NewB question. What mods next?

[thebuckaman]

Hi all,

This is my first post. I have owned three foxes in the past, but I just bought a 1995 cobra with about 99K on the clock. Meticulously maintained and tastefully modded. My question is, what mods do I do next? I am looking for about300-350 rwhp N/A, no NOS. Here are ALL the mods on the car now:

Modifications
FMS 65mm Throttle Body
Degreed Crane 2031 Camshaft
FMS Multi-Indexed Timing Gear Set
Crower Chrome-Moly Steel Retainers
Crane Hardened Split Valve Locks
FMS M-6513-A50 Valve Springs
Port Matched GT40 Iron Heads
MAC Underdrive Pullies
K&N OEM Replacement Air Filter
BBK Ceramic Long Tube Headers
BBK Off Road H-Pipe
Edelbrock RPM 2.5" Catback Exhaust w/SS Mufflers
FMS M-7563-B302 Centrifugal Pressure Plate
FMS M-7550-A302 HD Clutch Disk
Steeda Tri-Ax Billet Shifter
FMS ALuminum Driveshaft
FMS 3.55:1 Gears
Modified Trac-Loc Differential
H&R Racing Springs
Bilstein 03 Cobra Struts
Bilstein HD Shocks
1998 SVT Cobra 17x8 Wheels
Kenny Brown Subframe Connectors
Steeda X-2 Ball Joints
Maximum Motorsports C/C Plates
Maximum Motorsports Rear Lower Control Arms
Maximum Motorsports Panhard Bar
FRPP "Bullit" 28mm Front Anti-Sway Bar
Steeda Strut Tower Brace
Brembo Cross-Drilled Front Rotors
Brembo Drilled/Slotted Rear Rotors
Russel Braided SS Brake Hoses
Ceramic Brake Pads

I will only have about $1200 to spend in the next 6 months, so that limits me. I am however about an hour away from Anderson Ford if I need a tune.

I look forward to you thoughts.

Thanks.

 

[earleys94gt]

Firstly, welcome to the 94/95 section!

With the goal you have set of 300-350 rwhp, the stock Cobra intake may become a restriction. Something like a Edelbrock Performer RPM or Trick Flow might work better. And a tune certainly wouldn't hurt.

That's the one thing that stands out in my mind. There are a bunch of helpful guys on here so I am sure someone else will chime in soon.

 

[Venom351R]

I would agree as far as the Intake. The Cobra is a good intake but will only push so much air N/A. Your two biggest things holding you back now are heads and the Intake

 

[blksn955.o]

If your wanting to keep the cobra intake look at getting it ported. Tmoss is the go to guy for porting intakes. I am a big fan of the gt40 intakes on a streed driven 302's with the std. stroke. Great low end and if ported work well with better heads as well.

Depending on how the heads are worked you could be close to that 300hp goal now....some have gotten REAL close with sim. combos (it is not the norm though).

1,200...you might want to look into a set of TFS heads or AFR 165's. A custom cam would also be best with either head.

A tune/tuner will also be a must have.

 

[final5-0]

To obtain 350 to the wheels using the oem block with just NA .............

Its plain and simple ................

You gotta be able to move a good bit of air :Word:

I'd look at some better flowing heads like TFS, Edel, or AFR
A small chamber would maximize compression

An intake like a Holley
or
Ported mid length runner such as Edel RPM or maybe TFS Track Heat

A cam much more aggressive than that small Crane
I've had a good experience with Mr. Curtis at FTI for my custom cam
but
Other custom cam guys are around as well

Expect a good bit of lope at idle and a custom tune will be a must

Grady

 

[thebuckaman]

Thanks for all the replies so far. I really appreciate it. This is a great forum. Will I need to upgrade the fuel system at all? I think the cobra cmes stock with 24lb inj.

 

[ProKiller]

your already off to a pretty darn good start with that car. if your looking to keep the cobra intake i'd ship it off to Tmoss like blksn said. a bigger throttle body and a tune would be good. i'd imagine now your not too far off from 300.

since your so close to AFM, i'd stick with their stuff. might be a good idea to get a base line dyno now so you know how much money you'll have to spend to get to your goal. there's nothing more frustrating than dumping a bunch of money into a car to realize it was unnecessary.

 

[earleys94gt]

Yes, the Cobra does come with 24 lb/hr. injectors. At full output these would be good for about 380 hp, but they usually run at around 85% so that would be to almost 325 hp. So, if you wanted to hit 350 hp you would need atleast 30 lb/hr.

Along with the larger injectors comes either a MAF recalibration, or a new one.

A higher volume fuel pump would also be a good idea, I'd say no lower than a 190litre/hr(I think that's what they are measured in lol).

I also would not worry about an adjustable fuel pressure regulator, unless you already have one, since they are a little over rated in my opinion. And, the stock fuel rails can handle up to 500 hp, so your good there too.

