I know, I know, I'm stupid...but I don't think this question is:

[I'LL B Bok]

Hello fellow enthusiasts. I'm new, first post. Love this site, have found you all to be very knowledgeable and helpful (since I've been lurking for a while) on many things.

Providing a very brief history so you'll understand how I got stupid.
I'm a 2nd time 03 Cobra owner and a 01 Gt as well. My Gt was first and I "earned" it (meaning I bought it stock and built it into a respectable machine 340hp/328tq).

My 1st Cobra vert was not "earned". Bought it from someone else that earned it, a monster, low 500's hp/tq. Had the car for a month before getting caught in the rain with DRs....car totaled, I lived. Had to have another but I wanted to "earn" this one. I bought a 03 aniv vert bone stock minus Borla mufflers.

How I got stupid: my first 03 was purchased online from a private owner across the country. I never drove the car or had him test anything on it. Just saw the pics and the price and wired the money. The owner was a very stand up guy and the car he sold me was even better than I could have hoped for.

Proof of stupidity: on my recent purchase I did the same as above but from a dealership. This time I think I got screwed. Upon receiving the car (shipped), I changed all the fluids & I drove it to put gas in it and noticed the car to be extremely sluggish. I figured it would be slower than my other 03 but not this bad. I took it to have a compression/leakdown at my local speed shop (whom I've been dealing with for years and trust), to find cylinder #2 @ 6%, #6 @ 6% and #7 @ 18% loss. Contacted the dealer to share the results and freak out..they didn't trust the results so I took it to a "neutral" Ford dealer to have it performed again. Ford found everything to be perfect and in order except for the PCM. I didn't believe them and had them do it again in front of me, they obliged. Perfect results. They insisted that if there were an issue the check engine light would be on. Ford's explanation for my speed shop's results was that the crank was not turned properly and perhaps not all the valves were closed and the PCM was in need of update so they did it....same feel.

I know sluggish is a relative term but I really feel the car/motor is in bad shape. There are no pings, knocks, hums, rattles or etc. Its only got 30k miles. The dealer I bought the car from now feels validated and I have a slobra.

Are my expectations too high for a stock 03 Cobra or ruined by the modded one? WOT in 1st doesn't even break loose the factory 275's. Any suggestions or insight to leakdown tests would be greatly appreciated. Sorry for the long post and safe properous new year to you all.

Bok:shrug:

 

[Juruense]

I would suggest you take it to a dyno tuner that specializes in Cobras and have it tuned. Even a stock Cobra can benefit from a custom tune and you will get peace of mind when you see the dyno chart and know for sure if it is "sluggish" or not.

 

[Posi]

What he said^

 

[cobracide]

Just dyno it and post results.

 

[blowns281]

Is it building boost? hows the clutch?

 

[HISSMAN]

There is a huge difference between a 500rwhp cobra and a 350-380 rwhp cobra. But Does it feel nearly as strong as the 01 cobra?

-Jeff

 

[I'LL B Bok]

Dyno is great suggestion and I'm making an appt. My tuner is a stang specialist with a dyno, odd they didn't suggest the same.

It does not feel like my 01 GT (but it had 4:10s so it was pretty snappy).

The boost gauge indicates its building 9-10lbs or so but the rate of acceleration does not change when building boost.

 

[HISSMAN]

remember, the 03 cobra is heavier than the 01 by a bit too.

-Jeff

 

[2003Slobra]

Try to also change the plugs. I know you said there wasn't any hesitation, but if there is 30K miles on those stock plugs then it might be time to look at them considering a few things.

 

[TrickStang37]

I was not impressed at all by car when i first got it. i had a 5.0 full bolt ons, h/i/c 3.73's and some weight taken out. trapped 109's and that car FELT FAST! the 03 cobra, did not feel fast at all, 2nd would not spin at all and first gear, after launching, would not spin but the car still trapped 110 100% stock. butt dyno's are misleading.

 

[boston03cobra]

dude don't worry I was thinking the same thing when I bought mine stock.it doesn't feel like a 5.0 car at all,I thought something was wrong when the tires would bearly spin in first but the dyno said I was making 386 at the wheels with just a cat back.after the pully and a tune it was a whole different car.don't worry just bring it to a dyno to make sure.

 

[01SN8K]

i think that you had too high an expectation for the car. since this one is vitually bone stock with only aftermarket mufflers. i agree with everyone else and say go atleast get a dyno run in to baseline the car. see where you stand horsepower wise and go from there. you should see mid 300's atleast to the wheels. once you get a baseline throw a pulley and a tune at it and see the difference. a stock car doesnt come close to the feel of a pullied car

 

[nighthawk756]

Yep, just going to echo what everyone else has said. A stock Cobra compared to a pullied Cobra is two totally different animals.

Definately dyno it and you'll have some piece of mind. Should be in the upper 300's with a cat back. Mine made 394 rwhp bone stock with just a catback. Depending on conditions it should be in the upper 300's area.

Let's us know what it does.

 

[sharkattack]

Traction control turned off?

Just a thought.

 

[nighthawk756]

Traction control turned off?

Just a thought.

Good point also. I'm sure with his other car, TC was permanantly turned off, but this one being stock, I bet it isn't.

 

[I'LL B Bok]

All I can say is wow, you guys are awesome. Getting it dyno'd and tuned up to include plugs and etc and will post results. Also getting a shifter cause stock sucks. Glad to hear others were initially surprised by their cars as well.

Also my clutch appears to be fine...my only test is 1st to 3rd for slippage.
I already had the habbit of turning off the TC from my GT...its now as natural as putting on the seatbelt.

 

[nighthawk756]

All I can say is wow, you guys are awesome. Getting it dyno'd and tuned up to include plugs and etc and will post results. Also getting a shifter cause stock sucks. Glad to hear others were initially surprised by their cars as well.

Also my clutch appears to be fine...my only test is 1st to 3rd for slippage.
I already had the habbit of turning off the TC from my GT...its now as natural as putting on the seatbelt.

Good to hear....what were the numbers??

 

[Stangcharger]

I will tell you i test drove a stock 03 cobra at a dealership and was very very unimpressed.

It is quite amazing what just a pulley can do to make the car seem so much faster. I was impressed with just the pullied cobra. So with just a pulley i went from dissapointed to really impressed.

So this was my experience.

So in other words you just might be used to something faster.

 

[DEVIL]

The first thing you should do is the air filter, at least a K & N fpik, mine has a flowmaster catback, magnaflow x, accufab WO, MGW shifter, with Fiore adjuster/quadrant I let a friend with a stock vert drive it, and he about crapped when he punched it hard. He wasn't used to the tires breaking loose just gassing it. Or shifting so smoothly. Guess he wasn't impressed enough though, because last time I saw him he had a new 'Vette.

 

[Snakebite2k3]

mine was pretty quick when it was stock. i guess my pig was pushing 375+rwhp