It was a 1996 mustang GT automatic with flowmaster exhaust and a shift kit. Well we raced from a 30 mph roll and I had my shifter in 2nd gear. So on the 3rd honk we go and I instantly jump 1-2 cars on him and just keep pullin, then I finally let off and he is still in it. He flies up to my rear bumper and lets off. We get back into town and he tells me he had extra weight(his girlfriend who weighs 100lbs max) and that he was "catching back up." This was easily the most lop-sided race against a mustang I've ever had.

He said he ran a best of 9.75@70 mph in the 1/8 mile, those 96-98 mustang GT's are slowwwww.

 

sounds good man.. those years are slow.. the cobras tho look out

 

Yeah they're slow as crap, I raced one (a 5spd however) about 5 times w/ my old 305 IROC (3.42s, summit TPI cam, catback), ganked him hardcore every run. Not only are they fairly slow, but when you think about the LT1 Chevy was putting out by then in the Z28s it's absolutely pathetic Ford was running that junk...

The 99-04s were much more like it, but by then the LS1s were the new Fbody setup and they ran rings around the same year GTs. The new 05+s are apparently fairly mean running, especially with a tune. I want to run one of the newer ones w/ my 94Z.

 

I know i've brought that up several times. Can you imagine 1997-1998 when there were SS LT1's and the new LS1 camaro's roaming around and Ford was rolling around with those slow *** GT's?

 

I dont know guys, my friends mostly stock with gears 1997 GT ran a 14.8 on street tires and launching in second.

 

Still not even comparable to the cars of it's year. 1997 Camaro, 1997 Mitsubishi 3000GT vr4, etc.

 

The 98s for their time were slow, but a 9.7 is about a 14.7 in the 1/4 which isnt all too bad. Would run with all but the L98 cars from the thirdgen years. And dont worry even though the 98s were slow (GTs, the Cobras were right with the LT1s no problem) the fox bodies were still out, and still as easy to make run 12s and faster as they are today!

 

25th-- stock versus stock what stangs should I be able to take down... Guesstimate is 14.5-14.2 in the 1/4 if I can keep all my cylinders running.

 

9.7 at a 70 trap is more like a low 15 in the 1/4 by my count.

 

I'm sure there are a bunch of different ways to calculate. But I get a 15.132. Which is not going to run with a L98, a healthy one atleast.

 

They do run 15's stock. My friends is actually a decent running one down there, most actually are like 9.8-10.00. Car-stats.com pulled a 15.1 @ 92 out of a manual 1997 mustang GT.

 

Hey 25th, what are some stock times for '96, '97 Cobras? They're the 4.6 DOHC, 6-speed right? Or 5-speed? I know they were rated at 305 hp, is that accurate? What are some stock dyno numbers?

I'd try to go look this stuff up, but I'll probably find bs and magazine times

 

I've seen some running anywhere from 13.7-14.2 @ about 100 mph stock. very close to LT1 times.

 

Gears, Intake, and exhaust really open these cars up to there true potental. Not to mention if you throw a supercharger into the equation.

The 4 valve cobra motors can be mean little buggers.

 

I've seen a couple dyno test articles that got around 255-260 rwhp out of the early DOHC Cobras stock. One test in particular got 256rwhp I believe it was for a 97 or 98 Cobra, while a 98 TransAm hit 292rwhp and a C5 Vette hit 286rwhp in the same dyno shootout (same dyno, same day). A regular SOHC 4.6 GT got around 180-190 rwhp in the same test, I don't recall the exact numbers for it.

 

The Cobras are bad, I see them pull a high 13 stock all the time.

 

96-98 were bad years for mustangs lt-1 where beating them ls-1 where destroying them and the l-36 was putting up a fight

 

The few stock 96-98 Cobras I have seen put down from 260-275 rwhp (saw one throw down 250, on a Mustang Dyno) and with a competant driver (they love to rev so the drivr is a lot of the equation in good track times) will run 13s all day long. A gear, exhaust and tires and they are solid 12 second cars without worry (again with a competant driver).

As far as being destroyed by Fbodies, the GTs were, and notice I said they will run with all BUT the L98 cars. People need to read instead of ASSume.

The Cobras were right with the LT1 cars, but not the LS1s (maybe the early ones, I have seen a lot of those going high 13s @ 103-104). The only recent Mustangs to run with an LS1 is the 03/04 Cobra and 03/04 Mach 1s.

As far as the 9.7 run, it has been a LONG time since I was running those times, so I do forget what that equates to (thought for 9.0-9.9 it was roughly a 14.0-14.9 but hey I have been wrong before). Either way its slow and the owner needs to do something more to that car.

 

9.7 is about the cutoff area for 15's. If they had a little more top-end I might say a 14.9, but with 70mph traps there is no WAY it was running 14's. 9.00 for me was about a 13.8.

 

I ran a '96-'98 GT, automatic, only mod was a muffler. My mostly stock LO3 beat him by a fender in a race to 70-80. They really aren't difficult to beat in stock form, especially if you have an LB9 or greater.

