'98 Cobra convertible with X-pipe and Flowmasters

[lyonsd]

The owner of a '98 Cobra convertible agreed to run me. We lined up, his passenger counted off. My Nittos broke loose and I fishtailed, but stayed pretty much side-by-side with him. He was slightly ahead, but I was passing him. I was a foot or two ahead when we shut it down.

We turned around, lined up again. This time I got a better launch and pulled a car length ahead. And kept on pulling ahead. Probably got 2½ car lengths before we shut it down.

The road was less than ¼ mile.

He said he has run 13.2 @ 103 on slicks. He has an X-pipe, Flowmasters and some other bolt-on stuff.

He asked what I ran - I told him 14.1. But that was before I got my crank sensor problem corrected.

My mods against the '98 Cobra were a TH down pipe (in front of a stock exhaust), K&N. I was running the stock chip because I haven't gotten around to putting an aftermarket one back in yet.

 

[matt87]

good kill but i highly doubt that heavy azz convet ran those numbers with only those mods. maybe a 14.0 or 13.8.

 

[86brick]

Nice kill, but...

I have to agree with Matt, unless some other mods are a blue bottle cause the fastest I've ever seen a '96 - '98 Cobra run with just little bolt ons like exhaust, headers, K&N airfilter, and a performance chip were 13.50's and the guy was driving the car like he hated it if you know what I mean. That's about the slowest year for the Cobra from what I've heard, so I doubt with just those bolt ons you've listed it's possible for him to run those times, unless like I mentioned he has some other mods that he's not willing to include like some laughing gas. Just my 2 cents

 

[blackbuick87]

Yeah those Cobras sucked. $35000 cars that were getting spanked by $22000 stock Z-28's and T/A's. The new ones rip though. They tried supercharging the 5.4 aluminum engine for 2003 and per Motor Trend had "disastrous results" so they used the iron block from the Lightning. 420hp or something

 

[lyonsd]

First off, I would expect a '98 Cobra with those mods to run low 13s. And I could see a convertible matching it with slicks. 13.2 @ 103 isn't that great.

Second, I don't see why the guy would lie. He didn't tell me he ran those number before we raced. He told me after we raced. So it's not like he was trying to bluff me. And he only told me after I asked him. He first asked me what I ran. I told him. Then I said "How 'bout you?". 13.2 with slicks. No big deal. Then I asked what his mph was just to see if the numbers "added up". 103. Yep, that's completely believable for a car with slicks.

I ran 13.1 @ 108 in my Mustang. And that was on cheap street radials (235@60-15).

 

[86brick]

If you say so I would love to see a '98 Cobra convertible run 13.20's @103mph with only the mods you listed, but I doubt I ever will. I guess the mustang guys where you live know what they're doing cause most of them down here have trouble getting out of the 14's after they do the mods you listed and when they put some slicks on they usually only get a 13.80 or 13.70 @99-100mph. With a 200lb driver and full tank of gas I bet you a 'vert Cobra weighs 3800lbs+, so IMHO it's pretty impressive or odd to see 13.20's @103mph even with slicks. Maybe he gutted the car when he ran those times???

 

[lyonsd]

Originally posted by 86brick
If you say so I would love to see a '98 Cobra convertible run 13.20's @103mph with only the mods you listed, but I doubt I ever will.

He said he has some other mods, but didn't list them. He said they were minor bolt-ons.

I guess the mustang guys where you live know what they're doing cause most of them down here have trouble getting out of the 14's after they do the mods you listed and when they put some slicks on they usually only get a 13.80 or 13.70 @99-100mph. With a 200lb driver and full tank of gas I bet you a 'vert Cobra weighs 3800lbs+, so IMHO it's pretty impressive or odd to see 13.20's @103mph even with slicks. Maybe he gutted the car when he ran those times???

It didn't "look" gutted. It had a cage, chrome wheels, leather interior, he also had a passenger. It was a nice-looking car and sounded mean as hell.

Would you say a '98 Cobra convertible is quicker than a '88 GT - stock vs. stock? I would. And I made it into the 13s in my '88 GT with exhaust/mufflers, and a couple other "minor bolt-ons". 13.8 specifically on street tires. Don't underestimate those 281 DOHC motors. They respond well to mods. Look at how little Bob Cosby's is modded and he runs high 11s. I don't think it's odd at all.

