gtpcoupe

I will be selling my LT1 trans am then my 4.6 gt here pretty soon to get into something faster, im going to have a budget around 10k give or take a little and im seeing which cars i should be looking at, my top three choices are LS1 trans am, 96-98 cobra, and a 300zx TT, im searching before hand which would be the better choice, so i was wondering if you guys can give me some info mainly on the cobras but as well as the others listed, ive heard the cobras have weak rods, but that doesnt tell me much, how much power can the stock engine take? the tranny is the same as the one in my 97 gt, with some different in the tailshaft right? whats the power limit on the stock t-45? those are the main parts im looking at, as i know ford makes good rear ends, where as the LS1 10 bolt is glass, but the LS1 engine can take alot, as well as the t-56 tranny is bulletproof as well, but LS1's are more expensive than the 96-98 cobras from what ive seen, these are top 2 ive been considering, and i also like the 300zx's they are around the same price as a cobra but are much older and id think more would be prone to go wrong, since they had the four wheel steering and alot of gadgets, from what i hear the engine and tranny are both solid, and its simple to just turn up the boost instead of bolting on parts, also do any of you know how rediculas insurance is gunna be? is the cobras much more than a GT or are they in corvette range? im 17 but i dont list myself on the insurance b/c who the hell coulda afford it on a 17 y/o, well id aprciate it if yall could fill me in on the 96-98 cobras, im not looking at the other years b/c they seem to be much more expensive, thanks
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ih8chevy

if ur lookin for speed get the ls1. but the looks and sound get teh cobra, they were rated at 305 hp and they run around a 13.8-14.0 on streets. their motors can handle way more than u can dish out, around 1500 hp, the internals are weak but the crank is strong. as far as parts they are ridiculously expensive, 4 cams for that car are about 1500. the ls1 u can find an auto with around 80000 miles for about 8-9 grand. the cobras are awesome cars i love them, but they have a wierd power band, they are dogs until 3300 rpms. the t45 is a decent tranny, it will hold aronund 350-400 hp. dependin on how much u have to spend a 99 cobra is not far from ur price range. and insurance wise, a minimal coverage cobra is 1800 for a 17 year old kid. full coverage is probably over 3000 a year.
good luck

gtpcoupe

yea ive heard the crank and block are strong, but im asking how much power before you throw a rod thru that nice block, im not that good at mechaic work and i heard modular engines are bitches to work on, so im just looking at adding blowers and turbo's with bolt on without touching the engine, probley looking at wanting 450 hp, but my first choice if price is right will be a LS1 trans am 6 speed ws6, i wouldnt have a camaro they are ugly, but ws6's are just mean looking and i know they sound like **** so ill just throw a STS rear mount turbo on there which takes the place of the mufflers and then there is only a turbo sound , but id also like to have a cobra with a few grand to mod on it, ive seen em as low as 7k for a 70k mile one
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fishyducky

i would get the ls1. it will be so much easier to get power from than the cobra.

uofipilot

I have a 97 cobra, so here we go. I bought it about a year ago for 10 grang with 67000 miles. I love it. The t-45 is a little iffy, but its alright. It can handle as much as the internals, probably around 400 whp safely. Anything more than that, and you're looking at pitons, rings, and rods possible failing. The aluminum blocks are bullit proof, and can handle upwards of 900 hp. And as mentioned before, upgrades for the cobra are way expensive. The LS1 is a little faster (well, probably alot faster) but I like the look, sound, and just about everyting about the cobra better than a 90's TA. PLus, how many 96-98 cobras do you see driving around? Not many.

As far as insurance, I'm 21 and its on my parent insurance still. I have a perfect diving record, and its something like 400 for six months full coverage. We also have 3 other cars, so thats partially why the rate is so low.

ride_maine

COBRA for the win!! they are a rock solid car and look wayyy better than any camaro/ta.

gtpcoupe

hmm thanks guys, yea im making the LS1 my top priority, but if i cant find one and there's a nice cobra ill get it, i probley wouldnt exceed 400hp anyway but still id like to have 400 and have it be DD reliable so if the limit is 400 or so then im sure being that close to the limit things will fail, how expensive are LS1 parts vs. the cobra?
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