slow

iTrader: (7)

you can buy 2 98 ta's for what a good 03 will run.

i love the 03 cobras, but its not worth the money for me at this time to get one

Ryan

SCamaroS

If you don't like your car anymore then get the Cobra but for a KB Cobra going for mid 20s that might tell me something. Around here Cobras are in the 30s or really high 20s. Throw some mods and a KB and thats 5 to 6k he spent in mods. Good luck though.

Schantin

iTrader: (6)

My dad has an 03 Cobra which I have driven a couple times: this was my impression. The Cobra is definetly a SMALLER car. If you don't like rubbing shoulders with the person in the passanger seat, the Cobra might not be for you. Also, nobody over 4' tall will be comfortable in the back seat of the Cobra. The Cobra is definetly fast in a straight line (my dad's is lightly modded as well.....probably a low 12 sec car on street tires). However, my Z28 will run circles around the Cobra in the handling department. The Cobra has a nice firm suspension, but the short wheelbase and narrow width don't hold up to the width of the F-body for handling. The Cobra also gets **** poor gas mileage compared to the LS1. My dad averages 14 city and 19 highway. I average 17 and 31 respectively in my Z28. Another point. If you stain the suade on the Cobra seats....they're VERY hard to clean without damaging them.

The Cobra sounds great, the clutch is firm and the shifter excellent (if a bit far forward compared to an F-body....kinda annoying). The Cobra would smoke my mostly stock Z28 in a straight line. If you can get one with normal mileage for mid 20K's, that's a very good deal. The Cobra is also a little easier to get into and out of....not counting the back seat.

Personally though, I think the F-body is more pleasant to drive on a daily basis. But, they're both nice cars. Whatever makes you happy, I guess. Just my $0.02

Schantin
2002 Camaro Z28 M6

GMCVT

iTrader: (1)

JRP,
See this thread is a perfect example of why you need to replace your current sig with the white one with the pretty lights on top.

https://ls1tech.com/forums/new-ls1-owners-newbie-tech/282791-jrp.html

Seriously though to the original thread starter, you just need to drive the cars. I'm an xstang guy and a fan of cubic inches and pushrods, which is why I am a bigger fan of the GM engines. However, you simply cannot argue with the #'s the blown 03-04 engines are putting down. With the proper tune and combo of parts, they are simply a great bang for the buck. (relatively speaking).

Myself, I find them very uncomfortable to drive, (seats, shifter postion etc..) but those reasons just apply to me and you may find it fits you perfectly fine. If it does, I say get the Cobra. On fairly modified Cobra's the only way an F-body is going to ultimately keep up is putting a blower on also. So why not buy one thats already heavily equipped (forged bottom end, fuel system etc..). If we were talking N/A it would be one thing, but Ford kinda raised the bar with the 03/04 cars. Either way, enjoy!!

Third Gear

iTrader: (3)

Cobras are great cars. I've seen plenty of Cobras on dynos spinning up to 7 grand, no problems there - the whole engine is forged with Manley rods!

I'm not much of a Ford person (obviously), but I wouldn't mind having a Cobra, just my car cost half the money. Anything SVT is good, the new Mustang isn't bad either. Anything else Ford I would stay the hell away from.

Either one will be fast and fun to drive, just depends on where you want to put your $$. I'd say pick which one you think looks the best, and enjoy the most (ignoring speed) and pick that one.

skunk50

are you serious? there's no way that the backseats are better in an F-body vs. a Cobra. and in the passenger front seat, your knees are not jabbing you in the throat because of the cat hump. the reason that a mustang is smaller is because it doesn't have all the boaty round flares like the Fbody (and most of this is hollow plastic making the car humongous). but the interior room is horrible.

skunk50

or you can buy five to six 1987 Mustang 5.0s for what a good '98 TA will run.
what's the point? that an older car is cheaper than a newer car? lol.

and a blower, LTs, bolt-ons, LS1 edit, supporting fuel, and the labor to install and tune will run near $10k on top of a the car that's already 8 years old, got lots of miles, lots of WOT, 10-bolt rear, and sporting 10.1:1 compression ratio.

it's not that cheap to make the power while remaining daily driveable in 1 hour of bumper to bumper rush hour traffic (so H/C is out).

ls1fbod

i say keep the 98 ls1....do heads 'n cam, 150 shot and all bolt-on's wrapped in nittos..and hand a 500RWHp cobra his ***....

