03/04 Cobra Impressions vs. Boss

[Macker]

Hi All,

Recently parted with my 04 Cobra due to a motor issue I wasn't willing to spend the $$ to fix. Now thinking of moving into a Boss.

Looking for feedback from anyone that has owned the 03/04 Cobra and now the new Boss.

I imagine the Boss is a more refined sports car vs. the muscle car character of the Cobra?

 

[86Fbody]

It is only refined in the sense that it doesn't feel like a land yacht, otherwise it still feels like a muscle car, to me anyway. Depending on what you want to do with it you may get more out of it. I have seen maybe 1 Cobra track car and I am sure it was wicked fast, but I have seen more drag cars. The Boss can go either way but I would say it is much more fun on the track. See if someone near you will take you for a ride to convince you one way or another.

 

[Deranged2013]

Never owned a terminator but have driven one. Can't say the Boss has way more power, but stock for stock, the Boss does have an edge. Handling, hands down goes to the Boss. Both cars are fun to drive but the Boss wins that category also. Comfort, again goes to the Boss. The only thing the Boss lacks that the cobra has is the SC and I will be adding one of those soon. The Mt-82 trans in the Boss is just ok, I believe the cobra shifted a little better but with a MGW shifter and JPC clutch line upgrade, you should be fine. Just do it. You won't be disappointed! The car is a blast to drive!

 

[86Fbody]

Can always do a T-56 swap if you get tired of the MT-82

 

[mantis118]

Never owned a terminator but have driven one. Can't say the Boss has way more power, but stock for stock, the Boss does have an edge. Handling, hands down goes to the Boss. Both cars are fun to drive but the Boss wins that category also. Comfort, again goes to the Boss. The only thing the Boss lacks that the cobra has is the SC and I will be adding one of those soon. The Mt-82 trans in the Boss is just ok, I believe the cobra shifted a little better but with a MGW shifter and JPC clutch line upgrade, you should be fine. Just do it. You won't be disappointed! The car is a blast to drive!

Everything he said. Minus the trans... the t56 in my cobra was a hundred times better than the mt82 in my boss. However I do not miss my cobra at all. The boss is such a better built car!

 

[Macker]

Thanks guys for the feedback! I'll be heading to a local dealer to take one out for a test drive to see what it's like. I have to say the Cobra was quite a visceral experience.....with the Long Tube Headers/Borla exhaust and ported Eaton whine. Will be tough to forget....

 

[Tyler72]

I have a lot of experience with both, & I guess power wise the biggest difference is how its made. The cobra has quite a bit more torque, so for me its more fun around town. The boss however, is definitely the higher revving monster. The boss has plenty of HP as long as you keep it revved up. Driving it on back roads through the country is enjoyable if you don't lug it around.

In the end, both cars are a lot of fun, but I went with a Boss this time because its a new car. I have seen way too many thrown together terminators & frankly most aren't worth asking price. I pay attention to little things like the pinch seam & frame rails being straight... A floor jack is hell on a car & while nobody ever sees it, I don't want that on my car. I wanted a clean start, so I bought a new car to hop up MY way instead of trying to fix other peoples problems. I want to drive my car, not work on it all the time!

 

[forcefedcobra]

considering I'm down over 300 rwhp with my boss compared to my old cobra its difficult to compare the two. The boss stock is very impressive and pulls much harder than I expected from a n/a v8. Around town I enjoy driving the boss much more. My cobra was scary on the road track. Cant wait to hit utah for boss track attack.

 

[SPEEDRACER88]

considering I'm down over 300 rwhp with my boss compared to my old cobra its difficult to compare the two. The boss stock is very impressive and pulls much harder than I expected from a n/a v8. Around town I enjoy driving the boss much more. My cobra was scary on the road track. Cant wait to hit utah for boss track attack.

What was done to your Cobra's suspension? My car is very easy to drive fast on twisty roads.

