Road Racing a 01 Cobra. What I have, What I need.

[JTStreet]

I am currently building my 2001 Cobra to be used as a road racing application, and I'm curious as to what else I should consider for the vehicle.


Current (relevant) Modifications

Engine
03-04 Cobra IAC
03-04 Cobra Maf connector
60# Injectors
MAF SCT BA2600
Jegs oil separator
SPEC Stage 1 Clutch
SPEC Billet Aluminum Flywheel
Ford Racing throwout bearing
Ford Racing pilot ring
MGW short throw shifter
DSS forged pistons 11:1 compression
Eagle forged rods h-beam
Kellogg Saleen forged crank
Ford Racing FR500 high life camshaft kit
Livernois valve springs
Basani catback exhaust
BBK Full Length Ceramic Headers
BBK Off-Road X-Pipe
JLT carbon fiber CAI
Motive 4.30 Gears
Canton Road Racing Oil Pan with Windage Tray

Suspension / Brakes
Maximum Motorsports Front bump steer kit
QA1 tubular A arms
QA1 coil over kit
Rear shock mounts
Maximum Motorsports Rear IRS bump steer kit
Steeda ball joints
Maximum Motorsports sway bar end links
QA1 K member
H&R lowering springs
Bilstein shocks
Billet flow differential brace
Spring isolators
Rack bushings
Hawk HPS brake pads
Centric premium rotors (Slotted)
Russell steel braided brake lines
Full-Tilt Boogie IRS Bushing Kit
Full-Length Subframe Connector

Modifications I think would be beneficial

- Some sort of front brake cooling kit. What do you guys recommend?
- How much should I consider a LSD?
- How much should I consider a differential cooler?

What else isn't mentioned in which I should consider?

The car will primarily be tracked in the southeast, so I believe I should take the higher track temperatures into considerations. The last thing I want is a mechanical failure due to heat. What can I do to make this car as reliable as possible for track events? What other performance parts should I consider? Thanks for all your help!

 

[Martel]

I believe you will need an 03-04 strut tower brace to clear the JLT CAI.

 

[JTStreet]

I believe you will need an 03-04 strut tower brace to clear the JLT CAI.

That's great information to know. Thank you!

 

[MickeyD]

If you are going to be road racing the Cobra then going with a differential cooler would be a great mod as the IRS's tend to heat up pretty good. I would do that at the same time as doing an upgraded diff cover. The full length sub frame connectors would also be a must here.

Now a question as to why the fueling upgrades of the 60lb injectors and the BA 2600 MAF? Did I miss something and are you running an Eaton swap or E85 fuel?

 

[COBRA90GT]

Another vote for some type of rear diff cooler solution; believe some of the 2000 R guys have some helpful threads in their sub-section of the forum on this topic (because you WILL cook/boil the diff fluid during extended runs in the high heat!).

G'luck!

 

[olgreydog7]

The DIY diff cooler is a lot cheaper than a pre fab kit. Do a search and you will find it. As much chassis bracing or stiffening as you can do. FLSFCs, rear shock brace, and at least a four point roll bar as a minimum. Oh, and lots of practice!

 

[VirtualSVT]

only on the track? Ditch the a/c and duct air to the radiator from the opening.

Also a head cooling mod would be wise.

 

[blacksheep-1]

I'm going to post this with a caveat, it is some useful info, but is old and in some cases out of date..so keep that in mind, still a useful resource IMO.

How to Build a Mustang Race Car for NASA American Iron and SCCA Super Touring: Part 1 | Racing Videos | Crash Videos - TrackVids.com

 

[ibleedblue65]

Sub frame connectors before anything else.

I would do that, grab a helmet and some spare brakes and start hitting up track days to get your feet wet. You need some seat time to evaluate what the car needs, decide if it's worth investing a lot of money and if you can afford to do it. It's really expensive to get out on a track and run(not including the cost of the car).

O and you NEED a truck and trailer to do this. IMO driving a car to any type of racing and then running it is a bad idea. Especially if you were to travel to Atlanta or VIR etc. you would be stranded. You will break at some point. It's inevitable.

 

[notchstang92]

You will need the 03 cobra strut tower brace as someone mentioned and you will need a new hood to go with it. The stock 01 cobra hood won't clear the brace. I know I went through it on my car. The 2000 R hood will clear it for a fact because that's what I have.

You mentioned an oil cooler which these cars already have from the factory unless you are talking about and upgraded one. I would also get the car properly aligned, weighed, corner weighted, etc. What are you class rules? I know some have rules like hp/weight ratio and if you don't meet that requirement they will be adding balast to your car.

