I have a 1991 Z28 w/ the 5.7l engine in it and my heighbor has I believe a 1992-93 Mustang Cobra(not sure what year, but it is a third gen stang) we have joked around about racing them, but haven't been able to get around to it. What are my chances? I've smoked some 5.0 stangs before but never raced a cobra. So who do you think would emerge victorious?

I'm open for any tips and/or feedback. Thanks!!

Alright, heres how it works, there was only one fox body SVT Cobra and it was in 1993. There were Cobras of many years, from 1979 to 1993 but some were early cars (weak motors, and slow by todays standards) and others were GTs that the Canadians called Cobras.

Assuming he has a 93 Cobra, the specs show a mere 235 hp and something like 285 lb ft of torque. Dont be fooled by these numbers, they are under rated by a good deal. A stock Cobra will dyno near 235 to the tires and has the potential for a good deal more with simple things, like exhaust, pulleys, and timing/FP bumps. A 93 Cobra should be good for a high 13 to low 14 and much faster with more mods. With the GT40 heads, Cobra intake, TB, MAF, injectors and such the right bolt ons and you have a 12 second car.

I assume his is stock, and it should be a decent race but the Cobra should take the win by a little!

I have ran two at the track. The first one ran in the low 13's and I beat him. The 2nd one was modified and ran a 12.1. I lost to him. Times in my signature.

If your L98 is healthy, and you're both stock, it should be a good race.

Just to give you something to compare the Cobra to, check out this mag test of a 93 Z28 vs 93 Cobra: 93 Cobra vs Camaro Z28 Article

The Cobra came up around a half second short through the quarter compared to the LT1 Z28, which is about where your L98 should be as well. I'd wager the race will be pretty close stock vs stock. If he has a couple mods he should take the win though.

If we're talking the '93 specific SVT Cobra, and you are both stock in good shape, kiss the race goodbye. No offense to the F-body crowd, but the '93 Cobra owners play with LT1 cars. The L98 is definately no match. The cobra is very underrated and very potent.

I don't think a stock Cobra will break into the 13's. And a healthy L98 (esp speed density) should hit low 14's no problem. I don't think anyone is going to be destroying the other. I don't mean to magazine race, but that article has the cobra at a 14.4, and the LT1 at 14 flat. As far as the LT1, the article sounds accurate.

I agree. This should be a very close one. The BEST ive ever seen a stock L98 run was a 14.3. It was a 92 i believe. Usually the 90-93 L98s run in the 14.4-14.6 range though. This Cobra should be good for an easy 14.3. Gunna be a good one...My moneys on the Ford. Good luck.

I know one guy who had a stock 93 and it ran 13.8 (might have had a catback on it, not 100%). I would say there is a chance its a good race, but the Mustang should be making more power (or similar) and weighs a good deal less!

LOL you guys REALLY underrate a fox body.

My BONE STOCK 228k mile 89 LX ran a 14.5 in the 1/4 with a 2.18 60ft with stock 2.73 gears.

a 93 Cobra is an EASY high 13's car. Bolt some stickies and drive it HARD and a low 13 isnt out of range. They had MUCH better heads, cam, intake, injectors, gears, etc...the 93 cobra was the pinnacle of the fox's.

Remember, Fox's dont need as much HP as say a ThirdGen.....260 RWHP is a mid 12's car.

I don't think anyone is underrating. It seems most people think it will be a tight race. I understand maybe some people broke into the 13's with a bone stock 93 Cobra. My buddy ran a 13.9 bone stock in his SD L98, but I’m going to say SD L98's are 13 second cars. I just go with the majority, and that would be low 14's.

I'm just talking stock here. I'm well aware what a bolt on 5.0 can do.

Drivers race!!!!

Sorry guys I was talking about the 2003 Cobra's that I ran.

No I understand that. thing is, a stock 5.0 HO (GT/LX) puts down around 190 RWHP bone stock. if a Cobra puts down 40-50 RWHP more, wouldnt you think it owuld be more than capable of running consistant 13's.

It all depends on the driver.

a STOCK 96-98 Cobra (4.6L DOHC) will run high 13's......its not the easiest, it takes driving ksills as most people floor it and go....doesnt work that way. they also odnt stretch out the 4 valve.

