SHould I get a 97 or 98 cobra or a newer GT or bullit?

Cavalry6

New Member
Jul 28, 2003
5
0
0
San Jose,CA
Thanks for all the input on my previous questions. As a result of all the replies I think I am leading towards a 97 or 98 cobra, but which one is better, is there any differences? Is there anything I should look for specifically when buying a cobra? Also, would a 99+ Gt be a good idea? remember, I am 16 and with a trade in on my gt I could probably spend no more than 20000. I drove a bullit a while back and it was really nice. so, if not a cobra than what year newer GT or a bullit? Any advantages to a newer GT over a 97 or 98 cobra or vice versa?
 
  • Sponsors (?)


You can get a 97/98 Cobra for 13 or 14K is you look hard enough maybe less. The only difference between 97 and 98 is dash clock and rims. Insurance should be about same for Cobra as newer GT. Get the Cobra, you'll be happy you did.
 
Beast97Cobra said:
You can get a 97/98 Cobra for 13 or 14K is you look hard enough maybe less. The only difference between 97 and 98 is dash clock and rims. Insurance should be about same for Cobra as newer GT. Get the Cobra, you'll be happy you did.

Dont forget there is no Strut Tower brace in the 98. They got rid of it after 97. But 98 has two of the best Cobra colors they ever made. Chrome yellow and Bright atlantic Blue.
 
notinbut50 said:
Dont forget there is no Strut Tower brace in the 98. They got rid of it after 97. But 98 has two of the best Cobra colors they ever made. Chrome yellow and Bright atlantic Blue.

98's actually do have a different tune from the factory and seem to run just a bit quicker than the 96-97's.
 
Beast97Cobra said:
Control your tongue. If my 97 hears that she lose all confidence and quit whippin those 98's. LOL Really though cars perform very close. Interesting information on the tune.

Yes they are nearly the same but Ford changed some parameters in the 98 tune. I don't knnow why. Possibly they were consertative the first few years of putting the 32v motor in Mustangs and changed the fuel curve and timming in the 98's. Who knows.
 
In regards to the tune, I have actually read in an MM&FF that the '98 did have a more aggressive tune to it. I have a 97 and my buddy's got a 98, we've ran countless times both bone stock at the time and have been neck and neck, other times he's beaten me and vice versa. :shrug: I'm stil looking for that article, it was an old mag.
 
I have yet to try it, but tomorrow I may try to hook it up and see what I can do while I am putting on my new O/R H-pipe.
What I did find interesting is the calibrations for the 96-98 Cobras. The 96 has only one calibration while the 97s and 98s had two. Not sure why the 97s and 98s have two, maybe one for the US version and one for the canadian version, or maybe depending on what climate it would be shipped to. A lot of the time the same exact car with different calibrations will not perform and drive the same as the other one. Makes me wonder which one is the more agressive calibration.

96: 6-37M-R06
97: 6-37M-R10, 6-37N-R10
98: 8-37M-R05-AOL1, 8-37M-R10-AOL3
 
The 1/4 Mile time for both the 99 Cobra and the Bullitt are very very close. I personally believe though that you will love every second of the dohc doing its thing under the hood. Top end is supreme on DOHC cars. I used to have a 98 and now have a 97. The 98 definately felt like it had a more aggresive tune than the 96-97 engines do stock for stock.
 
Think of it like this. What do you plan for this car? If you wanna go fast a 96-98 cobra will always be good becuase of the live axle and Dohc. And dohc's love forced induction. They love it so much that they usually need built internals to deal with the power levels. A 99-2001 is better for handling due to the independant rear (supposedly) Just figure out what you wanna do and choose the one that suits your needs best. The GTs & Bullitts are fine handlers and have their benefits too. But I would still go 98 Snake if I had a choice.
 
I personally would go with the snake. Not many people know what a Bullitt is, unless they are enthusiasts or know stangs. But even people who don't know much about stangs know about Cobras. When I'm on the road, I rarely give a GT a 2nd look and I'll stare at the Bullitts. But I drool whenever I see a Cobra, no matter what year it is.