Would Like Some Insight Please (S197)

Jaysin

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First off I apologize if this is in the wrong section, i'm aware of the S197 section, but i'm posting here in hoping of getting more traffic and quicker responses. I also know there are S197 forums where I could get even more insight.

With that said, I am wanting to ask my fellow SVTP brethren for some insight on the S197 Mustangs. Mainly wanting impressions from former owners, current owners. I currently have an srt4, and the time is getting closer to where i'm going to be able to get out of it, and into a Mustang finally. First off, I love the 03/04 Cobras, thats why I joined this site, and I will own one at some point. I have always kind of liked the S197s, they grow on me more and more everyday. I know alot of you have sold your S197s to get the Terminator and have no regrets, and theres a few that have done the opposite. I know all the pros the Terminator has over the S197 as far as ease of mods, and power for price, etc. They are awesome cars, I don't want this to turn into a "get a terminator" thread. Im not to the point to where im going to look at either. Im simply wanting your honest opinions on the S197 chassis, preferably the 05-07 models. Im not concerned with being the fastest! If I were to get a Terminator it would get a KB eventually, and if I were to get a S197 it would eventually get some form of boost aswell. Had to get that out of the way. I like the fact that the S197 is built using a revised chassis/frame, and have heard their alot more rigid that the fox platform. Also like the updated interior aswell.

Ok, im done rambling, and if you guys could give some honest opinions/insight/experience with the S197s I would much appreciate it!


P.S. No I will not wait for the new 5.0s, I don't have that type of money.

:beer:
 

chinchilla

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good car, handles decently, fun to drive, my dad has an 07 gt auto that I drive every once and awhile and its a really good car, with full bolt-ons its very fun to dive. It does however seriously lack the balls my 03 cobra had (476whp, 510wtq), so if you get one and throw a kb or something on it, it would be awesome and overall a better street car because of the interior quality and features. Go drive one, make sure its the 5spd and enjoy! If i were you I'd get one.
 

Jaysin

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Awesome! If I were to get one it would definately be a 5sp. Hows the 3V fair with boost? Obviously you would want to build the bottom end at some point, but overall hows the 3V perform? Heard these cars really wake up with exhaust, intake, and a tune. Watched a few vids on youtube of some boosted ones, seem pretty stout. Im just looking for something that is capable of good power, has good street manners, and it fun to drive. Coming from driving my srt4 everyday im completely sick of FWD.

Edit: Also would like to ask, how do these cars perform compared to an 02 GT, 98 Cobra, and a Mach 1? Those are the only Mustangs I have ever driven, so I know how they perform and "feel" in real life. How would the 05-07 compare to these? Thanks!
 
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Gixx1300R

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Love mine. No big problems,just minor stuff that Ford took care of (one headlight had condensation,CDs got stuck in the radio). Lots of inexpensive mods can be done.
 

Jaysin

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Have you had any prior Mustangs? What mods are done to yours, and do you have any big plans? Anything about the car you don't particularly care for?
 

JMoraru

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I have a 07 GT 5spd with a fair amount of mods. I love the car overall, nothing that i can really say i "hate". It has been extremely reliable for how much i have in it and how i drive. It made 451rwhp on a hot day and I get on it pretty often, although i dont beat on it and it has yet to cause a major issue.I had an 01 cobra for 6months before i got the GT, but had all kinds of problems with that car so i traded it in for the GT and have about 33,000miles on it so far. The only major issue i had was it not wanting to shift from 1st to 2nd directly, but my dealership fixed it under warranty without question and it has been smooth sailing since.

I will say that it depends what you are looking for...if you want around 450hp and a good, newer ride or are willing to build the engine then get the s197. If you are looking to get something that is known to handle big power then get the cobra, but keep in mind that they arent bullet-proof either.
 

Jaysin

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Thanks man! Yours look great! What mods do you have? Any track times? How do you like it compared to your 01? Besides the issue you had with it, do you miss your 01, or regret getting the GT?
 

07COBRAVENOM

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My uncle has a 07 Gt with the HO whipple on it, thing has some balls when he gets on it. He has a aluminum driveshaft, and 3.73 gears on it, and its a fun little car to zip around in. Also nice because he has the total sleeper thing going on to it. Stock exhaust, brakes, exterior etc. except for a couple of guages on his dash you wouldnt even notice it driving by unless he hits it. BTW stock bottom end on it, and he has about 13K miles on it since whipple was installed.
 

