I thoroughly enjoyed reading the 5 pages worth of heated discussion that my car churned up in this thread:
http://www.svtperformance.com/forums/pics-videos-buffet-149/805619-canibeat-bagged-cobra.html
Here are the pics for those who didn't bother to click through to the feature on Canibeat.
Normally you see a multitude of imports not only on Canibeat, but on pretty much every site you come across these days. No matter where in the globe the chassis calls home, they rarely wear a badge from the states. Philip’s Mustang Cobra isn’t your typical pony-car though as it features something that you usually come across in the import world – an air suspension. That set up leaves it in a position that most of the muscle cars rarely see; sitting in the crossfire between the never ending domestic versus import war.
Philip’s bagged Cobra isn’t just a hard-parked pony though. This Mustang packs a punch as it has a supercharged V8 sitting under the hood and it doesn’t just rest in there untouched. Philip has taken advantage of the huge aftermarket support that the Cobra has to get this machine up to around 480hp. That raw V8 power supports this Cobra’s heritage as being a major player in the Domestics front line.
The one thing that leaves this Mustang at odds with its brethren is that this Cobra has a suspension that is rarely seen sitting under Mustangs or F-Bodies. Philip wanted that slammed look but at the same time wanted to have a ride that didn’t lead him to a pain-pill addiction. That desire took him down a road less traveled by Mustang owners. With the help of Accuair, Philip has gotten the look and ride that he’s always wanted.
This Cobra might not be your taste, or you might cringe at the thought of a Mustang being on air, but Philip has built this car exactly how he has wanted and it has turned out great. He’s managed to put together a tastefully built Form and Function machine that isn’t there to just to please critics. Being a guy from Missouri, I’ve seen my fair share of beefed up Mustangs and Philip’s is definitely one that will stand out in my mind and I’m sure many others as well.
“I’d like to thank my girlfriend Veronique for tolerating my all-encompassing love of cars, and my friend and partner in crime, Michel Patry, who helped with the air suspension install. I could never thank or repay him enough to show my appreciation adequately. Malcolm Mckeever is my go-to guy for getting the car cleaned up. As well as being a good friend, he does a wicked detailing job! Mike Alexander, formerly of AccuAir, was a big help in making the air suspension dream become a reality.”
Philip’s Cobra Mustang
Engine
2.76″ BilletFlow blower pulley and 100mm idler
SCT XCalibrator2 with custom tune
JLT Carbon Fiber CAI
Stock TB and plenum ported by Stiegemeier
Bassani stainless steel catted X-pipe
Steeda stainless steel catback
MGW short shifter
LFP Dual Pass Heat Exchanger
LFP Supertank intercooler reservoir
Innovate LC-1 wideband O2 sensor
Exterior
Bullitt Mustang side scoops
Black vinyl bumper letter inserts
Cobra grille emblem
Paint-matched CDC lightbar
Wheels & Tires
CCW Classic 18×11 rear with 295/35R18 Nitto INVO
CCW Classic 18×9.5 front with 275/35R18 Nitto INVO (after the photoshoot)
Interior
Innovate G3 Air/Fuel ratio gauge
GG&G “****in’ Fast” shift knob
Suspension
Maximum Motorsports front Strut Tower Brace
Kenny Brown Performance Extreme Matrix Subframe System
Accuair e-level air suspension kit with touchpad
5 gallon tank
Dual chromed Viair 400C compressors
RideTech CoolRide bags and plates
ICE
Stock Mach 460
Unfortunately I only became aware of the thread here on SVTP shortly after it was locked. I would have added comments there, but alas, it was already too late. First off, I want to say that I never imagined that my car would garner so much attention, and I never imagined that it would also cause so much controversy! I'm loving it! On the other hand, I do need to specify that I didn't build the car to attract attention, and I myself am not an attention whore either. I built the car for my own pleasure, and I think it's awesome that so many other people like it too.
Some of you may have seen this car and its build thread on other websites. I didn't share all that information just to get attention. I did it to spread the word on the products I was using because I was so pleased with them. It was a challenging project for my friend and I to undertake in a two car garage, and we were both excited and proud to be able to accomplish it. I had discovered early on that there really was no precedent for air suspension on an IRS Cobra, so I saw an opportunity there to share what I was doing in hopes of encouraging others to follow suit. And by the way, I did not seek to have the car featured. I was contacted by several websites who showed interest in featuring my car based on the work they saw in the build thread. Why would I refuse?
