[blykins]

Matt...

Let me get some things clear before I go on...I want you to know up front that I'm not trying to argue or slander anyone's car or opinion...I was just stating some things that I have learned and felt.

I guess I wasn't clear on what your original statement was, and I'm sorry for misunderstanding. Unfortunately, I guess Ford isn't up on power and gas economy. One of my friends has a 2003 Cobra...I'll check and see what he gets. It's not exactly showroom stock anymore though...he's running in the 11's...hehehe...

I do think the rearend ratio has a lot to do with it. My Dad's 97 Cobra and my Mustang both get around 23-24 mpg on trips. Both of them have 4.11's....and Dad's dyno'd at 326 to the tires. I think you're asking for it if you're making a high-rpm motor labor at low speeds and revs. Maybe with a middle-of-the-road ratio like a 3.55 or a 3.73, the mileage could be optimized.

I'm a Ford man myself, and as bad as I hate to admit it, the Z06's do run well. I drove a 385 hp one back when they came out...very impressive.

I still hold my stance though on the roughness of a Cobra. :-) My theory is that these are toys...not really meant to be daily drivers. There are a bunch of guys that do drive them as such though. Hal has a ton of miles on his...and it's a pretty healthy stroker motor. I myself would not choose the best of both worlds. My Cobra is a weekend toy, and it's gonna be just that. I have other cars that I can depend on for economy. I also think that it's sacrilege to put a GM motor in a Ford automobile, so that kinda nips that in the bud as well.

I think you'll see that there are two types of people that own Cobras...some want just a toy that's as fast as can be...others want a "replica" of an old American muscle car. To have a replica, it needs to be as such...big block Ford V8...carb'd up....4-speed Toploader tranny, etc. To have a Cobra with a Chevy engine would just make it an ordinary "kit car"....along with all the chop top 32 Fords out there. I just can't think that way. Actually, I wouldn't even put a fuel injected Ford engine in a Cobra...hehehehe...

I currently have a stroked small block Ford...but the more I thought about it, the more I became purist. The small block will stay in there until the car is 100% complete, but I have an FE big block sitting on the engine stand right now. :-)

Again Matt, I didn't mean to come across as a crass person....just expressing my opinion. Hopefully I've given you another testimony to decide with. One thing for sure...whatever Cobra you end up with, you'll have a ton of fun. :-) It doesn't matter once you get in the seat and take it for a spin. It wouldn't matter if it had a 5hp Briggs & Stratton and it was painted hot pink with stripes....hehehe...