GT vs. Cobra

The main difference is Ford built a 2002 GT and didn't build a 2002 Cobra. ;)

Jok> What are the differences between a 2002 GT and 2002 Cobra ?

So unless you are into racing you should bother about a Cobra I presume ...

If it's in your budget, buy the Cobra. If it isn't, then buy the GT. There are differences, often subtle, some right in your face.. but they are there. By trying to turn a GT into a Cobra, you will be spending time and money that you really can avoid by buying the Cobra.

If you aren't into the muscle factor, then why not settle for a 6 banger, and really drop your insurance cost and the cost of purchase. You'll have money left over for mods as you go.

Kate

98 Cobra Drop Top

260hp? Not bad, I remember all the complaining about the 4.6 change, seems it's paying dividends now.

So can you (or anyone else) illustrait the year by year improvements that boosted the 4.6 30hp over the last SN95 5.0's? What were they getting in 96, 98, 00 etc.?

Another subject I've been curious about is the relative differences between the other variations (mach 1 for instance).

Ok... mind you, this is going strictly from memory....

The 4.6 first showed up in Mustangs in the 1996 model year (not counting the two 1993 LX's that leaked out of the factory as test vehicles turned special race vehicles). Horsepower was close to the late 5.0's output, but something was missing. Of course, it was bottom end torque. The 4.6 wants to rev. It was rev limited even lower than the 5.0 though, so there didn't seem to be enough power available....

In 1999, they opened up the heads a great deal and gained a bunch of horsepower. These are some of the best flowing heads available for these engines... and there have been rumors of people running well into the 9's (forced induction) on the stock block (with forged internals) and mildly massaged '99-up PI heads. A very, very popular swap is to put the PI heads on a pre-99 4.6 GT. Not only do you get the higher flowing head, but you also get a slight bump in compression, which helps performance even more. These heads, along with a couple of other very small modifications which were probably more for longevity than performance, brought the 4.6 to where it is today.

The 1996 DOHC Cobra was rated at 305hp. This continued until 1999, when the ratings were 320hp. If you recall, there was quite a fuss and even a manufacturer's recall about the power output of the 1999 Cobra not matching its rated listing, and the recall involved some exhaust or intake work, I can't remember which, to get the car up to its rated power. I'd guess that not much was changed between 1996 and 2001 save for those small modifications which netted 15hp.

The 1999-up GT is actually rated faster 0-60 than the 1996-1998 Cobra, but the Cobra will beat the GT in the quarter mile by a tenth or two.

The DOHC cars had higher compression and, obviously, 4 valves per cylinder, to gain the extra horsepower over the relatively mild SOHCs of 1996-1998. They were aluminum block engines as well to keep some of the weight down.

The Bullitt had a different intake and suspension modifications. This is rumored to be the hot setup for suspension, and JD Adams will attest to that. The intake has shown its worth in supercharged applications but not so much in NA form.

The Mach1 is, for all intents and purposes, a 1996-1998 style DOHC with different heads from what I've heard. I may be off base here. Horsepower is supposed to be in the 300-305 range and can be optioned with an automatic transmission, something that the Cobra can not be currently.

The 2003 Cobra switched to a cast iron DOHC block, sports forged internals, and of course, an Eaton supercharger. Stock at 390hp (though some dyno tests show higher outputs) at the flywheel, a few thousand dollars worth of chip, pulley, and exhaust has been proven to provide between 450-500 hp at the *rear wheels* with the suspension system to match. In this trim, the car can hang with a stock Viper and Z06, and beat them depending on drivers, etc. The biggest flaw in the '03 Cobra is its chassis, dating back to a

1978 Fairmont. Many parts still interchange, the chassis isn't necessarily very stiff comparatively speaking, the car sits up a little high to run with the exotics as well (body roll issues), and just weighs a ton compared to some of the canyon carving machines of the world.

Whatever I missed, I'm sure someone will fill in.

JS

Absolutely not. There was and never will be a 2002 Mustang Cobra.

Sweet, thanks for the info, I've been curious about that but never got around to asking.

So what was the story on the Boss?

That sounds like someone re-badging the outside and adding interior dress-ups to the inside to make ppl think he had a Mach 1. If Ford put out a Mach 1 with a V6, I'll just go puke.

no this was at the dealer .... I went there yesterday .... and it was a new mach1 ... looked just like the v6 .. .even had the single exhaust ... I will re-check sometime to make sure I read the specs correctly ...

Could not have been a Mach 1.

"Greg B." groaned... If Ford put out a Mach 1 with a V6, I'll just go puke.

========== Greg.. Sometimes you totally crack me up.

Kate

On Mon, 14 Jul 2003 15:14:20 GMT, "Greg B." wrote something wonderfully witty:

Move over, I need to talk to Ralph about my new Buick.

i am into the muscle factor :-)... btw, I got a new job today ... really awesome .... maybe the cobra might just fit into my budget .... :-D

hehe ... ok ok .. .I will go to the dealer and clear our confusion .... just caught up in the process of changing jobs .... btw, I have the crappiest job ever ... however, the good news is I might have just found the perfect job ... .:-) ttyl ...

snipped-for-privacy@home.now (JS) wrote in :

According to Car And Driver magazine, it was the exhaust. Apparently, there was a flaw in the assembly process which flattened one side of a bend in the exhaust pipes, causing a restriction. The cure was to replace the part with a mandrel-bent, undamaged piece, and to fix the assembly process.

-- Jim

thanks !! sure I'll see what I can do ... Where do you live ? just send me your resume ... I have been hookin up all my friends lately ....

- SS

The '99 Cobra motor had more problems than just a pinched exhaust. The recall, if I remember correctly involved, a muffler swap, the intake being extrude honed and the computer being recalibrated. (There was also some talk about the compression on some motors being a little low.) And even then _some_ weren't quite up to 320 HP.

Patrick '93 Cobra