How many New Edgers get no love?

[01vert]

Most around near me ask if it is a 5.0 Then I tell them no, its a 4 cam, 32 valve, aluminum block and head 7000 rpm redline 4.6 That usually gives them something to think about, especially the 7k part. I dont see many car people near me, do get compliments at drive thru's and around town.

I think most ask about the SC because it is the only one they are aware of, then maybe they walk off as it is all they know and dont want to seem like a dumass about cars.

 

[AzianStang]

I tell them its a 99, and they are like.. damnnnn thats old! your car looks good for a 99

WORD. I have people seriously thinking mine is an 04 just because it looks that damn clean.

:::raises roof:::

 

[Electric994V]

I get that "I know you can woop me, your car is supercharged" crap all the time... People swear I'm lying about not having a supercharger, then there are a those 03 guys that see my car and try to pick on me... (MMR shortblock is on the way, 4.10s are going in by Tue., and the 150 NX is going on at the same time) After the break-in period, it won't be as easy to pick on this 99-01. Unless I run across a whippled or KB 03...

 

[Double"O"]

I get that "I know you can woop me, your car is supercharged" crap all the time... People swear I'm lying about not having a supercharger, then there are a those 03 guys that see my car and try to pick on me... (MMR shortblock is on the way, 4.10s are going in by Tue., and the 150 NX is going on at the same time) After the break-in period, it won't be as easy to pick on this 99-01. Unless I run across a whippled or KB 03...

don't forget about the steggy ported and nitroused 03/04 either. they can be nasty nasty nasty

 

[johnjib]

I have respect for all cars, and the 03/04 Cobra is one of the best things that has come out of ford ever. I just dont like how trendy its become and how they are all for the most part the same.

Now I look around that same car show, and I am the only new edge Cobra there. Look around this board, each of cars are different in some way. And I am all about that. I love reading about each and everyone of your cars. Much more mustang pride and knowledge in the new edge community.

And even us guys still NA still stomp on most of the shit boxes running around on the street today.

Thats my story, new edger for life :coolman:

I have to agree with this statement. The new edge guys take so many different roads on mods and looks. Terms are pretty standard with mods and look the same. Good point man.

 

[love bandit2]

um +1 to this comment, I am not sure where some people pull things from, maybe their ass ;-) Sotck for Stock SN95s are not faster then new edges, and I have never had that much trouble with a stock F-Body.

I'm basing this on what I've seen first hand. Maybe none of these people can drive, but it seems like alot of the near stock new edges (especially the 99's) have trouble breaking 14.0 (cue controversey). There have been stock LS1's driven to the high 12's. Take a 2001 cobra and a 2001 camaro SS and see who wins.. I'd put my money on the camaro. Bringing it back to the main topic, my buddies who are into GM cars have total respect for 03-04 cobras because they know it has the potential to kick the shit out of even their modded LS1 vettes, camaros and fireturds with very little money put into it. If a top of the line 2001 mustang can't win against a top of the line 2001 camaro, and at the same time is harder and more costly to mod, why would these cars get the ultimate respect of the general non-brandwashed car enthusiast population?

I'm not saying I don't like 99-01 cobras by any means... I'm just kinda playing devil's advocate.

 

[Double"O"]

I'm basing this on what I've seen first hand. Maybe none of these people can drive, but it seems like alot of the near stock new edges (especially the 99's) have trouble breaking 14.0 (cue controversey). There have been stock LS1's driven to the high 12's. Take a 2001 cobra and a 2001 camaro SS and see who wins.. I'd put my money on the camaro. Bringing it back to the main topic, my buddies who are into GM cars have total respect for 03-04 cobras because they know it has the potential to kick the shit out of even their modded LS1 vettes, camaros and fireturds with very little money put into it. If a top of the line 2001 mustang can't win against a top of the line 2001 camaro, and at the same time is harder and more costly to mod, why would these cars get the ultimate respect of the general non-brandwashed car enthusiast population?

I'm not saying I don't like 99-01 cobras by any means... I'm just kinda playing devil's advocate.

