Snake charming: Trying to decipher just how modified the Cobra is!

As all of you know, I previously owned the most popular GRM Reader's Ride, as chronicled in the original build thread and the subsequent round 2 thread. As noted in that one, the time came where I realized it was time to let go, and THIS is the new ride!

It's a 1996 Ford Mustang Cobra. First year of the Romeo engine, the 4V DOHC all-aluminum 7000RPM screamer, mated to a T-45 5-speed, and through a 8.8" SRA with 3.23 gears and an LSD. The observant will notice the Javelin's old wheels on it, which is the 4th car they've been on, and the first one without any spacers or adapters, since an SN95 Mustang is what they were designed for! Anyways, it's obviously highly modified, so let's dig in and see just how deep I've gotten myself into...

Awesome! Glad you got it although they javelin was awesome, hope it works out well for you and i guess now to change your name to cobra haha

chiodos wrote: Awesome! Glad you got it although they javelin was awesome, hope it works out well for you and i guess now to change your name to cobra haha

Good idea, I started a thread to pick, lol!

Beauty shots:

Okay, enough of that, let's get to work.

Looks like we have some square peg in a round hole LED foglights and eBay special 1-piece halo HID's. Looks like wiring issues are in my future...

Inside we have an oh-so-90's a-pillar gauge pod with some nice Auto Meter Phantom gauges, except the whole broken needle thing. Also, there's no turbo on this thing so what's up with the boost gauge?!?

The astute among you already recognized the 17x9 / 17x10.5 FR500 replica wheels from the Javelin. I have the OE 17x8's as well. The brakes are stock Cobra, which is 13" front discs with aluminum 2-piston PBR calipers and a hydroboost style PS system. This one has drilled and slotted rotors on all 4 corners and a pretty aggressive feeling pad.

A fox-body must-have, caster/camber plates! These are "Gripp" which are made by BBK.

That spherical bearing doesn't look stock, and this thing has been lowered, so what is it hiding?

Hmmm, peakaboo!

Bam! Complete Eibach Pro-Street suspension! Coilover set with struts/shocks and swaybars!

Rear, too!

Here's the coilover package less the sway bars: Link

Did they locate the rear axle or is it still a fully functioning quadra-bind?

Critical: check to see if the upper rear control arms are stock. You either want them to be stock or absent! (they need the compliance of the stock bushings to not tear the floorpan) if you have the steeda 5-link I will be jelly. (those relocated uppers are GREAT!)

its actually coilovers! I have the H&R's the fit in the stock location. Not sure about how those shocks stack up, most autocrossers use either Koni Yellow or Bilstiens.

Stock, the calipers werent painted that year.

Clarification, your stock gears arent 3.23, they are 3.27's (I was just in mine)

Let me know if you need pictures off another one, I also have a lift, so I can get underbody shots easily.

RE: the boost gauge, check the oil pan to see if it was tapped for a return line. If so, you likely have a supercharger in the past. (Vortech and Paxton needed one IIRC, Procharger didnt) Doubt it was turbo, those are a lot more work. Personally, Kenne Bell is a good answer if you are going to autocross it.

Additionally, would advise raising the front end a bit. It looks lower than you want it to have the geometry in a happy place. The front roll center goes subterranian and its already poor camber control gets worse.

Grab a close up picture of the front balljoint, we can see if you have something like a Steeda X2 which would allow it to be lower.

Look at RockAuto for the lighting stuff, seems to be the cheapest I have seen. If you find cheaper for the headlights, LET ME KNOW!

Cool

RossD wrote: Did they locate the rear axle or is it still a fully functioning quadra-bind?

Fully-functioning quadra-bind. It goes on the lift today, so I'll know more tonight.

Apexcarver wrote: Critical: check to see if the upper rear control arms are stock. You either want them to be stock or absent! (they need the compliance of the stock bushings to not tear the floorpan) if you have the steeda 5-link I will be jelly. (those relocated uppers are GREAT!) its actually coilovers! I have the H&R's the fit in the stock location. Not sure about how those shocks stack up, most autocrossers use either Koni Yellow or Bilstiens. Stock, the calipers werent painted that year. Clarification, your stock gears arent 3.23, they are 3.27's (I was just in mine) Let me know if you need pictures off another one, I also have a lift, so I can get underbody shots easily. RE: the boost gauge, check the oil pan to see if it was tapped for a return line. If so, you likely have a supercharger in the past. (Vortech and Paxton needed one IIRC, Procharger didnt) Doubt it was turbo, those are a lot more work. Personally, Kenne Bell is a good answer if you are going to autocross it. Additionally, would advise raising the front end a bit. It looks lower than you want it to have the geometry in a happy place. The front roll center goes subterranian and its already poor camber control gets worse. Grab a close up picture of the front balljoint, we can see if you have something like a Steeda X2 which would allow it to be lower. Look at RockAuto for the lighting stuff, seems to be the cheapest I have seen. If you find cheaper for the headlights, LET ME KNOW!

