Fox Body Cobra with Rough Past Turns Supercharged Bruiser
Teal 1993 Cobra got banged up after it left production line, but thanks to CJ Pony Parts, it now has more power and upgraded hardware.
We’ve all heard multiple stories about 1960s Ford Mustangs being pulled out of barns and restored to their former glory. But it’s 2020, which means even the latest ’90s Mustangs are more than 20 years old. That’s plenty of time for accidents and the elements to take their toll. The 1993 Mustang Cobra in this video from CJ Pony Parts certainly didn’t have an easy time since it rolled out of the factory. Fortunately, it got a second lease on life and a bunch of new parts since then.
The ’93 Cobra wasn’t special just because it was a Cobra. It was the last Cobra of the Mustang’s beloved, boxy third generation. According to CJ Pony Parts‘s Bill Tumas, Ford made 4,993 of them. It only offered three exterior colors, teal, black and red, and two interior color schemes, gray and black.
To set the ’93 Cobra apart from other Fox-bodies, Ford gave it a unique grille opening, scoopless profile and special rear bumper and wing. Upgraded shocks and struts and unique 17-inch wheels helped it hold the road. Disc brakes at all four corners made sure it stayed shiny-side-up.
No special Mustang would be complete without engine mods. The Cobra‘s 5.0 had several, including GT40 heads, GT40-based intake, a 65-millimeter throttle body and custom cam and underdrive pulleys. Tumas says, “This was rated at 235 horsepower, but many felt that was very underrated as they make closer to 260 to 270 horsepower, stock.” Official torque output was 310 lb-ft. A 5-speed manual gearbox with fortified internals and 3.08 rear end put the Cobra’s striking force to the pavement.
Tumas got his hands on a teal Cobra that obviously needed a lot of work. “When I bought this car, it had 175,000 miles on it, had been in multiple accidents and was in really rough shape.” During the process of refreshing it, Tumas took some enthusiast liberties.
Of course, Tumas modded the engine. He went with a custom short block, Ford Performance camshaft and cylinder heads and a supercharger. “This makes roughly about twice what the stock ’93 Cobra would’ve made.” He treated the Cobra’s other major components with the same enthusiasm. Tumas’s build sports subframe connectors, coilovers, larger sway bars and a set of custom brakes with larger discs.
The interior is gray like it was originally, but that’s about the only similarity to the OEM cockpit. A shop made special ribbed door panels and seat covers. An aftermarket steering wheel sits in front of custom gauges. A cue ball knob tops the shift lever.
Tumas takes his modified modern classic out on the road and stretches its legs. With its fresh teal paint and throaty V8 roar, it looks just as good as it sounds. What once was a rough relic is now a hot head-turner – just what Ford built it to be nearly 30 years ago.
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