any one have a '97 Cobra? I'm looking at one and i was wondering what they do against other imports? are they easy to mod? I'm 18 and I was looking for a second mustang('66 coupe w/ 200 six). what is some of the first things that i should do. I am strapped for money and i want the most power for the money. What is the most that i should pay for this car. it has 97000 miles on it and some minor defects in the parint and the driver seat is torn. any help would be very nice.
I have '97 Cobra. they are serious performance vehicles.
You can get close to 300 RHWP with standard bolt on stuff, CAI, exhaust, underdrive pulleys. Put in a set of good gears and an Import is going to need be extremely stout to come even close. The list of "stock" imports that can run with even a "stock" '97 cobra is not very long at all, most of which have only been made within the last couple years.
A Mustang going to be heavier and as such not as nimble around corners, though skilled drivers can do quite well with a Mustang.
Driving a Cobra puts you in another league of competition. LS1 chevys (vette's & camaro SS's) are difficult to beat, but not impossible.
Practice and minor mods, including a good set of grippy tires will get you close to breaking 13 seconds in the quarter.
Cobra's cost money though, for the one you describe, I'd say anywhere from $8000 to $11,000 depending on the market in your area. They also need premium fuel only, so daily driving is not the cheapest route. Upgrades for Cobras are almost always more expensive. $3000 minimum for a new supercharger, $5000+ for a reliable turbo setup. They are also dual overhead cam, so any head work or upgrades runs much higher.
Thankfully they start off quite high in the power arena and it is tough for your average import owner to even touch you. In fact I have yet to come across any import that can stay within 4 or 5 car lengths of mine.
The only imports that make me nervous, WRX Sti, 350Z, BMW M3. Those are the only ones I see around here more than once a year. Each would be a tangle but none of those 3 are unbeatable either, even stock for stock. Those cars also are fairly new cars, and run $30,000+. I see a handful of each throughout the year. Any of the other imports that could readily take me car i have never seen or have seen only once.
From the tuner crowd, I know have maybe 3 or 4 cars around me area that are stout enough to give me a run, beatable but would give me a run. For a mid '90's four banger tuner to run with even a '97 cobra they are gonna have to have a rebuilt motor, tons of boost and a nitrous shot. You may run across some brain surgeon who has his stock civic turbo'd and running 30 lbs of boost and a 150 shot of nitrous trying to run you, they may actually get to the other end, and may even win. They won't have a car left if they do that though.
I ran one guy that pretty much melted his engine together trying to push so much nitrous through it keep up.
Don't get me wrong I know there are Import guys out there that do it right and would eat my lunch 9 ways from sunday, you just don't see them very often, unless you frequent a track. More often than not an import "tuner" has bolted a bunch of go fast stuff to a stock motor and is one run from grenading the whole thing.
A cobra, from any year, is another level of Car, but be warned if you are on a very tight budget, any fix, or upgrade is gonna cost. I think parts guys hear the word Cobra and think "chaching" and instantly double the price of any part you ask for.
Thanks for the info. I live in Spokane Washington and there isn't many imports that i think that would be able to keep up with the car. on the test drive the other day there was this riced out civic that thought that he could take me and the dealer said lets see what this car can do. i launched it about 3 grand and smoked the tires for about 2 seconds and the civic thought that he was going to win but after i cought traction i flew by him and the look on his and the dealers face will forever be priceless. the dealer said that if he had the mony he would get the car after the race.
the car dealership said that i have to make between 1200 and 1500 a month but i make 900 right now on $7.35 an hour. going to have my boss give me a rise so that i can get it. the car is going for $12,988 asking price but i want it for less.
what kind of parts should i put on right away. pullies, headers, etc.
12,988 is way to high, unless it is spotless. $10,000 or less I'd tell em.
As for bolt ons, wait. Save your money and get used to the car stock. Then start small, CAI, Catbacks, Mid-Pipe & MiL eliminators. Then see how you like it. Gears, lowering springs, would be next in my book. At that point your gonna have a hella of a machine, close to or over 300 RWHP, and that is serious gorund pounding for a street car. None of those things will severely hamper the driveability of the car either. Plenty of fun & nothing that you have to tinker with every weekend. It is fun at first to tinker on the car, but the same tinkering every weekend just to go out gets old... fast.
what gears should i put in 4.10 or 3.75? what is a good sounding header and muffler combo? what are the best tires that would last for a daily driver. i am going to drive this car every day so what are the better gears for that, i dont want a very high rpm while driving down the freeway.
