To build from scratch, yes, but you can use your factory heads, block, crank, and intake from a SN95 Cobra. If you go with a fox and want to make more than 450 hp reliably (and who doesn't), you'll need a strong block ($1,500+), good heads ($1,000+), forged crank ($1,000+), and an aftermarket intake ($???). You'll basically throw away your whole engine. Suspension, fuel system and transmission can be essentially the same for either. It's not automatically cheaper to build a fox. It only is if you can get away with using cheap parts. Show me someone who has run 8s with a stock 5.0 crank, block, heads, and intake.

 

LOL I don't wanna run 8s. I'd be just fine if I could dip into the 12s. This will be a weekend/ summer car, not a Pro Street ride. That said... What's it take to see 12's? DRs, 4:10s, short throw shifter... What else?

 

450 hp is not necessarily RELIABLE in a 96-98 cobra. True, in the fox, very little of the actual motor is usable for truely high hp applications, but its not that expensive to build. i will say with confidence that it is cheaper to build a 900 hp fox, than a 900 hp sn95 cobra. Pushrod crap is soo cheap...

But in all honesty, if you want real easy power, and building your engine is in your future, nothing beats a GM LSX... No replacement for displacement, although, as I mentioned earlier, then your dealing with a lot less streetability, compared to the Modular 4.6s and 5.4s...

 

If that's all you want, keep her stock, put in some 4.30s, long tubes, and get some sticky tires. Hell, I went 13.2 @ 106 with just an offroad pipe, underdrive pulleys, and shorty headers. Sticky tires and gears would've easily landed me in the 12s. Dollar for dollar, gears are the best money you'll ever spend on a SN95 Cobra.

 

Heh...I was thinking the same thing.

 

In prostreet, 8's are slow...

8's make for a rediculously fast street car... Hell, if I grab a couple of units on my cobra, I can have an 8 sec, 6 speed,street car! The engine was built for it, lol...

then again, maybe not... [&:]

 

MFJ im tryin to see you run on pinks [8D]

yeah if i was gonna do a pushrod i'd pick up an 87-88 LX and rebuld the entire thing and slap some Historic or Streetrod tags on it(hence the stopping at 88 and not 93) and a big ol TURBO

wait a minute, theres an 88 sitting in my backyard with no motor and tranny! ew its a GT tho and its my brothers lol. he would sell it to me for like 300$ tho imo

 

mfj, I know we're beating a dead horse here, but I think you misunderstood my point (probably because I didn't make it very well). What I mean is: say you want to build a 500 hp Fox or SN95 Cobra that makes about 500 hp. To do it reliably, you'd really need a whole new engine to do it with a 5.0. For a 4V, all you'd need is new rods and pistons (well, not counting other things that must be replaced with every rebuild). I am assuming that both engines start out in reasonably good condition, of course. You are correct about the mod motors being more expensive to build from scratch.

 

doh!

 

You are right about rods/pistons, so like stated before, they are not tooo expensive to redo. But what also helps hold these cars back is the IMRC's and long runner intake. Delete your IMRC's and cut your intake to make it a Short Runner Intake and youll be good, also porting our heads and adding some cams would be great but starts getting expensive. Also Sullivan will put out an intake for our year cobra when hell freezes over!!!!! Theyv been saying it will be out "REAL SOON" for over a year and a half. Its getting old and will never happen.

Get full exahust, gears, 31 spline axels,rear girdel,aluminum driveshaft, short throw shifter(MGW or Steeda tri-ax are the best),U/D pulleys(if you want them, they are not needed; but if you get them, do not get the piggyback style; dont get BBK), CAI( you do not need to take off ur STB for a good intake, we have perfected a homemade one that you can do that will fit under ur STB and is about as big as the JLT one).(you dont want to lose the STB, youll feel the difference right away, specially if u drive a vert.) Eventually you could delete the IMRCs,do a short runner intake, and port your heads with some cams. (But if you get into that, then you may as well forge it while your into the engine)
Also some good things to get would be an 180* T-stat. And an oil seperator that take some of the oil our of our heads(the extra stuff).

Yes our cars are capable of running 450rwhp on stock internals reliably. If you are not running a power adder, then most of the people who run nitrous on stock internals will run about a 125 wet shot. Dont run a dry shot if your going to do anything, run a wet shot, or DPI fogger system. Safer.

The transmission will hold up to normal DD driving, but if you insist on ragging on it EVERY day in and out, they are turds and will break piece by piece. They do not hold any extra power either, if you SC or run nitrous on your car, i wouldnt worry about the engine, as so much as i would the tranny falling out from onder the car lol.
If you were to get a new transmission, DONT get the TKO500. Yes it is a good trasmission, but it will only rev so high; our cars make the most power at middle to top of the power band(thats why people like the high gearing for our cars, because they are dogs down low), so if you havent noticed, our engines do rev pretty high, and you can actually take off the limiter and with a set of cams, you can rev them even higher. These engines LOVE to rev, dont deprive them of that!
If you want to replace the transmission, get the t-56 that is in the terminators, it is the best tranny out there for our cars; plus it is 6 speed, and you can get it built to ViperSpec, which is absolutely awesome!!!!! (btw for one of these brand new ur looking from 2000-2500, or you could pick one up used out of an 03/04)..

I will get into suspension mods when you ask, i dont even want to get into that yet lol.. Thats a whole different ballgame.

BTW.. I hope this helped you... And these cobra's styling is just badass!!! with the right rims,and stance, you cannot beat our bumper and hood, they just look nasty!!! Plus the lines of these cars is just sexy!! So get one, you wont regret it