Cobra intake vs Edelbrock Performer...which is better for AFR 165's?

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Highbredcloud

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#1

• Dec 20, 2004

• #1

Hey guys...which of these two intakes would work better for me...Currently I have a Cobra intake...Tmoss ported the lower intake to match the AFR's...however, I have not used the intake yet since it was a left over project from my other car...I will be going with FTI cam and it seems as though the Performer is the intake to have with the AFR's...

How does my ported Cobra compare to the unported Performer...? How does a ported Performer compare to a ported Cobra (ported GT-40 lower)? I just want some unbiased opinion here...I see a lot of people running the Cobra intake with the AFR's as well but at this time I don't know if it is worth the extra money to spend on different intakes such as the Performer...Can anyone help me out with this...BTW: I saw the casting of the Performer and I am dissappointed...the FRPP Cobra intake is such a better quality piece...

thanks as always stangnet...

-Greg

 

8

87'GTstang

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I like both of them for different reasons. But from what I have heard, read, and seen, edelbrock makes a very good intake even out of the box. You say you have a ported lower though, so I would be hard-pressed to see a significant difference between the two. The question is can you justify $600 or so for the possibilty of a few extra horses, maybe, instead of putting it somewhere else that would have a larger impact? Stock for stock, i'de probably give the upper hand to the edelbrock. But for application-specific purposes, every intake will respond differently.

Besides the cam and the AFR's, any other modifications in the future that would effect airflow demands?

 

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stang2841

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#3

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I wouldnt touch the intake, keep what u got

 

GroverDill

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My mildly ported Cobra (lower only) is serving me well.

I will change cams before the intake.

 

5spd GT

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#5

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Keep the Cobra if you have it ported...

I'm happy with my Performer

 

maverick0716

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#6

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If you were to change to an Edelbrock, get the Performer RPM, not the regular Performer. It will match the AFR's better.

 

5spd GT

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#7

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maverick0716 said:

If you were to change to an Edelbrock, get the Performer RPM, not the regular Performer. It will match the AFR's better.

Click to expand...

The Performer lower is the same as the RPM lower...different upper intakes...

Ed told me to go with the Performer over the RPM because of a more useable powerband after I inquired about it...

Depends on the goal of the car...my Performer flows plenty at 6k for all I can tell...

 

Ford_Racing

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#8

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Keep the Cobra. I have a Cobra on my 165s none ported and it pulls very hard to 6K.

 

jb89coupe

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#9

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If it's ported, keep the cobra. You won't see $500 worth of gains (if any) by switching to a stock performer.

 

M

mackey

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#10

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Gotta get some flow graphs from your cobra intake to compare them... I would contact tmoss himself.

 

Grn92LX

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#11

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I'd use an RPM intake and sell the ported cobra for $350-$400. Have Ed grind you up an 11 second cam and get the valve springs to match.Port the inlet on the manifold for a 75mm TB (as ed will probably suggest ) My friend had an afr/RPM/fti combo and it went 12.40 @ 110.60 with a small 373 gear and 26" tires. It woulda went 112 with more gear, but he sold it.

I'm planning on swapping to a more aggressive FTI cam and a holley systemax II intake

 

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Highbredcloud

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#12

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5spd GT said:

The Performer lower is the same as the RPM lower...different upper intakes...

Ed told me to go with the Performer over the RPM because of a more useable powerband after I inquired about it...

Depends on the goal of the car...my Performer flows plenty at 6k for all I can tell...

Click to expand...

whats up David...you were amongst the few I was going to pm...but since you responded to the thread I will just ask you here...was your Performer ported in anyway? I'm really in a predicament here...I want to make the most out of this setup and I would not want the intake to be a determining or a regret at the same time...Not sure if this makes sense but I have high hopes for my new setup...The reason this issues becomes difficult is unported the Performer doesn't really seems as big as my Cobra lower ported...I'm sure the upper is a better design over the Cobra...both intakes in my opinion deserve attention to the injector area...however, ported it looks as though the Performer has more meat on it so eventually ported would most likely outflow the Cobra...Now its a question if the power to money ratio is significant enough to make one intake better over the other...In other words...don't want to spend $500.00 on an intake just to gain 10 peak HP...

 

Grn92LX

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Highbred, define "high hopes". For what I was looking to do, Ed recommended the Holley or an RPM II. Sounds like you should be looking into a bigger manifold than the 2 your looking at. I assume you have a 302/306 car so we're in the same league. Also, why don't you talk to ED instead of listening to everyone elses biased info? I listed a nice example of an afr/rpm/fti car fyi.

 

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Highbredcloud

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GroverDill said:

My mildly ported Cobra (lower only) is serving me well.

I will change cams before the intake.

Click to expand...

Grover...I was going to pm you and ask if your Cobra was ported...thanks for your reply...So basically your lower GT-40 is just opened up right by the injector area...I presume...I am/was really impressed by the power you made with the Cobra intake and the AFR's along with that cam when you were N/A...If I reacall wasn't it something like 303RWHP...not sure about the TQ but after you got it tuned was more like 333RWHP and 345RWTQ...?WOW I really want TQ out of my setup...do you recall where approx the car started to pull and where it started to fall...? I know going by the stock tach sux but I am looking for a general idea...3000-6000RPM?