You may also have noticed that I DID NOT post the build thread on this site because I figured (correctly, as it turned out) that too many people here are still too closed-minded for this kind of thing. Sad but true.
I love my SVT just as much as many other people on here, but let's face it, these cars are not rare by any means. I bought my Cobra to drive it, and all the mods I've done to the car were to increase the pleasure of ownership. Too many of you stow these cars away in the garage for a variety of reasons, and that is also sad but true.
As far as the negative and/or ignorant comments are concerned, I will provide brief rebuttals to all of them. If you can't accept these rebuttals at face value, then you have no business reading or replying to this thread because you'd clearly be ignorant. In truth, I find it fascinating that people can't wrap their heads around a simple concept that I tend to live by: To each their own.
I'll keep short:
What more is there to say? If you're still reading and not blue in the face, you may be interested to read the build thread here:
2003 Mustang Cobra convertible getting e-level setup!
You can also check out the air suspension companies that I've dealt with here:
AccuAir Suspension
RideTech
Thanks for all the compliments on the car in the other thread, and thanks as well to those who stuck up for air suspension. And thanks to all the haters and ignorant people as well, for the simple fact that you've helped attract more attention to my car. I benefit nothing from this other than personal pleasure.
Comments (both negative and positive) and questions are welcome. Just don't expect people to be kind to you if you come in here and act the fool after having read through all the material I've provided.
As a final note, the feature has been making the rounds on various message boards. Feel free to share it, but I'd love to know where you're putting it up so I can watch it too!
Later.
http://www.svtperformance.com/forums/pics-videos-buffet-149/805619-canibeat-bagged-cobra.html
Here are the pics for those who didn't bother to click through to the feature on Canibeat.
Normally you see a multitude of imports not only on Canibeat, but on pretty much every site you come across these days. No matter where in the globe the chassis calls home, they rarely wear a badge from the states. Philip’s Mustang Cobra isn’t your typical pony-car though as it features something that you usually come across in the import world – an air suspension. That set up leaves it in a position that most of the muscle cars rarely see; sitting in the crossfire between the never ending domestic versus import war.
Philip’s bagged Cobra isn’t just a hard-parked pony though. This Mustang packs a punch as it has a supercharged V8 sitting under the hood and it doesn’t just rest in there untouched. Philip has taken advantage of the huge aftermarket support that the Cobra has to get this machine up to around 480hp. That raw V8 power supports this Cobra’s heritage as being a major player in the Domestics front line.
The one thing that leaves this Mustang at odds with its brethren is that this Cobra has a suspension that is rarely seen sitting under Mustangs or F-Bodies. Philip wanted that slammed look but at the same time wanted to have a ride that didn’t lead him to a pain-pill addiction. That desire took him down a road less traveled by Mustang owners. With the help of Accuair, Philip has gotten the look and ride that he’s always wanted.
This Cobra might not be your taste, or you might cringe at the thought of a Mustang being on air, but Philip has built this car exactly how he has wanted and it has turned out great. He’s managed to put together a tastefully built Form and Function machine that isn’t there to just to please critics. Being a guy from Missouri, I’ve seen my fair share of beefed up Mustangs and Philip’s is definitely one that will stand out in my mind and I’m sure many others as well.
“I’d like to thank my girlfriend Veronique for tolerating my all-encompassing love of cars, and my friend and partner in crime, Michel Patry, who helped with the air suspension install. I could never thank or repay him enough to show my appreciation adequately. Malcolm Mckeever is my go-to guy for getting the car cleaned up. As well as being a good friend, he does a wicked detailing job! Mike Alexander, formerly of AccuAir, was a big help in making the air suspension dream become a reality.”
