Buying an 04 Cobra in the next three weeks...

[MiamiFan1354]

Ok, I was gonna wait and get an 05 GT, but decided to splurge a little bit, and just get the 04 cobra. Now I need a little info.

Base RWHP is like, 365 ish from what I have read, and I want to take it up to around 405, for obvious reasons (vette).

What are the mods I should be looking into right away to get there. Just give me a few ideas so I can get started. I have a 99gt and i've put just about every bolt on except a supercharger on it I can think of, and pretty much got my ideas from boards like this. So, I guess intake, exhaust, pullys, and headers. If you all could just let me know where I should be lookin, I would really appreciate it. If you have direct links, that would be awsome. I want to start with exaust and headers, and then go from there.

Thanks, Jay

 

[Morpheusgpr]

With the supercharger I would start with the pulley.

Pulley
Chip
CAI
Full exhaust
Shifter


You should get way over your goal depending on what pulley you go with.

 

[01SilverL]

A CAI and cat-back will get you to 400-410 rwhp.

 

[EvilEyez]

Bassani catback and a drop in k&n got me to 396rwhp, rest of my mods got me to 409rwhp.

 

[rdmustangkid]

It depends on what you want to do? If you don't care about your warranty go with the chip and pulley. I went the cheap route and did the exhaust and cai. I got off the dyno last week and pulled 400.8 rwhp.
Here is my dyno run sheet link
http://ml.truckmoxie.com/showownerpic.ten?u=3734&n=93644&pos=1&album=7324

 

[Uncle Meat]

He said he wanted 405. Would that be 405 as measured on a Dynojet, or 405 as measured on a SuperFlow or Mustang dyno?

Where's Vic! LOL!


U.M.

 

[03SonicSvt]

With just a Borla Catback and K&N FIPK I dynoed at 418hp and 397trq SAE.

 

[Vic_Ferrari]

Vic s here!

Check out the MAy issue of Mustang Enthusiast magazine (out now).
It breaks my car down mod by mod, run by run.
I stumbled across the article at the track (Orlando) yesterday at Fun Ford Weekend,
and snagged 10 or so copies. They were supposed to let me know when my mug was going to be in there, but I guess they forgot.
It's a pretty long article. Pay close attention to the HP and Torque scales on the dyno runs and the data sheets attached. You'll have an idea of what really happens with each upgrade.
The numbers are impressive.
Somehow STP numbers got posted (dunno how that happened), but it is still close.
The superflow STP numbers are actually a little lower than the superflow SAE numbers (which are still lower than a dynojet SAE numbers). This wil give everyone a chance to see "non-inflated" warm temp consistent dyno runs.

This mag article is of course before headers, h-pipe and re-tune. This just had an out of the box tune for the target of the article. The next article will feature my car as it is now. (or maybe plus a few goodies =o)

Anyways....on a superflow....if you have an air filter (12" JDM/K&N style, not through fender), catback exhaust (magnaflow), and a Superchips Rs/Performance file (from the 1725 tuner), you will make an honest 395-400 (Superflow, STP) at the tire with kickass drivability....and no warranty issues.
Dynojet may read up to 420 or 430....but that's a dynojet.
The first cold run measured 417 on the superflow (we threw this run out).

Step up to the HP4 program (also from the 1725 tuner) and a 2.8 upper and see what happens =o)
Schwing!
Add headers and you'll get similar numbers to what is in my sig.


Anyways..check out the article becuase unlike most, it does not have the BS factor involved. All runs were done in threes, with the first "colder" runs removed from eact test, and the ramaining two averaged with the dynos software. The impressive non-peak gains are also discussed here.

Anyways....I'm off to the track today for the last day of Fun Ford Weekend.
If anyones out there, I'll be parked near the JDM tent and wandering around.

 

[93 teal terror]

Just got back from an all day dyno session, where i saw 3 03/04's get dyno'd
All stock 10th ann. vert (i mean all stock with ford airfilter) made 349rwhp, one that had full exhaust, and a CAI made 399.5rwhp, and one with a full ehaust, pully, chip, and CAI made 450rwhp. All these were on a dynojet. Its amazing how the more horse power the car makes, the richer it gets. The air/fuel ratio is crazy.

 

[KickerStang]

Miamifan,

Can I ask why you want an 04 instead of picking up a slightly used 03 for $10,000 less? I mean if you want a mystic chrome or that new car smell, I guess I can understand, but other than that, I would want to save $10,000 and drive the same car.

 

[Vic_Ferrari]

Just got back from an all day dyno session, where i saw 3 03/04's get dyno'd
All stock 10th ann. vert (i mean all stock with ford airfilter) made 349rwhp, one that had full exhaust, and a CAI made 399.5rwhp, and one with a full ehaust, pully, chip, and CAI made 450rwhp. All these were on a dynojet. Its amazing how the more horse power the car makes, the richer it gets. The air/fuel ratio is crazy.

The air fuel ratio is crazy because the tuner is not doing his job...WAY too common.
Most will go very lean down low (where it's making peak torque and needs to be fueled more) lean, then very rich at WOT to try and compensate.
My car is 11.8 across the board at WOT.
I don't understand what is so hard about achieving this.....but many tuners can't seem to "get it".

Of course, they'll all tell you it's "ok to be at 14.1 at 3500 as long as it's rich up top."
BS.
My car makes peak torque at 3300, and it NEEDS fuel there.

These clowns running their cars "so rich" only at high RPM are driving time bombs waiting to explode, not to mention...they are losing power down low and up high.

Too rich....you're slow.
Too lean, you;re slow (and on the verge of somthing very bad happening).
I don't even want to talk about ignition timing....
No wonder Ford voids the warranty on a Cobra is they see a chip was in it.
Just because someone has software doesn't make them a "tuner".

