i recently bought a 97 cobra( i know i need to get pics up). ne ways, the motor i think is stock. would a throttle body be ne good for hp? wat mods would yall recommend? im a student so im not rich. lol. btw, i9 already have flows and an o/r h i need to install. thanks yall.

 

the throttlebody on a cobra is decent, if you want to do anything to it id say just bore it a little bit. Without changing the CAI, plenumand the MAF it wont really do much (my opinion anyway).

The best thing you can invest in (although its strictly preferance) is 3.73 gears. Some people prefer 4.10s but I think it shaves off too much top end speed and when you cruise in 5th gear in the highway youll be revving pretty high (also chews through gas do to the engine constantly running at midrange rpms).

Also check into a shiftkit. Steeda has some nice ones, and other people may reccomend other great ones too.

You might want to check some MSD Ignition packs too, they make a noticeable difference in the cars performance.

Last but not least, try to shoot for an exhaust system. Do some research and infd out which system would be best for you. Its another thing that deals with preferance. For example, some people liek th tone of bassani and some people prefer the tone of flomasters. Some people go with an H-pipe for a more retrained growl, while ohers like the X-pipe for a more throatier raw sound.

If your going wit the exhaust, at some point id reccomend headers, they really make ALL the differnece in the sound of the car.

Keep in mind, the only dramatic HP boosts youll really get are from Forced induction type thing (ie. superchargers/turbos) Anything else is just bolt on here and there adding 5-20 hp wherever. Its not always about horsepower but simply the preformance of the car.

Also dont be fooled into the "chip" myth. Chipping your car is nice.. IF you know what your doing. Most kids destroy their cars because they put some chip on it, dont know what the hell they're doing, and dont bother to get it programmed by a professional with the proper equipment, thus throwing their engine timing and fuel system off and bogging their engine. Even the self tuners that come with some chips are a little sketchy. If you want to chip it, have a speedshop do it for you, unless your a mechanic already.


Do some research andask around about things on here, and youll be all set with upgrading your whip.



BTW The gears WILL make the car noteably faster off the line, and youll be able to rip through 1st 2nd and 3rd no problem.

 

^ +1.....all veryinsightfuladvice.....especially the piece on gears!

A word of caution about theshifting though.....get a feel for the gearboxbefore you think about changing it. Though the length of the throw maybe longer than optimal,shifting is very predictable (sometimes with short throws...you shift straight into the gait, rather than 3rd when going from 2nd to 3rd). I have this problem with my Saleen and it's a pain in the arss!

 

yes yes i forgot aobut the shiftbox hahaha. I havea steeda tri-ax kit and I remember when I first got my cobra starting it in 3rd gear (thinking I was in first) and wondering why i couldnt take off easily.

Gears are wickid close on ithahaha.

 

Well a shifter would be a great start. I have a steeda as well and I love it. The flows and o/r h-pipe will help a little, you might notice a lil loss in low end with out the cats but you will feel an increas with the high
end. Now once you put the mid pipe on you will throw a CEL. Thats normal so do not flip out about it. My next suggestion is a pricy one. Get a SCT Xcal2 tunner, it will get rid of the CEL and you will gain some power and have the power to change some stuff with your car. AKA timing, air/fuel ratio, cooling fan on and off temps.... and so on. Its a nice tool, I am getting mine next week. As far as the throttle body goes leave it alone. Do not bore it or anything thats a good Tb for plenty of power. With gears I have 3.73 and they are ok, they do not snap enough for me but I do some highway with my cobra so I am not going to change them. If you do alot of highway driving do not go more than 3.73's If you can do 4.10s have at it. Now thats some performance for ya, but your driving a cobra and I bet it hasnot been lowered and it has stock wheel. So slam it and get some rims,17x10.5 rear and 17x9 in front. Thats just what I would work towards that way you have some go and some show. Have fun you have a great car to start with the DOHC is a rockin lil motor.

 

i like mgw but thats just me and a whole bunch of people on this site.
But gears and a shifter would be nice, tires are always good. Cobras have enough traction issues as it is.