You sit kind of high in the front seat; I always found myself hitting down on the seat adjuster in h

Ford Mustang is as American as apple pie. In 1994, Ford introduced the new Mustang, to much fan-fare, to celebrate its 25th Anniversary. Ford’s SVT , or Special Vehicle Team, was quick to offer a limited edition Cobra model. In 1996, Ford got rid of their old OHV 5.0L V-8 in exchange for a SOHC 4.6L to help meet emission lightweight travel trailers regulations. The new engine lightweight travel trailers produced about the same amount of power as the old engine but was much more versatile. The Cobra model got a DOHC version of the 4.6 to help the engine breathe deeper at high rpms. The results were a 40% increase in horsepower and a 5% increase in torque over the Mustang GT; that brought the total to a tire-shredding 300 horsepower and 305 ft lbs of torque.
The first thing I noticed about the 1997 triple black Cobra convertible, as it sat on the car lot right next to a Jaguar XK8, was how good looking it was even compared to a car known for its sexy sheet metal. The car looks the best when you look at it head on. It’s two non-functional hood scoops give the car a sort of snarling warthog like quality. Its two small round fog lamps, an SVT trademark, give the car a distinct front bumper compared to its V-6 and GT brothers. If you look at the Cobra from the side or from behind the car looks like every other Mustang on the road except for a few Cobra Badges and a different lightweight travel trailers spoiler. The car looks better as a hardtop and looks best as a convertible with its top down.
The ragtop on this car is of a good quality. Pulling up the parking brake, unlatching two latches and holding lightweight travel trailers a button is all that is necessary to bring the top down in about 25 seconds. The speed of the top is normal lightweight travel trailers for a convertible. Although it is not considered slow, it takes long enough to make you worry about not being completely finished by the time the light turns green. The top seals nicely and has never shown any signs of leakage even during Florida’s daily afternoon showers.
As you enter the cabin the first thing I noticed was the rather monotone approach Ford took. I know having an all black car is suppose to be cool but having every inch of leather, plastic, knob, pull and lever draped in black makes the interior feel boring and cheap. The only color inside the entire car is the white face gauges and the metal for the seat belts. The door slams shut like a piece of solid tin; it is not quite as bad as say a Camaro but definitely not up to today’s standards. The plastic that surrounds you in the cabin is of a solid quality although not all the pieces seem to fit perfectly and areas like the door pull have proven weaker then other areas. After about one year the door pull started having more and more wiggle room although it has never actually broken off. The controls are simplicity at its best and it helps show the rental car fleet opportunities for the cheaper Mustang models. The controls are ergonomically correct and they serve their purpose; it just will not impress that Saturday night date. The biggest fumble in the car’s interior lightweight travel trailers is the cup holder that unfolds from the center console and sits right in front of the shift lever. So either you have to learn to contour your arm in new ways to shift or simply never actually use the cup holder while driving.
You sit kind of high in the front seat; I always found myself hitting lightweight travel trailers down on the seat adjuster in hopes of finding a new, lower setting. The passenger has it even worse as their seat actually sits a noticeable five or six inches lightweight travel trailers above the driver seat and gives you the feeling of sitting on the car instead of in it; their seat cannot be adjusted for height. The driver seat can be adjusted for back support; I wish you could adjust the side bolsters since it is almost nonexistent, which means you have to brace your stomach muscles to help from sliding on the flat backrest. As much as I wanted the seat to go a little lower, I constantly wanted the seat to go a little farther back. Anyone around lightweight travel trailers or above six feet will have to bend their knees a little to compensate for the lack of leg room. The back seat is squishy for anyone lightweight travel trailers over four feet tall and is best reserved for the kids. The roof does not interfere with people in the back seat like some small cars do, and with the ability to lower the roof no one should have a problem with headroom in the backseat.
