'01 Cobra Build Thread

[Steve1578]

Hey Guys,

I'm new here, my name is Steve and I'm picking up my first Cobra(2nd Mustang) this afternoon(9/10).
I'm going to use this thread to post updates with the car as I go along.
Right now, I have only a few pics that were included in the ad for the car.
I also posted in the Newbies section, but I figured I would start an official thread for the car here.

Details :
$7K
2001 Cobra
Black
147k miles
H&R Springs
Poly Spring Isolators & subframe & diff bushings
Koni shocks
MGW short throw shifter
New clutch, throwout bearing, firewall adjuster, clutch cable
New plugs & coils

Engine wise, it hasn't been touched.

With the winter season approaching here southeast PA, I will be doing some stuff during the off season.
I have some basic aesthetic stuff planned, like rear bumper inserts, new floor mats, shift knob, etc.
Still deciding on my new wheel set up, I like the cobra's so might stick with those and go with the 9/10.5 setup. Even though I'm not a big fan of chrome, I think it looks great on a black mustang. So I'd either go chrome or black for the wheels. 4.10 gears are a must(My long-term goals are to procharge, otherwise I'd probably go even steeper), off road X, and Stingers, headers.

Pretty typical mustang build I suppose.

Here are a few pics, I'll have more in a few days(raining in PA for the next day or so) :

 

[Four cam slam]

Beautiful car man! You will love it.....4:30 gear is what you need.

 

[killspray]

Nice! Congrats!

 

[Steve1578]

Thanks! I see a lot of people saying to get 4.30's. I know that you shouldn't "fear the gear" but I'm afraid it might be too much gear if I go F/I. I'd love to hear feedback from people who have 4.30's and are forced. Also, what's RPM's at like, 70? I heard like 2800-3000.

 

[JCP281]

Thanks! I see a lot of people saying to get 4.30's. I know that you shouldn't "fear the gear" but I'm afraid it might be too much gear if I go F/I. I'd love to hear feedback from people who have 4.30's and are forced. Also, what's RPM's at like, 70? I heard like 2800-3000.

There is a thread on this topic a few threads down. LOL it all depends on what you want. Truth be told, if your staying n/a with a cobra/mach 1, 4.30s are hard to beat. With F/I, your probobly better off in most cases sticking to 3.55 or 3.73s. Again, a lot depends on what type of blower system or turbo you go with. I am of the opinion that if you have a centri blower, you can get away with more gear. But you know what they say about opinions.

EDIT: at 70 ull be around 2700-2800. People tend to make a big deal about this, but to each his own. People always seem to be a-ok with 4.10s and there is only a 200 rpm difference between the two at 70. Granted, this is with stock tire sizes. If you step up to 18" wheels, in most cases you will make the car feel like its geared less aggressively. So keep that in mind when changing wheels and tires. The bigger the overall circumference of the tire, the taller the effective final ratio will be.

Here is a link to a friend of mines site that has many calculators, including a gear calculator. He used to be very much into the mustang scene and put all this stuff out many moons ago to answer questions on forums for people.

 

[Steve1578]

Thanks for the info! I've seen quite a few threads regarding what gears to get so I won't push the subject lol. I think I'm going to give 4.10's a go.

 

[Steve1578]

Update :
So I got the car home yesterday. It was probably the worst day of the year to do it, torrential downpour. But, she drove great. It ended up clearing up a little, so I was able to drive her slightly spirited. First thing I noticed - the suspension is really nice. The koni shocks & H&R springs help to make her feel very "light". The interior(aside from the driver seat which has some obvious wear) is very clean. If the rain can stay away today, I'll have some more pictures up this evening. Also, already ordered a new shift knob, the ford racing leather one (http://www.americanmuscle.com/frppshift.html).

 

[MickeyD]

Car looks great and has some solid mods to start with. Good luck with it from another black 01 cobra owner from SE PA!

 

[Steve1578]

Thanks Man! Definitely looking forward to having fun with her. What area are you from?

 

[MickeyD]

Grew up near Exton and now live out near Landsdale. What area are you in?

 

[Steve1578]

Only about an hour away, born and raised closer to the Reading area. The car was close to Norristown & and I got clobbered with that downpour yesterday. Glad to see some PA love though! I heard that AM has a meet in PA?

 

[MickeyD]

Yeah that was a storm yesterday! And AM does a big show at Maple Grove every year in August, huge turnout and don't have to drive to OCMD or Myrtle Beach to see a ton of cars. Enjoy the new ride before we start to get the cold weather. Also drop me a PM if you have any questions, I know a number of shops in the area that would be good with your car.

 

[Steve1578]

Awesome, great to know! I'll be pretty much daily driving this thing for the next month and a half haha. And I appreciate that, it's been quite a few years that I've been involved in the Mustang crowd so I'm sure I'll have some questions along the way. I'll definitely get in touch when it comes time to take it to a shop.

 

[Dirks9901]

With a centri, i would go 4:10's.

 

[Steve1578]

My thoughts as well, know a few people who ran a centri with 4.10's and thought it was just right.

 

[stradt03]

I had a vortech with 4.10s and it felt perfect (when it still had the T-3650 trans). If you go to the T-56 with the 2.66 first gear, I would go with 4.30s.

 

[CobraBob]

Steve, definitely plan to attend the American Muscle show next August. It is HUGE! Over 2K cars. And American Muscle does a great job with the show overall. Nice racing, too.

Are you planning on replacing/reupholstering the driver's seat? Or both front seats? You said the other seats were in good shape. Nice that you're very happy with the suspension. The previous owner left you with some nice mods. Have fun with it!

 

[Steve1578]

I will definitely be attending! It's only about a 20 minute drive from me, practically in my back yard!

The rear seats are in very good condition, but I will definitely be looking to reupholster the driver and passenger side seats eventually. The driver side is in worse condition(for obvious reasons), but it's not "terrible". The Cobra seats are easily my favorite thing about the interior, especially since they're one of the few things that differentiate it from a 2v, so I'd love to give them a nice makeover.

 

[Steve1578]

Here are some more pictures of the car.
I haven't had a chance to clean her at all, inside or out, so she is VERY dirty. And unfortunately the only driving I've been able to do with her is on wet roads. I'll get some more after I give her a full detail. The Front is a good mix of bugs & chips from rocks. Overall the paint is not in bad condition, I'll see what a detail does to it, but I'm planning on a full repaint a year or two down the line.

My daily driver(2015 Altima SL) sneaks into a few photos for good measure.

 

[decipha]

nice ride she looks to have been especially well maintained given the mileage

for the time being i'd recommend tossing a little tune on her, the stock cobra tunes are just horrid