01 cobras did not have forged internals. there is alot of difference from and 01 cobra and 03/04 cobra. 10,000 dollar difference i guess. both are DOHC motors. gt's are SOHC motors. so its real different from a regular GT

 

As much as I like a short, concise answer most times, at the moment those "alot of differences" are really what I'm trying to find out about.

Care to expand on your answer?

Whoa, never mind. Seems there's quite a few people on today.

 

If you can swing the 03-04 go for it.

The 03-04 Cobras known as terminators, have forged internals, factory supercharger, and T56 6-speed transmission, plus the exterior is different.

 

:withhomo

 

03-04 Cobra FTW!!!!! 2001 was def a flop year at SVT that car sucked... I mean sucked bad! 03-04 Cobra has all the goodies, and prolly will come with a few as well.... you can take this car into the 400+ hp range with about $2k or less... and i mentioned to someone earlier who doesnt make something for the 03-04 Terminator???

 

The 99/01 Cobras didn't suck, but they were enough of an improvement over the last generation. Ford got tired of having their muscle car getting **** on by Camaros so they made the termies.

 

Termi's are pretty hard... such a nice base platform

 

a stock 03-04 cobra makes the 01 look like the biggest flop since the 4.6 non PI head GT if there ever was one

 

Well there was alot of improvements... 1st was the blower, forged internals, t56 6 speed tranny, body looks way better, better wheels. Plus its very easy to get a lot of power out of them. I think on of the best things is the 6 speed tranny. I am thinking about getting the conversion kit for my 04 GT

 

I still say 03-04 Cobra FTW and in ten years you have a classic nobody is gonna remember the '01 cobra everyone will remember the 03-04 cobra

 

I think everyone will remember the cobra no matter what year it was. i found out the other day at walmart that people remember the mach. this old old guy stopped me and asked about my mach, i told him about it and he said he used to have one and it was red also.. etc.. loves the shaker.. and his son actually has a 04 termi. but he said hardly anyone remember machs but he is one that does and he LOVES the 03-04 machs

if you can swing the cash, go for the 03-04 termi, if not, nothing wrong with a 01 cobra. unless you can find a mach 1 they are a TAD better stock vs stock. but are pretty close in a race ( stock for stock)

 

+1

I would take Mach over the Cobra because it has a solid axle and almost the same motor. But if you like the twisties, go for the Cobra because of the IRS.

 

The 03-04 cobra are well respected. and easy to make fast..my friend had exhaust, upper pulley, intake and put 421 to the rear wheels. thats another difference they're cheaper to make fast

 

where did they get the name cobra from exactly ?

 

From Carroll Shelby. He originally imported a two-seat body from England and put in an American motor. He ran with the Corvettes and Jaguars of the day and won. (Hence the song.) Mandated safety rules threatened his racing business so he changed platforms and created the Mustang Cobra. Ford was actually looking for a racer as a partner because the original Mustang was starting to get the reputation as a Secretary's car. First was the 350 then the 500. As a senior in high school I can remember drooling over a red 68 Mustang Cobra GT-500 at a dealership. I think it was 1969 when he again changed platforms and put the Cobra logo on a Ford Torino. A girl down the street had one. He stayed with Ford for a while, then went to Dodge. For a while a 4 cylinder supercharge Dodge carried the logo. He then licensed the logo to Ford. Ford had predominately put the Cobra logo on Mustangs but is also running it on a pickup truck and a 4-door sedan in Australia.

If you want to know more then Google Carroll Shelby.

 

a dictionary?

 

was there any difference between the 99 and 01 cobra besides the back bumper? sorry jc

 

(Not so) minor differences. Power stayed the same though! That is, assuming the '99 had the fix.

 

The IRS is definitley a drawback to the Cobra unless you intend to do some racing on the street... then it is pretty sweet. Like mentioned above the 03-04 cobra is easy and cheap to make faster... mind you it will spank a lot stock, and gets sick with a few bolt-ons... I still say 03-04 Cobra FTW... and where they came up with this cobra name... I think it has something to do with this guy named uh... lets see Caroll Shelby.... The guy who is the inspiration for all the cobras.

 

rated at 390hp stock BTW either way they are still beastly... I know of a certain someone that on a 2# upper and 2# lower pulley for a whopping 17# of boost with cold air by JLT and a 90mm MAF by JLt, and an Accufab 90mm throttle body and a great tune put 460hp to the dirt with 470lb-lbs. of tq... so its your decision

 

underrated at 390hp. more realistically they dynoed closer to 390 than they made at the crank. look it up. thats why they can run into the 11s with a few bolt ons.


Ford Mustang SVT Cobra - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
straight from wikipedia:
Debuting in early 2002, the 2003 Cobra came with a supercharged 4.6 L DOHC engine rated at 390 hp (291 kW) and 390 lb·ft (529 N·m) of torque. It was later determined that Ford had underrated the Cobra, as actual output averaged 430 hp (321 kW) and 430 lb·ft (583 N·m) of torque.

 

Also, how do the suspensions compare? All IRS and SLA front, right? Was the suspension upgraded for 2003-4 also?

Cobras do NOT have SLA front suspension. They have the same craptastic machpherson strut setup that all fox chassis mustangs have.

Long answer short, if you're into straight line racing, the Terminator car is the way to go if you can afford it, else get a Mach 1. Mach 1 is a 99-01 Cobra with some aesthetic differences, a straight axle, optional automatic, and the bugs shaken out.

If you're into corners, I'd go with the '01 Cobra. Not only do you have IRS which gives you a much better rear suspension platform to build from, but the block in the Terminator is iron, versus the aluminum block in the ealier Cobras. Combined with the supercharger, that's a LOT more weight over the front end.

 

I know... I have had a lot of experience with the 03-04 Cobra... We only had 460, and we were knockin on the high ten door... Trust me I know what they can do... from bone stock to heavily modded