 

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Highbredcloud

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Grn92LX said:

Highbred, define "high hopes". For what I was looking to do, Ed recommended the Holley or an RPM II. Sounds like you should be looking into a bigger manifold than the 2 your looking at. I assume you have a 302/306 car so we're in the same league. Also, why don't you talk to ED instead of listening to everyone elses biased info? I listed a nice example of an afr/rpm/fti car fyi.

Click to expand...

I am looking to hit 11's...possibly mid 11's with traction and ofcourse great driving...on a 302/306...the compression will be around 10 to 1 or 10 to 5...The heads I have have been milled for extra compression to 54cc...I have everyother possible bolt on there is...excluding an electric fan which I will get soon...Honestly I'm just curious if the Cobra will get me there...Not sure if this makes sense but I am very anal about intakes...I tend to stick to Ford Racing products due to quality...(I still have the original 93 Cobra intake and not this new crap made in China). At the same time I don't know if changing intakes would be cost efficient over the power to money ratio...I did talk to Ed in regards to this...as you know the infamous FTI combo consists of AFR's and the Eddy...I would just really hate to see my Cobra go for $350-$400...I have so much more invested into that...and it looks so much better than the performer...lol...As to why I don't look into other bigger intakes is simple...this will be a street car...I need an intake with long runners for the low end TQ...I don't plan on shifting past 5600-5800 RPM...I would want the power to be from idle and not 1500 like it is with the other short runner intakes...From what I see a lot of people out there run the Cobra with the AFR's...but more run with the Performer...I am not looking to make peak HP...I just want a fast all around car.

 

Grn92LX

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#16

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With what you wanna do, you can't have it both ways. Your gonna give up a litle low end, but what your gaining is worth it. Since you WILL need a 410+ gear, you shouldn't miss that low end much. I talked with Ed about this and my guess is he's gonna recommend an rpmII/holley. The thing you have on your side is compression. That should help the low end even though your using a "big" intake. 86Cobra from corral from a TEA 185ccTW heads and a holley intake with an FTI cam and it still make 300 ft/lbs by 3000rpm. Talk with Ed since the 2 intakes your looking at are very wrong. RPM II/Holley is where its at. Your combo's gonna rock!

 

GroverDill

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#17

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Highbredcloud said:

Grover...I was going to pm you and ask if your Cobra was ported...thanks for your reply...So basically your lower GT-40 is just opened up right by the injector area...I presume...I am/was really impressed by the power you made with the Cobra intake and the AFR's along with that cam when you were N/A...If I reacall wasn't it something like 303RWHP...not sure about the TQ but after you got it tuned was more like 333RWHP and 345RWTQ...?WOW I really want TQ out of my setup...do you recall where approx the car started to pull and where it started to fall...? I know going by the stock tach sux but I am looking for a general idea...3000-6000RPM?

Click to expand...

here is my N/A graph. THe lower on my Cobra is just slightly ported, not by me.

 

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Highbredcloud

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#18

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Grn92LX said:

With what you wanna do, you can't have it both ways. Your gonna give up a litle low end, but what your gaining is worth it. Since you WILL need a 410+ gear, you shouldn't miss that low end much. I talked with Ed about this and my guess is he's gonna recommend an rpmII/holley. The thing you have on your side is compression. That should help the low end even though your using a "big" intake. 86Cobra from corral from a TEA 185ccTW heads and a holley intake with an FTI cam and it still make 300 ft/lbs by 3000rpm. Talk with Ed since the 2 intakes your looking at are very wrong. RPM II/Holley is where its at. Your combo's gonna rock!

Click to expand...

I agree...a 4.10 gear is a must...currently i have 3.73 but will make the swap once the rest is takin care of...I did ask Ed if the Performer RPM would work for my setup...but he actually recommended the regular Performer...for my application...but seeing how the lower intake of the Performer needs porting by the injector area...I am having second thoughts about getting it...sice it all adds up...afterall my Cobra lower is already ported...For a street car I think I will benefit the most from a long runner intake...since the car will only see track 10% of its duty...In a way I want a fast street car than a strip car...and setting up the combos for the two are totally different...86Cobra has big heads...he needs a big intake to support the flow...Not sure if I would benefit from a big intake such as the Holley or the RPM II...I don't like the fact that with those intakes the powerband is from 1500-6500+...I would rather take something from idle to 5500RPM...I know you can't have it both ways...but why not? what would be need to have it both ways...? killer low end and enough to pulll to 5800-6000 tops? nothing more nothing lesss...

 

maverick0716

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#19

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5spd GT said:

The Performer lower is the same as the RPM lower...different upper intakes...

Ed told me to go with the Performer over the RPM because of a more useable powerband after I inquired about it...

Depends on the goal of the car...my Performer flows plenty at 6k for all I can tell...

Click to expand...

Oh, ok. I just assumed they would be the same difference as with the carbureted versions. On the carbureted version the regular Performer has smaller ports than the RPM.

 

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Highbredcloud

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Grover...WOW...I am definately speechless...are those numbers on a dynojet? are they SAE corrected? you are making what...about 280RWTQ by 3000RPM...and it seems as though the power is there all the way up to 6000RPM...out of curiosity what type of tuning did you do on the dyno? a burnt chip...if so by whom? Very impressed...