Cobra Questions

Jesse 28B · Jun 25, 2005

Ok, I don't know if this has been answered before on here or not (searching "cobra" brings up a lot of results haha).

I'm new to the cobra world. I've been having fun with my gt for years and I know about all the GT, but I'm ready to move into the cobra world and I need help figuring out what the best bang for my buck is going to be.

Anyway, what are the differences between the 4.6L cobras? I think the 2001 cobras are all aluminum engines, but thats about all I know about them. Is there a difference between the engines of the 96-98 and 99+ engines like there is with the pi GT? I was looking at this website http://www.albeedigital.com/supercoupe/articles/0-60times.html and it shows that the 98 and 99 have identical times, so it doesn't appear to be a different engine?

I just need a little help with the recent history of the 4.6l cobras that way I can figure out if I can get by with a 96-98 cobra or if I have to go all out and get a 2001 or 2003.

Thanks guys!

hotmustang331 · Jun 25, 2005

98 cobras are slower than 99-01s. 305 HP vs 320. 03-04 cobras got an iron block and a supercharger, rated at 390HP. They run higher 12s @ 111-113. 99-01 run mid-low 13s @ 105ish. 98s run like higher 13s usually and I have seen one in the 14s @ 98. Would say they usually trap about 101-102ish.

jmk97GT · Jun 25, 2005

hotmustang331 said:
98 cobras are slower than 99-01s. 305 HP vs 320. 03-04 cobras got an iron block and a supercharger, rated at 390HP. They run higher 12s @ 111-113. 99-01 run mid-low 13s @ 105ish. 98s run like higher 13s usually and I have seen one in the 14s @ 98. Would say they usually trap about 101-102ish.

Thats correct, but I wouldnt let 15hp difference mean getting a 99/01 over a 96-98. Also note that 96-98s have a live axle versus the IRS in 99/01. I would base my decision on which looks better to you and if you want IRS or not.

97gtblue · Jun 26, 2005

03-04 bang for the buck
ive been by several of them

BlackenedSVT · Jun 26, 2005

97gtblue said:
03-04 bang for the buck
ive been by several of them

That sucks man. I am YET to race another Mustang.
ONCE I was driving on the highway and this Black 99/01 Cobra comes out from a light heading with me in the lane next to me. I almost wetmyself, im like ooooooo baby!!! He was in front of me when he turned from the light though and he saw me in his rear view, he reved it up and i instantly started laughing and I went to pull next to him but he pulled another right, right away to head into a Ford Dealership. I wanted to race him SOOO bad. At the time I saw him I only had my Midpipe and Catback though. I would have gotten owned but I wouldn't have cared

hotmustang331 · Jun 26, 2005

Yea, its now a big deal lol. 15hp, but its the area under the curve. It all goes to the heads on the 98s vs the 99s. 98 heads were B port I belive and want to make power OVER 8K, but these cars are not designed to rev like that (rods and such) and really dont make a lot of lowerend power. Just when they start coming in, you have to shift. The 99-01s got C port heads and like making power UNDER 8K, just where the car is made to operate in. They have more HP under the curve and more peak HP to boot. I am not REAL sure on the weight, but i believe th 98s weighed more than the 99-01s. If you can, the 01 is better due to it not possable having the crappy intake that the 99s had to have a TSB or whatever done on so the car performed as rated. Also later 01s got the stronger T3650 trans VS the 98-early 01s T45. 03-04s Got a T56, supercharged V8, but unfortunatly many 03-04 engines have been failing due to lack of piston-wall space. I believe they have aluminum pistons and with the iron block (whatever the pistons are) the pistons expansion rate is greater than the piston walls and the pistons start mauling the walls and sometimes the cars will just stall out durring hard acceleration(bogs the motor down). More when there is a BUNCH of heat, like hot lapping or doing a high speed run. this problem gets worse when the cars get pullied or get a KB on them. Only teh cobras on the tight side of fords tolerance will have this problem.

9646gt · Jun 26, 2005

Wow never new the 03-04 had that problem till now..should also mention the 99 cobras had recalls for not meeitng the rated HP numbers claimed and that all cobras have 4valves per cylinder and are DOHC and will respond better to mods ..

COBRA90GT · Jun 26, 2005

hotmustang331 said:
...Also later 01s got the stronger T3650 trans VS the 98-early 01s T45...

A small piece of information:

My '01 was a fairly early build (May of '01, delivered June of '01) and it came with the TR-3650. In fact, all '01s came with the 3650 from the factory according to Ford/SVT (includes 2001 model year Bullitt GTs).

I have not heard of any confirmed cases where an '01 cobra was equipped with a T-45 fresh off the assembly line at Dearborn. HOWEVER, perhaps a small number of '01 owners had their TR-3650 replaced with a T-45 by their service department dealership (under warranty) due to mechanical issues with their factory TR-3650s...

FWIW, for the original thread poster URL for information on Cobras (click on "view specs" feature for each corresponding model year):

http://www.svt.ford.com/svtArchiveCobra.asp

9646gt · Jun 26, 2005

COBRA90GT said:
A small piece of information:

My '01 was a fairly early build (May of '01, delivered June of '01) and it came with the TR-3650. In fact, all '01s came with the 3650 from the factory according to Ford/SVT (includes 2001 model year Bullitt GTs).

