BriancWS6

iTrader: (18)

I have a buddy that is fixin to get a 01 cobra. It is bone stock with 21,000 miles on it. I am curious as to the hp level at the flywheel and the rearwheels, as well as track times both 1/8 and 1/4, as I don't know too much about them. I know it will be no match for the WS6 in its current state, but we'll probably give it a go for the hell of it. Thanks guys.

mach1

iTrader: (6)

like 260rwhp, mid-high 8's and mid-high 13's with a good driver on street tires. You will prob pull a few buslengths on him

BriancWS6

iTrader: (18)

Thanks man, I guess this topic is of no interest considering only one response. Thanks for the feedback.

Angus66

320 flywheel hp
~ 270 - 280 rwhp (depending on dyno & strength of engine - they're not all the same)

ET: Anywhere from 13.20 - 14.0+ depending on track/driver/conditions.
IRS is a B!TCH to master in the '99/'01's.

I did mid 13's (best runs) in the 1/4 in my stock '01 convertible.
I'd have to check my slips for 1/8-mile times, as I didn't commit them to memory.

lock down

yep 320flywheel

BriancWS6

iTrader: (18)

Thanks everybody, he got the car and I talked to him today. He's really excited and I'm happy for him. He told me it had 320rwhp and 317rwtq, and is supposed to run 13.0. He said he thinks it will be a little quicker than that. I told him it would run 13.5-14.2 or so. I'll tell him that it's really 320fwhp next time I talk to him. We're gonna burn the track up next weekend, 1/8th on Fri nite and 1/4 on Sat. I'm gonna be on some new tires as long as someplace has them in stock, hoping for 11.70's with good weather. I'll let ya know how it goes.

Angus66

You may want to warn him that the stock 1/2-shafts in his new (to him) car can break if he has bad wheel-hop at the track.

Traction - or lack of - can cause them to snap.

If he's on the stock tires he's probably OK - he'll just spin the tires & the 1/2-shafts will probably survive for a long time.

If he gets really good traction, he'll probably be OK as well.

But if he gets only "so-so" traction, he'll probably wheel-hop & he would be smart to get out of the throttle.
If he doesn't, the wheel-hop can cause one of the shafts to snap where it necks down,
which can cause serious damage to the car depending on when it happens during the run.

I upgraded the 1/2-shafts in my '01 Cobra before ever going to the track on Drag Radials (I took a chance a few times on the stock tires).

Good luck to him!

FreighTrain T/A

iTrader: (1)

Dont get a solid rear. He will be pissed. Just upgrade the shafts. They have 10 second cobras on IRS. Also if he is going to mod the car do gears first. Dont fear the gear and tell him to get 4.10s they really wake that car up. That car is a dog because it takes so long to get throught thr rpm range. 7,000 rpms is its redline and its making power till around 6700.

Tell your buddy congrats and its a nice car. Tell he should have came to the darkside after you spank you him by a couple train cars!

Angus66

Actually, he'd probably be pleased if he could live with the minor degredation in ride & handling & going fast in a straight line is important to him.

8.8 solid rear parts are cheaper (31-spline axles are 1/4 - 1/2 the cost of a good pair of 1/2-shafts), can take more abuse, and there are tons of options to choose from.
The solid axle is ~ 90 lbs lighter than the IRS too.

Most (probably close to 100%) of the really fast pre-'03 Cobras run a solid axle.

I'm sure there's a few fast naturally-aspirated/IRS-equipped '99's or '01's,
but most have switched to a solid axle, and for good reason.

That's not as easy (or as cheap) as it sounds.

The pair I bought for my '01 was ~ $800.00 (GKN 31-spline stage III's) & they can still break if the car wheel-hops.

I assume you're referring to the '03+ Cobras.
Sure '03/'04 1/2-shafts are stronger, but they still break even at stock/near-stock power levels.
(Do a search on any Terminator site for "Broken half shafts" and you'll see what I mean... )
Also, it's not just the strength of the 1/2-shafts that keep the '03/'04 guys from breaking them - a large majority of the IRS suspension bits were revised or changed outright for '03/'04 to reduce wheel-hop (the main cause of 1/2-shaft breakage).

The '03/'04 Cobras have stiffer Bilstein shocks/MUCH stiffer control arm bushings/a pinion brace from the factory/some minor supension geometry changes that all help reduce wheel-hop quite a bit.

The '99/'01 IRS doesn't have ANY of these improvements stock - it has very soft rear shocks, soft IRS sub-frame bushings & no pinion brace from the factory.
(Don't overlook the power & gearing difference either - 3.55's + 100 extra rwhp = easier to spin the rear tires. '99/'01 Cobras wheel hop when they are barely getting/losing traction, which can happen quite frequently with only 3.27 gears & relatively weak low-end torque.)

Most of the really fast '03/'04 Cobras have tweaked the IRS even further to reduce wheel-hop - Poly IRS sub-frame bushings/stiffer or adjustable shocks/etc.
Some even have automatic transmissions which hit the rear softer on launch,
reducing shock to the 1/2-shafts & increasing traction.

The super-fast blown Cobras also run slicks (or super-soft Drag Radials) as well so they don't spin the rear tires.
Remember - no spin (or ALL spin), no hop. No hop, no 1/2-shaft breakage.

BriancWS6

iTrader: (18)

Great info guys, very interesting, thanks.