Id say the Cobra has him unless the guy just plain out cant drive.

This race comes down to the Cobra driver... If he can drive, he wins, if he cant he could lose!

Most people can't drive, well launch a performance car anyway. I have a friend that has one we played around a few times with my 305TPI he made me feel as though time had stopped and he was the only one moving. LOL!
I say the cobra will win but it still will be close. I believe that auto is the L98's down fall.

Thanks for all the feedback fellas. This sounds like it would be fun.Let me see if I can convince the guy into a showdown.

If anybody else has some feedback...I'm all ears.

What does the Cobra have to put down 50 more RWHP (near 70 more crank hp) over the basic GT 5.0 model?

Im also interested... i ran neck and neck with a 4.6 gt cobra...(98) basically depending on the launch. Dont tell me those were 70+ crank hp over the base gt of the same year...

30 hp maybe.

GT/LX: E7 truck heads with small valves, E7 intake, 55mm TB, 60mm MAF, 19 lb injectors, Stamped Steel rockers...

Cobra: GT-40 Heads with larger valves, Cobra intake, 65mm TB, 70mm MAF, 24 lb injectors, 1.7 roller rockers, 1/2" shorty headers...

Put it this way, a 93 Cobra has more mods than my car does. Mine has the same valves in smaller heads, same intake, same TB, slightly larger MAF, and exhaust, but I have smaller injectors. When you look at it that way and the kind of power my car makes, you can see where it would easily have 40+ whp on a stock GT or LX. My car makes a good 60-70+ rwhp than a stock 5.0!

They came stock with 1.7 rockers? Hmm, didn't know that.

Last year I raced a so-called cobra. Dude hung out at the local meet&greet. Only beat me by a car at most. And that was when I had my 305. It probably wasn't this 93 you guys are talking about, but from my experience, the only cobra ever to "walk" on me, was the newer style. We shall see once my 355 is tuned. I wouldn't mind going up against this '93 powerhouse

The deciding factors will be.

1. Weight. Advantage mustang.
2. auto VS manual. Advantage mustang (all 93 cobras are manuals trans)
3. Driver skill. A bad driver will make a 12 second car run 14s.

kyle

you ran with a 96-98 Cobra????? He obviously couldnt drive AND spun his *** off. Those are high 13's cars driven well bone stock....usually low low low 14's.....

25th hit it right on the head. 93 Cobras were FAR superior than a GT/LX 5.0. Their holdback was the ECM.......get a tune and it will SCREAM...im tlaking knocking SEVERAL tenths off just with a goodtune. I know a guy locally who had one bone stock that ran 13.7's (spinning a little) at BB bone stock.....he got a tune, 3.90 gears, Drag Radials and catback and went 12.54@111MPH.....with like a 1.88 (IIRC) 60 ft.

Now its a totally differant animal. It is faster than 12's on street tires LOL.

12.5 @ 111 with a tune, gears and a catback... Im going to have to call BS. There had to be a good deal more done to that car than just those mods to run those times... For one running that kind of mph on those untouched heads, cam, intake and even comp (with a chip or not) is extremely tough to do. My dads 91 with GT-40P heads (similar to the 40s only a different sprak plug location and slightly different design) stock cam, Cobra intake, and all the bolt ons plus a race suspension goes 111-112, and I can assure it wasnt that easy. Car has 4.30 gears, and every small thing to help it (pulleys, clutch, shifter, 2.95 T5, DS, spool, etc...).

I can believe it, but not with those simple things done. Maybe a full exhaust all the little bolt ons, an ECU change and some weight out it could do that, but with just those things, not going to happen!

Also about the 98 Cobra vs GT. Thats NIGHT and DAY difference. The 98 GTs had 2 valve weak headed motors. The Cobra had 4 valves (although the B heads werent great they were worlds above the GT) and made a bunch more power. GTs were rated at 225 hp and the Cobras at 305 hp. Low 15 to high 14 second car vs high 13 second car!

Well, I talked to the fella this afternoon....