Ironhand

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I like the way the 05 and new cars look. But Im partial to both the New Edge body style and the 4V. Just my cup of tea. Although the GT-500s have the best of everything. New interior. New 5.4 4V with a bigger eaton, better fuel system and the ability to make big power without to much trouble. But at a certain point what you buy at first wont matter because you will have to replace so much of the pre-existing car to help support big power it almost doesnt matter what you started with.
 

Thump_rrr

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Awesome! If I were to get one it would definately be a 5sp. Hows the 3V fair with boost? Obviously you would want to build the bottom end at some point, but overall hows the 3V perform? Heard these cars really wake up with exhaust, intake, and a tune. Watched a few vids on youtube of some boosted ones, seem pretty stout. Im just looking for something that is capable of good power, has good street manners, and it fun to drive. Coming from driving my srt4 everyday im completely sick of FWD.

Edit: Also would like to ask, how do these cars perform compared to an 02 GT, 98 Cobra, and a Mach 1? Those are the only Mustangs I have ever driven, so I know how they perform and "feel" in real life. How would the 05-07 compare to these? Thanks!
Mine has faired very well wih boost on stock internals.
I installed the Saleen blower with the 10psi. pulley in 06 with 20,000km on the car (12,000mi.).
I now have 86,000km (52,000mi.) and have been running at 12psi. since 2007.
The car has been down the 1/4 mile over 2,000 times everywhere from Montreal to Rockingham Nc. and has always been driven to and from the track.

The car has put down 500rwhp 475rwtq and has run 11.139, 11.140, 11.141 in good air.

I'm upping it to 14 psi next Saturday when th car goes back to JDM Engineering for a new dyno tune.

Yes I'm really pushing the limits of the stock drivetrain but I wouldn't have it any other way.
 

Jaysin

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Thanks for all the feedback guys, I appreciate it. Nice to hear people do enjoy them. Just don't really hear that much about them, and I've never looked around for driving impressions on the car as a whole. I totally agree with Ironhand about it doesnt really matter to much as to what car car you start with if you have alot of plans for it, because most things will be changed/and or upgraded anyway.

The prices for a decent mileage 05-06 are not bad, and im thinking there will be even better deals on them once the 5.0s release. As stated I love the terminators, and still thinking of going that route, but the more I start think of an 05-06, I really start to sway that way. I just worry if I get an S197, by the time im ready to get into a terminator, it'll be even harder to find a nice one with decent miles on it. Who knows? Just a car in the grand scheme of things, and I know I would enjoy either one. Please keep the feedback coming, I enjoy reading your opinions.

Also, I'll throw it out there again, can anyone give me a comparison on how the S197 3V compares to a 02 GT, 98 Cobra, and a 03 Mach?
 

chinchilla

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I wouldnt waste my time with the mach gt or 98cobra the 05 and up is far nicer, better built and makes a much better daily driver
 

Jaysin

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Well, the car won't be my daily. As of right now im looking at Terminators, or an S197. Both have their draws to me, and I know alot more about the Terminators. Also, there is alot more info as far as driving experiences, and likes/dislikes that people have about Terminators. I just haven't really seen much talk about people with S197s. I see alot of guys going from the S197 into Terminators, then I've seen a few who prefer the S197 over the Cobra.

I'm merely asking about comparisons to Mach, 98 Cobra, and 02 GT, because I have driven each of those cars, and i'm wondering how the S197 compares against those since I haven't had the opportunity to drive one yet.

Also, can someone tell me the weight of the S197 compared to a Terminator and a 2V New Edge?

Thanks!
 

Longhornd00d

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S197Forum.com

You'll thank me later.

EDIT:

[ame="http://s197forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22258"]Naturally Aspirated, 5-speed cars in here.....[/ame]

That's a good thread just to show you what these cars are capable of NA.
 
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Jaysin

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Bump. Getting some views, feel free to chime in with some feedback! Im now frequenting S197 Forums aswell, gathering new insight everyday, just looking for more opinions. Thanks!
 

wjk

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I was in the market for a Terminator about 2 months ago when all of a sudden this popped up (my 05 GT) for the right price. I was very excited and figured I would love it since my buddy had one a few years ago when they first came out. Its a great car and the interior is top notch when compared to my old 5.0s I had previously. Truth be told, this is a great daily driver with just about all the options one would need (pwr windows, locks, seats, mirrors, ...). Its a very smooth and quiet ride. Overall pretty nice!

