This week’s Kill Story video was originally shared to the forum in a thread by “WSsick“, who was asked to make a video for “FST SS” as he ran his 2000 Chevrolet Camaro SS against a 2004 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra. Thanks to the OP’s cinematic handiwork, we get to watch as the lightly modified LS1 car beats down the mighty Terminator Mustang.
The Competitors
In this video from the nightmareZ2899 YouTube channel, a 2000 Chevrolet Camaro SS goes head-to-head with a 2004 Ford Mustang SRT Cobra in a series of high speed highway roll races.
The Mustang is stock, so it is powered by a supercharged 4.6-liter V8 that sends 390 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels by means of a 6-speed manual transmission. This era of the Cobra was nicknamed the Terminator because at the time, very few stock cars stood a chance against the supercharged pony cars, but the Camaro in this video isn’t stock.
The Camaro is powered by an LS1 V8 that has been modified with long-tube headers, a catted Y-pipe and Borla cat-back exhaust, so this car is surely making more than the 320 horsepower and 345 lb-ft of torque that this engine offered from the factory. This car also has a Moser 9-inch rear differential with 3.89 gears and a set of drag radials, so it has more power, steeper gears and stickier tires than a stock 4th gen Camaro, but would that be enough to defeat the Terminator?
The Racing Action
In the video above, the Terminator and the Camaro go head-to-head in three roll races – two from 20 miles per hour and one from 10 miles per hour.
During the first run, Camaro gets out to an early lead, but when the driver shifts from second gear to fifth, the Mustang speeds past for the cheap win.
In the second run, they go from 20 again and this time, the Chevy driver is able to find the correct gears, allowing the LS1 car to cruise to victory.
The final race is the closest, with the two cars starting at 10 miles per hour. The Mustang holds a narrow lead as the two bang through gears, but on the top end, the Camaro pulls past the Ford before hitting the rev limiter.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
