• Community Forums
  • The Welcome Wagon

Too Race OR NOT to Race a COBRA ?

  • Thread starter Thread starter boss rods
  • Start date Start date Apr 15, 2018
B

boss rods

New Member
Apr 15, 2018
4
0
1
72
trenton nj
Apr 15, 2018
#1
  • Apr 15, 2018
  • #1
Please be so kind as to cut a "newbie" a little slack . In short , I'm looking to do some amateur scca racing ( 2-3 times a year ). But would like to drive the car to car club events the rest of the time, so I'm limited to ( pre-smog rules in my state ) 1995 and OLDER . So my question is , ( since I'm going to UP GRADE : the engine and suspension to more race car then daily driver. As well as sub frame stiffeners and a 6 point roll bar ) is it worth the time & money to buy a "GT" OR "COBRA" as a base car ? AND .... should I be looking at particular year(s) ( fox ) mustang ? As much as I love the look of a vintage ( 64 1/2- 70 ) mustang , Cost and racing a 50yr. old car is a BIG , big concern. I keep reading their is a ton of after market support to fox bodied mustangs . And the starting base car for racing is still reason able .
If you can't recommend a given year mustang , ( PRE- 96" ) can you tell me year(s) NOT to consider . Some say , NOT to buy a GT or Cobra due to the fact that those models run a greater risk of having body / sub frame issues . Due to the fact that 20-30 yrs of rust AND there owners LEAD FOOTING them for years.
Have them not as solid as one would like to go racing with .
Any AND all advise is very much appreciated .
 

Noobz347

Stangnet Facilities Maint Tech... Er... Janitor
Admin Dude
Jan 4, 1985
43,130
21,298
234
Box behind Walmart
www.stangnet.com
Apr 15, 2018
#2
  • Apr 15, 2018
  • #2
@MFE92 does that very thing in a Fox Mustang. He's probably got a pretty good idea idea of what would be necessary to modify on most Mustangs.

I would personally start with either a Fox or SN95 with an independent rear. Either route requires modification for improvement.
 

MFE92

10 Year Member
Aug 25, 2010
1,094
373
124
Phoenix
Apr 16, 2018
#3
  • Apr 16, 2018
  • #3
I honestly don't think Cobra vs GT matters too much. You're going to ditch the GT brakes anyway, and either use Cobra parts, or if you have the money/inclination, some of the newer brembo parts.

As for foxbody vs newer, if I were starting a new build, I wouldn't build a foxbody. I love mine and I slap the out of it on track, but that's only because I've replaced practically every suspension piece, and it now has SN95 track width, a torque arm and PHB, etc. There's a guy I sometimes run with locally and we run very similar times, and his 99 GT is very close to stock. He's a fantastic driver, but still...stick axle, stock K-member, stock engine...makes you think.
 
B

boss rods

New Member
Apr 15, 2018
4
0
1
72
trenton nj
Apr 16, 2018
#4
  • Apr 16, 2018
  • #4
MFE92 said:
I honestly don't think Cobra vs GT matters too much. You're going to ditch the GT brakes anyway, and either use Cobra parts, or if you have the money/inclination, some of the newer brembo parts.

As for foxbody vs newer, if I were starting a new build, I wouldn't build a foxbody. I love mine and I slap the out of it on track, but that's only because I've replaced practically every suspension piece, and it now has SN95 track width, a torque arm and PHB, etc. There's a guy I sometimes run with locally and we run very similar times, and his 99 GT is very close to stock. He's a fantastic driver, but still...stick axle, stock K-member, stock engine...makes you think.
Click to expand...



I'm not a GREAT Fox Fan. It's just that ( till I read about your buds 99GT abilities ) they were looking sooo much cheaper to race . But , I'm sure to re-crunch the numbers . With an eye out for the ( time saving at the very least ) post 98" mustangs . And I like there looks a whole lot more. Could be an easy sell ( if the price is fair ) . Many thanks !!!
 

General karthief

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair
20+ Year Stangneter
Aug 25, 2016
27,942
10,582
203
polk county florida
Apr 16, 2018
#5
  • Apr 16, 2018
  • #5
I'm gonna jump in here, I'm a bit of a purist so building a cobra for the track would not be high on my list mostly because they are getting hard to find in any condition for a reasonable cost, find a sn95 gt, they are more plentiful and already have some of the 'good' stuff
 
B

boss rods

New Member
Apr 15, 2018
4
0
1
72
trenton nj
Apr 18, 2018
#6
  • Apr 18, 2018
  • #6
karthief said:
I'm gonna jump in here, I'm a bit of a purist so building a cobra for the track would not be high on my list mostly because they are getting hard to find in any condition for a reasonable cost, find a sn95 gt, they are more plentiful and already have some of the 'good' stuff
Click to expand...
I don't know about your part of the country , but if C list is any indicator ( NJ ), has plenty to pick from. From "beaters" ( $1500.00 ) to Cobras ($6000.00 ) . A Lot of GT's @ 2500 - $4000.00 . So I don't feel to bad about "cutting up " a 85-95" . But I bet there were guys saying that about pre- 1970 mustangs . And we can see what that did for us. Ha , ha .
 

General karthief

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair
20+ Year Stangneter
Aug 25, 2016
27,942
10,582
203
polk county florida
Apr 18, 2018
#7
  • Apr 18, 2018
  • #7
I was talking about modifying cobras, the are a bunch of gts out there, cobras, like the cobra jet cars where produced in limited numbers, while some will still modify and race these cars I personally would not. For example, between 93 and 04 there were less than 80k cobras made, that may seem like a lot but not compared to just short of 1 million coupes and hatchbacks between 87 and 93.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Hello Mustang community!
  • MKatzenbach
  • Mar 13, 2026
  • The Welcome Wagon
Replies
6
Views
223
The Welcome Wagon Mar 14, 2026
MKatzenbach
F
1984 roller….. need advice!!!
  • Fivepointeasy84
  • Dec 5, 2025
  • 1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-
Replies
1
Views
165
1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk- Dec 5, 2025
rednotch
B
For Sale 1993 Mustang SVT Cobra - Black - 5 Speed - 88k Miles - Single Owner
  • Buddy Jake
  • Jun 16, 2026
  • Fox Body Mustangs For Sale (1979-93)
Replies
1
Views
234
Fox Body Mustangs For Sale (1979-93) Jun 20, 2026
Habu135
S
Hello from Minnesota (and the ancient MustangBoards)
  • SpeedofDarkness
  • Aug 24, 2025
  • The Welcome Wagon
Replies
0
Views
219
The Welcome Wagon Aug 24, 2025
SpeedofDarkness
S
Cobra Brake Conversion - Spare Wheel/Tire Search
  • AeroCoupe
  • Yesterday at 5:40 PM
  • 1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-
Replies
0
Views
30
1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk- Yesterday at 5:40 PM
AeroCoupe
Share:
Bluesky Email Share Link
  • Community Forums
  • The Welcome Wagon
Menu
Log in

Register

  • Forums
  • What's new
  • Media
  • Resources
  • Contact
  • Sponsor
X

Privacy & Transparency

We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:

  • Personalized ads and content
  • Content measurement and audience insights

Do you accept cookies and these technologies?

X

Privacy & Transparency

We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:

  • Personalized ads and content
  • Content measurement and audience insights

Do you accept cookies and these technologies?