With all that being said, I still am going to sell it and get what I originally wanted. The Terminator may lack in the interior design department as well as goodies inside, but with what it lacks it makes up for in performance! There is no comparing the ability an 03-04 Cobra has vs the 3V GTs.

In short: if a Terminator is what you want, you should go out and get it, not settle for then next best thing. Thats what I've learned through the past month..
 

Torch10th

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I've owned both a Terminator and currently own a 2008 GT. They are worlds apart and do things well from different angles.

The terminator is a sledge hammer. It's approach to speed is sheer brawn with no thought for control or precision.

The S197 on the other hand is quite a bit more precise. It has the better chassis and the better suspension which means it benefits from more precise handling and better grip as well. It does lack in the power department however. Fortunately the little 3v is a pretty damn good motor. Many people push it to right around 500rwhp on the stock internals without issue.

It also then benefits from having the nicer interior etc.

My suggestion is to figure out exactly what you want from the car. If you simply what to go fast, get the terminator. It does it a bit cheaper and you don't have to worry about the engine as much.

If you want a car that has a bit of power but drives really nice, go for the S197.

Either way I don't think you'll be disappointed!
 

Jaysin

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Thanks guys, I'm just caught in bit of a predicament I suppose. I've always wanted a Terminator, and at some point I will get one, whether its my next vehicle after the srt, or if I end up getting a S197, I'll still get a Terminator at one point. Going fast isn't number 1 priority, but I do go to the strip quite often, and it will see time. I know its capable of meeting the needs for power, as I've seen guys with Prochargers, Vortecs, Turbos, etc. in the high 400s, low 500s. Thats plenty enough for me. If I were to get an S197, I wouldn't want a 600-700 hp monster, thats what I would do with the Terminator. I love the styling of both, and I love the S197s once you lower it with a nice set of wheels. The guy on this site with the gt500 with all black SP500s looks freaking sick. Another thing is im able to find a GT in my price range alot more readily than a Terminator, really not wanting to go above 18k. Plus im 20, and about to go back to school, once I get finished and get a better paying job I can find the Terminator I really want (lower mileage Mystic). Atleast these are some of the things I tell my self when I debate this car situation in my mind haha. Oh well, done rambling, thanks for the feedback, and please feel free to keep replying, some of you that view this thread, if you have any info or experience with these cars feel free to share.

Thanks!
 

r6bullet

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I actually just got a 2006 GT (still has temp tag) myself and as you can see by my sig I had a Sonic Blue 03 Cobra.
The cobra was never a daily, just a car that sat in the garage and came out on nice days. I loved the car, it had the basic cobra mods and made 458rwhp. Absolute BLAST to drive and the blower whine!!!!!!
My car had the famous "clunk" like they basically all do, that bugged the crap out of me as it sounds like the rear end was going to fall out with every gear change. Not to mention the wheel hop. Like everything there is aftermarket parts available to help with this. Lets face it.. the suspension is from 1979 and while it does have IRS it is a ford, don't expect a whole lot back there.
I'm not saying the live axle in the S197 is "modern" by any means, it is what it is.. its a mustang. The front suspension however is a HUGE improvement and is very noticeable when driving. My GT is a daily driver and as far as driver comfort is way ahead of the cobra. Like everybody else says, the interior fit/finish is much improved and as my car is stock the interior is very quite. Even the little things like auto up and down on both windows is kinda cool. Hyd clutch is also very nice for a daily, that cobra will give you a leg workout thats for sure.
Of course I miss the blower whine and the power, but I have also noticed that these little 3valves love some boost. So If I could get my 500hp back and have the S197 chassis then there is no reason in my eyes to even look back at the cobra. Also have to look at being it is a newer car the interest rate is much cheaper than going back to an 03.
So in a nutshell for me the S197 works because I need the following
-Newer/reliable daily driver
-Still fun to drive
-Great looking car and seems to have plenty of aftermarket to make it look however you want
-When I do get the mod bug there are plenty of things to do

I think so far everything has been covered it seems, i'll try to answer any questions you may have as I have owned them both.
 

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