I can't decide which one to buy, an 03 Cobra or a supercharged S-281. Would the Cobra outrun these pretty good? Also my friend has a Stage 3 Roush. I wanna kick his butt cause he whoops me in my 01 Cobra right now. Just wanted input on which one to buy. Also if i go with the 03 and i upgrade to the smaller blower pulley, what else would i have to do (ex, chip, fuel injectors, etc). Thanks guys!
03 Snake or Saleen SC?
- Thread starter yz250
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1wildGT
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SaleenGTS
New Member
Given...you will get more power out of the Snake. I would choose the Cobra...unless it is the S281E. Those are pretty bad. 450 hp. I saw a dyno with 394 at the tires. I almost bought a 03 cobra last weekend with a 14# pulley, CAI, C&L MAF and a TB, Full Bassani Exhaust, and a Predator...it laid down 470. Who knows what you can get with the Saleen with a bigger pulley. 480-490? If it were between the Cobra and the S281 SC, I would take the Cobra...if it were between the Cobra and S281E, I would take the Saleen. I men come on, it's a Saleen!
I would take the cobra. Very easy and fairly inexpensive to make big HP numbers. A non E S281 S/C is only around 375HP if I remember correctly and you will not being "whoopin" any stage 3s with that. Now a cobra with a pulley, chip, and some exhaust, will puttin some hurting on that stage 3, provided you get traction, cuz you know he will. I was debating the same thing a while ago, and hope to get a cobra real soon. And the thing that sold me was the forged shortblock and the potential of the 4V. I dont believe a standard S281 S/C is forged.
Burningwick
New Member
Are you more into straight drag-racing or do you want to use the car for open-track racing as well? For a quarter-miler, no question, get the Cobra. There's not a big difference between a stock '03 Cobra, s/c Saleen and Stage 3 in the quarter. However, once you start modding, the Cobra will be a lot faster. If you like the twisties too, I'd get the Saleen. Of course the E is a great answer to all, but that's major $$$.
i love the rims on the saleen, and the saleen looks 100x better, however i cant stop thinking 390hp- bone stock as far as the cobra goes! i just can't weigh out the pros and cons of both.
03 cobra pros
easier to make a ton faster
6 spd
4 valve breathing room (seems like it would help the engine a bit)
3.55 gear
2001-2003 saleen pros
looks 10x better
still extremely fast
solid axle
does anyone know how much boost the saleen runs stock, and the cobra too? are saleens just tuned better, b/c on a stock gt it puts out over 100 more hp w/ the saleen (260-375) , but w/ the cobra it puts only 70 more (320-390). please help. thanks guys.
03 cobra pros
easier to make a ton faster
6 spd
4 valve breathing room (seems like it would help the engine a bit)
3.55 gear
2001-2003 saleen pros
looks 10x better
still extremely fast
solid axle
does anyone know how much boost the saleen runs stock, and the cobra too? are saleens just tuned better, b/c on a stock gt it puts out over 100 more hp w/ the saleen (260-375) , but w/ the cobra it puts only 70 more (320-390). please help. thanks guys.
why not just upgrade internals
I dont understand why you would want another cobra assuming that you dont plan on trading it in. because I think you would be better off buying a blower for your 01 and getting that HP up alittle higher,I am positive you would smoke your freind and a couple of vettes then. and if you got real serious about being king of the street you would be smarter to spend that cash on an SHM block and sone nitrous(hint-hint..)
Just FYI: kennebell is almost done with their 99-01 cobra blower kit.
but if you do get the 03 you dont have to do any mods to take on the stage 3.
I dont understand why you would want another cobra assuming that you dont plan on trading it in. because I think you would be better off buying a blower for your 01 and getting that HP up alittle higher,I am positive you would smoke your freind and a couple of vettes then. and if you got real serious about being king of the street you would be smarter to spend that cash on an SHM block and sone nitrous(hint-hint..)
Just FYI: kennebell is almost done with their 99-01 cobra blower kit.
but if you do get the 03 you dont have to do any mods to take on the stage 3.
Modding the Saleen vs the 03+ Cobra, the Cobra has much more potential. It already has bigger injectors, a great fuel pump, and the 4V heads have a lot more potential for making power.
I agree with the above post though. My 99 Cobra is paid off...ya I've spent more money on it putting on the blower, trans, solid rear, ect....but I would have spent more money trading it in on a new car too. Plus, it's not like the new car would stay stock anyway.
To say my car is fun on the street and at the track is an understatment
I agree with the above post though. My 99 Cobra is paid off...ya I've spent more money on it putting on the blower, trans, solid rear, ect....but I would have spent more money trading it in on a new car too. Plus, it's not like the new car would stay stock anyway.
