Not about the kill

[Venomous98Cobra]

Not coming here to talk about a so called "kill" while racing but rather some opinions.

I bought a 96 Cobra and don't know who the previous owner(s) are. I noticed that it had a fluidyne radiator, throttle body (company unknown), tubular k-member, tubular a-arms, aluminum driveshaft, upper and lower control arms, slotted front brakes, short throw shifter, long tube headers, off road h-pipe and flowmasters (30 series I believe).

Based on what has been done to the car I figured someone had set it up for road courses or they just started with suspension upgrades.

Anyways, I didn't plan on racing this thing and have only gotten on it once since buying it. Today I happened to race a 4th gen Firebird on an interstate and was pulling on him. Now, I'm a crappy driver and I granny shift cause I'm not trying to blow my tranny. So even if he sucked too, it didn't make sense to me. I thought the 5.7L Firebirds were quicker.

So we hit a slow spot and we were kind of talking in traffic and he said he had full exhaust, intake and something else. Could have been cam or chip, I couldn't hear. But I told him that I had full exhaust then he asked if it was supercharged and of course I told him no. I was trying to figure why he'd ask if it were supercharged. Maybe he hasn't been pulled on by a Cobra that wasn't s/c'd?

I could be wrong on my thinking but like I stated earlier, I thought the Firebirds were quicker. I'd love to know whats else is done to my car, any ideas if any? Performance wise of course. Its Winter so I don't have track times or a trap speed. Just one experience.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

I think you are putting too much into the question. You have to remember with better suspension you are better able to put down the power you do have to the ground.

 

[Leedog]

Maybe gears, or high comp./cam'd engine?
Or maybe said thunderchicken operator is a total tool and has no idea what he is talking about. Met plenty of them in my day.

 

[Venomous98Cobra]

Might possibly have gears and probably why it pulls hard. I'm just now hating the fact that I don't know what all is done. I've always known all the upgrades done to my cars. If I don't sell her I'll throw some upgrades at her but it sucks not knowing whats in her already. I had 4.10s in my 98 Cobra and 4.30s in my 93 LX but this doesn't seem to pull as hard as those did from a dig. I don't know, then again, I'm not used to this much suspension work. I was an all motor, no suspension guy in the past.

The races with the Firebird were from about 40mph to 130mph rolls. So the suspension wouldn't help me too much unless it were from a dig.

I do have to say though that I love the cooling on this car. The needle doesn't move past the "o" in Normal on the temp gauge. She stays extremely cool.

Told my buddy that if she is somewhat modified already, I'll keep her and throw a turbo to her but she'd have to pull a 8.30 or lower in the 1/8th before I upgraded her.

 

[thomas91169]

thats the thing about buying modified cars, even with a list of whats done, its never complete, or some shits on there that doesnt exist, etc. ive been lucky with my 03 purchase, but its always better to buy stock unmodded and do it all yourself, that way you know exactly whats done, when it was done, how well it was done, etc.

 

[Venomous98Cobra]

Yea, I had done that in the past. I bought both my 93 LX and 98 Cobra bone stock. The 93 still had the air silencer.

I wanted another Cobra so I found this one and when I test drove it to a local shop, they threw it up on the lift and found that it was quite upgraded. I bought it with the intention of just having a Cobra again and enjoying a Mustang. I really didn't want to race it but now I'm interested in what is done to it.

It was also the cheapest Cobra within 75 miles by about 2-3k between the 96-98 years and with good mileage.

 

[Leedog]

Did you run a compression test?

 

[Venomous98Cobra]

Nope, I actually haven't worked on my own car since my 93 LX. When they went modular I was justing taking it to a shop to get the motors replaced/built and the procharger put on.

Thats a good idea. I'll see if a buddy of mine can do that.

 

[Juruense]

Do not fear the firechicken...

 

[Venomous98Cobra]

Ok so it continues to be weird. I drive to my buddies house (Satan's Snake) and he pulls off my intake tube and tells me I have an Accufab throttle body and the inside of the intake as been ground down. Its a single blade throttle body so I guess they had to do some work to make the inside flow right.

Later that night we decide to have my Cobra race a supercharged GT. Oddly enough, when I shut it down at around 90ish, I have about 2 cars on the guy. We both spun off the bat, even though I was trying not to but I pulled quite hard all through second and when I let off somewhere in 3rd, he had just started to gain on me. He has 420rwhp and 380tq.

 

[divernb]

Dyno it!

 

[Fire Pig]

Dude come on...you gotta know the difference between your car having cam and head work.
Stock valve covers?
Stock ECM?
Stock Fuel Injectors?

 

[SaleenFiend]

Looks like you walked into a treasure chest or a deal gone bad...eventually

 

[Venomous98Cobra]

Dude come on...you gotta know the difference between your car having cam and head work.
Stock valve covers?
Stock ECM?
Stock Fuel Injectors?

Actually I can tear down a 302 and build it back up like it was nothing but when it comes to the modular motors, I hadn't worked on any of them. So no, honestly...I don't know the difference. I can say its not cammed, I don't hear any change in the lift, valve covers are the same.

 

[Satan's Snake]

yeah I gave the car a quick glance before the sun went down yesterday and I didn't notice anything major done but it could possible have forged internals with a sight compression bump...it pulls suprisingly hard for what's done to it...oh and venomous, where's mah videoz?!?

 

[Venomous98Cobra]

yeah I gave the car a quick glance before the sun went down yesterday and I didn't notice anything major done but it could possible have forged internals with a sight compression bump...it pulls suprisingly hard for what's done to it...oh and venomous, where's mah videoz?!?

It's still on the dvd, I have to toss it into the computer and edit it. I left you a voice msg but I also found that the intake tube is plugged so the car used to have nitrous on it. This car is like a puzzle.

edit - I think we need to find out what she can do against a slightly modded 03...hint hint.