My 96 Cobra's mini progress thread

SVT32VDOHC · Nov 24, 2008

1990Coupe said:
Good luck and hopefully you get her back today!! Was the tune just to check everything out or were you going to get a little more aggressive with it?

Thanks. I hope so too. The tune was to check everything. I had a CE light, which SHOULD NOT come on with SCT software. When I slammed on the brakes hard, the cars idle would drop way down and almost stall, sometimes it would stall. I told him check that and fix whatever is wrong, but keep most of everything the same. The car is fast, and runs very well, and I don't want to get aggressive and hurt anything. I'm hoping the numbers will be close to what they were back in March of 2004. If they are lower, I guess you can chalk that up to more mileage and abuse...

SVT32VDOHC · Nov 24, 2008

Yeahhhh!!!!

Got er back tonight. I just drove her home. First of all, the MGW shifter is AWESOME! If you don't have an MGW shifter, ditch what ever you have and buy one. At first, I thought I couldn't get it into 2nd gear, but I'm like wait....it is in 2nd gear. That is BY FAR the shortest shifter and quietest shifter on the market. You don't even hear it hitting the stop bolts. A flick of the finger and it's in the next gear. I have had many shifters and there is NOTHING that compares. MGW!!!! :hail2:

Second of all, it's amazing to be able to get the car in reverse using no effort and it's nice not to roll forward at the light when the clutch pedal is pressed in. It's also nice having the speedometer correct and not having 4th gear pop out randomly, which that I think was some crap fell into the shifter cup.

Also, the car made 408RWHP. Same torque. It's a tad less horsepower, but he told me the tune is now more aggressive from idle to 4,000RPM. Of course, I won't be able to see this till the spring, but I can tell the car is different already. It idles perfect and shifts great. I'm very happy!!

:flag:

bentley429 · Nov 24, 2008

Sounds great! Still at 8 psi? Starting to look into what a supercharged 96-98 cobra can do

SVT32VDOHC · Nov 25, 2008

bentley429 said:
Sounds great! Still at 8 psi? Starting to look into what a supercharged 96-98 cobra can do

8.6psi is what the sheet said. It's a very safe tune. It's been trouble free since I had it tuned. I had the CE light turn on, but he said there was nothing really wrong. He just checked all the numbers, then made it a little more aggressive from idle to 4000RPM. When the initial tune was in, it made 436RWHP in 2004, but he said he didn't like some numbers at WOT, so he tuned it down. I got on it in one gear last night and it definately was more stout than when I took it to him November 1st.

96-98 Cobras can do a lot more than what mine does. With 12-14PSI along with meth, or race gas, they can lay down over 500RWHP on stock internals.

So far, my car has beaten a H/C/I 6.0L GTO...(406RWHP made on the same exact dyno), a newer Viper, quite a few modded C5's, and a couple new C6's, and I even do very well against my Dad's GT500. I can pull on him on a few high MPG roll races, but not off the line. This is all on the street though, where my cars hooks. The track doesn't agree with my car. :rolleyes:

I might be done with the track. I'm sick and tired of going there and beating on my car. It just cost me a bunch of money to buy all these new parts and of course the labor and dyno time. I have a house now, and I'm not married, so I can't be spending thousands or dollars anymore......I might go once with my Dad and my friends 351W GT, because we are all very close to one another. Both cars have hung with me, so we want to see what will happen in a fair, legal race.

1990Coupe · Nov 25, 2008

NICE man! Glad you got her back and that she's running good! It is starting to get real cold around these parts and i fear this will be a snowy year

I may have to end up putting the car away for a few months after all. Can't wait for spring though and get some new vids of that thing running!!

SVT32VDOHC · Nov 25, 2008

Yeah, it snowed all day yesterday, but it was not snowing or raining when I picked the car up. The roads were drying up, but they were still a tad wet.

Yeah, Coupe, put the car away....you worked hard on it and the salt will just ruin all your hard paint work on the engine bay and the motor.

25thmustang · Nov 25, 2008

Glad to hear it... Car sounds like its a perfect street car!

I agree though, put them away, I drove mine with sand and salt last year, not anymore. Not worth it, roads are dangerously slippery, its cold, and nasty out. Plus when you have it away for months, the day you take it out is a happy day!!!

SVT32VDOHC · Nov 25, 2008

Thanks 25th. The car is fun on the street. When I take off from this certain light, where all the people sit with there cars on this wall....they all turn their heads. I can really hook up and this one guy swears my tires are about to come off the ground. He may have been exaggerating, but I looked at some vids my friends took and it's close.

