BASTARD BUILD! 97 COBRA with GM LS engine - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

davidcroft · 12-04-2012, 06:33 PM

Long story short...I'm an ex-Ford guy. I hate to admit it but I am. Anyway when I was in college I had a 97 Mustang Cobra I bought in '03. It was all motor and had all the bolt-ons and 4.56 gears. I daily drove it (like a dumb ass) and thought I was some super drag racer driving around town with 4.56 gears and drag radials!

Here are some pics of when I owned it.

Well I finally sold it to a buddy who pro charged it...ragged it out...then blew it up...2006 ish. It sat for a few years in his driveway w/o an engine or trans.

Then our other buddy(we're all mutual friends) offers to buy it(roller) from him for $1500 back in late '09ish early 2010.

He decides he wants to throw a GM LS engine it and make it fast for once. He's been working on it every day after work for 2 and 1/2 years. Saving his hard earned $$ for parts and custom fabbing stuff along the way. Who in their right mind builds a '97 Mustang from a roller with the crappy PATS key system...and mid 90s technology

Here are some pics of the build so far......
comments, questions, and WTFs welcome

custom gauge pod

6.0 truck block punched to a 408 with LS3 heads and a TSP 231/236 cam

original 4.6L ford decal

He is using an '03-04 Cobra IRS system and exhaust

Custom Transmission. F-body bell housing...corvette internals and an '03-04 Cobra tail-housing to match with the driveshaft and IRS

Coilover suspension on all 4 corners

6speed hurst shifter in a car that came with a borg-warner T-45

This is one custom fab crazy build. Mad respect for my buddy on not giving up and carrying through. If anyone is interested I will provide more pics and videos as it progresses.

trewyn15 · 12-04-2012, 06:43 PM

Only way to make her fast! lol

Kyle2k · 12-04-2012, 09:06 PM

It always amazes me that people that do swaps can clean the engine bay up better than GM would OEM.

upflying · 12-05-2012, 09:30 AM

Nice work, to complete the illusion I would re-install the engine cover and mock it up with cobra emblems.The average nimrod looking at the engine wouldn't know the difference.

Scrappy Doo · 12-05-2012, 11:19 AM

Gotta respect the work into this!

trewyn15 · 12-05-2012, 12:00 PM

It's really cleanly done, super props to him. Is that the first swap he's done?

davidcroft · 12-05-2012, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by upflying

Nice work, to complete the illusion I would re-install the engine cover and mock it up with cobra emblems.The average nimrod looking at the engine wouldn't know the difference.

The heavy cast Intake manifold is far to small to fit over the current one.

Quote:

Originally Posted by trewyn15

It's really cleanly done, super props to him. Is that the first swap he's done?

This is the very first one he's ever done.
When I first met him(when I originally owned the car), he had a hopped up SRT-4 Neon. It was really quick. Then he had an SS Silverado.

ZWA SS · 12-06-2012, 07:53 AM

Built ford tough with Chevy stuff..
Lot of work there. Looks great..

trewyn15 · 12-06-2012, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidcroft

The heavy cast Intake manifold is far to small to fit over the current one.

This is the very first one he's ever done.
When I first met him(when I originally owned the car), he had a hopped up SRT-4 Neon. It was really quick. Then he had an SS Silverado.

Nice! He has some definite skills!

Drew10 · 12-06-2012, 08:24 AM

Love these kind of builds. I helped a friend do a 408 swap into a 92 notch back fox body last year. He had it painted synergy green as well. Currently I'm in the middle of a 71 Camaro build, putting in a 408 LS, and 97 Firebird dash. It's a real pain in the a$$, but I enjoy doing this kind of work.

v6sonoma · 12-06-2012, 08:41 PM

Some of the best things in life make no sense at all.

LimaCharlie · 12-06-2012, 11:14 PM

Meh, I cringe when I see cross-make drivetrain projects on cars. It happens more often than most people realize though. The fox-body Mustangs are a popular platform for a LSx swap too.

davidcroft · 12-09-2012, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LimaCharlie

Meh, I cringe when I see cross-make drivetrain projects on cars. It happens more often than most people realize though. The fox-body Mustangs are a popular platform for a LSx swap too.

what a lot of people don't realize is these 94-98 Cars and even the 99-04 Mustangs have the same underpinnings as a fox body...with tweaks on the suspension..but the floorpan and wheelbases are identical.

I kinda like this one. I had it running 13.1s with bolt-ons and 300RWHP. This combo should see 500 RWHP easily...should be very interesting..

