GT vs Cobra vs WS6

[97predator]

I am looking into trading my 97 Cougar XR7 in in a few months. Right now I am looking at either a 99 GT, Cobra, or a Trans Am WS6. ( no boos ) I love all of these cars and am tryign to make an educated choice. I would like to see 450-550 rwhp when all is said and done. Is the 4V motor in the 99 Cobra that much better than the 2V? Also, how much of an improvement, if any is there in handling between the GT with the solid rear and the IRS in the Cobra. I have been looking at Steeda's parts and they have loads of mods for both. Is it worth the extra money for a Cobra, or should I just save the initial cost and mod the hell out of the GT? And of course there is the WS6. I know we all hate LS1's, but the car is georgeous, not to mention extremely powerful. Are the handling characteristics of the f body better/worse than the mustang? The f body will cost more, so is its performance worth the price? And another consideration I have is the ability to customize the car to me. The aftermarket for mustangs is huge. I like having the option of different hoods, front and rear fascias, scoops, etc. Also, I have always had automatics( ) so my skill with a clutch is, uh, not to promising. I have moved cars around in my dads garage for a few years now so low speed driving isn't bad, but I have never been on the road with one. Should I look to get a manual and learn on the fly? Or stick with autos. I have been readign through the thread and have seen arguments for both. It also seems the currnt manual has some issues. How bad are they? And how bad will they be when I learn to drive stick and kill the trans? I would appreciaye any and all opinions in the matter as I dont want to waste 20,000 or more. Thanks.

 

[Roger Ramjet]

Having owned and driven many blue oval and bow-tie performance cars, my recomendation would be the WS6 - especially if you decide to get an automatic. The LS1 pulls an automatic transmission much better than the little 281 cubit motor. The GM pony car in stock condition handles better than the GT but not a good as the Cobra.

 

[tait_gt2002]

$1500 in mods (nitrous + basic bolt ons) and you have your 430 rwhp mark on the WS.6. With either the GT or the Cobra, you'll need to drop your power expectations a tad or resign yourself to the fact that you'll need a built motor to make that kind of power. With the Steeda tune however, that kind of power is easily achievable in a friendly package in the GT, and the SRA GT has the most potential for high-end handling at the track compared to the WS.6 and Cobra. The plus sides to the WS.6 are that your power goals can be achieved with relative ease with either a poweradder or N/A, a good auto tranny or a bulletproof manual, and the looks. The downsides are the rear end and the clutch, and (for me) the fact that I can't see out of the damn things. For the GT and Cobra, the upsides are the looks, the downsides are that you'll need a blower and a built shortblock to have that kind of reliable power over the long run. You'll also need a new clutch with the stangs but if you don't plan on any wild launches with traction, you should be ok for the most part with the stock rear. Just gotta go with what you want in a car, but I would certainly go for the manual in either.

 

[2000GTnoExtras]

Thought about an '03 Mach I?

 

[97predator]

of course, but costs too much.

 

[k1DBLITZ]

Let me first state that I drive my friends WS6 ALL the time so I am very familiar with them. (He likes to collect autotap data often, so I drive his car....haaaaard while he fiddles with the laptop. )

That's a really tough choice. I love WS6's also and almost bought one before I decided on the Cobra. You'll definately be able to achieve the power you want with the WS6's easier. They do a have 1 liter more of displacement than the GT or Cobra. I absolutely LOVE the T-56 tranny. That's a big plus if you get a manual WS6. The trannys in the Cobra and GT are relatively weak in comparison. The GT's have a tougher rear end then the WS6's, and the IRS in the Cobra is a whole 'nother story.

Another thing you have to consider is "build quality". Honestly, the component quality in the GT and Cobra will be better than the WS6. Little things like the door handles, the electric window motors, etc. I have SEVERAL friends with F-Body's and 90% of them have had or are having failures with their window motors. Then there's the sound systems. They monsoon system in the WS6 is really nice. I like the fact that the it has a graphic equalizer so that you can adjust the frequencies exactly to your liking. The speakers in the WS6 are also larger in comparison to the GT/Cobra and produce bass frequencies better. The main thing I like about the Mach Audio system in the GT/Cobra is the tweeter placement. After hearing it for so long other car systems sound muffled, or like the music is coming from the floor.

Then there's the "feel" of the car. Even though their weights are relatively close, the WS6 just FEELS SO much heavier than my Cobra. The steering seems to take a little more effort, this could be due in part to the 9 inch width wheels of the WS6 though. The side mirrors are very small compared to my Cobra and are hard to see with. There are also lots of blind spots in the WS6. For daily driving, the Cobra/GT is a MUCH better choice. I also don't like the feel of the turn signal lever on the WS6. It's very narrow/small and feels like you're breaking it every time you use it. I do like how the WS6 has stereo controls built into the steering wheel though.

The WS6 has T-Tops which is VERY nice in the summer in the time.

Performance parts definately cost less for the GT/Cobra.