99_transam

Keep the TA Mustangs SUCK!!!!

Coy

iTrader: (4)

Cobra

unit213

Why do you say that? Just curious. Do you have anything factual to back it up or are you just talking out of your ***.

Mike98WS6

iTrader: (5)

I say get what u want. You'll be happy with either car.

Schantin

iTrader: (6)

Yes, I am serious about the lack of room in the Cobra compared to the F-body. The lack of rear seating isn't the seats, it's the HEADROOM. The back glass on the Mustang slopes in such a way that if you are over 5' tall, your head will hit the rear window. I'm 5'11" and was hunched into the rear seat with my head touching the rear glass. This is true for any 99-04 Mustang.

The front foot and knee room is better in the Cobra, but NOT the shoulder space. You will rub shoulders with the passanger, unless you're skinny as a rail. I also was banging my knuckles on the radio console when shifting into 3rd or 5th gear. The 6-speed is set very far forward.

Schantin
2002 Camaro Z28 M6

00SUPERSPORT

R u SERIOUS?!?!?!? Don't come on LS1 tech and ask if you trade in your Trans Am for a Cobra. People like me are going to give you a bias opinion, with the extra money your are going to waste on that cobra and convert to a ford driver, u might as well go and buy the 05 GT. My friend has a 97 Trans AM, too many mods to list and is still a daily driver, we ran a cobra this week, I took him out, and he took me and the cobra out!!! That is a downgrade!!! Never turn to the dark side Luke!!!!

Steve C.

iTrader: (2)

go for the cobra, but if hes selling it for mid 20's when its around a 30k car....well that means its pobably had the **** beaten out of it. I mean come on if i had a 550 rwhp car i would drive it like i stole it too

unit213

I'm 6'7 250lbs and I've been in the back of both cars. No problem other than leg room in either.

I disagree. My Camaro had tons of leg room. My Cobra has none. In fact, I had to buy seat rail extenders to allow the seat to slide 4" further back.

I disagree. Like I said, I'm 6'7 250lbs and I've had my buddy who's 6'3 220lbs in the passenger seat. It was no different than my Camaro.

True...but the fix costs $30 from MGW.

unit213

LT1's, even heavily modded, usually are no match for a modded '03 Cobra. ****...most heavily modded LS1's are no match for a modded '03 Cobra. Your comment about an '05 GT is ridiculous.

I would NOT buy a '98 LS1. I would buy only a '02 based simply on age...unless the '98 was a garage queen with limited miles.

I'd take a '03 Cobra over a '98 LS1 anyday. A '03 Cobra vs. a '02 LS1...that's a tough call.

02WS6Bird

iTrader: (2)

Either purchase you make you'll fall in love, jsut drive both and see.

Now for the backseat-I've noticed that the mustangs do cut the headroom real close-that's where I disagree with you Unit. The F-bodies do have a bit more headroom, but seem to have less leg room. I could be wrong about the leg room however, but my girlfriends brother (soon to be bro-in-law) had a '96 Mustang GT and jsut bought a '99 Cobra...the headroom in the cobra is slightly more in the back seat than in the '96.

That is all

99BLACKBIRD

iTrader: (1)

My advice is you know your TA, how much you've wrung it out and such. It's always risky buying someone elses sports car with mods already done. It could have had the **** wrung out of it. I say keep the TA and mod it.

Detroitmuscle

iTrader: (16)

Thanks for all of the reponses guys. I think I'm just going to keep my LS1 and start modding very soon.