I'll be the first to admit it took me a good 5 or 6 passes to get into the 13s with my 01 Cobra when it was stock, then i was running mid 13s by the end of that summer in stock trim which is right in LS1 territory

As for the LS1s,a well driven LS1 F-bod will run low 13s all day long bone stock. and yeah a few have broke in to the 12s.

It's been my experience that most LS1s will trap 105+ bone stock hell my best friends 98 SS went 13.1 at 107 stock.

96-98 and 99/01 Cobras respond well to mods and they aren't that expensive to mod. sma egoes for an LS1, a cam, lid, headers and gears and those babies are knockin on low 12 high 11 second ETs.

 

[SVT Abuser]

I almost started a thread like this earlier today..it was leaning on the fact that many owners want to offload their 99/01s for 03/04s...i was wondering if sometime in the distant future if the NA cobras may become scarce and be worth alot of money...(if they fell to the wayside now)..maybe it just doesnt make sense, i just keep seeing these car auctions for the old school mid to late 60s muscle cars and my eyes pop out of my head for what people are giving for these cars...one day, it may be OUR car on the block

That being said, people love my car, its usually very clean, everyone thinks is brand new, and cant believe its 7 years old. I too am falling for the Terminator bug, and because of this...

I want more power. it seems to me to get a 99/01 to the stock terminator baseline, you just spent the downpayment on a new cobra on your old one...to pull the motor and go forged, beefier driveline, 6 spd, even the 6 disc stereo....and you can still get an 04 and keep it under factory warranty...if u go aftermarket sc on our cars, there goes the warranty...

This has been my toil for some time now....i have a hard time thinking of trading in my car, adding 8K to it, and starting over with payments...for the same car, of the same color..am I nuts?

 

[CobraRed01]

I'm basing this on what I've seen first hand. Maybe none of these people can drive, but it seems like alot of the near stock new edges (especially the 99's) have trouble breaking 14.0 (cue controversey). There have been stock LS1's driven to the high 12's. Take a 2001 cobra and a 2001 camaro SS and see who wins.. I'd put my money on the camaro. Bringing it back to the main topic, my buddies who are into GM cars have total respect for 03-04 cobras because they know it has the potential to kick the shit out of even their modded LS1 vettes, camaros and fireturds with very little money put into it. If a top of the line 2001 mustang can't win against a top of the line 2001 camaro, and at the same time is harder and more costly to mod, why would these cars get the ultimate respect of the general non-brandwashed car enthusiast population?

I'm not saying I don't like 99-01 cobras by any means... I'm just kinda playing devil's advocate.

Here's an alternate viewpoint on devil's advocacy...
1) The '99 and '01 Cobra's came-out-of-the-box (after the '99 fix) with more HP, were faster and handled better than the 1998 Cobra.
2) The Camaro and Firebirds also had/have bigger motors and if you haven't noticed they don't make them anymore.
3) Many have said the "fit and finish", overall handling and driveability of
New Edge (despite the Fairmont platform) was/is superior to these GM dinosaurs (Vette $$$ excluded). The New Edge is simply a more modern muscle car that was starved for cubic inches.
4) With the demise of the Camaro and Firebird, if the Cobra-faithful didn't buy the Cobra in '99 and '01 do you think Ford would have invested in the Terminator and new GT500??? Without the New Edge carrying the American Muscle Car torch leading to the Terminator...do you think you would be seeing an new Camaro and Challenger? Maybe not.
5) I don't think the question posited here was whether the New Edge deserves "ultimate" respect...it's whether it deserves getting "NO" respect at all...which for every reason I've mentioned so far is a totally wrong position for any other Mustang/Cobra driver to take.
6) The "general non-brandwashed car enthusiast population" should and would see the historical and performance significance of New Edge, but the "general brandwashed drag racing enthusiast population" (where quarter-mile times are everything) might not. The later issue can easily be resolved with the application of copious amounts of time, money and talent...no matter what the platform.