It had:

BBK ceramacoated 1 3/4 LT headers
Bassani Offroad x-pipe
Dumped Spintechs
SCT custom tune
3.90 gears
ET Street Radials (eek I was wrong)

his 60 ft was a 1.84. his time was a 12.54@109MPH

Everything else is stock from wheels to internals of the motor. I was kinda vague on my last description. However, I actually chatted with him at dinner today (Tuesdays at hooters) and we went and dug up his old timeslips.

He can also DRIVE....im talking powershift the living crap out of the T5.

Its now a "lil" differant . Kenne Bell Blowzilla, T56, 3.55 gears, full suspension, built rearend etc.....

Car runs like a scalded dog. Wish he would hang out more often...damn loner

Does anyone have a dyno sheet of a STOCK '93 GT/LX 5.0 and a STOCK '93 Cobra?

Back when I was on a bit smaller turbo and making about 40whp less on pump gas than I am now, I encountered a guy in one of the subdivisions near mine that had one of those rare 1993 SVT Cobras. This one is teal with the tall rear spoiler and the 7 bladed fan looking wheels. Its really clean, and I assume stock.

Anyway, two different times I encountered him coming home from work he would ride my azz like an IDIOT in that non-cornering Cobra on backroads that feed back into the neighborhoods where the speed limit is only 45mph. The second time, I came around a corner and he was right behind me, fishtailing and acting like a nut. Again, coming into a heavy residential area, so I'm not going to do anything stupid.

Well, a few weeks later, we're heading out toward the highway, and I come up on him. He sees me and tries to accelerate down an on-ramp and get away, but I show him that I could pass him easily and back off. At the bottom of the ramp, he hits it and his exhaust is loud as he tries to leave me. I go wide open in second and jump in the other lane as we merge onto the highway. By the top of second, I'm next to his rear wheel. Through third, I shoot by him, and by the top of third, I have almost two cars on him. I stay on it part of the way through fourth, put about another two cars on him easily, then hit my brakes and hazards. Man, that choadlicker deserved it so much!

Anyway, all that to say, they're not that fast- Or not as fast as their owners seem to think. Race that guy and do your best!

Well by the sound of it you had a 12 second car, which should easily walk on a stock 93 Cobra... The owners of them usually seem to know what they have but there are losers with every car!

That mod list sounds a lot better than what you mentioned before. Also the 109 mph traps is a LOT more believable with that mod list and such. Also to note ET Street Radials ARE Drag Radials, you make it as though they are normal street tires. They hook as well as their ET Streets (the soft compound tires with a few grooves in them). Also to note I know ALL about abusing and powershifting the s*** out of a T5 equipped Mustang. Driven hard they will perform very well, driven weak and they wont do so hot!

As far as a comparison I have never seen one but I would say typical numbers should read 195 rwhp for the GT/LX and 235 rwhp for the Cobra!

It was a friends car and more or less stock. I know he had exhaust. Wasnt a bad driver but we were on the street and he runs low pro street tires not exactly ideal for 0-65 runs. (he ran a high 13 when he took it to the track if i remember correctly) On the highway i know he would pull away. I ran with my friends 97 LT1 6spd z28 from a stop too.

My car wasnt factory stock, but it wasnt what i would consider "modified" either.

...

My car is basically stock with just a few mods.

Haven't met a Mustang yet that can hang with me in the 1/8 without slicks, but I know they are out there. I need a HSR.

Drop the pressure in the back tires a little, minimum recommended pressure, should be 22 psi for most tires, pump up the front tires to 40 psi. pull your front sway bar, ice the intake before you run. I used to own and race Mustangs, they're fast, at least it's not a *****. Good luck!

Meh, you gotta make the suspension work.

I personally spoke with a M/T rep....and they told me what is quite obvious...

A Stick car NEEDS a Wrinkle-sidewall tire Ex. ET street/ET Drag. An Automatic works GREAT with a drag radial, stiff sidewall Ex. ET Street Radial.

25th hit it on the head with HP numbers too.

Remember, fox' dont need much to roll good times. 300 RWHP and you have a low low 12's car (maybe 11.9's) car driven hard.....450 RWHP and you're in the high 10's car EASILY.