I know this is old news but lately I have seen some SERIOUSLY modded 03 Cobras with pulleys, nitrous and everything else you could throw at it running 10s and no problems breaking, no spark plugs popping out (O.K., A broken IRS or two) but overall a Bullet proof motor.
Hell, JDM made over 500 RWHP WITHOUT a chip.

Teri(fiance) is getting her 03 cobra soon and I am only allowed to do a Cat-back,Air-intake and upper pulley (Thats it, Its her car).
It will be nice to know I SHOULD have very few problems.

We definately got the short end of the stick.

Don't get me wrong , I LOVE my L but you could throw a KB right on the cobra and BAM you have a trouble free rocket ship.

I hope Ford comes through with the next L. We deserve a better motor.

O.K. I will get off my soapbox now.


VINNIE

 

I am with you Vin...
I tried to convince the wife on a Cobra(she can't drive stickand I have tried to teach--impossible) and I would give her the L but no good settled for a Exploder no engine problems but it rains nice inside thanks to the moonroof...oh and the gas peddle vibrates @2k rpms on the exploder no fix either (4.6 V8)

I am hopping for a 04 cobra 40th anniversary to join the L


Slick

 

That's only if you're able to afford Ford's next Lightning. Us poor folks will have to get stuff building up our motors and running a works or kb and some nitrous

 

Your right V

When we talked on the phone the other night, I told you how I beat the ever living crap out of my Cobra for years without a problem (other than 3 prs of F-1's in two years)
I shifted that sucker at 6500 to 7500 RPM ***DAILY*** and never had a problem (other than 2nd gear )

if I wasn't fat and old, I'd get another
There a Biiiiiitch to get in and out of

The Lightning is the Bomb, but man it's got alot of known problems. And the heads and block are two problems, I surly don't like worrying about daily either

Man you gonna like the Cobra

 

Well, my problem is i am just an old country kinda dude (prior to service) and haven't owned a car since 1978!!! That's right all Pickup's, Jeep's, and a couple of Harley's (two wheeled type) So far i have had no problems with the L but indeed i will sooner or later cause i'm gonna race the crap out of it. BUT when it goes boom (i sure hope not though) i will build a bulletproof monster of a beast! Not bashing a Cobra, i'd love to have one as my trucks "TOW VEHICLE" but they don't have the capacity and cost a bit much for this duty!

 

You must consider the '03 Cobras come with a built bottom end from the factory. I suspect the four valve heads have more threads to.

I would love one but my better half does not drive a manual transmission. Yes she drives my 'L to and loves it and when she gets home from driving it she always has this ***** eating grin on her face.

The Mach 1 sounds better to me and it does come with an automatic. With a few minor mods on the Mach 1 we're talking high 11s.

 

Better get a live axle too.........or it won't be trouble free for long.

--Joe

 

Yeah, I've already heard of guys swapping the irs out. Saw a picture of one on the net. Some guy in texas did it.


Leaving work yesterday, saw a brand new dsg cobra in the parking lot absolutely covered in sand and salt.....i almost puked~!!!!!!

 

Joe,

With the rods and plugs we have to worry about that for everyday driving , the rear seems to be more of a 'Slicks at the track' type thing.
On the street I think the tires would break loose before the axle.

Again,I know every vehicle has its flaws . It just seemed the 03 cobra kinda got are motor or something..............

VINNIE

 

Yeah your right Vinnie.

But atleast the stiffs up in the Big Blue Oval office are learning from their mistakes. Iam sure all these blown Lightning motors are getting their attention.
Must be really cutting into the bottom line, thats why the company is coming down hard on warranty cases.

You know, intead of spending money overseas, Ford should contact the tuners and sub-out the rebuilding the Lightning bottom ends with a proven crank/rod/piston assembly. And ofcourse do this under warranty for just the 01's

 

i TOLD my gf that shes getting a new cobra, and that she gonna LEARN to drive a stick, because im gonna mod the HELL out of it...she said ok

 

Nice thing with the Cobra's is that you can pull out the IRS, sell it, install a built rear end and still have money left over. A lot of autocrossers would love to put the IRS in there older stangs.

The most bang for the buck definitely goes to the 03 Cobra. Install a KB on an otherwise stock Cobra and run low 10's all day long.

 

Whats wrong Vinnie, you sound like a red headed step child (big pun intended )

Seriously though, aside from the spark plug thing I think the Lightnings were a big learning curve for Ford and blown engines, + the fact that the cobra's were underpowered for a while and they needed to make that up.

 

I agree with ya... The new L is gonna have some stuff we can't compete with too e.g. aluminum block, air conditoned cold air boost....

I guess we can match those fatter rear tires... I guess we can spay NOS down the intercooler too now that I think about it...

sure is spensive tho to match something that is coming right out of the Factory with a built engine.

 

tallimeca
Where abouts? That might have been me. Now its covered in sand, salt, snow, and for some reason bird *****. I thought birds flew south for the winter? You should see the interior, now thats dirty. As a daily driver it doesn't stay very clean especally when the winter suck as bad as this one. It's supposed to be like -10 by the end of the week. Now that I think about it I haven't washed the car by hand for almost 3 months. It makes me want to puke as well.