 

Yeah my brother has a 97 GT vert stock and me my 350 TPI pretty much stock takes him hard before hitting 2nd I have 2-3 cars and continue to pull. But when going from 55 he stayed right beside me until i hit about 3500 rpm didnt downshift he did LOL. BUt doing PI head swap and gears and headers that is going to be a fast car for a 97 gt vert oh and his car weighs 4429 and mine 4100 ~.

 

You dont need a L98 to take the 4.6 Gts. I have crushed many in the stoplights even some new edge style ones with my Lb9. I doubt any of them had a 5 speed though, all autos for sure.

 

I have seen with my own eyes a 1996 GT 4.6, with a 5 speed run 150hp on the dyno. That car was also mint condition. I dont know how ford was suppose to compete at all with the non cobra 4.6 engine?

 

I saw 96 GT on horsepower TV they installed a SC and it barely made over 200hp

 

Actually they made 285 or so, and the car was a dog... Not to mention they always get low numbers from cars. Those cars were the worst years for the Mustangs, but 150 hp is very low. Should be 175-180 without too much worry. Definately a dog, but the 99+s were much better, and the 05+ even better yet!

 

The majority of the 96-98 Mustangs had a 5-speed...........kinda like all mustangs the majority are manual.

 

That's because a ford automatic tranny brings a new meaning to the phrase "slushbox."

 

Out of the box, an AOD or AODE is junk, but built up with a shift kit and some other things, they are not so bad. The C4 was a good trans too.

 

I have a C4 in our backyard.. free to anyone that wants it LOL

 

Autos in general suck... I have driven a few fast sticks and autos, and personally never plan to own anything auto. Id rather run slightly slower in a stick shift car than let the car do the work (and I dont care what you say, even a manual VB the car is doing all the work). But hey, Im a weird guy!

 

My friends mustang is an Auto with a shift kit..i thought it shifted pretty well, barks'em from 1st to 2nd. Still really slow though..

 

Back in the Fall, there was a guy at the track with a Vortech blown Fox body. I walked by and he was cursing up a storm. Apparently, he swapped out his AOD for a 5-spd and went from running mid 12's to low 13's.

 

Apparently he can't drive.

 

I've owned autos and now my M6. I like the M6 much, much more. Honestly yes I know it may be a little slower down the drag strip, but it feels like it has much more top end and damn it's fun rowing gears. I like driving the car, not feeling like it's driving me.

 

Then why is a manual lo3 faster than an auto.

 

Because:
1)Auto transmissions lose more power through the drivetrain.
2)A manual can be shifted at the peak HP where an auto shifts where it is set.

 

I love my 5 speed. I highly doubt my car would be as fast as it is if it was an auto. Of course I drive pretty hard, missing a powershift in the T-5 really sucks though

Lb9+auto= Honda slowness

*No offence there stu*

 

I can't be offended by things that are true.

 

auto's become faster when you stall and shift kit them

 

did he buy it used and second gear is stripped or something? lol

 

No, it was a combination of bad track prep and factory rubber. Personally, I do too much bracket racing to run a manual.

 

A properly driven manual will always be faster than a similarly equipped auto. The reason why you see auto's in high power drag cars is for consistency and durability. Also, they can run a floating converter. A manual tranny has helical gears which rob far less power than an autos planetary gear set (mechanical design 101). They also have closer ratios (one more gear) without any TC fluid losses (lots of viscous drag in an auto). All out drag cars want consistency and when you start making monster power you cannot make a manual tranny last. In addition, at high power levels the difference in parasitic loses (compared to peak engine power) are negligible between the two transmissions.

 

with a auto the stall converts have a torque amplification #

and with autos you almost always 60' better

and autos are ezer on the drive train

manual are better than autos on the top end

 

and they also say the 03 Z06 only runs 12.8 and the l87 camaro only runs 15.3 stuff like that. they aren't always accurate

 

Race a 96 Cobra, that would be a good race

 

A stock 96 Cobra. Throw exhaust and gears on one, and it wont be close.

Also a track built auto, vs a proshifted 4 or 5 speed, Id put my money on the stick car. I have driven both and can say slamming gears in a proshifted car is like rowing an auto with a clutch. Car just slides into gear, and as far as using the clutch, for our car you just have to get it out of gear with the clutch. Car looks and sounds like an auto going down the track, with merely a slap into gear, no nose drop, no weight transfer, just a pop and RPM change!

For anyone who hasent driven one, go find one to try. It is one of the best things out there!

 

Mustangs are untouchable, or I might try...

 

My buddy has a 97 Cobra. Exhaust and gears. His best time is a 13.6. I don't remember his trap speed though.

 

well ****...add a Kenne bell blower, forged internals, and a full exhaust...and it will OWN your l98, along with every car evarrrrr!!!

 

I raced a 96 mustang gt last summer, I later ran into him at the shop I worked at. His was a 5 speed, with aggressive yokos and a flowmaster exhaust upgrade, he got killed, probably ran like a 15 flat. Would have been a good run for the wrecked RS...