Yeah, the roads are bad around here. The potholes last spring were worse than ever. We had a rough winter that lasted til April, so all of April and May....you had watch your a$$ for potholes...they swallowed my 265-70-R17 F150 tires, so I didn't dare take the Mustang out till they were filled.

bentley429 · Nov 25, 2008

Thats cool, didnt know they could make over 500 safely. Will have to look into that. I kinda agree the street is more fun then the track, havent broken a thing on the street but have broke multipul things at the track. I am sure that thing is a blast and like 25th said just put it away it will be there in the spring!

SVT32VDOHC · Nov 26, 2008

Yeah, 500RWHP with a safe tune. The most important thing is OCTANE. IT either needs race gas, or 93-94 octane with methanol injection. The highest safest 96-01 Cobra he has tuned with meth made 531RWHP. Honestly though, I've raced 500-600RWHP cars and I've beat them through 1st, 2nd, and a tad in 3rd, because they lose traction, but once we are into 3rd, they fly by me and take me by a car/car and a half.

I drove it today. It was 29* this morning, so I let her warm up in thea garage for 15 minutes, then drove easy to work. It is going to 39* today and staying dry, so I just wanted to put another 10-12 miles on it before hibernation.

1990Coupe · Nov 26, 2008

Ahh isn't it soooo nice driving your stangs...

I loveee getting in mine. I blasted it up to northern Jersey this weekend, its so much fun on the highway.

There is nothing like taking your stang out for a joyride (your cobra must be sick :drool:

)

SVT32VDOHC · Nov 26, 2008

Yes, it's so nice still being able to drive them. It's a little dirty right now, from the trip on the freeway Monday night, but who cares, dirt don't hurt. I'll take it out Saturday again, it's gonna be 36* and sunny, so I'll go out in the afternoon for a little cruise. I'm trying to get the clutch broken in more now, rather than in the spring.

I like my car more now than ever. It's so nice knowing I don't have to worry about reverse grinding and popping out in front of about 50-100 people in a parking lot during cruise nights on Woodward. That was embarrassing. I got on it this morning in 3rd, and it pulls harder than it did before. The car is smooth as can be too. The old tune was great, but this one is greater....haha

fiveohlxhatch · Nov 27, 2008

Sweet. I love DOHC Mod Motors!

SVT32VDOHC · Feb 9, 2009

UPDATE: 96 Cobra

Okay guys, I know how you all love seeing progress.

1. I installed new 29mm polyurethane sway bar bushings that I had sitting around for..................only 2 years... :hide:

2. I pulled off the wheels and took Simple Green to the insides and they are now like brand new. (Not that they were that dirty, but needed a full detail)

3. My front bumper is full of stone chips and peeling paint from 7 years of being on the road. I pulled it, stripped it and it's getting single stage black paint instead of bc/cc. Single stage is much more durable and resists rock chips.

4. OEM style Cobra headlights. (Old ones have yellowed)

5. I am also pulling out the 99-04 quarter windows and 99-04 Saleen C-pillars and replacing them with my stock 96 quarter windows and C-pillars.

I will also be repainting the hood once all this stuff is done.

PICS once the cover is painted. It's just in primer right now.

red93gthb · Feb 9, 2009

any teaser pics??

SVT32VDOHC · Feb 9, 2009

red93gthb said:
any teaser pics??

They are on my camera, but battery is charging at home, because it died last night. I'll get some up possibly tonight of the mess it used to be and I will for sure post up Wednesday night when I paint.

It's getting a single stage Urethane paint on the cover. I'm done with bc/cc for bumper covers because they get chipped up way too easy. HACK JOB had not ONE rock chip after 3,400 miles. EVERY other car has had rock chips after a few hundred miles with bc/cc.

MAC'n89Blckstng · Feb 9, 2009

Dupont makes a new clear thats chip and scratch resistant. I think I am going to try it out when i go to paint my car. My buddy painted his truck with it and someone tried keying it and they didn't have too much luck with it.

SVT32VDOHC · Feb 9, 2009

MAC'n89Blckstng said:
Dupont makes a new clear thats chip and scratch resistant. I think I am going to try it out when i go to paint my car. My buddy painted his truck with it and someone tried keying it and they didn't have too much luck with it.

If you have any info, like part numbers on it, I'll try it in the future, or on my friends 95GT. He wants me to paint his hood and bumper too, it's black. I'd like to see what that does.

Thanks.

SVT32VDOHC · Feb 11, 2009

Here are the pics. I sanded it down this morning, and I am painting it tonight. I'll get you some more pics....stay tuned.

Look at this mess!!! :eek: