After buying the car in 2006,...
After buying the car in 2006, Brian installed a JLT cold-air kit and a MagnaFlow after-cat exhaust system. Later that year, he took the car to Swanson Performance for testing and the installation of additional pieces. The baseline on Swanson's DynoJet chassis dyno looked pretty good at 8 psi of boost: 394 rwhp, and 373 lb-ft of torque.
For those interested in seriously fast factory supercharged Mustangs, the '03-'04 Cobra and the current Shelby GT500/GT500KR are the only game in town. But the '07-'09 GT500s are pretty pricey these days, and you can forget about getting an '08 or '09 KR for sticker price any time soon.
That leaves the '03 and '04 SVT Cobras as the next best thing. In the final analysis, they've proven to be more than just next best, especially when you factor in price.
None of this was lost on Brian Anton, the owner of the super-clean '03 Cobra featured here. Back when Ford dealers were first accepting orders for '07 GT500s, Brian placed an order with a San Diego dealership. When he heard there were more than 100 orders for the three cars allotted to the dealership, he saw the writing on the wall.
For half the price of a GT500, Brian instead went with a Terminator Cobra. With only 3,000 miles, it was essentially a new car. Today, the bargain factor is even higher with '03-'04 Terminators going for well under $25,000 in many instances.
With the purchase process complete, the next year or two saw Brian looking forward to what's proved to be a thoroughly achievable objective. His goal was 600 hp at the rear wheels, and we've chronicled the progression here. Has the car done it? Not quite, but the results are still mighty impressive. The car is only one or two minor mods away from the magic 600 mark.
Getting It To The Wheels
When you're making well over 600 hp at the flywheel, or nearly 570 rwhp as this car is doing, some drivetrain updates also need to be part of the picture. Brian's '03 Terminator has the good stuff, including a Liberty Gear 26-spline input shaft for the T56 six-speed, a Fidanza aluminum flywheel, a 26-spline Centerforce DFX clutch and pressure plate, a heavy-duty throwout bearing, a heavy-duty roller pilot bearing, and an MGW shifter.
After the near-400-rwhp baseline...
After the near-400-rwhp baseline was established in 2006, Danny Swanson installed some additional performance equipment, including a BilletFlow 2.76-inch blower pulley and four-piece idler pulley set, a set of Denso TR6 spark plugs, and a Lightning Force Performance dual-pass heat exchanger and intercooler reservoir. With Danny's experienced tuning acumen added to the mix, the car put 457 hp to the rear wheels and produced 470 lb-ft of torque with about 14 psi of boost, a textbook example of how well Terminator Cobras respond to a few basic bolt-ons and a good electronic tune.
In the push for 600 rwhp,...
In the push for 600 rwhp, the following parts were installed at Swanson Performance in August 2008, as shown here on the engine in its current state: a Whipple 140ax, a 2.3L blower (with the large throttle body plenum option); a Whipple 3-inch blower pulley; a BilletFlow single-blade throttle body, a pair of Ford GT fuel pumps and corresponding fuel-pump driver module; 60 lb/hr fuel injectors; an SCT 90mm aluminum mass-airflow meter; and an EvenFlow Gen-2 head-cooling upgrade. A JLT ram-air intake setup also replaced the previous cold-air system that had a solid tube running to the fender, which limited horsepower to around 500. Though the ram-air doesn't have the cold-air advantage, it is able to flow more air due to less tubing and less restrictive airflow. Even with the car's stock four-cat H-pipe in place along with a pair of Flowmaster Delta 40 mufflers, the dyno drum was spun with 567 rwhp and 539 lb-ft of torque after another round of tuning. Boost levels are now around 18.5 psi with 91-octane pump gas. The stock H-pipe in place actually causes higher boost levels due to the extra backpressure from the four cats. Swapping out to a two-cat pipe will cause boost pressure to drop a bit but get the car much closer to the 600-rwhp goal.
The BilletFlow single-blade...
The BilletFlow single-blade throttle body is a top-quality piece and the required unique gasket is included.
This is the JLT air-intake...
This is the JLT air-intake system as used on the car for the 600-rwhp push.
The '05-'06 Ford GT uses these...
The '05-'06 Ford GT uses these two pumps and pump driver to support the supercar's 550 hp. They are now a popular upgrade for '03-'04 Cobras that are approaching the 600-rwhp threshold and beyond.
As with everything else mentioned...
As with everything else mentioned here, the SCT 90mm Big Air mass airflow meter is available from Lethal Performance.
While the car's otherworldly...
While the car's otherworldly power output is the main focus here, Brian's '03 Cobra is also a super-clean Mustang in its own right. The Ford Racing FR500 wheels have an anthracite finish and measure 18 by 9 inches up front and 18 by 10 in the rear. They're wrapped with Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 tires: 265/35ZR18s in front and 295/35ZR18s in the rear. The perfect lowered stance is achieved with H&R Race Springs, while Maximum Motorsports full-length subframe connectors firm up the car's unibody. Baer Eradaspeed rotors improve brake feel and stopping power.