To say my car is fun on the street and at the track is an understatment
heres the thing- roush claims that stock the stage III runs 0-60 in 4.3 and runs the quarter in low 12's. svt guys say their stock 03 runs mid-high 12's and i've seen 4.6-4.7 on the cobra's 0-60 times.... why the **** would it get outrun by a p**sy roush? i don't think i should spend 30K on a car and have to modify it to hang w/ a 2V. Input please.
Burningwick
New Member
yz250 said:
Don't get too bent out of shape over some magazine numbers. I've seen quarter-mile numbers on the Stage 3 range from 12.3 all the way up to 13.6. Same thing with the '03 Cobras, some mags have them in mid 12's, one had it upper 13's . Stock vs stock they put down about the same power ('03 vs '03). Frankly, it will be a driver's race. If he has an '01 (more likely) you might make a little more power but it will still likely come down to drivers, imo. All it takes is a little bit in mods and you'll have him no problem...in the straights anyway 
I got the stock 281 Saleen and put in a Vortech plus other goodies. It's plenty fast for a vert. I also have a 2001 Cobra with 4:10's,Bassani x-pipe and Borla mufflers, and a X2C cold air intake(Wife's car). You can make either one plenty fast. The Saleen gets the looks every day. But since money is no object put in a turbo in either one with forged internals and you can go plenty fast on the street. I have thought of going to convert my 2v to a 5.4 4v and turbo that, but I will probably pully down to 20 pounds of boost and get a small shot of nitrous 30 - 50 in front of the aftercooler . That should put me over 500rwhp on Calif crap gas. Oh the Saleen is more fun in the city and the Cobra more fun on the highway.
A standard SC-281 (not the E) and a Roush have hypereutectic pistons, same as the 99/01 Cobras. They can't take a lot of boost. You're not going to pulley up an SC-281 or a Stg 3 and pull 16-18 psi safely no matter how much fuel you can pump into it. I'm not going to beat on a Ford product. There's nothing on the Saleen you couldn't do yourself including the body kit. The Saleens look damn nice. But, why pay Saleen for example, $800 for a set of springs when you can do a set yourself for less $3-400 with CC plates. He's raping people.
A buddy of mine and I went on a big 3 day cruise-in. A dude parked beside us where we all met to line up in a Roush Stg. III. We had guys looking over our 03's a lot and not many looked at the Roush. I could tell it bothered the guy. When we lined up to go on the cruise, the guy in the Roush kept ramming his nose up my ass. He would back off and then hammer it. It was really pissing me off. We stopped for gas and I told my buddy I was really thinking about jumping on this guys ass but I didn't want to make a scene since we were all there for being fans of Mustangs. I just didn't get it why the guy was so damn paranoid. When we left the store, I let my buddy get ahead of me about a half a mile. When the guy in the roush punched on me this time I was in second at 3500 rpm, I mashed on it and my 03 always hunckers and pulls to the right burning rubber with just throttle, I slammed third and left the Roush like he was standing still. My car is running 500 rwhp SAE, 550 rwt with 3.90 gears. There was no way that Stg. III could even hang in my draft especially from a 35 mph roll. The next hundred miles he stayed back off my ass and quit showing his. After we stopped again, he got behind my buddy and started doing the same crap to him.
A buddy of mine and I went on a big 3 day cruise-in. A dude parked beside us where we all met to line up in a Roush Stg. III. We had guys looking over our 03's a lot and not many looked at the Roush. I could tell it bothered the guy. When we lined up to go on the cruise, the guy in the Roush kept ramming his nose up my ass. He would back off and then hammer it. It was really pissing me off. We stopped for gas and I told my buddy I was really thinking about jumping on this guys ass but I didn't want to make a scene since we were all there for being fans of Mustangs. I just didn't get it why the guy was so damn paranoid. When we left the store, I let my buddy get ahead of me about a half a mile. When the guy in the roush punched on me this time I was in second at 3500 rpm, I mashed on it and my 03 always hunckers and pulls to the right burning rubber with just throttle, I slammed third and left the Roush like he was standing still. My car is running 500 rwhp SAE, 550 rwt with 3.90 gears. There was no way that Stg. III could even hang in my draft especially from a 35 mph roll. The next hundred miles he stayed back off my ass and quit showing his. After we stopped again, he got behind my buddy and started doing the same crap to him.
Your right about the pistons. I had 35760 miles before I had to re-build. I'm close to 80k now and getting ready for some more. I probably would have said something to that guy as I have seen too many people slam into the back of some bodies car. Something funny, not too aggressive, like" I feel like I'm back in Jail with you trying to get up my ass" with a laugh. A year ago I arrived on the seen where and Old man ran through a Farmer Market in Santa Monica. Bodies everywhere. Car's are fun but one ******* can ruin a lot of people's day.
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