All rear control arms look stock, will take a closer look today up on the lift. The uppers are present.

Aftermarket rebuilt calipers, like through Centric, can be had powdercoated for the same price so that's likely what happened. Interesting trivia though, means they were changed at some point.

3.27's, thanks! I'll be counting the revolutions today to see if that's still the case.

Oil pan tap, good idea! (I'd be a little sad if this thing used to have a blower that's now missing)

Aww, I was going to lower the back. I'll get some good shots of the front end and see if I can't raise it today.

American Muscle seems to have some good deals on lighting, I really like the newest Raxiom stuff, especially the taillights. I can get stock Cobra lights from work for dirt cheap though.

Thanks for all the help man, I really appreciate it!!

If you really want to run it low, these help (I only say summit for free shipping!) https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sda-555-8101

I havent done those as I am watching what happens with STP and was formerly running ESP with it and they arent allowed for either.

Here's where the H&R race springs roughly have mine (the race springs are actually taller than their street springs for the geometry reasons stated before) I can get you some measurements tonight if you want a reference.

Javelin? wrote: Inside we have an oh-so-90's a-pillar gauge pod with some nice Auto Meter Phantom gauges, except the whole broken needle thing. Also, there's no turbo on this thing so what's up with the boost gauge?!?

The boost gauge is also a vacuum gauge. You know, for hypermiling.

Javelin? wrote:

Those "fogs" fill me with sadness and rage at the same time. The rage is because they have no beam cutoff and should never be used on a road vehicle. The sadness is because someone actually thought that looked good.

Check for an adjustable clutch cable and an aftermarket clutch quadrant. I'd suspect they might have something to do with your high clutch pedal effort.

In reply to Jumper K. Balls:

Oh, they are definitely being ripped out ASAP. They don't even work!

Jumper K. Balls wrote: Those "fogs" fill me with sadness and rage at the same time. The rage is because they have no beam cutoff and should never be used on a road vehicle. The sadness is because someone actually thought that looked good.

That's because they're not fog lights at all. They'd be fine if used as driving lights (treated as high beams), although mounting them down that low is pretty stupid. And yeah, it looks like E36 M3.

Now, for under the hood!

Beauty shot!

Let's see, a BBK CAI (that needs the airbox put back around it, ugh) and an MSD coil pack and wires.

Optima red top with some old stereo wiring that will need to come off, the other MSD coil pack, and a Canton puke tank!

Why hello there, it's BBK long-tube headers! Those midpipes don't have cats in them...

Huh, there is't much exhaust at all! A really nice X-pipe and some Blowmaster's, probably 40-series, with dumps. No wonder it sounds like a Stangbanger.

The PO must have tracked this thing in between the complete suspension, puke tank, and this additional electric fan. It's always a good tell when you find supporting mods like this.

And this, a PA Performance starter.

Wait a minute, that endlink looks funny... A Steeda spherical-end bump-steer kit?!?

Dang son, polyurethane engine mounts, too. There is serious money in this car everywhere you look.

The HID's work on low, but none of the halo's work, and no high beams. Also the square "fogs" are INOP.

Decent beam pattern on the HID's, I might try to keep those. Tails work fine. They are Raxiom fogged ones, kinda neat.

Gauges work.

The astute among you noticed that the starter was hanging out, which would be odd. You see, this car has a dark secret, 3rd gear disappeared. Like it's totally gone. Poof. I got $1000 with the Cobra for my Javelin just to replace the trans and found this low-miles T-45 with a warranty from a stock 'vert Cobra that was drilled hard in the rear for $600 delivered.

Unfortunately, one header had to come out to get the T-45 out.

Where we found this POS 6-puck SPEC Stage 3 clutch. I used to use one of these drag racing the last time I owned a fox-body and hated it. The disc and pressure plate ID/OD don't line up (see the ridge?) and it was nearly to where the rivets were going to hit.

So I'm putting a stock style Luk in it. The motor is an NA build that looks like a stock long-block, so it doesn't really need a crazy clutch. Plus, that will help protect future transmission failures (and a shifter!).

Old and busted next to new hotness.

The aluminum flywheel survived, yay!

I also picked up the OE wheels. Yes, they are stamped Ford with the part numbers and everything. Square setup with dedicated AX tires? Sell them and run AX tires all the time on the bigger staggered wheels?