04 Mach 1 or 04 Cobra...

[metroplex]

Would you recommend I factory order a 04 Mach 1 (auto or stick?) or look for a 04 Cobra?

I intend to use this vehicle as a weekend car/drag race car w/ zero winter driving or daily driving.

I can do a large number of mods myself, so one battle plan I had was to order a Mach 1 and go forced induction w/ a twin screw blower.

Or should I just go with the Cobra?

I want a very reliable and durable beast w/ zero problems (axles falling off, intake manifolds cracking, stuff flying apart, etc...) and yes I do realize when you start racing, stuff will break but after seeing how Ford's recent cars are just plain crappier (03 Vic's will have axles, wheels, and rack and pinion steering systems fall apart before 30k miles) I'm hoping people will chime in and tell me of the problems they're seeing.

 

[2814v]

I dont think you can go wrong with either one. If your going to use it as a drag car your going to have to put money into either one, rear suspension on cobra, motor on mach. I would go with a centerfugal supercharger on the mach. With a twin screw or roots you will have to loose the shaker, and that shaker hood is too cool to get ride of. One more thing to consider is that the mach internals are not nearly as strong as the cobra. With alot more power and lots of racing you will brake that motor.

 

[ON D BIT]

how fast do you want to go.

if you want more than 500rwhp you need the cobra. the mach 1 engine is not forged like the cobra.

mach 1's are still selling for under 25k and when a blower is added they are clocking somewhere around 12 flat on street tires. there have been some broken axles in the mach 1 on sticky tires.

cobra's have more weight and axle hop which is never good for the strip but can be fixed. if your building a 9 second car the cobra will be less expensive in the end.

also pick up the new issue of mmff. they compared the gt, mach 1, and cobra. its a good read i hear.:rockon:

 

[metroplex]

I'm looking for mid to high 12s with the least amount of work and headaches in the long run on good summer tires (w/ no catastrophic failures of axles, suspension, etc...)

 

[ON D BIT]

cobra - a chip will get you mid 12's consistently.

mach 1 - gears 4.30's, sticky tires, full exhaust should get you between 12.3 - 12.5

but you can always go lower:-D

 

[03CrazyHorse]

if you can afford it go with the cobra. all of the hard and really expensive work is already done. the mach is really a daily driver and would be really hard to SC with that high of compression

just my.02

 

[metroplex]

What if I slapped in 4.30s, Nitto DR's, full exhaust, and with the auto (4R70W???) + dynotune/chip... would I get close to 12s?

I may not supercharge the Mach 1 if I can get into 12s N/A w/o much engine work.

I like the live axle setup of the Mach 1 as well as the shaker hood.

However, what is the potential of the Mach 1 in N/A form? Does it get the 4R70W with the optional auto trans? Or is it the 4R100? Ford lists an adaptive transmission - the only adaptive auto that I know of (4 speed) is the 4R100. The 4R70W is not adaptive as far as I know.

What are stock auto Mach 1's w/ chip and minor bolt-ons running?

Can I still factory order a new Mach 1 at this point?

 

[saadcobra]

By mach 1 and install Kenne Bell:rockon:

 

[ON D BIT]

Originally posted by metroplex
What if I slapped in 4.30s, Nitto DR's, full exhaust, and with the auto (4R70W???) + dynotune/chip... would I get close to 12s?

I may not supercharge the Mach 1 if I can get into 12s N/A w/o much engine work.

I like the live axle setup of the Mach 1 as well as the shaker hood.

However, what is the potential of the Mach 1 in N/A form? Does it get the 4R70W with the optional auto trans? Or is it the 4R100? Ford lists an adaptive transmission - the only adaptive auto that I know of (4 speed) is the 4R100. The 4R70W is not adaptive as far as I know.

What are stock auto Mach 1's w/ chip and minor bolt-ons running?

Can I still factory order a new Mach 1 at this point?

i guy with exhaust dr's and 4.30's ran 12.39. he then backed it up with another under 12.5.

some others with a lot of minor mods and weight reduction rolled out to a 11.83.
with just dr's the mach 1 will break into the 12s. most of those are at 12.8 and 12.9.

the mach 1's can run. and some have even beaten the stock wheel hop ridden 03 cobras grant it the drivers were not the best in the cobras. the mach 1 usually has a .2 better time in the 60ft than a stock cobra.
i went with the mach 1 because i like the look of it much better than the cobra. to each its own good luck.:beer:

 

[metroplex]

On D Bit: are we talking about the manual Mach 1 or the auto Mach 1?

 

[ON D BIT]

5sp.

there is someone out there with procharged auto with 4.30 gears running 11.6 though.

the automatic does not have the power of the stick and does not run as well. most are in the high 13s stock as opposed to 13.2 for a stock 5sp.
though some are actually manually shifting the auto and running 13.3-13.4 with it. i dont see the tranny lasting too long running it like that though.

 

[metroplex]

I figured if you can get a chip or dynotune w/ tranny mods via the programming done by Jerry, it'd be much faster... the folks that have had this type of chip/tuning with 4R70Ws have no complaints about shifting (Crown Vics, Marauders, etc...) and some are running mid 12s with an Eaton blower (Marauder).

 

[ON D BIT]

if you want the auto get the mach. only a manual in the cobra but im sure you know that already.

with a blower and revised shift points take a look at cmylwgo's auto mach 1. 11.63 @ above 115 with sticky tires and 4.30's.
very nice if i do say so. but im a stick guy. thats why i did not buy a lightning.:rockon:

 

[xVENOMx]

cobra, cobra already comes with forged internals, will make an awesome strip machine

 

[Golions]

Originally posted by metroplex
Would you recommend I factory order a 04 Mach 1 (auto or stick?) or look for a 04 Cobra?

I intend to use this vehicle as a weekend car/drag race car w/ zero winter driving or daily driving.

I can do a large number of mods myself, so one battle plan I had was to order a Mach 1 and go forced induction w/ a twin screw blower.

Or should I just go with the Cobra?

I want a very reliable and durable beast w/ zero problems (axles falling off, intake manifolds cracking, stuff flying apart, etc...) and yes I do realize when you start racing, stuff will break but after seeing how Ford's recent cars are just plain crappier (03 Vic's will have axles, wheels, and rack and pinion steering systems fall apart before 30k miles) I'm hoping people will chime in and tell me of the problems they're seeing.

Well you won't be able to order a factory Mach anymore. Ford dealers stopped taking 04 Mustang orders already. Short production year. Only building the 04's through May. Don't know if this will help your decision process.

GiddyUp!


:thumbsup: