Long time lurker, first time poster with some questions about driveablity mods

[BDiddy]

Apparently I registered back in 04 but never posted. Ive searched and gotten some good info off here before but cant really find a good answer to this question.

I have a 97 Cobra convertible that i bought new with about 76,0xx original miles on it. Its stock other than than the SVO side pipes and 3.73(I think) rear end and a steeda tri ax shifter.

What would you guys suggest for some good driveablity mods?

So far I definitly want to do some maximum motorsport sub-frame connectors(the full big ones) but I need to find a good chassis shop in Danbury CT area as Ive heard ALOT of horror stories about poor installs and doors not closing right after.
What else would you guys suggest to make it a great user friendly everyday kind of car? Im also looking at some eibach springs and tockio shocks since those need to be replaced, but will wait until I get a better exhaust as the side pipes are taking at least 2 inches of ground clearance to get out the side.

I want to build a nice blvd cruiser. I already know that I want a style bar and cervini 2 piece hard tonneau. Motor work Im not worried about right now. Maybe in the future build a nice 5.4L N/A motor unless it cheaper to buy a crate one. I would like to get a nice exhaust set up with long tubes and the whole 9 since Im pretty sure that the side pipes are sucking HP away. The exhaust has to turn 180 degrees inside the muffler, then it turns another 120 back or so to get out the side. it looks and sounds great,(very 60s muscle car-ish) especially since I retrofitted the stock side sills when my SVO fiberglass got destroyed, but im growing tired of it. I would like to do a long tube back, but would I be able to start with a X pipe or H pipe(which is better btw) and mate that to my stock manifolds, then mate it to the headers when I get them? Possible or just do everything at once?

Thanks guys, any suggestions you can provide expecially on the driveability side would be great.

Cheers,

Dave

Oh and does anyone make good trim pieces or little stuff that ISNT chrome? I have the 2 tone saddle leather tan and black interior, so adding aluminum or chrome to the interior just seems like too much to me. its already 2 tone, 3 tone might be a little much and Im much more of an understanted style kind of guy. Thanks

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Well first of all you have side exit exhaust not side pipes.

Secondly side exit exhaust is extremely rare on a vert, I would keep it just for the uniqueness of it.

For interior trim pieces I really like the MGW stuff, MGW LTD., INC. - CNC Machined and Turned Parts. Accessories for the Corvette, Mustang, and Viper

Let's see some pics of that Cobra!

 

[BDiddy]

Yea well they may be unique looking, but they also are unique as a terrible design to allow the side exit. Looked cool 13 years ago when I was 17 and robbing HP wasnt a big deal back then, but now its just too much. If it was a better designed system, id consider it, but its so piss poor in flow I just want the power back.

No one has any good reliability/driveability mods to just make the thing a bit more DD friendly and reliable?

Thanks for that site. I have the MGW site and was considering getting their shift knob, my old man has an 03 SRT-10 Viper and got all of the trim pieces for that, but like I said, Im not up for adding a third color to the interior. There is a picture I saw of a red vert with the balck and tan interior. The guy added faux wood trim and aluminum pieces so he had essentially 4 colors and it just looked so... Wild is a nice way of putting it. it wasnt my style at all. Add in the FR500 wheel with the tan airbag and it was just too over the top. I want that steering wheel, but i will be sending it out to be redone with matching leather.

If MGW made their shift knob with a black aluminum trim and medallion, I would have been all over it. But the aluminum trim would just be too much for me I think.

I actually have one of those crummy to put on, but really nice to drive MOMO knobs(that i probably paid a premium for from Saleen back in the day) that required the 3 set screws to hold it in place and the rubber slug on the top of your shift lever. These things came loose even when I used red locktite! I ended up getting a metal slug with the 14mm x 1.75 thread pattern made, screwed the slug onto the shift lever, put some JB weld on the outside of the slug, slid the knob over and set it up where it was with the set screws. Let the JB harded over night and VOILA! The knob I wanted with a custom thread so no more set screws and no more wiggle!

Ill get some pics when I get it a bath. its been raining here in the North East the past few days.