SVT Abuser...Considering we are 5+ years beyond the New Edge, makes perfect sense for those who want max acceleration and are just starting out to start with a Terminator. "To mod or not to mod" your current New Edge based on dollar concerns will always be the tough question. You just don't get paid back in the long run if you sell. It's a sunk cost. Buy a Terminator and be happy with the significant gain is stock performance and you win...start sinking money into it because you know you're going to and you lose again... in the wallet that is. The performance bar keeps getting raised and so does the cost of keeping up. If you're lucky enough to time it right...when all those great performance mods now come stock from the factory (like with the Terminator or GT500) you can win...until the next round comes out a few years down the line that is. I have to believe we've peaked with the new GT500, but I could be wrong. The cost to convert to that next level... an easy 600 to 700hp potential out-of-the-box.. is going to cost anybody. New down payments and interest costs suck.

 

[99snk]

i just drive the car, if people ask me what is it? i tell them it's a mustang and they go no it's a cobra, it's bada$$, blah blah, i m like, i didn't know that!. It's better then getting into debate about why it's not s/c because i m tired of that bs.

 

[sn8k]

I get more love in the 01 then the 03... and the kind I like most of all - rarely does someone try to squeeze-in between me and the car ahead of me, more often then not at a stoplight - the car next to me stops short. Had a late model Firebird Firehawk start comin up on my 6, riding my ass for a bit, start to pull up beside me and then suddenly back off and take the fisrt exit to the left... guess he heard the blower & saw the pillar guages LOL. Win by intimidation works for me :thumbsup:

 

[love bandit2]

The New Edge is simply a more modern muscle car that was starved for cubic inches.

haha good one... I guess the LS1 is starved for valves.

The LS1 is by no means is a dinosaur. Unlike the LT1, it has NOTHING in common with the 350 ci chevys they were building in 1955. It was a completely new motor from the ground up. A very modern, efficient and well designed motor at that. The LS6, a varient of the LS1, broke the 400 horse barrier n/a with no compromises. Last time I checked the DOHC 5.4 in the 2000 Cobra R only made 385. You'd think even with a few less cubes the extra 16 valves would flow enough air to make up for that, but I guess not.

Is the new crysler hemi a dinosaur too?

Calling the 3rd gen chevy small block a dinosaur is :bs:

 

[YardSpecial]

99-01 Cobra's RULE !!!

Here's an alternate viewpoint on devil's advocacy...

4) With the demise of the Camaro and Firebird, if the Cobra-faithful didn't buy the Cobra in '99 and '01 do you think Ford would have invested in the Terminator and new GT500??? Without the New Edge carrying the American Muscle Car torch leading to the Terminator...do you think you would be seeing an new Camaro and Challenger? Maybe not.
5) I don't think the question posited here was whether the New Edge deserves "ultimate" respect...it's whether it deserves getting "NO" respect at all...which for every reason I've mentioned so far is a totally wrong position for any other Mustang/Cobra driver to take.
6) The "general non-brandwashed car enthusiast population" should and would see the historical and performance significance of New Edge, but the "general brandwashed drag racing enthusiast population" (where quarter-mile times are everything) might not. The later issue can easily be resolved with the application of copious amounts of time, money and talent...no matter what the platform.

SVT Abuser...Considering we are 5+ years beyond the New Edge, makes perfect sense for those who want max acceleration and are just starting out to start with a Terminator. "To mod or not to mod" your current New Edge based on dollar concerns will always be the tough question. You just don't get paid back in the long run if you sell. It's a sunk cost. Buy a Terminator and be happy with the significant gain is stock performance and you win...start sinking money into it because you know you're going to and you lose again... in the wallet that is. The performance bar keeps getting raised and so does the cost of keeping up. If you're lucky enough to time it right...when all those great performance mods now come stock from the factory (like with the Terminator or GT500) you can win...until the next round comes out a few years down the line that is. I have to believe we've peaked with the new GT500, but I could be wrong. The cost to convert to that next level... an easy 600 to 700hp potential out-of-the-box.. is going to cost anybody. New down payments and interest costs suck.

DANG !! Well said ! :rockon: :bowdown:


I would add the Terminator owe's its sucsess to the 99-01 failure. The 03-04 really stand out int the crowd. Smothing the the 99-01 never did.

 

[CobraRed01]

haha good one... I guess the LS1 is starved for valves.