Sorry for the rant......just makes me angry to see tuners let stuff like this slide.
It ain't that hard!
Anyone ever hear of a scan tool?

 

[MiamiFan1354]

So a Chip and or a pully will void the warranty on my new Cobra?

Looks like I need to get a cat back system, with headers, and a new intake set up. Should I go CAI, or get the thing from CNL performance that has the K&n filter and the 95mm MAFS? That's what I have in my GT now, but it's not the 95mm, and I haven't had any problems with it.

My other question is, I have a bassani cat back system in my GT, and I had to put in MILs. Has anyone seen this problem with the Cobras?

 

[MiamiFan1354]

Also, superchips says they currently don't code for the 2004 model with the 1725, should I start the install of the intake, headers and hpipe and then think about the chip, hopeing they will have one by then to put in the pully and HP4 chip?

 

[Uncle Meat]

Forget the headers and forget the C&L 95MM MAF. They aren't worth the money for the small amount of horsepower you may gain. Just get a good CAI and a cat back then see where you're at. Anything else may void your warranty. Check with your local service department about mods and see where they stand before you make the jump. 99% of the time a chip & pulley WILL VOID your powertrain warranty.

U.M.

 

[93 teal terror]

The air fuel ratio is crazy because the tuner is not doing his job...WAY too common.
Most will go very lean down low (where it's making peak torque and needs to be fueled more) lean, then very rich at WOT to try and compensate.
My car is 11.8 across the board at WOT.
I don't understand what is so hard about achieving this.....but many tuners can't seem to "get it".

Of course, they'll all tell you it's "ok to be at 14.1 at 3500 as long as it's rich up top."
BS.
My car makes peak torque at 3300, and it NEEDS fuel there.

These clowns running their cars "so rich" only at high RPM are driving time bombs waiting to explode, not to mention...they are losing power down low and up high.

Too rich....you're slow.
Too lean, you;re slow (and on the verge of somthing very bad happening).
I don't even want to talk about ignition timing....
No wonder Ford voids the warranty on a Cobra is they see a chip was in it.
Just because someone has software doesn't make them a "tuner".

Sorry for the rant......just makes me angry to see tuners let stuff like this slide.
It ain't that hard!
Anyone ever hear of a scan tool?

The air/fuel ratio was like that on the completly stock one. One of the other two was pretty straight across, and the other one was like the stock one....running lean down low and then rich up top.

 

[98yellowstang]

Well I will get back to field the questions in the orginal post.

You say you want 405.... and many stock cars put down 365. The vette (Zo6) makes 405 all well in good. This where you numbers go south. 365 at the ground with 15% drivetrain loss is 419.75. So a stock (average) cobra is already making more HP than the Zo6 right off the lot.

Lets continue this numbers game: Now if you are worried about keeping up with the mighty vette. Then you are going to have to do 1 or 2 things. Put your car on a diet, loss of roughly 500 lbs and you will be close to the ETs that the vettes are turning. Or add 10 HP for every 100lbs added or so. The Zo6 tips the scales in the 3100lb mark, Cobra's porly rear tips the scales in the 3600 mark. So do what you want if you want to equal the performance of the Zo6.

Two things in closing: First as you can see these 2 cars are very different, hence our cars do not say Corvette on the back. Second all of these hypotetical stuff above goes right out the window as soon as you find out you can't drive, or the Vette can't drive.

Later
Jason

 

[MiamiFan1354]

So to compete with a corvette, I need to add about 60 hp, and know how to drive. I'm pretty confident I can just fine. I've had a 99GT since 99, and I've taken it down the track a few times, and ran pretty well. Thanks for your info though.

 

[Vic_Ferrari]

I dynoed Phil's car today.
I will put the runs up here tomorrow (when I'm not sick as a dog).
I'll just post power numbers here real quickie to keep it simple, but torque gains were impressive too. If I forget to put the runs up tomorrow.....REMIND ME!
This will give you an idea of what kind of power mods will make.

03 Cobra, YDH1. Bone stock, 987 miles on the odometer.

Stock HP 349 ("stock" includes a custom (truly custom) h-pipe and stock mulfflers.
EVERYTHING else is stock.)

Superchips RS file 378 HP

Superchips RS file with C&L mass air "intake kit" 385HP

Made a few adjustments....made 393 HP with C&L.

Opened up exhaust (car has flanges on x-pipe that can be opened to bypass mufflers....pretty cool setup) this made 412 RWHP.

As always......runs were done in 3's.
Run#1 in each session was thrown out (because it's always higher than the other two which are dead consistent), and the other two are averaged using the dyno software.

We made over 60 HP (almost 70 HP) by adding a C&L mass air intake kit, opened up the exhaust, and retuning. You should have seen Phil smile when we went for a ride after it was done. Drivability is 100% and the car is a lot stronger than stock.....and it has the stock pulley!

I had my doubts about the C&L......but it's pretty friendly on the dyno and it wasn't too hard to tune.
I think I'm gonna get me one.....maybe I can squeeze that 500 FT LBS mark on my car without changing anything else!

 

[Uncle Meat]

I dynoed Phil's car today.
Superchips RS file 378 HP

Superchips RS file with C&L mass air "intake kit" 385HP

Made a few adjustments....made 393 HP with C&L.

I'm just NOT impressed at all with that C&L kit and the dyno numbers prove it. 15 hp is all you got? I would have thought it was good for more than that...

OH, wait a second... that's 15 HP on a SuperFlow! Whats that equate to on a Dynojet.... 25 or so, right Vic? LOL!

I'm kidding...

U.M.

 

[MiamiFan1354]

What do you mean when you say you made a few adjustments? And if I put a bassani Xpipe and cat back, is it possible to do this opening up thing you are talking about?