Ever been beat by a Mustang? Let's hear about it

[fast86gn]

Originally posted by gnxs

As to the Cobra motor, yes it's stout, but the pistons have been the first thing to go on high (600+ rwhp and up) applications.



What about the rearend in these cars (cobras)? In the last couple of years I've seen more than several break rearends with maybe only a few mods and slicks.

It appears that the rearend is the weakest point on the car?

I know I have been beating on my GN for several years and the stock 3:42 posi has held up fine.

 

[strikeeagle]

jayG,

Thanks. As I reflected, I've owned 3 mustangs in my time. I recall the SVO quite well, even see one on the road, albeit very infrequently.

As you appreciate, the SVO is sort of the red headed step child of the corral. They are an interesting car, and I'm sure they have a proud, if small following. I also am aware that folks have gotten them to make lots of HP, and track very fast.

I like all kinds of cars. It doesn't have to save Buick or GM on it...

 

[jayG]

You're a man of my own heart....( I still think the t-Buick is one of the best cars ever made) ,but we have quite a few svo's in the club that make 300rwh and over 380fpt that are driven daily and still get 22mpg. Most of which have over 100k on the motor. We even dynoed a 200K(stock engine & turbo) car that still put down 170rwh. I have a video clip of one that runs mid 9's in the 1/4 mile that Im sure you would enjoy but the forum dosent allow me to post pics or videos.

 

[jayG]

Ok, Ive tried to edit my post three times with no sucsess... what gives. I cant post attachments(because Im a jr member) or edit my post but one can post items for sale without a price( BS)

 

[gnxs]

Originally posted by fast86gn

Originally posted by gnxs

As to the Cobra motor, yes it's stout, but the pistons have been the first thing to go on high (600+ rwhp and up) applications.



What about the rearend in these cars (cobras)? In the last couple of years I've seen more than several break rearends with maybe only a few mods and slicks.

It appears that the rearend is the weakest point on the car?

I know I have been beating on my GN for several years and the stock 3:42 posi has held up fine.

Wheel Hop is what kills the rears in late model Cobras. Obviously a solid rear is more durable for drag duty (my stock GN rear made over 100 low 1.5 and high 1.4 60 ft launches with no issues), but the IRS can be made to live pretty easily.

Upgraded half-shafts, diff. brace and sticky tires is a common route to good short times, but you can do tons more to help rid the car of wheel hop. Many guys have successfully made dozens of passes on ET Streets or Slicks on the stock halfshafts (high 10-low 11 second passes with 4000-6000 clutch dumps). Then again I've personally seen several basically stock cobras with radials break their halfshafts (and a tailshaft) at the track.

The IRS WILL hold up if you can eliminate wheel hop. It's not as fragile as some would have you believe.

WHEEL HOP KILLS HALFSHAFTS!

 

[ViciousV6]

Originally posted by strikeeagle
Shall we all go buy Cobras now, or is it OK to own something else?

Look at it this way - it took Ford 17 years, 2 more cylinders, 50 more cubes, 2 more cams, 20 more valves, and a blower, among many other things, just to catch up. Even at that I'm not too worried that I'll encounter a Cobra running low 12s on the street, or high 10s at the track. Do some? Sure. Do most? Get off it.

The only Mustang I "lost" to ran a 9.50, had a chute out the back, and was an eyesore. On the street I've wasted so many it ain't worth the gas anymore...

MM&FF Subscriber
(If you have a fast Cobra, good for you!)

There have been several Mustangs/Camaros/Firebirds/etc. that were faster than the GN, stock for stock, long before the '03 Cobra came along. Did they cost more? Of course... they were new cars with better interiors, better handling, and a warranty. Does that make them "better" than the GNs? No, of course not. Different strokes for different folks. My Cobra cost more than my GN did... no suprise there. It also out-accelerates, out-brakes, and out-handle my GN.
I think the car has so many similarities (force induction, cult following, last of their body styles, etc.) that I don't consider one being better than the other.

 

[Darth LC2]

Wel I'll weigh in on this topic. I hate to say that I have been beat by anything especially a stang. I was just plain outclassed by these 2. One loss came at the hand of a stripped down 87 notch w/ a modded 302 and some niiiiice suspension. He pulled a wheel off the ground on me. He got out to a 3 car lenght lead on me but that was it as I started to reel him back in at about 80 mph. I still lost to him as I was not going to catch him by the 1/4 and I was detonating. (strret trim for me) The next loss came at the hands of an authentic saleen. This mutha was baaaad! It was s/c stroked 351 to a 408 on 15 psi of boost and a 5-speed. I got out the hole on him and started detonating. He ran by meeasily and never loked back. I was in street trim again. Oh well those r my losses to mustangs. Since then I am a lot faster. And I also try to roll around w/ a little octane just for those surprise encounters.

 

[Notch_n_ator]

Well, I sold the twin setup!

. . .and I bought a T70 turbo. It'll support "only" 840hp so that should give me some room to grow needless to say!

I already got the hotside done basically, just need to weld on a T4 flange and a wastegate flange

 

[faster]

fast stang

My 87 TR is fully bluprinted, ported heads with an 84 series turbo, front mount cooler @ 25# boost, 55#injectors, alky over spray and all the other go fast stuff and runs very low 11.0's @ 123-125mph with a soft 1.70 60'. There is a late 80's mustang here who has a full on nascar quality 302 normally aspirited that has beaten me 3 out of the 5 times we managed to line up at Gainesville raceway over the last couple of years. He shifts at 9000+ rpm and the thing is fast but he has to run 114 octane race gas in it all the time. On the street we don't even bother except to smoke the tires and aggravate all the other cars. I haven't seen the car in over a year though.

 

[VadersV6]

Originally posted by strikeeagle


To me, the beauty of GNs is that they can be made to run low 12s, on pump gas, with no motor work at all. That's pretty hard to say about most cars in my world. Your world, who knows?

By your definition of no motor work at all, (Im presuming you mean no internal work), then you're describing Bob's car. Stock intake manifold, heads and cams, no power adder..(blower, No2, turbo), a solid rear swap with beefed up components and 4.56's (these gears are very streetable with these cars), headers, full exhaust, free flowing intake components, underdrive pulleys and a good tune...many of the typical stang bolt on parts....Bob ran 11.60's, and used it to drive over a 100 mile round trip to work every day. I think he was getting about 26mpg. I have a very similar setup to Bob's, and the car is very quick, gets 23mpg, and has all the modern creature comforts. I dont know where the hell Bob finds that extra 3mpg