1994 Ford Mustang Cobra - Green With Envy

John kept a lot of the parts on this car stock or near-stock for as long as he could. And a lot of that engineering makes it more streetable-an attribute that Mike sure is happy with. We think we would be kind in saying that 38 lb/hr injectors are marginal for this application. But, John has kept the boost low (12 psi) and the rpm range sane (Mike shifts around 5,500 rpm), so the whole thing seems to be working well together for now. For this kind of motor, with 18-plus psi, we'd like to see at least 72 lb/hr injectors in the car. But, for driving back and forth to car shows with a quick blast through the bottom two gears at a stop light, Mike has the perfect mix of parts.

Is the finished project just what Mike wanted? You bet. Here's how Mike summed up his Cobra: "It's a fun car for me. I drive it to all the shows. I bought it brand new, and over the last 10 years, I've just added a little bit at a time. Oh, I drive it. I've gone to St. Louis, all over Illinois, and to Bowling Green for the NMRA World Finals. It uses a lot of gas, but it'll go anywhere I want it to!"

John recently built and dyno tested a clone to Mike's car, and it cranked off 644 rwhp without breaking a sweat. That car runs 10.80s with ease, so Mike thinks he's right in that same performance range. Like many street cars that are on that edge of street and race, Mike has some tough decisions to make for the future of this Cobra. To his credit, he already knows that he needs more fuel system (at least 50 lb/hr injectors and the lines, rails, and pump to feed them), some exhaust upgrades, more suspension, and a roll cage. He's already been told that he's no longer welcome at his home track, Indianapolis Raceway Park. So, a cage is a must-do if he ever wants to get back to the track.

Perhaps the most dangerous part of this car is that Mike is still running around with the stock rear differential and axles in place with just a set of 3.73 gears added. With this kind of power, puking an axle at 100 mph is a reality, so we were relieved when Mike told us the spool and race axles are in the mail.

So, the modifications and upgrades continue for Mike Green, perhaps just like your project Mustang. Where they stop, no one knows for sure. Mike's wife is so attuned to the attraction that he has for his Cobra that she teases him by calling the car "Precious." To that we say, "It's OK, Mrs. Green, it is only going to get worse now that the car has been featured in the pages of 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords magazine!"