ok its been a long time since ive posted....ive sold my stang and really regret doing it so im looking to buy another in the coming months....i am hoping you guys could enlighten me to the difference between the cobras and mach 1's. Im looking for 00-04 body style. I know some minor difference's. I just wanna figure out the major difference's such as are there any HP difference's? is one's handling better the the other? things like that. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again

 

get an mach 1 or cobra from 03-04. the cobras are supercharged with 390hp and the mach 1 is all motor with 305hp. The cobras have no problems running 450+ rwhp with boltons. Personally, that would be my pick.

 

yea ive heard many good things about the 03-04 cobras...but today i saw an 03 mach 1 supercharged. i dunno if that was factory or not but it had a cobra r wing on the back and looked pretty bad a**. is there a factory mach 1 supercharged?

 

no. the only factory supercharged mustangs are the 03-04 cobras, and the 07+ GT500.

 

cool..i didn't think they were factory..thanks for the help.

 

I love cobra's and Mach's....Before I got my mach I looked at a couple of cobra's and the power is just amazing, but I still went with the mach....The mach is a more rare car.....only like 16,xxx ,made is two years and haven't made them since the early 70's I believe. From what I've read the mach is in the top 3, if not the fastest N/A mass produced stang ever (Cobra R wasn't a mass produced and the 429 Cobra Jet might be be #1...maybe). Plus, the Shaker is damn cool and if you like going fast in a straight line then you can't beat the live axle, which you can make handle better than the IRS. So it just depends what your looking for. If you want a HP monster then you can't beat the Cobra, but the mach has a very strong N/A motor that is for sure isn't to be over looked.

With very minor bolton's and DR's you could be in the mid-low 12's pretty easy. Get the mach, we need more owners on this site!

 

its such a hard choice between the two.....the car is only going to be a weekend driver so insurance shouldn't be to bad on them.

 

You can't go wrong with either of them

 

the mach has a stouter rear end (IRS is fragile comparitively) and makes more power at the wheels stock for stock than any <03 cobra (not counting 00'R's). The mach also has more comfy seats and a better overall look IMHO.

I'd get the mach... cobra's are just a mach with a rickety rear end.

 

Don't the machs also have an alluminum block?

 

what is rickety about the cobra rear? the housing itself, axles? what? how hard would it be to beef up the rear?

 

Yes

 

haha i went out today trying to find an 03-04 cobra and they practically dont exist. Its very hard to find someone selling one lol

 

cobra engine is more or less a mach1 engine with an eaton super charger on top...

I like the way mach1s look so much though... all they really need is suspension work... they should run 13s stock and they look damn good... the wheels are nice too...

is the mach an IRS as well?

 

no the mach is live axle just as the GT as listed above.

 

oh yeh then def go with the mach...

personally I don't like the 03-04 cobra hood and front bumper... and I think a whipple or KB should sit on top... not an eaton... and IRS sucks nutt sack...

mach1 FTW

 

Where do you get your info from? haha..... the cobra motor AND the mach 1 motor are 4v. The 3v is only in the 05+ GTs.

 

That's why I deleted it.They are not the same motor as the 03/04's.

 

you sure? I thought Machs were 32V????

but no... I haven't driven many new cars...

but regardless of driving either one... I' perfer the way machs look as well as the solid axel... AND machs have forged internals so modding is easy...

Not bashing on cobra... yer just a rich old guy that can afford one... lol...

The car I want is a '98 cobra...

 

They arent really that strong. Ford had issues with IRS where people launching the car stock and breaking something. Of course it could be upgraded but a live axle setup is better when it comes to racing in a straight line. IRS destroys live axle in turns untill the proper upgrades have been done.

 

then wtf is lance talkin bout?

 

oh yeh... thats right... i bet he thinks he's got a big block flat head in his car...

 

My old *** has probally forgot more about car's than alot of you even know

 

What about a BULLITT? I think they are sweet as hell! machs are cool and cobras are fast but the best bang for the buck is a BULLITT.

 

Found this..

Beginning production in 2003, the new SVT ( Special Vehicle Team ) Cobra came equipped with an Eaton Supercharger shoving 8 psi into the 4.6, which now utilized a cast-iron block, new cylinder heads, and a blower friendly 8.5:1 compression, pushing the Cobra to an official 390 hp. Once again, Ford put an inaccurate rating on the Cobra, but unlike in 99', the owners didn't mind. Cobras were putting down rear wheel numbers that almost matched the stock flywheel rating. With the new Cobra firmly set in place as the fastest muscle car around (The Camaro and Firebird had both been discontinued by GM in 2002) Ford saw the need to make good on their natural aspirated 300 hp (224 kW) claim. Using the same engine technology behind the Cobra, Ford produced a Mustang GT with the four valve engine that pushed 305 hp (226 kW) without the aid of a supercharger or other methods of forced induction. It used 10:1 compression, the same new heads as the 03'Cobra, and camshafts from the Lincoln Navigator, to improve low end response on the rev-happy motor. When they sat down to figure out what to call it, they looked back to the glory days of the Mustang and saw an old, familiar name that represented power and speed over a GT. Mach 1.

Giving this GT a name wasn't enough for Ford. They saw to it that this new Mach 1 would resemble the Mach 1 of old in every way. They gave it race-inspired wheels reminiscent of the old Magnum 500's equipped on the original Mach 1. They added a chin spoiler and black deck spoiler, as well as trademark racing stripes on the side and hood - black, of course - with the official emblems and logos of the Mach 1. As one final and most noticeable touch, they brought back the Shaker Hood Scoop, identical to those used in the past, and mounted it on the engine through a specially carved hole in the hood. Adding rolled tips on the exhaust, deleting the grill, and smoking the lights all completed the race package. The interior was given retro gauges and Bullitt-style pedals and shifter. The bucket seats sported "Comfort Weave" leather, the same as the original Mach 1.

The Mach 1 was brought back for only 2 years - 2003 and 2004. The new 2005 Mustang platform is expected to receive a Boss package that will be faster than the GT, but slower than the new Cobra (5.4 Supercharged). Although some Mustang enthusiasts claim that the new Mach 1 does nothing but tarnish the name of the original Mach 1, the overwhelming majority see it as either a tribute or the son of a legend - not a continuation.

 

why is the best bang for a buck a bullitt? all it is is a GT with a higher sticker price, therefore your logic is flawed sir =/
Honestly not a huge fan of where they went with the bullitt

 

Found this too..

The 2003 Mach 1 makes up for cubic inches with multivalve technology. It uses the 2001 SVT Mustang Cobra's 32-valve, 281-cu.-in. (4.6-liter) V-8. But if you look at the Mach 1's numbers — 305 bhp at 5800 rpm and 320 lb.-ft. of torque at 4200 rpm — you're bound to ask a big "what's up?" For the horsepower number is down from the Cobra's 320.

The reason is that Ford changed several engine pieces to give the Mach 1 better torque at lower engine speeds, at the sacrifice of peak horsepower. The biggest change is to the higher-flow cylinder heads, which were fitted with intake cams from Ford's 5.4-liter V-8. Different exhaust cams were also added along with a new set of exhaust manifolds matched to the cylinder heads.

So while the horsepower number may not look as good as the Cobra's, the Mach 1 has gained 3 lb.-ft. of torque that peaks at a much lower 4000 rpm compared with 4750 for the 2001 Cobra. In other words, Ford has just improved your chances at the highly coveted stoplight drag wars.