Philip’s Cobra Mustang
Engine
2.76″ BilletFlow blower pulley and 100mm idler
SCT XCalibrator2 with custom tune
JLT Carbon Fiber CAI
Stock TB and plenum ported by Stiegemeier
Bassani stainless steel catted X-pipe
Steeda stainless steel catback
MGW short shifter
LFP Dual Pass Heat Exchanger
LFP Supertank intercooler reservoir
Innovate LC-1 wideband O2 sensor
Exterior
Bullitt Mustang side scoops
Black vinyl bumper letter inserts
Cobra grille emblem
Paint-matched CDC lightbar
Wheels & Tires
CCW Classic 18×11 rear with 295/35R18 Nitto INVO
CCW Classic 18×9.5 front with 275/35R18 Nitto INVO (after the photoshoot)
Interior
Innovate G3 Air/Fuel ratio gauge
GG&G “****in’ Fast” shift knob
Suspension
Maximum Motorsports front Strut Tower Brace
Kenny Brown Performance Extreme Matrix Subframe System
Accuair e-level air suspension kit with touchpad
5 gallon tank
Dual chromed Viair 400C compressors
RideTech CoolRide bags and plates
ICE
Stock Mach 460
Unfortunately I only became aware of the thread here on SVTP shortly after it was locked. I would have added comments there, but alas, it was already too late. First off, I want to say that I never imagined that my car would garner so much attention, and I never imagined that it would also cause so much controversy! I'm loving it! On the other hand, I do need to specify that I didn't build the car to attract attention, and I myself am not an attention whore either. I built the car for my own pleasure, and I think it's awesome that so many other people like it too.
Some of you may have seen this car and its build thread on other websites. I didn't share all that information just to get attention. I did it to spread the word on the products I was using because I was so pleased with them. It was a challenging project for my friend and I to undertake in a two car garage, and we were both excited and proud to be able to accomplish it. I had discovered early on that there really was no precedent for air suspension on an IRS Cobra, so I saw an opportunity there to share what I was doing in hopes of encouraging others to follow suit. And by the way, I did not seek to have the car featured. I was contacted by several websites who showed interest in featuring my car based on the work they saw in the build thread. Why would I refuse?
You may also have noticed that I DID NOT post the build thread on this site because I figured (correctly, as it turned out) that too many people here are still too closed-minded for this kind of thing. Sad but true.
I love my SVT just as much as many other people on here, but let's face it, these cars are not rare by any means. I bought my Cobra to drive it, and all the mods I've done to the car were to increase the pleasure of ownership. Too many of you stow these cars away in the garage for a variety of reasons, and that is also sad but true.
As far as the negative and/or ignorant comments are concerned, I will provide brief rebuttals to all of them. If you can't accept these rebuttals at face value, then you have no business reading or replying to this thread because you'd clearly be ignorant. In truth, I find it fascinating that people can't wrap their heads around a simple concept that I tend to live by: To each their own.
I'll keep short:
- The car ran its best quarter mile time AFTER the air suspension was installed.
- The car still handles far better than what could ever be used on public roads.
- The car still accelerates far more than what is smart to use on public roads.
- The car is not a race car. It spends 99.9% of its time on public roads.
- The car rides better than it did with the cut coil springs it had before the air suspension install.
- The car no longer has an interference fit with speed bumps and steep driveways.
- The car will not get its exhaust ripped off because it's so low. It's got air suspension, I don't drive it slammed to the ground as you see in the pics.
- The car's drive height is almost identical to what it was on the coil springs, so if you saw it driving by, you'd never know it was bagged.
- The air system doesn't weigh a ton. At most, it may have added 40lbs to the car, which already is a fat pig anyways.
- The car is not hellaflush, it's not stanced, it's not riced out, and it doesn't have massive negative camber. The negative camber that the car does have is normal for the car at maximum suspension compression. Your Cobra will have the same look if you pull the coils out and set it on the ground.
- The car will never have wider wheels and/or narrower tires. I think that would look absurd on a Mustang.
- I do not have too much money to waste. The air suspension cost about $3500 all told. Sure I could have bought a Whipple, but the car is plenty fast already.
- Taste is obviously a personal matter, but I think the car looks great. So does my girlfriend and our two daughters. Those are the only opinions that really matter to me.
What more is there to say? If you're still reading and not blue in the face, you may be interested to read the build thread here:
2003 Mustang Cobra convertible getting e-level setup!
You can also check out the air suspension companies that I've dealt with here:
AccuAir Suspension
RideTech
Thanks for all the compliments on the car in the other thread, and thanks as well to those who stuck up for air suspension. And thanks to all the haters and ignorant people as well, for the simple fact that you've helped attract more attention to my car. I benefit nothing from this other than personal pleasure.
Comments (both negative and positive) and questions are welcome. Just don't expect people to be kind to you if you come in here and act the fool after having read through all the material I've provided.
As a final note, the feature has been making the rounds on various message boards. Feel free to share it, but I'd love to know where you're putting it up so I can watch it too!
Later.
Last edited:
You know I'd kill for your car. Thanks man.