 

[forcefedcobra]

What was done to your Cobra's suspension? My car is very easy to drive fast on twisty roads.

over 700 rwhp and a touchy accufab throttle body made for entirely too much power when trying to roll into the throttle out of a corner at hallett. street tires and wet conditions at times was just plain stupid. built irs, coilovers, aluminum block and tubular k member helped but without a full on SLA suspension and road racing slicks it was just too much at hallett. Would have been much more fun at TWS or HPT

 

[SPEEDRACER88]

over 700 rwhp and a touchy accufab throttle body made for entirely too much power when trying to roll into the throttle out of a corner at hallett. street tires and wet conditions at times was just plain stupid. built irs, coilovers, aluminum block and tubular k member helped but without a full on SLA suspension and road racing slicks it was just too much at hallett. Would have been much more fun at TWS or HPT

I'm at 470rwhp and have Eibach sway bars, FTB kit for the IRS, Subframes, CC plates with an aggressive alignment, Baer 14" 6 piston brakes and Nitto NT01's... its a blast to drive in the twisties. I'd love to see how it would compare to a Boss.

 

[forcefedcobra]

I'm at 470rwhp and have Eibach sway bars, FTB kit for the IRS, Subframes, CC plates with an aggressive alignment, Baer 14" 6 piston brakes and Nitto NT01's... its a blast to drive in the twisties. I'd love to see how it would compare to a Boss.

470 is soooooo tame compared to 600 and especially over 700. I enjoyed my cobra more at the track before the hp bug hit. I hope to prevent that same issue with my boss.

 

[mantis118]

470 is soooooo tame compared to 600 and especially over 700. I enjoyed my cobra more at the track before the hp bug hit. I hope to prevent that same issue with my boss.

Don't fight the bug... boost ftmfw!

 

[forcefedcobra]

Don't fight the bug... boost ftmfw!

I've been thinking turbo setup. a little easier to deal with coming out of corners compared to the monster instant boost that my 2.9 whipple e85 cobra had.

 

[65sohc]

considering I'm down over 300 rwhp with my boss compared to my old cobra its difficult to compare the two. The boss stock is very impressive and pulls much harder than I expected from a n/a v8. Around town I enjoy driving the boss much more. My cobra was scary on the road track. Cant wait to hit utah for boss track attack.

I did the Track Attack last week. It's a great experience with top notch instructors. As far as comparing the Cobra to the Boss, my friend had a Cobra for a couple years. Incredibly bad ergonomics and low rent interior. It makes you wonder how any engineer could have sat in the driver's seat and thought that the driver to shifter relationship was acceptable.

 

[IamRacerX]

I have driven my buddies termi vert many times. It makes 580 rwhp and has lowering springs... Imo his car is a tank next to my stock Boss. It feels so nose heavy and has a tendency to push way to easily. But it is a vert.. so that might have something to do with it. But imo you can not compare the two.

 

[mantis118]

I've been thinking turbo setup. a little easier to deal with coming out of corners compared to the monster instant boost that my 2.9 whipple e85 cobra had.

That is why I like my Paxton.

 

[forcefedcobra]

I did the Track Attack last week. It's a great experience with top notch instructors. As far as comparing the Cobra to the Boss, my friend had a Cobra for a couple years. Incredibly bad ergonomics and low rent interior. It makes you wonder how any engineer could have sat in the driver's seat and thought that the driver to shifter relationship was acceptable.

We are going in october. Yeah my cobra I had to keep the seat all the way back for leg room and then lean forward to shift where with the boss I have to move the seat forward to reach the pedals and still have a nice orientation with the shifter.

 

[Unrealford]

Get the Boss and just look back over your shoulder
2012 Boss 302 vs 03 Cobra Terminator - YouTube

 

[AKcobra]

I have both. A 2004 Terminator and a 2012 Boss 302 LS. I love both cars, and comparing one to the other is a bit absurd in my opinion. Two different animals that are unique and fun in their own ways.