 

[86brick]

Yup, your right Bob Cosby's '99 Cobra is very impressive running high 11's with just bolt ons (no power adders), however I wouldn't say the times he's running are the norm cause his car is lighter than your average Cobra and he gets great 60' times compared to what most guys are able to get. I guess it's possible I just don't see many guys actually running those times, but I'm sure to run 13.2 @103mph he does have a couple more minor bolt ons like you said. Either way, it sounds like you had a good run with a newer Cobra and the guy was pretty cool about losing to a TR, so again good kill and I'm glad you had some fun with the old Buick

Later, Steve

 

[lyonsd]

Originally posted by 86brick
I guess it's possible I just don't see many guys actually running those times, but I'm sure to run 13.2 @103mph he does have a couple more minor bolt ons like you said.

When somebody says "I ran XXXX", they are talking about their best time. He probably ran a string of mid 13s and managed to get lucky once with 13.2.

You're probably not watching when they ran their best time. That's why people say things likem "Well, I've never seen a brand-X car run those times."

He asked me what I ran. I told him 14.1. That was my best run. My others were 14.583, 14.211 and 14.395.

Another example: In my '88 Mustang GT, which was bone stock except for the addition of a Hypertech Power Module back in 1991, ran a best of 14.312@98.303.

The other runs were 16.449@94.318 (missed a shift), 14.772@97.756, 14.853@98.039, 14.502@97.645, 14.513@97.507, and 14.765@97.987.

Those are pretty sorry ETs for the mph, but I was running the same Goodyear "Gatorback" 225/60-15 tires that were on the car when I bought it new in 1988. They had 57000 miles on them. My best 60' time was 2.273. Most were in the 2.3-2.5 range that day. Ricers (if any back in 1991) and guys that hate Mustangs that were there will remember the 16.449 time. But no anti-Mustang people ever seem to witness or remember the best time of 14.312.

 

[86brick]

Most of the fast Stangs I see at the track are the older foxbody 5.0's with built motors that are blown or that have a 347 or 351ci motor and a big blue bottle. I just don't see many bolt on stangs running 12's without power adders (nitrous, turbos, superchargers), so IMO it's not very common, but I'm basing my opinion on what I see at the drags rather than what I hear on the net. There was one guy down here I saw that had a 2000 GT 4.6 stang with a Vortech supercharger and all the other bolt on mods running low 11's (somebody even told me he ran a high 10 before he blew it up), but he was running a lot of boost for a V8 car with a stock bottom end and it didn't take very long for him to blow it up and now from what I've heard it's got forged internals with a build motor (possibly a bigger cam and some head work) and with a slightly larger Vortech 'charger and Aftercooler it should be running mid to low 10's which is very badass for a street car. I guess the 4.6 stangs have potential, but if I was going to build a fast stang I would get a 5.0 LX.

 

[blackbuick87]

I agree with 86brick. The 5.0 is a much better engine than the 4.6 when CLOSE TO STOCK. Once you start getting into heavy stuff then the overhead cams take over and build more top end then the 302. It has taken Ford eight years to finally figure out the 4.6 and get it even close to the Chevy LS1, or even the LT1.
When the 4.6 first came out there is no doubt in my mind the engine was a step backwards

 

[AsphaltAnihil8r]

Please tell more about the crank sensor problem,,I thought it either worked or it didnt ,,sounds like there is something to tune with the CS

 

[lyonsd]

Originally posted by AsphaltAnihil8r
Please tell more about the crank sensor problem,,I thought it either worked or it didnt ,,sounds like there is something to tune with the CS

When I bought my car (used) it had this odd "clicking" sound at idle. Being new to these cars I had no idea what the funk it was. If fact, I never even really noticed it until I heard another turbo Regal at idle and it was nice and quiet.

Anyway, the car just didn't have any giddy-up about half-way into 2nd gear and beyond. It just felt, well, let's say "boring" at that point.

I took it to a cat in Norcross recommended by Alan Bourke for some other work. I also asked him to see if he could determine the source of that clicking. He did, and told me the crank sensor was making contact with the balancer. So he replaced the crank sensor.

The car ran a lot better afterwards. The top-end pull was there like I've never experienced in that car since I bought it.

 

[tpivette89]

96-98 cobra are the slowest ones ever produced. low 14s from what ive seen at the track. i have had a few street encounters with them when my Vette was completely stock and didnt have any problems taking them down.