99 or 98 Cobra

[budguy1967]

I plan on buying either a '98 or '99 Cobra in the spring of next year. I cannot decide between these two years. I like the look of the 99 more than the 98. But the IRS scares me since I plan on mildly modding the car that I get...somewhere in the 12's 1/4mi. I have heard that a broken half shaft can cause the car to wreck, plus the fact of the wheel hop even with the Kenny Brown mod.

I like the fact that the 98 has a solid rear axle, but I hear that the T45 tranny is junk on the 98 and that the 99 T45 is better after Tremec? took over them.

Question: Given these problems, which car do you prefer and why? Do the owners with modded 99's worry about a potential wreck with broken half shafts?

Thanks, any input would be greatly appreciative.

 

[Vinnie T]

My opinion is skewed since I like the twisties more than drag racing, and the IRS works well for this. If drag racing is your primary focus, go with the 98 live axle. It's bullet-proof and pretty much hop free. If a better balanced all-around car is important, I'd go with the 99. My wife has a 98 GT, and I much prefer to drive my 99 Cobra than her car any day. It's so much more composed over every kind of pavement and driving style.

As far as the T-45, I'm not that familiar with the difference between 98 and 99. Some 99 owners, especially the drag racers would refer to them as "trainwrecks" back in late 99. Adding power and 4K rpm starts could reduce it's life quite a bit. But with drag racing, you should expect to break a few parts. The 99 has a bigger clutch (the '03 even bigger), which might be something else you want to consider.