I know guys that run 4.10's on a daily driven Cobra, they rev so high that the difference in MPG and driveability is nil. Some guys even go with 4.33's on daily drivers. Cobra's are a bit different than your run of the mill GT and can handle steeper gears without much degredation in driveability. Sometimes I completely forget to **** to 5th gear and ride in fourth down the Freeway, the difference is hardly noticeable. It would be about the same difference as going to probably 4.10's or 4.33's.
Exhaust is mostly personal preference. I welded up my own straight pipes. Headers are basically the same deal, though I think the stock shorty's on a Cobra do a very decent job of flowing. Get a decent mid pipe, and you're set.
I personally use the Nitto Extreme 555 Drag Radials, 275, 45, 17's. They are not your average street tire and won't last near as long so staying off of it on the street will be greatly beneficial. I drop down to like 12-15 lbs of tire pressure for racing, warm up the tires and they hook up fairly well. They are made with a special compound and you can definitely tell a difference over standard tires.
Some sub frame connectors are a good investment when you steepin up the gears and add some grip. Helps keep that twist under control and are fairly cheep $100 a set or less.
I payed $9,000 for mine a year ago. Though I had it for a couple years before that and had traded it in on an '04 f-150, realized I wanted it back and went and bought it back. So I got a bit better deal due to that. Originally I payed $11,000 for it with 93,000 miles about 2 1/2 years ago.
I also recomment getting used to the car on a track, or at least at a SCCA solo course. They have plenty of power and can get away from you really fast if you're not comfortable with a powerful care.
Thanks for the answers. I was wondering if this car i able to handle the winter driving of the pacific northwest or not because this is going to be my daily driver. is there any thing taht i should know of about this car that might malfunction or break or any thing else that i would need to replace.
I just purchased a 97 Cobra from a dealership here in Wisconsin. I payed 10,900 for it with 62,000. It is in really nice shape. So i would agree that the price is a little high also. Personally I love mustangs and Cobras are so much better than GTs. I had a 94 GT had nothing but problems with it and it was slow. What i am trying to say is that a Cobra is hard to come by and well worth it. So if you can get them to come down on the price if i were you i would seriously consider it. I seen guys with 125,000 miles on cobras saying they still run really strong. As far as the imports go in my opinion the only ones that are fast are Lancer Evos STIs and m3's. A friend of mine has a 350z and I beat him at the track. My car ran a 13.9 and his ran a 14.2. My car has a JLT Cold Air intake and a centerforce clutch and his has a nismo cold air and a short throw shifter. In my life i have drive turbo awd eclipses and all that other garbage and i can say they do not even come close to the driving fun of a cobra. This saturday I am getting 4.10's in. As far as winter driving I would not suggest it my 94 Gt was horrible in the snow with new Kumho tires. And my Cobra breaks free in the rain although it has crappy tires. When I get my 4.10's in I am going to get some Nitto drag radials that should solve my traction problem. I usually use my dads car in the winter when it snows. Hope I could help man.
Thanks for the info but ii have bad news. today i called the dealership about the car and to get started on the money part of the car and they told me that the car sold yesterday! that sucks I get to start back at square one again.
what gears should i put in 4.10 or 3.75? what is a good sounding header and muffler combo? what are the best tires that would last for a daily driver. i am going to drive this car every day so what are the better gears for that, i dont want a very high rpm while driving down the freeway.
I'd stick with your stock gears just for expense. Gears are fairly spendy for a first mod. Is the Cobra a 6-speed?
How about a tuner? $300.
I am in Cd'A so... if I see you around I'll say hi, what's your current car look like? I'm in Spokane on weekends.
Mine is the only '06, black GT with no spoiler. So if you see *any* black, new model Mustang, with no spoiler, in the Spokane, Coeur d'Alene area, odds are pretty good, it's mine
Almost forgot... I love my Pirellis. Super sticky and they seem to be wearing well. They do great in the rain and snow unless I get "obvious" with them. The stock, 235/55s run about $100 from TireRack.com so they are making me happy. When I finally wear them out, I will replace the backs with 255 or 265/50s.
Oops, just saw your car sold. Oh well. You are still driving a 66, right? Still cool. I wonder if it would be as fun, with a crate version of the s197 engine?
Remember that a Cobra would have sunk you for insurance.
1997 Mustang Cobra 
