When looking at the pony cars from the early 1990s, you have to do so with the same “for the time period” argument. The power war hadn’t kicked off yet, but there had been signs since the mid-1980s that weak-suck V8s that made more noise than grunt were on the way out the door, and quickly. Ford had been leading the charge with Fox Mustangs wearing “5.0” badges proudly on the fenders, and GM had been playing keep-up with the third-generation F-bodies, the Mustang’s natural rivals. That all changed when the new-for 1993 Camaro and Firebird came out swinging with the 275-horsepower LT-1, a six-speed, and a top speed that flirted with 160 miles an hour. Suddenly the Mustang GT’s 215 horsepower seemed rather short, and Ford’s Special Vehicle Team got to work on a more refined, more sorted and slightly more powerful version, which got the name Cobra.
SVT didn’t want to just make a fire breather Mustang to stomp Z28s and Trans Ams into the ground, and they were quick to inform auto reviewers of that when they got the Cobra to test. But to go to all of the trouble of building up a special Mustang, the Windsor-powered Cobras fell a bit short, with 240 horsepower and 285 ft/lbs of torque. It’d run a high-14 quarter stock, but the 1994 Firebird Formula V8 would run a 14-flat. For the guy who bought the car new off of the lot, the Cobra left a lot on the table. But 22 years later, the warranty is gone and if this particular Cobra we found on Craigslist is still running 200-something horses underhood, then it’s high time for the 5.0 to get a serious kick in the ass. And it’s not going to break the bank too much to do, but first you need a good car to start with.
The SN-95 Mustang isn’t everybody’s favorite…got it. But you aren’t dealing with a Fox that has probably been through several owners, some of which drove the car with pure malice. Not to say that this Cobra was immune from that life…but SN-95s, even Cobras, are underrated for their potential. The SVE wheels are a nice touch, the white body is in decent shape, and the interior doesn’t appear to be CDC-level problematic. As it sits at $4,500, this Cobra is already ideal for the budget. If you’re good, you can talk the price down some more, throw some gears in that rear end, and start saving up for the 347 stroker that this snake truly needs.
Craigslist Link: 1994 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra
Originally when these cars came out, didn’t care for the care for them. Its hard to beat the fox body! Over the years they have grown on me and this one is a real nice example. Upgrade the 5.0 and put in some 3.73, this car will be killer.
Ever since I saw this video, I’ve wanted to build one of those Mustangs.
https://youtu.be/Te0V71sGoxA
I thought I’d have to read a book for a diovecsry like this!
Until I found this I thought I’d have to spend the day inside.
The Fox Body’s ugly sister – no matter how much horses were allowed to play under the hood this would still be a car to be only driven at night…..
Everyone talks about the Fox body like it was good looking or something. Dull as ditch water! Anything before or after was an improvement, at least to look at.