp but when I guy with a S/C or a Turbo whoops my fucking ass I'm sure not going to think less of him that's just retarded.

And as far as Ford only getting 390fwhp with the Cobra what would you like them to do? Turn up the boost get 500hp(which it can do easily and reliabley) and then make it so you can buy the car and never be able to afford the insurance on it? Some people are so dumb to you know what the insurance would be on 500hp car that cost $35,000?

Also I will never get you people who are so into the I want a corner carver. I could care less about how my car turns because unless I'm going to SCAA events every weekend or something like that. Which 90% of you people who own STI and shit like that never do. I would never push a car to it's limits on a corner on the street cause unlike a track or a SCAA parking lot when you lose it you hit a tree,wall,car, person whatever. And if you do push it like that on the street you should be dragged out of your house and shot.

I love N/A hp but when I guy with a S/C or a Turbo whoops my fucking ass I'm sure not going to think less of him that's just retarded.

And as far as Ford only getting 390fwhp with the Cobra what would you like them to do? Turn up the boost get 500hp(which it can do easily and reliabley) and then make it so you can buy the car and never be able to afford the insurance on it? Some people are so dumb to you know what the insurance would be on 500hp car that cost $35,000?

Also I will never get you people who are so into the I want a corner carver. I could care less about how my car turns because unless I'm going to SCAA events every weekend or something like that. Which 90% of you people who own STI and shit like that never do. I would never push a car to it's limits on a corner on the street cause unlike a track or a SCAA parking lot when you lose it you hit a tree,wall,car, person whatever. And if you do push it like that on the street you should be dragged out of your house and shot.
Ha true about the corner carving thing... Half of these people that tout that dont even know that the Cobra has an IRS suspension. They think just cause its a mustang it MUST have a live-axle.

Ya know sure a naturally asperated 12 second car would be ideal. But hp is hp. I don't honestly believe the poor bastard behind you is gonna feel better because you kicked his ass with a supercharger or nitrous vs being naturally aspirated. A loss is a loss.

And if anything is overrated its these corner carvers. Where on the street are you going to be able to drive like that? I mean and not kill yourself and everyone else. Sure they did it on fast and the furious but a, that was the movies. Unless you are on a track where the true measure of a car and the driver in it can be made, IMO its a waste. When I go to the track thats the first thing these euro guys start screaming when they loose. "If we were on a road course I would kick your ass". Yeah right.

Only runs mid-12s? You do realize the fastest production supercars "only" run mid-11s, and cost 10 times as much.
"not the slow family cars"
Do family cars need to run a 14,15,16,17sec 1/4 mile? Hell no. Most people wouldn't want them to. If they did, they'd buy the SHO.

You do realize with ford's current motor lineup, getting 400hp out of one of their motors N/A would be a horrid vehicle for the street. 281ci pushing 400hp is going to be a high revving, unreliable, rough idling motor that would be much more of a pain to drive than a supercharged one. Supercharged was they way to go with the 4.6. They can keep the RPMs down, reliability up, and driveability much much better. Superchargers/turbochargers/NOS aren't bandaids for power. A bandaid is something you tack on to add power/prevent bad things from happening.. The motor was built entirely for a supercharger. It was designed for it. It does it well. And it is very undertuned, as someone else said, for insurance reasons. Not everyone who owns a Cobra is capable of handling 500hp. Not everyone who owns a cobra is capable of handling 390! They have to have some responsibility with a car that cheap.

Only runs mid-12s? You do realize the fastest production supercars "only" run mid-11s, and cost 10 times as much.
"not the slow family cars"
Do family cars need to run a 14,15,16,17sec 1/4 mile? Hell no. Most people wouldn't want them to. If they did, they'd buy the SHO.

You do realize with ford's current motor lineup, getting 400hp out of one of their motors N/A would be a horrid vehicle for the street. 281ci pushing 400hp is going to be a high revving, unreliable, rough idling motor that would be much more of a pain to drive than a supercharged one. Supercharged was they way to go with the 4.6. They can keep the RPMs down, reliability up, and driveability much much better. Superchargers/turbochargers/NOS aren't bandaids for power. A bandaid is something you tack on to add power/prevent bad things from happening.. The motor was built entirely for a supercharger. It was designed for it. It does it well. And it is very undertuned, as someone else said, for insurance reasons. Not everyone who owns a Cobra is capable of handling 500hp. Not everyone who owns a cobra is capable of handling 390! They have to have some responsibility with a car that cheap.