The LS1 is by no means is a dinosaur. Unlike the LT1, it has NOTHING in common with the 350 ci chevys they were building in 1955. It was a completely new motor from the ground up. A very modern, efficient and well designed motor at that. The LS6, a varient of the LS1, broke the 400 horse barrier n/a with no compromises. Last time I checked the DOHC 5.4 in the 2000 Cobra R only made 385. You'd think even with a few less cubes the extra 16 valves would flow enough air to make up for that, but I guess not.

Is the new crysler hemi a dinosaur too?

Calling the 3rd gen chevy small block a dinosaur is :bs:

Good points!! Actually the dinosaur reference was more about the basic F-body platform more than anything else. I do understand there is a bit of an irony going on here. The Fairmont platform is just as prehistoric, but the general impression has been that the New Edge was more "contemporary" than the F-Bodies at the time of release. 32V's and an IRS certainly didn't hurt that impression. In hindsight, for the masses who prefer to have a 'Stang that they can hammer-off-the-line the somewhat delicate IRS was a step in the wrong direction. But, I think there is a sizable portion of the Cobra market that really does appreciate the IRS. I certainly would not slight the LS motors...they are bigger, extremely efficient for pushrod motors and....aluminum. But, I think New Edge appreciation (not necessarily over-the-top adoration) is more about the total package... at the time.

It is interesting to note that the only way to get optimal HP/TQ out of a smallish, 32V V8 is a) fantastic tuning, b) high rev's, c) forced induction and/or d) nitrous. For an N/A application a and b are where it is at, but both add to the cost of the application. The best DOHC N/A motors are free revving and expensive...but they play and sound like finely tuned musical instruments. The LS motors are more efficient at making TQ and can get along better without rev's and the need for FI. It is obvious Ford realized it had reached a practical limit with N/A in the New Edge and Cobra R...the relatively cheap solution was FI on the small modular. Makes perfect sense...but I see this as a logical evolution, not some major failing of the New Edge. Frankly, I think the new C6 Z06 and the new Camaro are really awesome and can't wait to see the later on the street.

I would add the Terminator owe's its sucsess to the 99-01 failure. The 03-04 really stand out in the crowd. Smothing the the 99-01 never did.

Jeeez, "failure" is such a strong word. I think "limitations" can be substituted in that sentence. As noted above, Ford just realized with the New Edge it was time to go FI. But, when it was released it was a moderate improvement over the previous Cobra...just not enough for many tastes. The Terminator was a relative quantum leap that just came along at the Right Time.

Actually, it's the New Edge that really is the standout...because the Crowd is usually ALL Terminators....LOL. Sadly, Conventional Wisdom will always relegate the New Edge to the shadows of the Terminator....until some of our sharp New Edge tuners come along to address these "limitations" and puts a hurtin on some stunned Term drivers. These guys will always be your true artists...not somebody who simply dropped some cash and bought The Next Best Thing.

 

[YardSpecial]

What I meant by failure:

The Term STUCK out with side skirts, 9" wheels, body color miriors 6 sp, new rear spoiler, new rump and nose. Seats, cluster was also Cobra only firsts

Hell the 99 had GT SEATS and AZZ end. To top it off it was slow and heavy.

So yes, IMOP the 99-01 where utter faliures. I have wanted on from day one, even had the 2001 dealer brosuhure BEFORE I bought my 2001.

To me the Cobra is the Ultimate GT upgrade.

Time paid off, found my dream car in 2005 and have no regrets.

Maybe one, had to buy a Honda instead of another Cobra.

Next is a TRUE blue 2001 Cobra

 

[Torch10th]

Last time I checked the DOHC 5.4 in the 2000 Cobra R only made 385.

For clarification sake here, the DOHC 5.4 in the 00R may not have broken 400 hp (though I have my doubts that it's not underrated slightly) but it made the power it did with quite a bit less compression than the LS6


The biggest issue with the ford modular motors is the bore spacing. It's counterproductive to power production. The 4.6 and thus the 5.4 as well was originally designed as a front drive v8 powerplant so the bore spacing had to be shrunk to shorten the length of the engine.

You're right though, the LS1 is a no compromise engine, something I would like to see ford build.