Introduction
Ever since I became attracted to 5.0L Fox body Mustangs,
I have been drawn to the 1993 SVT Cobra. Aside from having
low production numbers and being the first year SVT Cobra,
in my opinion the car has some distinctive good looks.
Admittedly, this is not a project car in the classic sense
of the term. Project car typically conjures up images
of a rough, barely running, vehicle that will go through
a variety of improvements and modifications to get to
a respectable state. However since this car would
We found SVT #3722 in Seattle.
Mt. Hood sits in the background. |
serve as my daily driver, I
wanted something respectable from the onset. Even with
less than 5000 made, '93 Cobras are not too hard to find.
However when you are looking for the rarest of the three
offered colors, in all original, unmodified condition,
the field is now down to less than a few dozen potential
cars in the country. Needless to say we found one. After
striking a deal with the owner, fellow FM staffer Jon
Mikelonis and I flew up to Seattle to pick up the car
and make the 13 hour drive back home, through Washington,
Oregon, and half of California.
Project Goals
So the question is what are we going to do with it
now that we have it? I pondered that for several months.
I knew it would be a guinea pig for many modifications
and product reviews. However I wanted a goal. We've done
plenty of drag-racing projects, so it was decided to take
this car in another direction. We're going to continue
on SVT's intent to make the Cobra an all around "sports
car". Our goal will be to set the car up for autocross
events. Sure it will get all the usual horsepower modifications,
but we'll spend equal or more effort on suspension tuning,
braking, and handling. We're confident you'll enjoy this
project.
More on 1993 Cobras
Looking back at the early Shelby, Boss, and Mach1 Mustangs
we know now what made them desirable. They had low production
numbers,
The first year SVT Cobra's
were only offered in red, black, and teal. |
special factory options and
power enhancements, and were visually different than the
standard Mustangs.
The '93 Cobra meets all the criteria. Less than five-thousand
'93 Cobras were produced by Ford. They were offered with
a modified 5.0L motor, unique to the Cobra. Visually the
Cobra had styling effects inspired by the 87-93 GT Mustang,
but with enough differences to call it distinctively unique.
Beyond all the standard criteria used for marking a cars
collectibility, the 1993 Cobra offers something more appealing.
It was the first time in a long time that there was a
true, performance oriented, "special" Mustang
offered by Ford. The 1969-70 Shelby Mustangs marked the
beginning of a period of decline for the Mustang. The
oil embargo and other factors resulted in variations of
Mustangs that lacked the muscle and mystique associated
with the name. So in 1992 when Ford's SVT group announced
production on a new Cobra, it was seen as a significant
commitment for bringing the Mustang back as Americas most
desirable muscle car.
The Cobra features unique front and rear bumper fascia,
as well as a Cobra specific decklid airfoil. The tail
light covers are also distinctively Cobra, rather than
the 'cheese grater' covers found on the GT Mustang. Special
Cobra badging, the 17' Cobra wheels, and a slightly lower
stance made the Cobra easily identifiable.
Factory Mods
All '93 Cobras came with a modified 5.0L High Output engine.
The Cobra motor was fitted better flowing GT40 iron cylinder
heads, 1.7:1 roller rockers, a unique Cobra upper manifold
and GT40 lower manifold. The better flowing intake tract
was supported with a larger 65mm throttle body and mass
air meter calibrated for 24lb/hr fuel injectors. A special
camshaft was designed for the Cobra motor. All told the
Cobra 5.0L motor was rated at 235 HP/280 ft.lb. Torque,
30 more horsepower than the standard Mustang 5.0L engine
that year.
To handle the increased power Ford modified the five speed
Borg Warner T5 transmission. Internal bearings were revised
and phosphate coated gears helped increase the torque
rating of the transmission. There was no automatic transmission
option for the '93 Cobra. Ford SVT also increased the
differential ratio to 3.08:1 over the stock 2.80:1.
Ford utilized the four-lug rear axle assembly from the
Thunderbird to give the Cobra large four-wheel vented
disc brakes a first for any V8 Mustang. The 93 Cobra also
came with larger 17 x 7.5' wheels and low-profile ZR rated
Goodyear Eagle tires, enabling an advertised top speed
of 140 mph. Valving changes in the struts and shocks,
stiffer bushings and a smaller front sway bar, all result
in a suspension tuned specifically to the Cobra. Unlike
the GT and LX Mustangs, the Cobra is designed to offer
a near neutral handling balance, and maximum contact patch
between the tires and road at all times. 
|
|
|
|
In This
Article
An introduction to FordMuscle's 1993 SVT Cobra project
car. This car was obtained recently, and the project
goals will be towards autocross and all-around performance.
Articles featuring this car:
• AFR's
165cc Head - Dyno Results
• Cutting
Corners
|
|
1993 Cobras feature unique exterior styling, such as 17"
wheels, front and rear valences, and unique tail lights. |
This Cobra was in all original form with 79,000 miles on the
clock. |
In stock form the Cobra engine came
with upgraded intake, GT40 heads with 1.7:1 roller rocks,
65mm mass-air meter and 65mm throttle body. |
|
Table 1: 1993
Cobra Production
|
|
Exterior Color
|
NumberProduced
|
|
Red
|
1784*
|
|
Black
|
1854
|
|
Teal
|
1355
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
4993
|
| *Incl. 107 'R' models
in Red only. |
|
|