12-04-2012, 06:33 PM	#1
davidcroft Sellin Chevy's since '06 Drives: 18ZL1 02Z-28 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: DIRTY SOUFTH Posts: 1,462 View My Garage	BASTARD BUILD! 97 COBRA with GM LS engine Long story short...I'm an ex-Ford guy. I hate to admit it but I am. Anyway when I was in college I had a 97 Mustang Cobra I bought in '03. It was all motor and had all the bolt-ons and 4.56 gears. I daily drove it (like a dumb ass) and thought I was some super drag racer driving around town with 4.56 gears and drag radials! Here are some pics of when I owned it. Well I finally sold it to a buddy who pro charged it...ragged it out...then blew it up...2006 ish. It sat for a few years in his driveway w/o an engine or trans. Then our other buddy(we're all mutual friends) offers to buy it(roller) from him for $1500 back in late '09ish early 2010. He decides he wants to throw a GM LS engine it and make it fast for once. He's been working on it every day after work for 2 and 1/2 years. Saving his hard earned $$ for parts and custom fabbing stuff along the way. Who in their right mind builds a '97 Mustang from a roller with the crappy PATS key system...and mid 90s technology Here are some pics of the build so far...... comments, questions, and WTFs welcome custom gauge pod 6.0 truck block punched to a 408 with LS3 heads and a TSP 231/236 cam original 4.6L ford decal He is using an '03-04 Cobra IRS system and exhaust Custom Transmission. F-body bell housing...corvette internals and an '03-04 Cobra tail-housing to match with the driveshaft and IRS Coilover suspension on all 4 corners 6speed hurst shifter in a car that came with a borg-warner T-45 This is one custom fab crazy build. Mad respect for my buddy on not giving up and carrying through. If anyone is interested I will provide more pics and videos as it progresses. __________________ '24 CT5 Blkwng CF1&2 6spd manual Coastal Blue SOLD!'23 CT5Blkwng manual Rift Metallic SOLD!'19 Z06-7Speed and lowered on stock bolts SOLD'02 Z28-Kooks true dual headers/TSP heads&cam/full suspension & Kmember sub40K orig miles. https://youtu.be/h6faSdcvNew TRADED!'17 ATS-V Coupe w/ Carbon Black pkg https://youtu.be/GH_t-R-TJV0 SOLD! '18 ZL1 Mosiac Blk SOLD!'16 SS Sedan-Forgestars/ARH/rotofab TRADED!2014 SS Sedan SOLD! 2013 Blue Ray1SS/1LE 1of20. TRADED! 2012 White 1SS/RS

12-04-2012, 06:43 PM	#2
trewyn15 Drives: 2004 Monte Carlo LS Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Janesville, WI Posts: 2,414	Only way to make her fast! lol __________________ 2004 Monte Carlo LS - 1966 AMC Rambler Rebel Classic - 2000 Trans Am WS6

12-04-2012, 09:06 PM	#3
Kyle2k LVL 50 Troll Stomper Drives: 2010 Camaro Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 3,463	It always amazes me that people that do swaps can clean the engine bay up better than GM would OEM. __________________

12-05-2012, 12:00 PM	#6
trewyn15 Drives: 2004 Monte Carlo LS Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Janesville, WI Posts: 2,414	It's really cleanly done, super props to him. Is that the first swap he's done? __________________ 2004 Monte Carlo LS - 1966 AMC Rambler Rebel Classic - 2000 Trans Am WS6

12-06-2012, 08:41 PM	#11
v6sonoma Drives: 2010 SS RS Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Providence, RI Posts: 8,108 View My Garage	Some of the best things in life make no sense at all. __________________ Mods: BBK Intake, BBK LT's and High Flow Cats, Corsa Cat-back exhaust, Hurst short throw shifter, SLP skip-shift eliminator. 7/1/09 Placed order for IOM/IO int/ SS/RS 6M 9/26/09 Took delivery!

12-05-2012, 09:30 AM	#4
upflying Drives: '86 Monte Carlo SS Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Reno, NV Posts: 3,119	Nice work, to complete the illusion I would re-install the engine cover and mock it up with cobra emblems.The average nimrod looking at the engine wouldn't know the difference.

12-05-2012, 11:19 AM	#5
Scrappy Doo Drives: Callaway Rogue Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: W8n 4 Snow, Minnesota Posts: 4,731	Gotta respect the work into this!

12-06-2012, 07:53 AM	#8
ZWA SS BowtieBelle's SS Drives: 2010 Camaro SS Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Perry, ok Posts: 1,075	Built ford tough with Chevy stuff.. Lot of work there. Looks great..

12-06-2012, 08:24 AM	#10
Drew10 Enjoys a good train wreck Drives: 2010 IBM Camaro 2SS/RS Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 1,800	Love these kind of builds. I helped a friend do a 408 swap into a 92 notch back fox body last year. He had it painted synergy green as well. Currently I'm in the middle of a 71 Camaro build, putting in a 408 LS, and 97 Firebird dash. It's a real pain in the a$$, but I enjoy doing this kind of work.

12-06-2012, 11:14 PM	#12
LimaCharlie Drives: 2011 Camaro SS/RS - 2004 Silverado Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 2,989	Meh, I cringe when I see cross-make drivetrain projects on cars. It happens more often than most people realize though. The fox-body Mustangs are a popular platform for a LSx swap too. __________________ 2011 Summit White Camaro 1SS/RS -6.2 LS3, TR6060, 3.45, G80 2004 Black Silverado 1500 2WD Regular Cab, Short Bed -5.3 LM7, 4L60E, 3.42, G80 2014 White Caprice PPV -6.0 L77, 6L80E, 2.92, G80