03 cobra swap

You should buy the one that is for sale. M_Maker put it and a couple more Gen ll's together and did a very nice job on the installs. My setup is on a 96 so it is a Gen 1 with OBD2 computer setup so it is not a big hassle to do. I have attached a pic of the IC setup for my KB.

I elected to stay with coil packs versus coil on plugs (have better appearance) so I have the plug wires laying around, again this change has been discussed and it is no big deal.

Everyone has their preferences on power adders, but one thing everyone needs modified starts with the rear end and works it's way to the front of the car, and that also would include chassis upgrades as well.

Budgets can vary widely depending on cost of adders etc, but I can tell you that there is a parts list in excess of 17 grand in the Whiner. This cost was very acceptable to me as the parts were required to get what I wanted out of the car (there is still room for more performance if desired). I did not want to create a science project so I went with what works and was well proven.

cooler-1.jpg


cooler-2.jpg
 
That's sure a nice car you have there Roadboss. You did a good job.

Do you have any more pictures that you would be willing to post? I like LOOKING at it. :)
 
roadboss - are you saying that i would be better off buying the 03 cobra motor for $3000 (the $2400 one i was looking at was just for the bottom end) or get the mmr engine for around $2900 plus $100 for a set of continental heads? bout the same amount of cash now that i look at it. plus the cobra engine should come with the intake (that is required right?).

ive been told that the cobra engine would be a pain in the dick to wire up but i dont see how it would be any different than any other engine. wouldnt it be about the same wiring for just about any swap in?

oh and i'm planning on getting the 2.3 whipple if that makes a difference. probably running the 13psi pulley unless i can "safely" get away with higher psi like 17 or so.
 
kustomizingkid said:
Why??

SCT offers super straight forward plug and play solutions for all the Marks...
Click to expand...

and you dont have to go back 25 years in technology...

marks use a MAF sensor, and as well they should because it's a MUCH more robust system and offers MUCH more control than if you convert to a MAP sensor in order to use megasuck.

for a carb to EFI conversion that isn't readily supported... Megasquirt is good.
but to replace a ford PCM with a hobbylobby home built ECM is ludicrous.

NOTE.. mark 8 uses a MAF..and a PCM (power train control module)
If you replace the MAF with a MAP and megasquirt ECM (engine control module) you have in effect transported your car back into the speed density days of the 1980's!

Just say NO to MAP sensor conversions on a car that comes factory with TWICE the COMPUTER power as megasquirt.
 
yes you'll be better off getting a take out complete 03-04 cobra motor, rather than trying to piece together all the parts...which will be a very expensive ordeal...which has been mentioned previously.

it wont be "plug and play" it's going to require alot of work.
 
I was suggesting that you buy the car that is for sale that has already been done, and that you would be miles ahead and would have a nice ride for this spring.

The continental heads are not going to work, you need the Marauder, Mach1 heads. All they will need is freshened up (3 angle valve job, valve guides etc). Fancy cams will be a waste of money, as you are going to a SC.

Are you going to go through with all of these mods without rebuilding the Short Block? I wouldn't, but hey its your time and money.

Also be prepared for some significant time on the dyno to get everything dialed in and then addressing the driveability issues. No mail order tune here,no short cuts.

As I said before the car that is for sale is a buy when you add up what is into it. Jereme did a great job putting that car together it also was tuned at the same place "Whiner" was born. You won't be anywhere close when you add up all the dollars. Just my 2 cents.
 
Roadboss said:
I was suggesting that you buy the car that is for sale that has already been done, and that you would be miles ahead and would have a nice ride for this spring.
Just my 2 cents.
Click to expand...

^ worth WELL more than the 2 cent price tag.

15.5 is a steal for that car, and the amount of blood, sweat, tears and DOLLARS that were pumped into it.

I'd buy it in a heartbeat if I had 15.5
 
Listen to Charlie and Tommy. :) $15k is a drop in the bucket for that car when compared to actually building a car like that. Trust me, I know... :)
 
if i had the money i would love to just buy a car like that. but i was gonna peice this project together paycheck to paycheck. i dont have much saved up yet so im still in the planning stage. i want to know exactly what route im taking and what all i need before i start buying parts then change my mind and go at this differently.
 
evf4720 said:
if i had the money i would love to just buy a car like that. but i was gonna peice this project together paycheck to paycheck.
Click to expand...

then expect to pay "double" what you could buy an already built car for.

best advice, dont start buying parts.. start SAVING money.

