just how quick is a 03 S/C Mustang

[tzoid]

OK, now I hope I'm not wasting your time, but thanks for reading this. I guess I'm just an old guy who likes to surf the VCA site when he's bored. I've got a '99GTS that has a bunch of mods, runs great and I love it. Anywho, I read the other night in the Off Topic section about a 03 S/C Mustang, with a guy saying that with only a chip, pulley, exhaust and K&N mods, it runs 11.5 quarter mile times. I have drag racing experience, sadly though it dates back to the late '60's, and I know how my Viper runs, so I respond back in a very nice way (I think?), that he's a b.s.'er whose fantasizing. Boy, am I now getting a ration of crappola! Some of you guys are really on top of your game in todays hot cars...I thought I was OK, but maybe I'm not. It's hard for me to believe that this new Mustang is that quick! How about some opinions...I am curious on the size of the crow I'm supposed to eat. Thanks!

 

[RedGTS]

The answer is it's possible. Those mods on an '03 will produce 450+ rwhp, and after adding in the obligatory slicks, yes, it's possible with a very good driver. But I have to add that most of the pullied/modded '03 Cobra's I've seen were running more in the low 12 range. The better question may be how long some of these cars last running twice or more the factory boost.

 

[MGWLTD]

well i hate to say it but you may be having a second bird for dinner this holiday season

i make viper and mustang accessories and frequent alot of the club track events. this fall we had our cobra club event at my hometown dragstrip which i co hosted.

there were several 03 cobras in the low 12's and a few in the mid 11's. they had the mods you stated pully chip etc. and were runnig pretty hard. the engines will hold up well they are very durable. the problem is the rear ends and the driveshafts and trannys on these cars. they are suspect with this type of power.

george

 

[GONABITE]

there is no problem with a 03 getting into the mid 11's we dynoed my friends 03 stock and came up with 395 RWHP corrected SAE which is way over there advertised output his was one of the first produced and since then then numbers have been coming down. By spring he will have all of the above mentioned upgrades plus line lock and slicks I see low 11's in the future.

 

[Devin 97 Blue GTS]

If the engines are so reliable ,then why did Ford stop production of the Cobra and resume 11/15
(Auto Week and several others have the story on engines blowing up). Ford trying to save money and made the blocks to thin ???

 

[malcoll]

I came very close to purchasing an '03 Cobra Convertible in October, they let me test drive it.....and it is QUICK. In stock trim it is quick .....with the mods you suggest, I agree 450+ RWHP is very possible.
As far as the transmission taking the abuse..... it has the T-56 six speed... so should not be an issue. The rear diff may be an issue as it is still the 8.8 incher?
The block is cast iron (with cross bolted mains if I remember correctly) in an effort to take the supercharger abuse.... so running double it's stock boost should not be a problem.
The only reason I did not purchase the '03 Cobra is that with all the hoopla and power... it's still just a Mustang. I can say that because I own a 1969 Mach I...... it has taken 30 years for it to be more than just a Mustang!
Lance

 

[Dave T (BADVENM)]

I just purchased an 03 Cobra from Bill Pemberton at Woodhouse. I couldnt wait a few years to get my Viper so this will suffice for now. As many have commented, numerous dyno pulls in stock trim yield corrected numbers around 380 to near 400 horsepower. Many are taking the Lightning pully and putting in on the Cobra and getting another 2-3 psi. Removing the silencer is supposed to add 10-15 horses. SVT also commented that the exhaust is holding back 20 or so. All in all, the 390 rating from the factory is way underdone.

As far as performance numbers I've read several timeslips in the low/mid 12's with 11's on slips and chip, pully, exhaust upgrades.

As Bill told me the tranny is similar to that of the Viper and should hold up well. It will be hard to break it in slowly but I'm patient. Hope to dyno the car after 1-2K miles then start adding some upgrades. Bill also commented that he's seen a Cobra run similar track times to a Viper but I forget where.

 

[Jason Heffner]

I did one for a customer. Full length headers, crank pulley, blower oulley, chip, no cats, 3" Flowmaster cat back and a throttle body. The car dynoed 470 rwhp sae corrected and has run a best of 11.19 at 124 on drag radials. You gotta watch em.

 

[BlackACR]

We have a guy local here in Dallas (friend of mine). The car has a chip, off road pipe, flowmasters and a pulley. On nitto drags he runs 12.0 at 123. Very Very impressive. He has around 10,000 very hard miles on the car, no problems yet. But, there are a few other guys local that have already had motors. Seems 2 out of 6 seem to be duds from the Mustang forums.

 

[kverges]

Ah, the old production-stoppage slam.

I hear the sound of breakage from our very own glass house. At least an '03 Ford product has been delivered and seems to make the advertised horsepower and then some.