Dominasian

So i've been in a street racing world for 2 years (not that long) and still am looking for a car that would fit my preferences... Owned a turbo Eclipse and got mad at it breaking all the time, went and bought my first American Car and it is 02 Mustang gt with CAI and Cat-back with 95k miles on the engine for 7k, never raced or abused until it got in my hands (street racing 2x week). After riding it and getting used to the car i found out that there are 2 more options i can go with: 02 z28/ss or 03+ Cobra.

Now i'll need your help to make a final decision and its all about $...
I don't have much, but whiling to save some.

Would it make any sense to make 2v engine haul as much as Cobra's 4v ? and how much would that cost in parts and labor (i don't do things to the engine my self) + a blower. The cheapest Cobras I've seen in Colorado are 17+k with no more than 70k miles. Going with a GT i have 10k money advantage over Cobra, I honestly think that 10k in the motor and blower will get me to where Cobras are Proudly standing. But then i don't know if its even worth spending money on 95k mile 2v engine.

Second option is to go with z28/ss. The cheapest one i could find in Colorado would be 8-12k depending on mileage (70-110k), with little engine work (3-4k) it can get to 400rwhp, price wise all 3 cars are going to be at about the same power range, but i definitely like the look of mustangs more than camaros.

So what do you guys suggest ?

JC316

I hate to say it, but price to power, go with the Camaro.

school boy

I agree, those lsx engines are great to mod.

Subbz

I would have to say it's all about preference because with time and money you'd be able to get whatever it is you're going for. Since you like the look of the Mustang more then you should go with a Cobra since with only a few upgrades you can get quite a bit out of it. Though the 2V GT aren't bad to work on either. There's a member here that owns a GT with over 600rwhp. It's all about what you want and how hard you're willing to work for it. 10k on a GT will definitely put you in the same if not more power than the Cobra. And if it's street racing I think you'll get more challengers if they see you rolling around with a GT just because a lot of people think it's an easy kill. So if you want power off the start go with the Cobra or the Z28. If you want the satisfaction of seeing surprised faces go with the GT, though it will be a fairly hard/long build.

Subbz

The Z28 only had the LS1. LSX is a completely different engine which was based on the LS7. Though you're right about them being great to mod lol.

jeff37110

Build a shortblock and put together a nice turbo kit..You will be good to go..Plus insurance will be cheaper with the gt..

JC316

The LSx designation goes to any engine that was from the LS series. 4.8L, 5.3L, 5.7L, 6.0L, etc. Yes, there was an LSX, but most people refer to the LS series as an LSx.

Dominasian

This is going to be a daily driver, and pushing to 600rwhp is going to be almost impossible unless you do all at the same time. Street racing and a daily driver, sounds legit to me Haha

But yaah 550-600rwhp is pretty much my goal and pushing a supercharger to that limit is possible but i think they are weak comparing to turbos, cause even a single big*** turbo can do that, i was looking on3performance turbos, and i loved the pricing. For the money of a used supercharger i can get a turbo set + suspension work done since all the tubing will require me to change some things.

And please tell me if i am mistaken, you CAN'T push Camaros ls1 and Cobras 4v engines to 550-600rhpw without porting them right ? If that's true then i might as well start building 2v engine and make as durable to boost as possible.

Subbz

I call it LS series or LS engines just to avoid confusion.

From what I hear turbo's are a lot easier to achieve that power though a lot more complicated and harder to maintain compared to superchargers. I'm not too sure about the LS1 and the Cobra motor. I do know that if you want to make a 2v durable to boost you'd have to get forged internals. I was looking into getting a forged stroker kit myself to build up my engine and get it ready for boost. If you already have the money and time to work on it yourself you should get a forged stroker kit, turbo cams, valve springs, bigger throttle body, bigger injectors, make sure to get it dyno tuned too, and I think that might be all you need as far as the engine is concerned for now. If you're gonna be doing all the work yourself you'll be saving a lot of money. Then you have to worry about your transmission and rear end being able to handle that power. Not quite sure what they're rated at so I'm not much of a help there. You might want to look around the forums to see other people's builds and how they came about to getting that much power. Do lots and lots of research

jeff37110

My buddy has an 04 cobra with good exhaust,pullies,and a little fuel work and makes over 500hp to the ground..He drives it everyday..The bottom end of the cobra will handle some massive amount power..I have seen a guy make over 700 hp by getting rid of the charger and putting a turbo on..Im running a turbo on my car with suspension work and love it..Im pushing nearly 500 hp no problem..