Once you've saved 15.5 then all you have to do is "pay for the car".

you will not duplicate this effort for LESS than 15.5, in fact buying it peice by peice will probably double the price tag.

You ask for advice, your getting GOOD advice..you should try to listen to those that have traveled this path before you.

it's a "wheel" your not gonna "re invent it"..it's "been done"
 
XLRVIII said:
yes you'll be better off getting a take out complete 03-04 cobra motor, rather than trying to piece together all the parts...which will be a very expensive ordeal...which has been mentioned previously.

it wont be "plug and play" it's going to require alot of work.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry I'm gonna have to raise the 'B.S.' flag here. There is no way getting a good 03/04 pull and dropping it in, hood work, engine bay work, wiring, and exhaust compared to getting a B head long block (trust me B heads will flow easily north of 800hp) a N/A cobra intake and vortech snail is better. All of that under the stock hood and the PCM can handle the added programing.

here is how I see it

03/04 cobra swap with eaton blower and a heavy ass iron block

New hood and paint work
modify engine bay for alternator mounting and all of its wiring
re-wiring / moving of COPs, IAC, IAT, alternator, and rewiring injectors.
Converting the motor from a returnless to a return fuel system
new fuel lines and big pump setup because the stock gen1 stuff wont handle that motor
all of the completely CUSTOM or new PCM/Megasquirt/F.A.S.T/SCT programing.
Maybe Oil system (I know the 03/04 cobra coolant / Oil adapter is a SUPER DUPER PITA in a gen2 mark VIII K member)
Intercooler pump wiring and hose routing.
And thats what I can think of off the top of my head.

Compared to

A much lighter aluminum B head long block, stock compression and a snail of your choice
you can use either Coil packs or convert to COP
A cobra upper and lower intake and fuel rails
a snail install that has been done before
upgrade the fuel pump to a 255 or worse case a T-Rex
A PCM flip chip that is readily available for the stock Gen1 PCM
Meth kit

Each will get you 500+ Crank HP

The second option is FAR more plug and play than a 04 cobra swap. I had a long block with b heads built for $7500 (years ago) and swaped the whole thing in a weekend, motor out on friday night, switching motors and harness on saturday day, placing everything in the engine bay on saturday night, final tweaks on sunday and was driving about 9pm sunday night.

I've swaped 03 cobra motors into 5 cars now and 2 of the lower priced motors were RAPED and didn't find out until it was to late. so paying 2-3k for an engine, you get what you pay for. Why get a heavy a$$ iron block anyways the car is heavy enough.

If your serious about this get a Aluminum longblock built for about 6k, source the intake, pickup a snail for cheap and be rolling by spring with alot more money in your pocket, alot less stress, in less time and effort. 04 cobra builds are for people with deep pockets, lots of time, and very small brains.
 
evf4720 said:
if i had the money i would love to just buy a car like that. but i was gonna peice this project together paycheck to paycheck. i dont have much saved up yet so im still in the planning stage. i want to know exactly what route im taking and what all i need before i start buying parts then change my mind and go at this differently.
Click to expand...


Now we find out!! Sell your car and buy the car that is for sale and borrow the rest. Now it's going to cost you 3 cents!!
 
I don't know about you guys, but showing off what you 'bought' and showing off what you 'built' are two entirely different things.

If Jeremi wasn't making money or at least breaking even this car wouldn't have been sold. Or the last one he built. Or the next one that he's talking about building.

If the kid wants to get his hands greasy, and learn something, (which he's showing he's capable of) and like he keeps saying, let 'em eh. At least then he'll have some real pride about his ride. If he doesn't come through, well maybe he'll learn that about himself too. You don't learn anything by paying the bank for everything, and it sure doesn't earn you any respect either. Sure it may look like he's trying to re-invent the wheel, but at least he will have built the one he's got, and know something about it when it's done.
 
If the goal is having a good running well built car, then I stick by my original statement.

Keep making it sound like "it's no big deal" and you've done the original poster "no service at all".


There is far more to life that BS bragging rights, but I'm not one of those "look at me, look what I can do" people either.

