95 Cobra Rebuild

Yankee-Brit 1

New Member
Jul 21, 2014
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Hi Guys,

Just signed up here and im looking for advice on rebuilding a 95 Cobra 5.0.......I had a 95 GT conv but want to get serious on this one...grew up in 60's with 327 chevy blocks etc
So far I have F-303 cam, Procomp rockers, Moroso 7 gt oil pan, aeromotive red fuel lines and Procom aluminum heads with 2.020 intakes.....and suggestions would be so welcome
 
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What do you want to get out of the car, and how much do you have to spend. ProComp is not a very well respected brand.

We are currently doing a rebuild on our 94' Cobra. It's going to be really neat when it's done.

Kurt
 
What do you want to get out of the car, and how much do you have to spend. ProComp is not a very well respected brand.

We are currently doing a rebuild on our 94' Cobra. It's going to be really neat when it's done.

Kurt

Hi Kurt,
That's the type of info I am looking for.....im looking for something a bit serious but street drivable also...lucky for me I own a small machine shop so that's a plus....I gave the 95 convertible to my step son as wedding present so I can always give him the heads......I read that GT40x and GT40 p heads can be ported and polished to give same type of performance?....also considering a Vortech as soon as I know enough about them....the Cobra already has MDS dist and control module, so im thinking someone has played with this car before which leads me to think stripping engine completely down...this is a lot different from 60's muscle cars
 
Everything in the long block is very similar to the 60s stuff. It has a one piece rear main seal and a roller cam. The fuel injection makes it much easier to tune for the street.

This is what we are doing with our Cobra.

Fresh shortblock with forged pistons
GT-40x heads x302 casting, unported, 6 angle competition valve job milled 40/1000s
Stock Cobra intake ported
Comp Cam 276HR.

The machine work is all done and the engine is shipping back this week for me to assemble.

We wanted it to look Cobra nostalgic, meaning no off brand logos or part numbers or Chrome under the hood. That was why we went with the GT-40x casting. I was always of the opinion that if you are going to go all out then tear up a GT, but the Cobras still command a little money so it's better not to go too crazy with them. We are hoping for around 360 fwhp. The limiting factor was the intake. It only flows about 210 cfm stock, so there was no reason to port the heads since they flow 249cfm unported. Ported the intake flows about 250cfm, so it should be a good match.

The best heads for performance are the Trick Flows, followed by the AFR lineup in my opinion. If it's an entry level head they are all about the same. The car comes with GT-40 iron heads, and they aren't terribly good. The preferred iron head is the GT-40p head that came in the Ford Explorer. It's more of a budget thing though. If you don't have a lot of cash to throw at it, you can get a low mileage Explorer engine out of the junkyard, slap a cam in it and go. If you are going to throw any money at the heads, ie portwork, or valve job, it's more cost effective to just go with aluminium ones.

It's all personal preference and budget though. Anything too radical and you have to start looking into a new transmission which gets pricey real quick.

Kurt
 
I can appreciate keeping the Cobra appearance under the hood......wasn't sure myself about losing it. On my GT I used Typhoon power plus with the adaptor and 70mm throttle body and CAI, MSD dist and coil and noticed big difference from stock.....changing the rear end gears made huge diff.
The cam you used has a .544/.566 lift....did you have to notch the pistons?.....can I assume with the F-303 cam and aluminum heads with 2.020 intake that I will have enough clearance on the pistons.......sorry if so many questions but I want to learn......why forged pistons over originals......I take it from your comments the T-5 tranny wont take too much increased HP and torque
 
We are running a set of aftermarket Mahle pistons with good valve relief. I couldn't tell you what cam combination specifically will clear. Most anything with a 2.02 valve requires notching. The only way around that is to get the Twisted Wedge Head which has a different valve angle.

The typhoon is another crap Chinese part. It's cheaper to get the real deal used than to buy the Chinese knock offs new.

Kurt
 
Thanks for all your info.....had no idea the Typhoon is Chinese knockoff...damn.....so many websites and catalogs out there for Mustang parts...how the hell are we supposed to know...don't see any disclaimer anywhere!!!

Alan
 
Just look at the price. If it's too good to be true, it probably is. If ATI is selling a fluid balancer for $400, and there is a "Jegs" brand or whatever next to it for $150, it's probably stamped in China with fish oil in it.

Kurt