Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General General 2003 Cobra

the camero is only dead for a few years. It will be back....and hopefully won't look like a cheese wedge..;D

During my short but illustrious career as a Ford tech, the company unveiled two new cars: the Mustang II and the Granada/Monarch. The Mustang II was too much like the Pinto so there wasn't much new there but the Granada/Monarch was a new platform. We got sent to the local Ford plant to a training class which went over all the details of this new car. I'm not positive but I don't think we had much lead time on the training either before the cars started hitting the showroom. Guess they didn't want us to have a chance to forget anything. With the '03 Cobra, it isn't that much different than any recent Cobra. Major change is the huffer but it isn't like it's the first time for one of those on a Ford. Oh, and the 6 speed. Finally! My question would be what took Ford so long to install one of those!?!

Karl

Karl,

I'll post a comprehensive list of the changes for the 2003 a little later today (don't have the time to type it out right now)
IMHO the list is a little to long to just say "the huffer, oh and the 6 speed".

Okay Rara, I believe you about the list. I didn't mean for my comments to sound like the new car (or the knowledge to maintain it) is no big deal. I'd buy one if I didn't have house payments.

Karl

lol, no worries Karl, I just thought it a bit easy for others to dismiss it as "simply a blower and a six speed" and not realizing the other significant changes to accomodate the blower, etc.

Engine
Carryover Crankshaft (very stout forged unit already)
New Heads - ports redesigned for improved flow throughout the rev range
New Cams - designed to optimize the tq curve (ie that flat as Kansas look on the dyno plots)
Iron Block - to improve longterm durability of the block under heavy torque loads
Con. Rods - Really cool forged steel H-beam supplied by Manley.
Pistons - Forged aluminum, designed for boost, and 8.5:1 compression
Supercharger - Eaton M112, same basic blower as lightning, but the case was redesigned to meet the design requirements for the Cobra. Outputs ~8psi
Fuel - larger fuel injectors, and a larger fuel pump to feed the beast.
Intercooler - water to air unit nestled in the valley below the supercharger. W/ the accompanying radiator low in the front of the car.
Flywheel - lightweight aluminum unit.

Driveline
Trans - Tremec T56 w/ Cobra specific ratios
Driveshaft - Lightweight aluminum unit
Rear Axle - new 3.55 ratio gears spinning beefed up axle shafts

Plus the goodies on the inside and on the body
Not to mention the suspension re-tuning

I read that too and am skeptical. GM won't give it more HP than the LS1 Vette. Of course, they could always make the LS6 standard in all Vettes...

The new C6 is rumored to be getting a 402 with 450 HP, at least the Z06 model or whatever they call it, anyways.

The hot version of the CTS is supposed to be getting the LS6 with 400 HP I believe as well.