Stolen: 2000 Mustang GT...

SaleenGT2001 said:

th only advantages over a GT is the 4V heads and brakes, maybe the seats. for the 10K extra he is looking at spending it is a waste. the 99-01 have a weak bottom end, just like our gt's. a weak trans, just like our gt's. an independant rear end, another downside.

let me know if i'm missing something, but all i see taht is good about a cobra i could do to a gt for much less! even if you put a blower on the cobra you are limited to about the same power level as a gt.

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Well, for starters, the 4V engine is far superior to the 2V. Any and all bolt-ons you add to the 4-Valve are always worth more power than the same ones on a 2-Valve. Hell, the exhaust note alone at full cry is enough for me to fork over the extra cash! And it would take faaaar more than just a few dollars to do the conversion.

Addressing the weak bottom end.....I guess if you're not satisfied with the ability to support 400-450rwhp with bolt-ons or a power adder, then stock internals could be a bit of a burden, but it's kind of a moot point when you consider you've got to spend the same amount of money beefing up the 2V bottom end.....even more so when you consider the Cobra's at least got a forged steel crank and heavy duty oiling system. Either way, you'll make 400rwhp+ a lot easier and safer with a DOHC than you will with the SOHC....and putting less strain on that bottom end in the process!

As far as the IRS is concerned....it being a burden is certainly a matter of opinion. If you're running it at the track on slicks and consistently dumping the clutch at 4,000RPM on a regular basis, then sure it's got it's limitations. Otherwise, it's more than capable of holding together with the use of street tires. Sure, you've got the possibility of breaking a half shaft with good traction, but what kills the half shafts is wheel hop. With a very inexpensive bushing change and/or the addition of later model parts in the IRS, the problem is solved. From that point, you're just as likely to snap a stock 28-splined axle on a solid rear GT than you are with the IRS launching it hard with traction. Hell, we've got a guy over on the tccoa board who got his over 10-year-old T-Bird into the mid-10's before the IRS started giving him problems.

Strait line acceleration aside, the IRS if far superior to the traditional solid axle set up in all other aspects. You've also got improved handling and ride quality that certainly makes for a better daily driver......which is what he's looking for in the first place!


Add the cost of the Brakes, IRS, 4-valve conversion, interior and body accents and all the other little things that make the Cobra what it is.....not to mention the higher over all value and prestige of the Cobra vs. a run of the mill GT I'd I'll bet your life you're not able to duplicate it for the cost difference between the two cars.