Good post one thing.... people did want SHO's. They sold more and more every year until 96 when they went to the ugly body style Taurus that ruined it.

and the slower v8 ford put in and they took away the 5spd option

conan obrien has a SHO..lol

no, he gave it to brad pit

SHO set the benchmark for family v6's


Since when did the SHO set the benchmark for family car v-6 performance :screwy:. the benchmark for that was set looooooong before the SHO was even an option. man, go drive a FI car, I promise you will not be disapointed.

tel me a 4door car in the 80's running high14's n/a from the factory w/ a v6

V6 SHO's only ran low to mid 15's stock. Also, the V8 also failed because there was a problem with camshaft failure that destroyed the engine unless the cams were welded or pinned in a certain location. I've heard rumors that the V8 in them also put out nearly 300 hp, but ford didn't want a Taurus beating the Mustang; so they took it down with intake and exhaust restrictions. Not 100% sure on that one, but I've heard it.

then explain the numerouse people that have hit 14's in them stock?

Ford had a Supercharged v8 demo version in a car show once that claimed 325hp

I've never heard of that, but I guess if they were damn good at shifting it could be possible. I heard they were considering using a Supercharged 3.0 Duratec for this generation's SHO, but I guess that fell through. It was supposed to ahve 250 HP.

You did not say anything about a NA v-6, The GN's were running 13's stock way before the SHO. Besides if you think that running 15's or 14's stock is a benchmark for performance then you need to go do some homework. I am done arguing this point. I do not need to argue with someone who would rather try to race a riced out zx2 that is slower than my grandmas hoverround than somthing like a SRT-4 or equlivalint car that is faster :screwy: . Have fun staring at peoples taillights

Hypsi87

since when is a chip, udp, intake cam gear, header and catback rice? on a stock looking escort?
1/2 the people on this forum would never call a svt focus rice, but its got more aperance done from the factory then many hondas on the street and barely break mid 15's. is that then rice?


and grand national isnt exactly a family car is it? no, how about you read befor you post

I say we end the SHO discussion here. Or you can just make a thread about the SHO vs. other family sedans in car comparisons or taurus forums. By today's standards it is nothing extraordinary and it cost a helluva a lot to repair.

Back on topic: Wouldn't the Cobra be better off with a 302 or a 351? The 5.0 stangs seem to stomp the 4.6 ones at the track.

thats what i was saying, i'd rather have a stock 390hp 302 then a 390hp sc 4.6

wait a few years, the 4.6s will be walking all over the 302s, guarenteed. The 302 is a dinosaur, its been around for 40 years. Ford was smart to let it die. The 4.6 is MUCH MUCH better engineered. It has much more potential than the 5.0. The only reason the 5.0 does so well today is it has been around 40 years and has the aftermarket to show for it. 4.6's are already kickin ass and they're right around a decade old. Not knockin the 5.0, its a great motor, but for a new stang, it doesn't belong. The only other motor I'd like to see in a cobra is a 5.4. We have 30+ years of cars with windsor motors in em, how about we let the windsor live on in restoring/modding those cars, and let the 4.6/5.4 develop its full potential by stickin around for at least another decade in the new cars.

The 5.0 only has a 21ci on the 4.6. It would still be a high reving, non-idleing, gas sucking street machine.

wait a few years, the 4.6s will be walking all over the 302s, guarenteed. The 302 is a dinosaur, its been around for 40 years. Ford was smart to let it die. The 4.6 is MUCH MUCH better engineered. It has much more potential than the 5.0. The only reason the 5.0 does so well today is it has been around 40 years and has the aftermarket to show for it. 4.6's are already kickin ass and they're right around a decade old. Not knockin the 5.0, its a great motor, but for a new stang, it doesn't belong. The only other motor I'd like to see in a cobra is a 5.4. We have 30+ years of cars with windsor motors in em, how about we let the windsor live on in restoring/modding those cars, and let the 4.6/5.4 develop its full potential by stickin around for at least another decade in the new cars.


hey, duplex, i'm sorry man, i aggree with a lot of stuff you say but i gotta call this one.

first of all, have you ever tryed to work on a 4.6. its such a turd to work on, everything is so big on the engine (and the displacment isn't even that big either) and the bay so small.

second, why should the 302 die? its a great engine, hell of a lot lighter than a 4.6 and has a history. and its 36 years its been around, not over 40.. personaly i think as far as cams go if its not a push-rod its pointless..

and will you all stop being so damn touchy about everything... everytime someone has a diffrent point of view you attack it. and then you say that you don't care what anyone else thinks.. haha :grinno: :grinno:

so 4.6 is better then 5.0? what happened to the no replacement for displacement argument?

so 4.6 is better then 5.0? what happened to the no replacement for displacement argument?