I couldn't care less who built the car, so long as it was built right using the right stuff.

I would stand proudly next to that car and drive it proudly down the road while others would rather torture themselves in there attempt to "re-invent the wheel".
 
Lol

I'll remove my foot from your toes Tommy. Maybe I got carried away with my thought.

You could buy the car and understand it I'm sure. Especially with what you know about programming, not the same for everybody. I just don't think it would take 30 grand like everybody is saying to have the same car. I bet it would be 15, maybe a hair over, if you had a shortblock built and did the rest yourself oustide of dyno tune. And I could be wrong.
 
I got out my receipt binder for The Mark, and hope to clear the air a little regarding all this talk about labor rates and stuff when trying to supercharge your Mark VIII. Labor is not as bad as you think. :) I hope this info will help everyone understand the reality of what it was like for me to build the motor - versions 1 and 2 of my hot rod lincoln. :) Now please don't call them and expect the same deal that I got. This info is to just help you plan $$$ for your own build. :)

Basic polished Vortech sq-trim, and custom air to air intercooler installed by Injected Engineering in 2007. The work they do at IE is car show quality.

To net it out, I paid roughly $13k total out the door to have Injected install a s-trim and custom made air to air intercooler on my stock block Mark back in 2007. This was my first set-up with the car. No mods were done to the motor for this build - all stock 98 Mark intake and bottom end.

Of that $13k:

- $1700 to install everything (except headers) - Vortech head unit, injectors, fuel pump & KB BAP, complete air to air ic, balancer, spark plugs, new radiator and fan, tensioner, hoses, MAF and mafxtender, trans cooler, and a crap load of little stuff.

- $2500 for the custom intercooler parts and fab work - Treadstone intercooler, custom tube fab work, silicone hoses, t-bolt clamps

- $1500 to install headers and modify custom stainless steel exhaust to accept headers

- $500 dyno tune


So, my calculations based on my invoice from Injected, a DIY is looking at about $7300 in parts alone in 2007 dollars to install just a s-trim (no intercooler) on his Mark if he is not going to cut any corners, and use premium new parts.

What's in the car now you ask? The Proline Race Engine / Injected Engineering forged 5.0 stroker motor that I had built and is in the car now, cost me $16k and change out the door built, installed including R&R labor and dyno tune - (not including the new t-trim blower). Again, most of the $16k is parts. Labor was $2.5k, and $400 dyno tune.

Whoever is buying that $15k Mark with the eaton and forged motor is going to get a great car, at a outstanding price. My opinion, that car could not be duplicated for $15k, and is way under valued. :)

Hope all this info helps someone. Good luck with your build :)
 
poniesviii said:
Lol

I'll remove my foot from your toes Tommy. Maybe I got carried away with my thought.

You could buy the car and understand it I'm sure. Especially with what you know about programming, not the same for everybody. I just don't think it would take 30 grand like everybody is saying to have the same car. I bet it would be 15, maybe a hair over, if you had a shortblock built and did the rest yourself oustide of dyno tune. And I could be wrong.
Click to expand...

Just to buy clean mark will cost 5k.
Now do you think you can make it for 10k?

I am a hands on guy, but this car is a steal at 15k and I don't think you can replace it for 15k.


I highly doubt anyone is making any money on this Carlisle Ford Nationals Winner selling it for 15k.

Once you hot rod a car you will never get your money out of it.
 
I think there's different ways to go about things.

2.5k for an intercooler?

1500 for custom work on headers and exhaust? Stainless is nice, but..

edit: I deleted most of my post, because I'm just gonna stfu. :D

re-edit:
Ford nut, if you want a car with those wheels in that color combo I would be closer to agreeing. And I don't know what's all in that car. But buying a mark and getting it supercharged like that one, 15k is pushing it.. In my opinion. Sure, if you buy everything off the shelf you'll be well over 20, but why would anybody do that.
 
poniesviii said:
I think there's different ways to go about things.

2.5k for an intercooler?

1500 for custom work on headers?

edit: I deleted most of my post, because I'm just gonna stfu. I think you guys are just trying to sell a car.
Click to expand...

LOL

Well I don't care if the car sells.
But if mlschultz and Roadboss say its a steal.
Its a steal.

They know what it costs.

Ask phreakness what he has into his car.

Its not 15k that's for dam sure.
 
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