 

[po-po 5.0]

You can either get a new diff cover or a billetflow diff brace. Since you have the brace, a different cover is unnecessary.

one thing don't see: '03 cobra front diff mount. Kenny Brown also makes this product. It ties the front mount of the diff into the IRS subframe.

 

[JTStreet]

Now a question as to why the fueling upgrades of the 60lb injectors and the BA 2600 MAF? Did I miss something and are you running an Eaton swap or E85 fuel?

The car was previously turbocharged, but I decided to do a nice N/A build for the track.

only on the track? Ditch the a/c and duct air to the radiator from the opening.

Also a head cooling mod would be wise.

Not only for the track; I'm keeping the A/C. What is this head cooling mod you speak of?

You can either get a new diff cover or a billetflow diff brace. Since you have the brace, a different cover is unnecessary.

one thing don't see: '03 cobra front diff mount. Kenny Brown also makes this product. It ties the front mount of the diff into the IRS subframe.

As it turns out, I found out the car already has a full-length subframe connector, and I found a Billetflow diff brace in a box full of parts that came with the car. The previous owner forgot to mention them, so it's a nice surprise.

 

[Roots-type]

Colder plugs and a spot-on tune. Road racing will exploit weaknesses in that area that quick blasts down a drag strip sometimes take a long time to.

 

[olgreydog7]

The head cooling mod connects the rear ports of the cylinder heads into the cooling system so that you actually get flow through the heads. Have you ever pulled the motor? Did you notice that piece that connects to the back of the p-side head and into the coolant system? You can either use the same fitting flipped on the d-side port after punching out he plug, or you can use the plug on top of the head, similar to what the cross over uses on the front and t that into the system. I think Lethal sells a kit, but google it and you'll find plenty. Or you can just make your own.

 

[2K1 SVT]

A dry sump/accusump would be a good safety mod for the motor

 

[MickeyD]

The car was previously turbocharged, but I decided to do a nice N/A build for the track.

Not only for the track; I'm keeping the A/C. What is this head cooling mod you speak of?

As it turns out, I found out the car already has a full-length subframe connector, and I found a Billetflow diff brace in a box full of parts that came with the car. The previous owner forgot to mention them, so it's a nice surprise.

Well sounds like you got a few extra goodies with the car that should help you out. With the Injectors and MAF set-up it sounds a bit stout but if the car is currently tuned and running well with them you should be alright. If you are having driveability issues i would suspect the tune wasn't changed when the turbo was taken off and you would want to get that addressed.

 

[JTStreet]

Well sounds like you got a few extra goodies with the car that should help you out. With the Injectors and MAF set-up it sounds a bit stout but if the car is currently tuned and running well with them you should be alright. If you are having driveability issues i would suspect the tune wasn't changed when the turbo was taken off and you would want to get that addressed.

The car is actually at the shop right now going through the Turbo to N/A conversion. Fortunately, the 60# injectors and MAF are very easy to scale and calibrate (easier than 39#) for my current needs, so there's no point in changing them. The car will absolutely be tuned once all the current work is complete.

 

[RPM4DAZ]

I would change the gears. 4.30's are pretty short for a road racer. I am more inclined to run a set of 3.73's or even 3.55's for longer tracks. Playing on the track with a buddies 3V car and 3.73 got to be a bit short on tracks like the Glen. I do realize that you can spin more rpm than he did but racing the engine up and not having any speed really sucks... Oh, as for a differential use a Torsen T2R or Wavetrac. And brake cooling will be a must, even a small duct kit ran to the brake rotor centers makes a big difference on boiling fluid in the calipers and pad gas of/glazing.

 

[JTStreet]

I would change the gears. 4.30's are pretty short for a road racer. I am more inclined to run a set of 3.73's or even 3.55's for longer tracks. Playing on the track with a buddies 3V car and 3.73 got to be a bit short on tracks like the Glen. I do realize that you can spin more rpm than he did but racing the engine up and not having any speed really sucks... Oh, as for a differential use a Torsen T2R or Wavetrac. And brake cooling will be a must, even a small duct kit ran to the brake rotor centers makes a big difference on boiling fluid in the calipers and pad gas of/glazing.

I run on shorter tracks for the most part (CMP, Roebling), so hopefully the 4.30's won't be too short. Agreed, a T2R is most definitely down the road, as well as a differential cooler and good brake cooling ducts.

 

[cobraetti]

hey bud, saw your car at Charleston perf. good luck with the build.