Birth of the'03-'04 Cobra and performance shops

[Spade]

I just watched the Lethal vid with their Gt500 record run and was wondering if the Terminator got the same treatment when it was born. Did a shop build the car to break records like Lethal is doing with the GT500? I'd really like to the vid or read the article if there was.

 

[CobraBob]

I know Hermann (Horsepower By Hermann) built a couple of Terminators in his shop. I don't think there were many shops fielding Terminators to compete for records, whereas the GT-500 has gotten much more attention from big shops like Lethal. Then again, it was only a 2-year run with almost zero marketing from Ford, whereas the GT-500 is entering its 8th model year.

 

[Det.Bullitt]

Marketing

I know Hermann (Horsepower By Hermann) built a couple of Terminators in his shop. I don't think there were many shops fielding Terminators to compete for records, whereas the GT-500 has gotten much more attention from big shops like Lethal. Then again, it was only a 2-year run with almost zero marketing from Ford, whereas the GT-500 is entering its 8th model year.

Very true Bob. When did you see a commercial in 2003 and 2004 about the Terminator? The Shelby has commercials and 8 years of production to help stimulate the public. Some folks that I talk to have no idea about our cars but they know what a Shelby is.

 

[Grimster]

You also have to think of the state of the internet back in 2003.

Facebook, Youtube, Reddit and others weren't around yet, so getting "the word" out was more difficult than it is today. Seems like within moments of a big dyno pull or a "hero run" on a track...the whole world knows.

 

[cj428mach]

I just watched the Lethal vid with their Gt500 record run and was wondering if the Terminator got the same treatment when it was born. Did a shop build the car to break records like Lethal is doing with the GT500? I'd really like to the vid or read the article if there was.

I can't answer if people were pursing records with the car. Just know the Terminator changed muscle cars forever. If it hadn't come out we'd probably still be dinking around with 350hp NA engines in our factory production, modern muscle cars.

I think there was a great article on the Cobra vs the GT500 when the 07's came out. I believe it kind of talks about how the Terminator changed car history. Example making it where you needed to be in the 10's at the track to have a cage because the Cobra's could do it easy enough that people didn't want cages in their daily drivers.

 

[CobraBob]

I remember that Rick and Linn (Amazon Racing) fielded an '03 Cobra on the NMRA tour.

 

[vadorsnake04]

This thread brings me back to 2004/2005 when i was a senior in HS dreaming of owning a 03/04 cobra. I remember the first time i heard one with a KB2.2 at Cordova dragway, what a feeling that gave me lol, so cool.

 

[raym5_0]

birth of the 03-04 cobra, is a result of Ford paying attention to the aftermarket results of the foxbody mustang...everyone was moding the fox's with 4 wheel disc, superchargers, turbo's, trans swaps, fuel system upgrades.....

I would guess most of the mustang performance shops probably still know a lil old 302 like the back of there hand. I remember seeing many owners of popular perf shops in Michigan at the dragway quite often back in the early 90's...

 

[JAYSVT06]

i dont think the internet webpages was as big then as it is now, such as all the racing sites to buy parts.... like u have tons to choose from now

 

[03cobraracer]

I was 18 when these cars came out and after a few months they started exploding... I bought mine in 04 from a friend and there was a lot of shops starting to go crazy with them. I had mine about a month and cutback 2.93 pulley mail order flip chip and a intake and people could t believe I was running 11.40s with that setup and et streets. That was a long time ago ha...