I agree with Knight, the Cobra will have more mod potential but stock for stock I have consistently seen 99-04 GTs beat 96-98 Cobras. These Cobras are great cars but are a little soft off the line. Keep in mind the OP pointed out that both these cars have relatively high mileage too so I doubt either car is at the performance levels they were when new.

I remember friends of mind, one with a 97 Cobra the other with a 2000 GT that would constantly race each other and the one with the 00 GT would almost always win.

 

I would say you calculations are incorrect. With my 03 cobra I ran a 8.188 @ 88.53mph and thru the 1/4 mile I was 12.628 @ 111.85.

Your car would have significantly less power than my 03. I was on street radials not drag radials so I'm guessing your 60 ft is much better than mine and you didn't trap as high so your power back end of the 1/4 would not be as fast as my car.

In my opinion you would be in the high 12's.

 

yeah your pretty close. I have him about a 12.7-12.8 in the 1/4 with an 8.2 in the 1/8th.either way sounds about right, high 12s.

 

I dug up some magazine articles, this is what I was able to find.

1996 Cobra 14.00 (Motortrend)

2001 GT 14.01 (Car & Driver)

It is pretty much a drivers race despite the fact that the Cobra has a 45HP advantage the 99-04 GT keeps right up with it in stock trim.

Anyone what what kind of upgrades the 99 Mustang received from the 1996-98 models? The 2001 Cobra with only a 15HP advantage runs a 13.5...

I have a feeling all 1999-04 cars put the power down better.

 

solid axle vs irs. irs gives up some on the launch.

 

That's true but the 45hp difference between the 1996-98 cobra and the 1999-04 GT is significant, yet they are equally as fast.

 

Cobra has about 100lb more weight ( could be more/less depending on source), factor in weight, axle, real rwhp #'s between them and if wanted driver and it isn't hard to see why.

 

12.8

 

The 96-98 Cobras are SRA. I think the weight plays probably the biggest factor. I don't know the gearings, but that could play a factor as well.

 

I'm surprised if the Cobra weighs much more. The GT had a cast iron block the Cobra is all aluminum for 96-01. I figure bigger brakes and wider wheels may be the biggest weight penalty.

 

I am also suprised by this, but everywhere I have looked a 96-98 cobra weighs almost 3400 lbs where a 99 gt weighs just over 3200 lbs.

4v heads are significantly heavier than 2v heads but figured the block would even it out.

 

It must be the Cobra venom!

 

It's the weight. If a GT owner put a supercharger on his car and made the same rwhp as a 03-04 cobra the GT would win due to weight, as well as other reasons. But it would have to be even HP and torque numbers.

 

my bad, sad part I knew '99 was the 1st year for irs too .

I think they both have 3.27s but I would have to check what tranny gears they run and where the power levels kick in.

 

Hmmm..... my 99 V6 weighed in right at 3200 lbs. that's a little weird.

 

Seems heavy, the 99 V6 Manual is listed as 3064lbs.

 

I don't know. Now that was with 2 people in it so ithat probably made the difference now that I actually think about it.

Either way, seems odd the gt is only 140lbs heavier then my sixxer. That kinda sucks.

I know that 4.6 block is heavy as **** too.

 

You should be able to handle gt's. does your car feel bogged down? Try cleaning your mass air sensor and possibly coil packs. The coil packs on those cobras have given me and my buddies all kinds of trouble.