‘LS1Tech’ Member’s LS-swapped Fox Body Cobra Clone Slays

Fox Body Mustang looks like a 1993 Cobra, but it is actually a 1990 GT Fastback with LS power.

Some people will tell you that the best way to build a fast Fox Body Mustang it to replace the Ford engine with a GM LS V8. This has become a popular swap with loads of support, but not everyone has the mechanical know-how to change engines. Fortunately, Hilrod posted a 1993 Ford Mustang Cobra clone in the LS1Tech Marketplace that has already undergone the LS swap.

Best of all, this 1990-turned-1993 Mustang Cobra has a clean interior and exterior, so in addition to being quicker, it looks good enough to proudly displayed at your local Cars and Coffee.

1993 Cobra Clone with LS Power

When the OP first posted his 1990 Ford Mustang to the forum, he provided a ton of information in a relatively unique order. In most cases, someone selling a car with an LS swap on an LS-based website will start by talking about the engine swap. Instead, the OP here saved the best for last, talking about every other aspect of the car before getting to the engine details.

This is a 1990 Mustang, it looks like a 1993 Cobra. It was built a black on black GT I believe. I bought it as a gutted painted shell. The body had the doors fenders and hatch all replaced before paint. The body isn’t perfect, but super nice. 15 year old paint so a few small nicks but overall very good job done. Carbon fiber cowl hood. All weatherstrip new. Factory sunroof.

I’ve spent over a year putting it back together. The interior is very nice and is now black cloth. Seats are power,(driver) with power lumbar. New carpet front and rear, new door panels, headliner and way too much more to list.

All new suspension. Bushings, ball joints, struts, shocks, springs, and most bolts. The exhaust is new, 3 in to 2 1/2 with xpipe. It had super turbo mufflers but was too quiet and has Jegs 2 chamber flows now. It sounds like every other fox now. Exactly like a normal fox. The driveshaft is new, the clutch is new, as is the scattershield. New clutch and brake pedals, with hydroboost and all wheel later Cobra 5 lug brakes. All new brake and fuel lines, and fuel tank with mostly stainless and or braided teflon lines. Hydraulic clutch slave and master setup, New TKO600 modded to shift right or at high RPM. LS1 Camaro radiator and fans. Smoothed engine bay and fully painted underside. 95 8.8 factory limited slip with new bearings and seals and axles, 3.27(I think or 3.31) gears , and adjustable upper control arms.

Last a 130,000 mile aluminum 5.3 with gen 4 rods and pistons, sloppy stage 2 cam, with springs and retainers. New pushrods, all gaskets and seals, ARP headbolts, double roller timing chain and new oil pump. Holley oil pan. Gm carbed intake with a new 670 carb with choke. The car has a 160 speedo and reads 16 miles as I didn’t have/know what it really has. New 93 Cobra R replica wheels, 17×9 and 17×8. New 16 mile front nitto tires rear slightly used nitto drags. I’m tired of typing so if I didn’t say it’s new. I would love to trade plus cash for another project. Fairmonts, Gbody Malibus, or most anything. Weirder the better. If the ad is up it’s for sale. I don’t have time to answer over and over if it’s still for sale. There is a build thread here on Tech in the swap section. Price is FIRM.Thanks for looking.

There is a new stereo with all new speakers(except tweeters), with aux port and usb. Aftermarket gauges in the lower dash, along with all stock gauges working. Everything works as stock but better except AC. Dash unit and controls are there but nothing forward of firewall. Heater(new core) works as it should.

The OP also included an array of pictures, although he didn’t include any good shots of the engine. He did, however, share enough pictures to clearly show the quality of this 1993 Cobra clone.

Drive It or Build It

This 1990 Ford Mustang-turned-1993 Cobra sounds like it is a great turnkey driver, with all of the work of an LS swap already handled. The carbureted induction setup isn’t ideal for making big power, but that could be addressed easily enough. A few tweaks under the hood could turn this 1993 Cobra into a wicked street machine, but if you just want a fun-to-drive Fox Body with LS power, this could be your ideal cruiser.

Click here for a closer look at this Ford Mustang Cobra clone in the LS1Tech Marketplace.

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Patrick Rall

"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.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com