05-1947

I went from this



To this



Everyone thought that I was crazy, but the cars are night and day. The only thing that I thought I missed was the interior space, but now I actually like the smaller cabin feel of the Cobra.

I have $1200 in the car and have 450rwhp!! The IRS is great to drive with, the six speed is awesome, and the blower whine makes me happy.

My roush had all the typical bolt ons/gears.... and was fun but just doesn't compare.

DrunkenDragon713

The only problem with the Cobra is the IRS. It's a p.o.s. The car was not made for it. People that race the Cobra always do a liveaxle swap. The IRS can handle MAYBE 600-700 HP at the very most. The liveaxle can take a lot more abuse.

If you don't race it, you need to either do a liveaxle swap or strengthen the IRS. Costs about $300 in parts and will save your car. The Cobras do something called rear wheel hop, when getting on it while turning, the back of the car kind of, hops through the turn. Do this too much and you'll need a new suspension, axle, just about a new rear end.

I've done the work on my buddy's car, it's a long process (about 8 hours with 3 people, but we also added a midpipe and made a few bracings to strengthen the backend even more) but you can feel the difference immediatly.

EDIT: I'm planning on buying a Cobra in 08 between March and August. IMO the best looking Cobras are the Black 10th aniv. verts. Any descent Cobra should run about 22k to 28k, depending on location.

boduke0220

gee thanks

Knight

its true.


hey I've owned 3 GTs and I have loved almost every min. Atleast you can mod a GT to the ground and never have to feel bad that you are ruining a limited supply.

05-1947

The average Cobra buyer is going to stay around 500rwhp, so they should be fine! It is far from a POS, as I would take it anyday over a live axle. I take the car to the track occassionally and can still manage the IRS.

As far as you saying the car was not made for it???

Knight

The chassis was never designed to ever have an IRS. back in 1979 when they started using it in the mustang no one would ever think a mustang would have such a thing.

So the IRS that they made had to be fitted into a less then ideal frame and existing mounting points and building it around the chassis made it less the optimal.

Rebel73

I have plenty of respect for the Cobras, but my mundane '05 GT is putting down around 450rwhp right now with my aggressive tune. Plenty of power for a daily driver and IMHO a much better looking car. Looks-wise, the only difference between the Cobras and the SN95 GTs is a couple of bodyparts. I won't get into the IRS vs. live axle debate. I think that just depends what you want from your car.

I know the Cobras have the inherent advantage of a forged bottom end, but good thing there's no aftermarket shortage for these cars! A forged RA is on my X-mas list!

Knight

the sn95 cobra has more body changes then the gt500 has.

both have bumpers, hood and rear spoiler. sn95 cobra has unique rocker panels as well.

actually i think it has more changes overall..

I still can't figure out how the gt500 ended up so much more expensive then the sn95 cobra.

Sn95 cobra had everything the gt500 has over the gt plus a completly different rear end and more unique body.

05-1947

Hood, front bumper, rocker panels, mirrors, rear spoiler, rear bumper... Could you actually change anything else??? I think the only thing else would be the rear quarter windows (like Mach/bullitt).

Knight

yeah i forgot about the mirrors as well. The 03-04 had more changes then the GT500 has.

Rebel73

ok, you make a good point. I didn't realize all those parts were involved. I guess I'm just more partial to the S197 styling, but I gotta admit, the Cobras do look pretty bad ***.

Still, I think for my next ride I'm getting a Factory Five Cobra and drop a terminator motor in it. 400 plus HP in a 2200lb package? Yah baby!

DrunkenDragon713

05-1947, sure, it's a smoother ride in normal driving, but for us guys/gals with heavy feet, it's a time bomb.

If you do no changes to the IRS and you go sideways often enough, you'll eventually be spending the several thousand dollars for a new rear end. This is not an opinion, it's a fact. Do the research.

97GT03SVT

I own an 03' and i don't see the irs as being much of a problem i bought a kenny brown product that braces the irs and reduced the wheel hop quite a bit. I've owned Gts and can't even compair it to the cobra but if the irs is that big of a problem save some money and buy a mach 1. Further down the road you could supercharge it and have the solid axel

DrunkenDragon713

Just go to a junk yard and rip out the liveaxle of a GT and be done with it.

Kenny Brown is the stuff I used on my buddy's car that I helped work on. He said it helped loads, but still wants to do further work to improve it.

Knight

IRS is fine for 90% of cobra owners. When first drove an 03 cobra i was suprised how well the car griped. The thing just squatted and went, no well hop at all.

My brothers supercharged bullitt also has a cobra irs with upgraded bushings and stuff and that car also launchs great for having 400+hp.

97GT03SVT

Personaly I think that if the buyer has a major problem with IRS then just buy a Mach 1. Stock for stock these two cars are much closer in performance than people think. The Mach 1 is a small step down from a Cobra but a huge step up from a GT. My friend has an 04' Mach and he keeps up with me fairly well until i hit 3rd but overall i feel the mach 1 is a huge bargain compaired to used cobras, saleens....

kingC95GT

so the mach 1 motor is the same as the cobra? wasnt there something something different from the heads or cam?

97GT03SVT

well the motor is a DOHC like the cobra its basicaly like a 96-98 cobra motor but its cast iron (like the 03-04 Cobra) i think the 96-98 cobras were aluminum. From what ive seen and herd the machs tend to be torquer motors then the 96-98 cobras though. oh and a big difference too is the lack of a supercharger

97GT03SVT

oh i also forgot the 03 cobras have a forged crank i dont think the machs do or the 96-01 cobras for that matter

mike1284

machs have an aluminum block, dohc with a forged crank. but only for the 5 spd's, autos dont. cobras have the forged crank and rods. and of course the s/c