 

[thebuckaman]

The car has a stock Air intake and MAF. I was planning on getting a AFM Powerpipe, and a larger MAF. Now in terms of a tune, what are my options. On my 87' I put a custom burned chip in the car. Do I do the same, or is there another way.

This is such a helpful forum. Thanks for all the help so far guys!

 

[earleys94gt]

You can also do a chip tune on the 95 Cobra. If you go this route, I would look for one that offers some reflashes. Don LaSota is a good tuner, look on his site for some information...http://www.lasotaracing.com/

Alot of people on here use a TweeCar for custom tuning. This is a program you use with a lap top that allows you to change almost any paramiter you can think of. You can look in the 94/95 Tuning section for some more info. on the TweeCar.
I think they usually run about $400???

 

[blksn955.o]

A tweecerR/T (the one worth getting) costs around $550.

 

[thebuckaman]

Is it pretty easy to program through the Tweecer/RT? I have never tuned a car before, but would like to learn the basics. Or, should I have a pro tune it?

Carl

 

[earleys94gt]

I don't have any personal expierence with the TweeCer, but alot of others do.
From what I gather, you are able to do amazing things with it but if you are not careful you can really mess things up. It's a more effcient way to tune your car. rather than getting a chip burned for your car and adding more mods. to it that don't work well with the chip.

You may want to ask a tuner or some of the guys on this site some more about the TweeCer before you get one. I wish I could be of more help on the matter, but I do not have a TweeCer; I can just relay what I would do if I was in your situation.

Here's a few thinks to shed some more light on it...
http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=739472&highlight=Tweecer
http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=730087&highlight=Tweecer
http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=717868&highlight=Tweecer

Look in the Tuning section for any more information. Good luck.

 

[thebuckaman]

I was thinking og getting a new cam too, but I was wondering which cam would work well for me. I have upgraded springs and retainers, and the car comes stock with 1.7 roller rockers (from what I can tell on this forum). I also want to port my stock cobra intake. Will this improve my intake enough, or should I just save up for a Trick flow or Typhoon? I want to make the best improvements for the money.

Thanks,

Carl

 

[Venom351R]

Is it pretty easy to program through the Tweecer/RT? I have never tuned a car before, but would like to learn the basics. Or, should I have a pro tune it?

Carl

You have to know what your doing, you can go in and change a lot of stuff and if your not sure of what you are doing you can really screw stuff up (stock tune can always be put back in if you do) Its very much trial and error. You cant go in and change a whole bunch of things at once. Small changes here, small changes there. If you change a bunch of stuff at once and the car improves/gets worse then your not sure what it was that caused it and you just keep chasing solutions. One route to go that is hassle free and costs about the same as the others is to get a dyno tune. Not all but most dyno shops will burn you a custom chip and tune your car on the dyno. The place Ive gone to before charged $400 flat rate fee for a dyno tune/chip.

I was thinking og getting a new cam too, but I was wondering which cam would work well for me. I have upgraded springs and retainers, and the car comes stock with 1.7 roller rockers (from what I can tell on this forum). I also want to port my stock cobra intake. Will this improve my intake enough, or should I just save up for a Trick flow or Typhoon? I want to make the best improvements for the money.

Thanks,

Carl

Porting your Cobra intake w/ stock heads wont do to much. Stock heads are very restrictive. If you want to do H/C/I and want a good bang for your buck then trick flow makes a kit that has everything you need. It seems expensive at first but if you try and peice together all this yourself it comes out to more. Plus getting a package like this is good to b/c all the parts are ment to work good together. It all comes down to how much power you want with the car if you want more or close to 300 at the wheels you wont do it w/ a ported intake and stock heads.


http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=TFS-K514-360-350&autoview=sku

 

[earleys94gt]

then trick flow makes a kit that has everything you need

Maybe I'm wrong, but since those heads have 2.02 intake valves, won't you need to fly-cut the pistons for valve relief?

Also, in the overview, why does it say the kit doesn't work on 94/95 Mustangs?
Is that because of the intake elbow?

 

[blksn955.o]

TFS twisted wedge heads are to my knowledge the only heads with a 2.02 valve that will fit the stock shortblock. The valves are not inline like a regular head and that gives them the room to fit the stock shortblock...well as long as you do not have any lift/dur. issues from the cam leading to piston to vavle clearance issues.

All the kit should need to run is the elbow...a tune would be best as well but it should run without one.

 

[Synned]

Welcome to StangNet! Post some pics!!
I'll let the other guys help you with your combo

 

[thebuckaman]

Got the car now. Here is a video of a mild takeoff. I dont like the exhaust sound. I started another thread on this. I need to switch to flomaster or spintech mufflers.

http://www.youtube.com/user/thebuckaman

 

[thebuckaman]

I bought some Edelbrock performer heads with 1.6 roller rockers and a Trick Flow Track Heat intake. It seems to me that I will need to get 1.7 roller rockers in order to make my 2031 cam work with the stock pistons. Is this correct? I know the stock cobra heads have 1.7s but they are pedistal and the edelbrocks are stud. Any info would be great.

Thanks.