I guess that about sums it up.....I hope it helps ya some. If I were you, I would just get BOTH of them, that way you can have the best of both worlds.

 

[2000GTnoExtras]

Why not get the mach though? I mean you obviously have the bread and that way you can get DOHC (Cobra engine, almost) and a live axle rear end.

 

[97predator]

if i am not mistaken a mach will set me back around 30000. i can get a 99 gt for around 10,000$ here locally, and a cobra of the same year for about 15000 if i am patient. i know a wholesaler. a 2001 trans am will set me back 20,000. i love the mach, but it is a just a little too much bread.

 

[97predator]

or how about a civic. i could put a turbo on it and beat corvettes. hehe

 

[TR03Mach1]

if i am not mistaken a mach will set me back around 30000. i can get a 99 gt for around 10,000$ here locally, and a cobra of the same year for about 15000 if i am patient. i know a wholesaler. a 2001 trans am will set me back 20,000. i love the mach, but it is a just a little too much bread.

Ummm, if you can find someone to mooch a D-plan off of, with the current rebates and craziness Ford is offering, you can get a 2003 Mach 1 out the door for about $22k! For a little xtra, like around $25k, you could have a 2004 Mach 1!

 

[jorge]

or how about a civic. i could put a turbo on it and beat corvettes. hehe

and u just killed any chances of anyone EVER responding to this thread again...

j/k anyways, a friend of mine has a ws6 with a chip and an intake on in it, its auto.. man does it fly. but personally, i like my gt more to drive everyday.. if i was only wanting to go fast and would not be nervous driving that thing around (cuz of lack of view) then i would definately get ws6, but if u like to drive and want to be comfortable driving then get the gt.

btw, the gt is 10,000... and the ws6 is 20,000.....take that extra 10,000 and buy a turbo kit and build up ur motor a bit, and take out all the ws6's u like

 

[Ken01GTvert]

Before I bought my 01 GT I considered the WS6 and Cobra as well. The reason I didn't want the WS6 was the higher initial cost, cheap GM plastic in the interior, lower ride, and (to me) it looks like a kids car. I don't put it very far away from the way the ricers look with all the extra foo-foo on it. The Cobra was fun to drive and I'd liked the rear suspension since it was independent versus the solid axle but again the higher initial price and lack of a decent price on a convertible led me away from it. The other year-to-year cost I wanted to avoid was the insurance. I rather spend the money I save from insurance on my GT into mods then some insurance company. I decided on the GTand have put about $3,000 worth of mods in it. I'm happy with the power I've got, the way it handles, and the low insurance. I think it all comes down to personal preference. IMO Mustang GT and Cobra exude muscle car looks and feel. If you want big HP you can get it in the GT but you'll need to bypass the N/A mods and move on to SCing it. When it's all said and done, you get the satisfaction of having a sleeper that you built that can take just about anything on the road around you.

 

[97predator]

that was kind of hat i was thinking. body kit, twin turbo, dss forged block, steeda suspension. i like the cobra R hood, front end, and wing, but with the cervinis stalker side skirts, scoops, and rear bumper. how does that set up sond?

 

[jorge]

that set-up sounds like i want 10,000 dollars to play with.... lucky bastage

 

[Ken01GTvert]

I saw a Mach 1 locally advertised for $22,000 I think. Seems to me that would be a good base car to build since it's got the 32v engine and the lighter suspension (solid vs independent). Oh, the other thing to consider between GT engine and 32v (Mach 1 and Cobra) is which one can handle big HP. From what I understand the forged internal of the 32v engines are better off then the GT. Just something to think about.

 

[97predator]

wow i didnt realize the price was so low. that is something to think of. i am leaning on the 99 gt, just love how they look with the cobra r goodies. and i couldnt do that to a new car under warranty. well i could, but it would be awful irresponsible, lol. the ws6 is a sweet car, but i do drive from va beach to newport news everyday, so my car sees roughly 90 miles a day. a gt may be the way to go. we'll see. i love the way a mustang sounds too.

 

[inertia]

I like the idea of getting a 4v / Cobra

 

[Ken01GTvert]

BTW...the Mach I was talking about was used with about 30,000 miles on it. I agree, the Cobra R stuff looks GREAT! The front air dam and hood are tops. Stick a SC in there and you've got both the looks and the power to match. FYI...check into the 99 GT a little more. Ford came out with PI (Power Improved) heads which got the HP up. I can't remember if the PI heads were on the 99s or if they came the next year.

 

[StratGT]

Call your insurance company for a final decision!! I called in regards to a LS1 Camaro and the rates were insane compared to a Mustang.

In my opinion, the Mustang is much much better for day to day living. The Mach 1 is even more comfortable.

Last time at the track, a completely stock Mach 1 ran 13.1 @ 106 and outran every stock LS1 car that day. The Mach 1 can be lightly modded to run mids 12's without much fuss. Check out what PHP is doing with these cars.

In the end the decision is yours.

 

[984.6gt]

Cobra+Blower=430HP, You can most likely do this for about 23-25k after it is all said and done.