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Re: Replacing my 03 cobra
Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2022 8:57 pm
by Chris GTO TT
When I saw the picture on bookface I was like "wait I thought they wouldn't fit?"

Re: Replacing my 03 cobra
Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2022 1:50 am
by vr4
13/14 gt500 intercooler pump. (Pierburg cwa50)
Built up a bracket to mount it in the stock location using stock hoses. Monster heat exchanger should be here tomorrow. Turning the stock IC reservoir into a degas bottle. Apparently this pump flows like a fire hose compared to the stock one so it really aerates the coolant when set up in the stock configuration. Hopefully with the heat exchanger it'll slow things down enough to not be too much.
There's a guy on YouTube with an emp wp32. Makes the cwa50 look like a straw. Watching his videos he doesn't seem to have very good recovery or iat2 temp control after a pull. I suspect it flows too fast to efficiently transfer heat.
That's a huuuuge bitch.
Hope it fits.

Re: Replacing my 03 cobra
Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2022 1:30 am
by vr4
It's too big.
Gonna try a couple things before I either decide to cut the car apart to fit it or just buy a smaller one.
Re: Replacing my 03 cobra
Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2022 2:18 am
by Duck Vader
Going for that Lexus look I see.
Re: Replacing my 03 cobra
Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2022 4:46 am
by vr4
[quote=""Duck Vader""]Going for that Lexus look I see.[/quote]
I want the bumper on there. That's the problem
Re: Replacing my 03 cobra
Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2022 4:51 am
by ChargerX3
Like that Suzuki
Oh nice grill
Re: Replacing my 03 cobra
Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2022 6:10 am
by vr4
[quote=""ChargerX3""]Like that Suzuki
Oh nice grill[/quote]
1.6 esteem swapped. She kinda rips for being a little shitbox.
I actually embarrassed a guy with his girl in an integra GSR with it. Kinda funny tbh.
Not for sale
My next project (if I ever get the motivation) is esteem 1.8 swap. I keep killing the trans so I'm hoping the 1.8 holds up better but it might be too tall to fit under the hood. I really don't want to cut it.
Re: Replacing my 03 cobra
Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2022 9:01 am
by DCIV
Surprised you couldn’t find out what size fits from mustang forums? Is it really too big?
Coop
Re: Replacing my 03 cobra
Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2022 3:49 pm
by ChargerX3
[quote=""vr4""]1.6 esteem swapped. She kinda rips for being a little shitbox.
I actually embarrassed a guy with his girl in an integra GSR with it. Kinda funny tbh.
Not for sale
My next project (if I ever get the motivation) is esteem 1.8 swap. I keep killing the trans so I'm hoping the 1.8 holds up better but it might be too tall to fit under the hood. I really don't want to cut it.[/quote]
That is a big motor for such a small car. I like it.
You should do a 1.8L build. How easy do all the parts interchange with the car?
Re: Replacing my 03 cobra
Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2022 5:03 pm
by vr4
[quote=""ChargerX3""]That is a big motor for such a small car. I like it.
You should do a 1.8L build. How easy do all the parts interchange with the car?[/quote]
I was the first to do a 1.6 swap. Did a write up on the swift forums but the board is gone. Engine itself nearly bolts in. Need to use the 1.6 bellhousing and 1.3 center case for reasons. 1.6 injectors and 1.3 manifold.
1.8 will definitively be a process. It shares nothing with the g series engine.
Re: Replacing my 03 cobra
Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2022 5:13 pm
by ChargerX3
That's some cool stuff right there.
Re: Replacing my 03 cobra
Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2022 10:08 pm
by vr4
Things are happening
Re: Replacing my 03 cobra
Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2022 10:15 pm
by Duck Vader
Good
Re: Replacing my 03 cobra
Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2022 10:15 pm
by DCIV
[quote=""vr4""]Things are happening[/quote]
Does it move back and forth by itself?
Coop
Re: Replacing my 03 cobra
Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2022 12:58 am
by vr4
[quote=""DCIV""]Does it move back and forth by itself?
Coop[/quote]
I drove it home back in May. Went back to the shop yesterday to pull the engine back out.
This is becoming a familiar sight for this car.
Header off. New poly engine mounts going in.
Hey....I can see the starter!!!
It sat in that hole in the old header. Ain't no way you're changing that with it in the car.
Cyl 3 primary tube wraps around the starter on the kooks. ARH are routed differently and gives access to the starter while installed.
On the driver's side the kooks wrap around the steering shaft. Nothing wrong with it but makes pulling or reinstalling the k-member a bit more difficult.
That said...kooks are much easier to install and access all mounting hardware. Only reason I changed them was my kooks were very rusty from sitting for 10 years. They were from before they only did stainless. Secondary reason is the ARH tuck a little tighter to the body. The kooks were about 3" off the ground.
Re: Replacing my 03 cobra
Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2022 4:03 am
by vr4
Engine in and running as of Sunday. Gained about an inch of ground clearance at the headers. Heat exchanger mounted. Front bumper on. Gonna finish up the HE plumbing tomorrow. Decided I'll probably just wrap the hood and mirrors in carbon instead of painting them. Still gonna need to paint the rear bumper and side skirts.
Also just found out my 6/02 production 18k mile car that I bought with 9400 miles in 06 has a 6/03 production engine in it with the latest revision cylinder heads. That means updated coolant flow and 9 thread spark plug holes!!!! I always wondered how I lucked out with a very early production car that didn't get the head tick. Now it makes sense.
Re: Replacing my 03 cobra
Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2022 3:52 pm
by DCIV
That is super lucky! I bet it sounds good. I always wanted a cobra.
Coop
Re: Replacing my 03 cobra
Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2026 7:20 pm
by vr4
whelp....back at it doing unnecessary shit instead of paintwork.
original brakes worked fine but were due for replacement, and kinda ugly from sitting near 20 years.
cadillac XTS front brembo calipers (thanks again jeff), 11-14 mustang brembo package front rotors, stock rear calipers with brackets to push them out, 13/14 gt500 rear rotors. Z26 pads all around for now. went with civic type r front pads since nobody local listed Z26s for the cadillac and didnt feel like spending time breaking down what was out there for thicknesses and whatnot with the 1001 backing plate.
Front before
Front rotors
Front after
Rear before
Rear rotors
Rear after
for our resident brake bias expert....this setup gives me a 70.7% front bias. stock is 72.6% front.
https://www.svtperformance.com/threads/ ... s.1211983/
Re: Replacing my 03 cobra
Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2026 9:42 pm
by aaronatstate
Any of the 1001 pads will fit in those calipers. EvoX 1001A pads are thicker, but they’ll still work with a 32mm thick rotor (this is what I run on the stealth)
Re: Replacing my 03 cobra
Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2026 12:54 am
by Jeff V.
That's awesome. Those calipers cleaned up nice.
