John King
Why someone would modify an '04 Mystichrome Cobra convertible is beyond us, but John King also purchased a rare and modified Saleen Speedster, so this is nothing new to him. John purchased the Saleen Speedster right before last year's KOTS event just to have a car in the competition. The Saleen did well with a Vortech-huffed 400ci Windsor.
This year, John's battle axe of choice is this '04 Mystichrome convertible. Featuring a ProCharger-equipped Four-Valve, the convertible is solid. You get quite a bit of cowl shake (that's when the windshield has a bit of wobble to it; yes, that's a technical term) with many convertibles. However, John's didn't suffer from cowl shake thanks to a variety of chassis upgrades.
John's convertible also doesn't suffer from a lack of power from the aforementioned powerplant. The Cobra made 806 hp on the dyno, which is really surprising because the power is so linear, it wasn't a mad rush like the turbo cars in the competition. We noted the power isn't peaky, if that's a word. It gives you a chance to get ready for it. With many of the turbo cars in the competition, the horsepower comes as a mad onslaught. Not that it's a bad thing, but John's car gave us a chance to ready the troops before being overtaken.
Something else we like about John's car is that the tune is right on with zero hiccups. The blower noise isn't overt, and it makes nice sounds. The exhaust note isn't too obnoxious, and it gave us a chance to listen to the stock stereo. There isn't anything too loud about John's convertible, so for it to make over 800 rwhp is astounding.
His Cobra has a nice gauge layout, and the D&D Performance shifter attached to the T56 is perfect. The Zoom clutch has great feel and was easy to use. The only downfall to the car's tune is that the idle is higher than normal.
John finished just behind Dan Schoneck, the guy who did a lot of the work on the Cobra. John scored a 6 in the Horsepower category with 806 hp, and a 12.74/118-mph resulted in a 4 in the Drag Race. Tech Editor KJ Jones gave John's convertible an 8 in Engineering, while Editor Turner was a little brutal, giving the car a 7 in the Fit and Finish. The car earned an 8 in the Ride and Drive, but John and his wife, Megan, did some heavy lobbying for the Popular Vote, scoring a 10 in that category. John's final score was a 74.5.
John's final score could have been helped by the same thing that all the competitors could've used-more horsepower.
| 5.0 Tech Specs |
| ENGINE AND DRIVETRAIN | pump, -8 lines, Weldon regulator, |
| Block | CPR fuel rails, FRPP 160 lb/hr |
| Stock '04 Cobra iron | injectors, VersaFueler injector |
| Displacement | driver |
| 281 ci | Exhaust |
| Rotating Assembly | Bassani Xhaust mid-length |
| Stock | headers, X-style crossover pipe, |
| Camshafts | and after-cat |
| Stock | Transmission |
| Cylinder Heads | T56, 26-spline input shaft, carbon |
| Stock | blockers, billet keys, Zoom twin- |
| Intake Manifold | disc clutch, D&D Performance |
| ProCharger | shifter, stock driveshaft |
| Throttle Body | Rearend |
| Accufab single blade | Stock IRS |
| Mass Air | |
| Sniper | ELECTRONICS |
| Power Adder | Engine Management |
| ProCharger F-1C, Factory '04 | Stock computer, DiabloSport tune |
| Cobra intercooler, Fluidyne heat | by DynoTunes |
| exchanger, custom eight-rib | Ignition |
| accessory drive system, Nitrous | Stock, Kenne-Bell Boost-a-Spark |
| Express 75 shot nitrous kit | Gauges |
| Fuel System | Stock, Auto Meter boost and |
| Magnafuel EFI Tuner series fuel | fuel pressure, AEM Wideband |