TERMI Or S197 gt

mustanglou7

New Member
Jan 27, 2009
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i need help i cant make up my mind.I either wanna by a termi or a newer model mustang gt. Im definetly going to put a kenne bell on either one but it the end i want tthe one thats going to be faster. i love everything about the termi and its power especiailly the forged internals. But i also like the new gt but i heard its sluggish i just cant make up my mind so which one do you think and why. thank youu for your help:nice::shrug:
 
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what are you looking to do in the car? if you want straight line i'd 100% go GT. i know a new GT can handle twisties just fine, just not sure what it takes, thats not my bag. but there is definitely people here that could point you in the right direction.

everyone has a terminator. the new GTs are far from dogs, with a couple bolt ons and a gear swap mid 12s are capable. less insurance for GT also.

the terminator is on a chassis that was designed in 1978. its been around the block quite a few times. its a good chassis, but the s197 is miles better IMO.

they also say the IRS for the terminator can be good for drag racing, but its costy to set it up to get good results. to get a good rear out of the s197 just swap the upper control arm and both lowers. around 400 bucks.

then if you wanna go all out, go with an anti roll bar, and adjustable panhard bar. your looking at under a grand, and have a real done up rear suspension.

the s197s also come with 31 spline axles. i don't know whats in the cobra stock, but 99% sure in my old sn95 GT they were only 28 spline.

the terminators also got a 10 year old interior. looks almost exactly like it did in 1994.
 
Have you driven either car? I haven't driven a 03-04 Cobra, but I own a 08 GT and had a 01 GT. These two cars are completely different, go drive them and see which feel you prefer.
 
what are you looking to do in the car? if you want straight line i'd 100% go GT. i know a new GT can handle twisties just fine, just not sure what it takes, thats not my bag. but there is definitely people here that could point you in the right direction.

everyone has a terminator. the new GTs are far from dogs, with a couple bolt ons and a gear swap mid 12s are capable. less insurance for GT also.

the terminator is on a chassis that was designed in 1978. its been around the block quite a few times. its a good chassis, but the s197 is miles better IMO.

they also say the IRS for the terminator can be good for drag racing, but its costy to set it up to get good results. to get a good rear out of the s197 just swap the upper control arm and both lowers. around 400 bucks.

then if you wanna go all out, go with an anti roll bar, and adjustable panhard bar. your looking at under a grand, and have a real done up rear suspension.

the s197s also come with 31 spline axles. i don't know whats in the cobra stock, but 99% sure in my old sn95 GT they were only 28 spline.

the terminators also got a 10 year old interior. looks almost exactly like it did in 1994.

Terminator FAQs

Alll you need to know. :nice:
 
everyone has a terminator. the new GTs are far from dogs, with a couple bolt ons and a gear swap mid 12s are capable. less insurance for GT also.

Everyone?

Trust me, that little snake on the fender draws attention wherever it goes, Doesn't need factory stripes IMO. The sound can't be duplicated, all someone needs to see is the corner of the front end coming around towards them and they know immediately what's there and what it's capable of doing, I'm in a city pushing 1 million people in the metro area and you don't see a termi every day. To see more than three you have to be at a meet or show.
Plus for under 1k you can be a 10.9 car
 
Everyone?

Trust me, that little snake on the fender draws attention wherever it goes, Doesn't need factory stripes IMO. The sound can't be duplicated, all someone needs to see is the corner of the front end coming around towards them and they know immediately what's there and what it's capable of doing, I'm in a city pushing 1 million people in the metro area and you don't see a termi every day. To see more than three you have to be at a meet or show.
Plus for under 1k you can be a 10.9 car

well i guess its not too popular in your area but right down the street from me is a mystichrome vert cobra, down the street from his is a yellow terminator, then 2 blocks the other way there is a red vert. then up the street from him is a white coupe. thats all within a few blocks, and these aren't big blocks.

i understand the big idea of the terminator, i almost bought one before this car. around the same price as i paid. its an awesome car, but its just becoming too popular of a car. and the s197 not alot of people realize they can run 12s with a few simple changes that if you install yourself you can have it for under a grand.



they are an awesome bang for the buck, but when i hear people talk about buying a mustang, they want to buy a cobra. more specifically, a 03-04.

if he wants to put a blower on it anyway, the only thing i see as an advantage in the cobra is the stronger internals.
 
s197 all day long if you take power out of the equation...

It's retarded people are still paying mid 20s for a 5 and 6 year old car thats been probably beat on, and #2 drive a S197 around for a couple weeks then step back into a Sn-95... You'll feel like fred flintstone...
 
A 2003-2004 Cobra isn't a SN95 ...

So what exactly do you think it is then? It’s the same Fox4 SN95 chassis they've been running around on since 1994…which is really just an updated version of the original Fox from 1979. They reskinned the bodywork for the '99-up models, but otherwise it’s the same old dinosaur. Only this one is built a little more stout, with IRS.

As far as preference goes....that's a tough one. If you plan on sticking with moderate power levels (under 500hp) and don't mind the added bulk that comes with the superior chassis, then go with the GT.

If you plan on pushing the short block and prefer the lines of the SN95 and don't mind having to beef up the chassis a little to run on part with a stock S197 from a handling and stiffness standpoint, go with the '03-'04 Cobra.

Personally, I like the look and styling of the Cobra as well as the beefed up power and drive train. On the other hand, at 6'3", I'm a better fit in the S197 and its a better car across the board when you take power out of the equasion. Otherwise, I'm with dro....sinking 20-30K into a 5-6 year old car that you know has probably been driven hard and put away wet, when you can pick up an S107 a year or two old for the same price kinda makes me think twice about it.
 
New Edge.
Same car, different makeup. Would you say an '86 GT and an '87 GT aren't both Fox's because Ford reskinned the outside of the Mustang for the 1987 model year? :shrug:

The term "New Edge" was a nickname give to the '99-up cars by Ford as a selling feature to make consumers think the redesign was a big deal. Nothing more. Make no mistake....they're still built on the same SN95 chassis though.
 
i'd say its pretty much the same thing as the new mustang coming out in 2010 a couple lines are different but other then that its the same car as it was 5 years earlier.

in some areas you can get a charger already on the s197 as a dealer add on.
with a warranty still, and still brand new. a terminator with 20k miles, is about 15k WOT. haha.

my friend is looking at an SRT10 ram, and he said it was never beat on. bull. that thing was leaving stripes leaving the dealership.
 
Cobra.
Its been my favorite car for years. If I ever get another car, its going to be an 04 Cobra. They're rare, and already come with a 4.6 0-60 time without adding anything. The newer GTs are VERY nice though, especially with a KB.
BUT, if your thinking of adding a Kenne Bell to either... I have a video for you.
You might have already seen it.
YouTube - Bad ass Mustang Cobra with Kenne Bell Supercharger
With a KB on a stock 03-04 cobra, you'll be good for 500+hp easily. Hell, they come with 400hp stock.
They are both very respectable cars, but I would go with the Cobra.
 
Thank you guys for all your opinions. I still just cant make up my mind. I have yet not even seen a gt with bolt-ons come close to what damage an 03-04 cobra can do. i do plan on going down to the block eventually on which car i get and work my way threw valvetrain,heads,crank,forged internals ect. All that gets you into the high nines mid tens. I just dont no what in the end will be more worth it. There both totally different animals if you hook them up with the rite setupp. I def wanna go kenne bell 2.8 big bore and hopefully run around 18 pounds of boost. I know the cobra could handle it but what about the gt.:shrug::mad::(