With a twist of a key, the engine erupts lightweight travel trailers to life with a harmonious burble. It’s the kind of sound other people seek with their aftermarket Flow Master exhaust and might quite possibly be one of the greatest aspects of the car. The sound that exits the back of the car as it rips through the rev range maybe better then the best V-8s that the 60’s offered and can be compared to works of Mozart and Beethoven.
The Cobra rides on 245/35Z 17s so driving done any street will bring about plenty of road noise. The tires, wind and engine noise grow incrementally with speed and ensure an extra couple clicks up on the radio volume. Some may chalk this up to the price you pay for performance. In my opinion, I would rather hear a little more road noise to help enhance the feeling of speed over the vault-like quiet that some more expensive sports cars offer. Idle is muted except for the small satisfying tone exiting the twin chrome tail pipes. Speaking of radio, the Cobra comes standard with the Ford’s Mach 360 sound system. Although a clear step up from the standard radio it still leaves one wanting more and owners lightweight travel trailers may want to upgrade it a little in the future.
The car has a generous amount of torque that make even second gear starts feasible. Although, it is after 3000 rpm that things are kicked up a notch. At about 3200 rpm the engine switches to a different lob on the cam to allow for better breathing. The result is a small yet noticeable lightweight travel trailers boost of power that lasts until the 6500 redline. The 5-speed shifter, the only transmission offered, is smooth but not exceptionally tight and the throws are pretty long as well. The car is not break-neck fast however it is quick, especially if you keep the engine in the meatier section of the rev range that seems to be above 3000 but below 6000. The combination of objects flying by as speed builds with the sound of the raspy exhaust note over your shoulder while standing lightweight travel trailers on the gas pedal, say while heading up a highway onramp, is one of those moments in life that you wish you could live over and over again. The experience is sure to bring a smile to anyone’s face and is enough to reclassify this car’s follies as minor inconviences. Motor Trend clocked a 1998 Cobra coupe at 5.4 seconds to sixty and through the quarter mile gates at 14 seconds going 101 miles per hour. I would add a couple ticks to that clock for a convertible.
Ford’s lightweight travel trailers Special Vehicle Team motto has always been to tune the suspension for the best of both worlds. To make a car that can handle the corners while making the car still comfortable. They have done a commendable job. The car rides relatively smooth for a sports car, only the rougher patches of pavement and railroad tracks disturb the car enough to make it feel jarring. It soaks up expansions joints well and manages to be sportier yet more comfortable then the suspension offered in the GT. The car has mass amounts of understeer and then lets you know it has hit its limits through some controllable snap oversteer. SVT did a good job considering what they had to work with. The greatest detraction from this car’s ride quality lightweight travel trailers has more to do with the platform that it is built on. The Fox platform that this car is built on dates back to the late 70’s and it shows. Even with the extra bracing that is inherit with all convertibles; it just cannot handle really rough sections of pavement without the whole car being disrupted. The car platform just shakes lightweight travel trailers about like a limp noodle and it causes the whole car to jostle on the road. The outcome is a car that shakes after big bumps and becomes down right scary at speed. If you come across a choppy street at high speeds the car loses sight of where it is suppose lightweight travel trailers to be going because of the pronounced steering wheel jerks and axle hop caused by the solid rear axle. You must constantly keep an eye for rough pavement if you want to really drive this thing fast.
The car has gotten a steady lightweight travel trailers 19 miles to the gallon with a small bump for highway driving. With today’s gas prices and the fact it needs premium over regular gas does leave any possible buyers something to reconsider. My sledgehammer right foot probably does not help matters. The car’s maintenance was never too expensive although there is a premium for those Cobra parts. The brakes, tires and pricey plugs and wires for the tune-ups were probably the most expensive regular maintenance items for this car. Kelley Blue Book has the private party value at around $10,000 for one in good condition and with 50,000 lightweight travel trailers miles on it. For a car that is ten years old and was originally sold for $29,000, depreciation has been mostly minimal. Due to its limited availability, awe inspiring looks, spine tingling exhaust note, solid performance and great ride balance this car will probably be sought after by many Mustang enthusiasts in the future.