aiight. i been looking into mustangs. I HAVENT FORGOTTEN ABOUT A WRX/STI. I got 2 years to decide. links or a book to buy would be great. I dont mind reading. my questions are as follows??
2v and 4v??? I am guessing valves per cylinder??? what motor is what>??
also on corral, I see they list sohc and dohc 4.6 and 5.4 motors. again what motors are what?
turbocharging the 4.6? any issues? easier to go super charger or what?
any known issues with the 96-and up stangs?
I believe that is all for now. I have always loved mustangs but just now really wanted to get into them. by the way I am looking at 96 and up. that may change as well seeing that I wont be looking to get one for another 1.5-2 years. any info is greatly appreciated. Lucas, look for me to start ugging the crap out of ya on AIM and I am stopping by saturday.
2V is the SOHC 4.6 from 96-98 they are fucking dogs.
4V is the DOHC 4.6 in the 96-98 Cobra are 305hp and move decent
5.4 are in the new Shelby and in the 2000 Cobra R - very rare www.turbomustangs.com will answer all your 4.6 turbo questions. Lots of guys are doing it.
99-2004 SOHC 4.6 are pretty decent 260hp
99 and 01 DOHC 4.6 Cobras are nice and make 320hp
If you are looking for a 94-98 body style I’d go with either the 5.0 in 94 and 95 or the Cobra with a DOHC V8 in 96-98
03 and 04 Cobras use the DOHC 4.6 and its supercharged
I don’t know of many issues with the 4.6 motors other than the 96-98 2V being SLOW.
03-04 Cobras had “The Tick” but I think most cars have been fixed by now.
EDIT again: There is also the Bullitt Mustang in 2000 with SOHC 4.6 and 265hp. But they are quite a bit faster than the 260hp GT of the same year and have an aluminum intake rather than plastic which makes it much better for forced induction. You can retro fit the Bullitt intake to other SOHC 4.6’s though.
Also there is the Mach 1 which used the NA Cobra DOHC 4.6 motor and a solid rear axle. Somehow this car was very faster than the previous DOHC 4.6 of the same HP.
you should look into '99 cobra’s & up especially '03-'04 Cobras which are 4.6 DOHC 32V easy 700+hp when replacing their intake with a '01 & using a turbo setup
94-95 5.0L Pushrod motors
96-98 GT 4.6 SOHC (non PI heads and intake, poor power)
96-98 Cobra 4.6 DOHC
99-04 GT 4.6 SOHC (it has the PI heads and intake) 265 hp
Cobras in the above year range are also 4.6 DOHC with 320 hp
03-04 Cobra 4.6 DOHC Supercharged 390 hp.
Supercharger in any of these are the easiest. Turbos are awesome, but can be a PITA as far as installation goes…there isnt alot of room under the hood of any of the 4.6s, expecially the DOHC.
I would suggest 99+. If possible, get a 4v cobra…better yet, and 03 or 04 which are supercharged. By the time your ready, they will be insanely cheap. But, buy the time your ready, the 07 shlbys will be lower in price too lol…
96-98 Gts do not have the performance improved heads and intake that the 99 and up do, therefore they make alot less power stock. I would stay away from these…however the 96-98 cobras are very nice and can be had pretty cheap.
94-95 5.0 mustangs are SLUGS in stock form. especially when compared to anything newer. dont even look at them.
They are slow, its a 5.0. Performance parts are pennies compared to other cars. And they are dirt cheap. I think that is plenty of reason to look at them.
its the 5.0 in that heavy ass body that makes them so slow. Thats why it only lasted 2 years in that form. I owned one, and i dont recommend them to anyone just my personal opinion…and actually, the perfomance market on 4.6s are just as big and if you shop right can mod one up for the same as a 5.0.
after the 5.0 left the fox body, it was NEVER the same.
that is true… pricing up heads/cam(s)/intake/headers would probably cost significantly more than doing up a 302
edit: when I had my stang, I was pricing up the bullitt intake which was alot of $$$$ even used… and the only other real option out there was the P51 sheet metal which was alot of $$$ lol
the 96-98 4v Cobras have about the same power as teh 99+ 2v gt’s, but they have a lot more potential. If yo can swing a 03-04 Cobra tats the best route. Other wise a 2v with a forged bottom and VT Stage 2 heads and a blower with 12-14 psi will get yuo to the 500 hp range. NA a well built 2v will only get you to about 350. and NA 4v can be built up over 400 horse. 5.0 have a ton more parts and are a lot cheaper to build.
check out modulardepot and modularpowerhouse for some good reading on build ups.
^^^ true, you can port the heads, but what can you do with the non pi intake? cant port it, its plastic…cant use a PI intake because it will only bolt up to pi heads…
-as for the prices to build…there are a few items that are pricey…but if you shop around you can find real good deals. as for the 5.0…to me, having no pushrods in the 4.6 spells more reliability.
-The bullit intake has come down alot in price for the 4.6…plus the aftermarket has started putting ones out for half the price.
-yes, 96-98 Cobras or 99+ GTs/Cobras is what you want to look for…any cobra within these years is always a good choice…and if you can swing it, get the 03-04 cobra without question.
^^ werd…i know there are alot of them…but the keyword is STOCK…but for me, its just 1 less part to break
I base my opinions on experience, Ive owned 95 5.0 for quite a few years, and my 99 4.6 for a few years as well… and I would give up the 5.0 for the 4.6 anyday of the week…well…shit…i did!
aside from motor related opinions…the 99-04s look way better imo also.
Ford switched from the 5 liter to the 4.6 for these reasons, emmisions, the standards changed in the mid 90’s and the 5.0 was not going to meet them or the Corporate Average Fuel Economy.
Ford also has gone to a modular in all cars/trucks, not the greatest move in some aspects, but cheaper to build a car when mass items can be used on all engines. Its not like the 96 was a powerhouse compared to 94-95 mustangs, at the time it was pretty lame, now there are parts so you can make power.
95 and older have the older emission inspection. dollar for dollar i think the 5 liter is easier to build and work on and cost less, just me. But the 4.6 has a stronger bottom end if you do start to make the big power, they seem to stay together better. Both engine do last, 200k isn’t that hard to get out of either, but if they break the 4.6 is more costly.
My suggestion is to post how fast you want to go, power # or what you want to use the car for.
only mustang that wan’t a slug was the 03 cobra…compared to a z28 or ss or vett…period, stock to stock well stangs got their az handed to them from 94-2
My suggestions for a purchase is this. 93 cobra, 95 cobra R, 03-04 cobra maybe mach 1 and bullitt. I tell you why I would choose them. All these cars have a great base to make respectable power, depending on style you like you have a choice of all three style. Lets make this simple, GT’s are a dime a dozen, resale is never close to what the person has done to them, or invested. The cobra of these years will bring in more cash later in life, resale will always be higher comparing the same condition cars year by year.
I also consider a special camaro with the ls1 or lt1. anniversary modles and SS. Bange for the buck, ls1 or 03 cobra.