I have not heard of any confirmed cases where an '01 cobra was equipped with a T-45 fresh off the assembly line at Dearborn. HOWEVER, perhaps a small number of '01 owners had their TR-3650 replaced with a T-45 by their service department dealership (under warranty) due to mechanical issues with their factory TR-3650s...

FWIW, for the original thread poster URL for information on Cobras (click on "view specs" feature for each corresponding model year):

http://www.svt.ford.com/svtArchiveCobra.asp

quite interesting...very good peice of info there. A guy her ein town has a 99 cobra and has had nothing but problems...first the recall for the heads. Rearend has went out twice and the heads jsut had to be replaced....don't know if its all him or what but it seems to be a trouble year..last time I saw the car it was smoking like a ragged out 5.0

greg97svt · Jun 26, 2005

hotmustang331 said:
Yea, its now a big deal lol. 15hp, but its the area under the curve. It all goes to the heads on the 98s vs the 99s. 98 heads were B port I belive and want to make power OVER 8K, but these cars are not designed to rev like that (rods and such) and really dont make a lot of lowerend power. Just when they start coming in, you have to shift. The 99-01s got C port heads and like making power UNDER 8K, just where the car is made to operate in. They have more HP under the curve and more peak HP to boot. I am not REAL sure on the weight, but i believe th 98s weighed more than the 99-01s. If you can, the 01 is better due to it not possable having the crappy intake that the 99s had to have a TSB or whatever done on so the car performed as rated. Also later 01s got the stronger T3650 trans VS the 98-early 01s T45. 03-04s Got a T56, supercharged V8, but unfortunatly many 03-04 engines have been failing due to lack of piston-wall space. I believe they have aluminum pistons and with the iron block (whatever the pistons are) the pistons expansion rate is greater than the piston walls and the pistons start mauling the walls and sometimes the cars will just stall out durring hard acceleration(bogs the motor down). More when there is a BUNCH of heat, like hot lapping or doing a high speed run. this problem gets worse when the cars get pullied or get a KB on them. Only teh cobras on the tight side of fords tolerance will have this problem.

I can't understand why 96-98 cobras would be heavier than 99-01. Both got aluminum engines, same frame, interior. Plus a solid axle always lighter than independent.

Roger_4.6_96 · Jun 26, 2005

greg97svt said:
I can't understand why 96-98 cobras would be heavier than 99-01. Both got aluminum engines, same frame, interior. Plus a solid axle always lighter than independent.

People on here think that 96-98 cobras are slow and always degrade them.

Jesse 28B · Jun 26, 2005

So all cobras other than the 03 have all aluminum engines?

And thanks for all the info guys

hotmustang331 · Jun 26, 2005

The 98 GTs were heavier than the 99GTs, both had the iron engine aluminum heads and a plastic intake, same tranny and rearend. I thought about the IRS thing, but wasnt sure if it would offset the weight difference. They prolly weigh about the same....I think its the body on the 98s that is heavier. Hey 9646gt this is the quote from my post, "If you can, the 01 is better due to it not possable having the crappy intake that the 99s had to have a TSB or whatever done on so the car performed as rated." I really didnt explain it well, but I was meaning that the 99s were not performing like they should(low HP) due to intake variations between the concept and the final production. Thanks for pointing that out. Oh and the 99s that got the TSB, also recieved a little more free flowing exhaust, and a reflashed ECU, ontop of the either acid dripped or extruded honed intake, to ensure they delivered 320HP as promised.

Jesse 28B · Jun 26, 2005

TSB = ?
The Singlular Boob?

COBRA90GT · Jun 26, 2005

jesse 28b said:
TSB = ?
The Singlular Boob?

Tech
Service
Bulletin

BTW - You can find listings of TSBs over at www.alldata.com .

mrvax · Jun 26, 2005

jesse 28b said:
TSB = ?
The Singlular Boob?

Something like Technical Service Bulliten.

hotmustang331 · Jun 26, 2005

Just get an 01 cobra if your on a semi tight budget. If you have 25Gs+ to spend get an 04. Simple as that. Unless your really partial to 98 style, then get that cuz there is nothing wrong with the 98s, just that if you like how they look equally, get the 01. Its newer, prolly less miles, better tranny.

bigblackboat · Jun 26, 2005

The 99 cobras have a teksid block which are alot stronger then the 01 wap blocks!

Jesse 28B · Jun 27, 2005

So 99's and 01's are basically the same other than one having a different tranny than the other? Is the T-45 that bad of a tranny compared to the T-3650?

If I got a 99, could I take it to the dealership for free to make sure it has all the updates to give me my 320hp?

shotime · Jun 27, 2005

Since there was no 2000 Cobra(except the R), they made sure all the 99's were updated(well whoever brought them in to be updated) and made sure the 01's were making the correct numbers. You could only get 4 colors in 99 vs. 8(i think) in 01. You also got a rear bumper that had "cobra" embossed in it instead on the regular "mustang" in 99. And of course the nice leather/suede seats in the 01's, which is enough alone to buy an 01 over a 99!!

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