cobra vs a zl1?
09-12-2012, 03:04 PM
#81
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Georgia
Posts: 1,761
When you say SS do you mean 5th gen or 4th gen?
On the 4th gen side, they handle pretty well out of the box and a limited number of changes are needed to make them handle 'as well as they can'. Strano, BMR, Spohn, Hotchkis, MTI, UMI, Random Technology, etc (there is actually a pretty good list) all make parts.
I think because of the way they handle initially a lot of people mod elsewhere and don't really get into the suspension much unless they seriously race the cars. I road in a 4th gen LT1 on Road America that had basic suspension mods and some R comp tires that was beyond anything I could have expected. I can't even fathom how well it would do with some serious suspension mods done.
On the 5th gen end they made it IRS, complicated and the stuff is just way to expensive. It will take some time before you see a lot of mods for them IMHO.
On the 4th gen side, they handle pretty well out of the box and a limited number of changes are needed to make them handle 'as well as they can'. Strano, BMR, Spohn, Hotchkis, MTI, UMI, Random Technology, etc (there is actually a pretty good list) all make parts.
I think because of the way they handle initially a lot of people mod elsewhere and don't really get into the suspension much unless they seriously race the cars. I road in a 4th gen LT1 on Road America that had basic suspension mods and some R comp tires that was beyond anything I could have expected. I can't even fathom how well it would do with some serious suspension mods done.
On the 5th gen end they made it IRS, complicated and the stuff is just way to expensive. It will take some time before you see a lot of mods for them IMHO.
Personally I don't like the 5th gen handling, feels very awkward to me when I test drove one..
09-12-2012, 03:16 PM
#82
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Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: NC
Posts: 5,565
The mustang market embarrasses the 4th and 5th gen market combined. People LOVE their mustangs and decades of that love bred vendor choices. I'm not sure the S197 in current form needs much love though, curious to know if the 5.0 needs much in the way of suspension upgrades.
09-12-2012, 03:31 PM
#83
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Georgia
Posts: 1,761
The mustang market embarrasses the 4th and 5th gen market combined. People LOVE their mustangs and decades of that love bred vendor choices. I'm not sure the S197 in current form needs much love though, curious to know if the 5.0 needs much in the way of suspension upgrades.
09-12-2012, 05:54 PM
#85
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Georgia
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People underestimate what suspension and handling can do.. It can make a world of difference, even in the straight line.. No use in having all that power if you can't plant it.. I used to dismiss suspension stuff until I took a ride in a friend of mines road track car, yes I said fox, ha. He had every possible thing you could do to that chassis, and with only a 331 with HCI under the hood he was destroying vipers, porsches, m3s, you name on the track..
09-12-2012, 06:27 PM
#86
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 11,302
People underestimate what suspension and handling can do.. It can make a world of difference, even in the straight line.. No use in having all that power if you can't plant it.. I used to dismiss suspension stuff until I took a ride in a friend of mines road track car, yes I said fox, ha. He had every possible thing you could do to that chassis, and with only a 331 with HCI under the hood he was destroying vipers, porsches, m3s, you name on the track..
I don't doubt that your buddy's Fox would wipe the floor with those high end cars. Its all in the suspension, and in a light car like a Fox, its not too hard to turn one into a track beast.
09-12-2012, 10:39 PM
#89
yea the mustang definatly has a bigger aftermarket, but then again its no suprise.
and the 4th gens definatly handle well. hell my 4th gen is the best handling car ive ever owned, im not sure about the 5ths b/c of all the bad things i hear about them.
and the 4th gens definatly handle well. hell my 4th gen is the best handling car ive ever owned, im not sure about the 5ths b/c of all the bad things i hear about them.
09-13-2012, 05:45 AM
#90
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: North Carolina
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Ford has kept it reasonable, imo. 3600ish lbs for the 5.0, only 50-100 lbs heavier than the New Edge GT, depending on the source. Chevy and Dodge have gone way over the top. My 01 SS weighs about 3450 lbs whereas the new SS is over 4k pounds. They can make a safe car without being so heavy, there's gotta be some other reason they're doing it. My wife's G35 is a 4 door, fully loaded car, curtain airbags, etc....and it weighs a tad less than my car, so its VERY doable. Why not use a lighter platform to start with and then drop a strong engine in? An LS3 in her car would be a very safe car, handle amazing, weigh around 3500 lbs, and wipe the floor with a new SS that weighs over 500lbs more. Idk, like I said, there must be some reason they do what they do, just wondering what it is.