always wondered about that too...why not keep the .6L

Hey, I'm not puttin down his point of view, I wasn't puttin down what he thought, just voicing my opinion. I just think windsors have had their day in the sun, its time for something better.
Sorry, I was just guesstimating on the year of the first 302, I knew they came in the early mustangs, so I threw a number out there. The windsor family is older than the 302 anyways, since the 289 and 260 came before them.
I'm not saying the 302 should die as in everyone should stop building them; I said " how about we let the windsor live on in restoring/modding those cars". I just don't think Ford should ever put a 302 in a car again. They have a better(in my opinion) engine now, why go back to the 302?
And believe me, I'm not knockin old motors, I have a '69 mustang with a 351c, thats nearly as old as the windsor. Same basic design, pushrod motor. Overhead cam is superior though. Look at the 427 SOHC. The last stock shortblock to even hold a candle to the Cobra 4.6s would be the 427 side oiler of the mid-late 60s. Stock crossbolted mains, forged cranks, H beam rods, and forged pistons? dual overhead cams? And have you seen the intake ports on the 4.6 head? Just begging you to make a sheetmetal intake. Yeah they're not the easiest to work on, and a 4.6 isn't for everyone, but neither is a 5.0. But for me.. sign me up. A '98 cobra is going to be my next car. I'm even considering selling the '69 as early as next summer to buy one.

Oh, and the replacement for displacement is rev's and efficiency(not to mention turbos, superchargers, and nitrous...)

only newer stangs i wants are a 95 cobra, 96 mystic, 01 cobra, 04 mach1. if i had to get a V6 it would be a 94 body, lower hp or not i like teh body more and a nice head package would more then even it out

Well, we have to keep the families seperate too, Ford has a 5.0L version of the 4.6L. There really isn't a replacement for displacement, but the Modular family is better than Windsor/302.

I just want the short block of the cobra, its not gonna stay stock, thats for sure.. 96-98 cobras are the cheapest with the 4.6 obviously.. Theres a nice black '97 cobra coupe near me for 9 grand. Makes me really want to sell the '69, and throw the turbos on the cobra.

hm.. arn't the svt cobras suppose to weigh north of 3800 pounds? whats the hp and 1/4 mile of them if anyone knows.. oh yea.. what tranny and gears do they use? ohh.. what tires? thanks

390rated hp (more like 420-425ish) 12.5ish 1/4
and the iron block and forged pistons add a lot of weight

the 03/04 cobras weigh somewhere around 3600lbs.



Anyone who says "Id rather have a 450hp apple than a 450hp orange!" is an idiot!

I had a 95 Cobra, but I had to sell it since I'm saving for school. I got a good deal on a 91 rx-7 though. I don't agree with the whole corners versus straights. I think when there is a balance between the two then you have a nice car. I autocross and I'm equal to the mustang gt's that run, but they would kill me on the strip. All things said I like the rx-7 better since it handles so much better then the Cobra did.

I'd stick with the 4.6 better design.

As for me I'll just stay camless for now :)

#1 The SHO did set a benchmark for the 4-door sports car(4DSC) market at the $30,000 and under range. They invaded a market that was once only the domain of BMW, Audi etc.., for less money and paved the way for the Maxima SE and such. The grand national is not a 4DSC so it doesn't apply.

You guys love the 302 so much but let me tell you if Ford had kept putting them in the Mustang... Mustangs would be as dead as Camaros. The 4.6 is a motor that is 10x more advanced and 10x cleaner than a 302. The 4.6 is only 8 years old and look at the improvements Ford has made in that short time. And it's only going to get better. You say it's too complicated to work on but that is the same thing people said when the 5.0EFI first came out.

Not to say the 4.6 doesn't have problems it.... why Ford used a thin wall/long stroke stock design will always confuse me. And yes that 4.6 is really shoehorned in the car but that's how all newer cars are. But the 4.6 is already out performing the 302 and it will only contine to seperate itself more every year.

why couldnt they have used a 5.0 modular motor?

reliability.

how would a n/a 4.6 be more reliable then a n/a 5.0? the 5.0 could take more hp, and seing how 302's hve been around for years the market would have established amazingly fast, and have kept all the die hard 302/boss302/5.0 fans. marketing wise it would have been better, performance wise it would have been better also

the n/a 4.6 has better cast/forged parts and the modern cylinder head design allows the 4.6 to out perform the 5.0

hence why i said 5.0 modular, im not talking about a old pushrod, im taking about a 302 built on the same technology they used for the 281

hence why i said 5.0 modular, im not talking about a old pushrod, im taking about a 302 built on the same technology they used for the 281
Why? If you want a 5.0 modular go get a different crankshaft thats made from an aftermarket company.

Me, Id rather have a turboed or twinscrewed 5.4 DOHC Modular :grinyes:

Anyone who says "Id rather have a 450hp apple than a 450hp orange!" is an idiot!

so your saying you wouldn't care if you had a 1.6 running on about 350hp of juice... than a 450hp small block ford N/A?