August 11, 2004----my first payment of $160 is due on the 1995 Cobra. price of the car was $7750 with a loan value of $7950 plus 5.9% interest over 60 months. the Cobra was driveable when I bought it but it needed 4 new tires, new clutch (shattered throwout bearing), new windshield (cracked), MAF sensor electronics needed to be replaced, the coolant system was 75% clogged (includes shattered thermostat), the traction-lok needed to be rebuilt and it needed a tuneup-----as a result it wouldn't even pass the Virginia state inspection when I bought it. First replacements included a factory MAF from Kimnach Ford in Virginia Beach for $250. A new clutch install was $600---I basically got ripped off because I had to go to a Midas muffler place to have it done as a "favor" to this guy who installed the new clutch in Nikki's mustang for $300 awhile back.

February 26th, 2005----73mm C&L MAF sensor bought for $75 used, and installed it. resulted in excellent throttle response, much improved over the "delayed" response with the stock MAF.

March 1st, 2005----bought these parts
-- Tokico Advanced Suspension system which includes shocks, struts and springs all tuned to lower the car 1.5 inches. ($370 shipped--Ebay, brand new)

-- new quad shocks ($60 shipped---brand new on Ebay)

--Energy Suspension Hyperflex system ($185 shipped at www.energysuspensionparts.com).

March 4th, 2005----MSD TFI Blaster coil for $50 from Performance Unlimited in Norfolk, VA., i think it may have eliminated my little problem with the defroster. Every time i turned on the defroster the idle and charging gauge would drop and rise. now i have a steady idle and steady charging gauge. ($49.95 at Performance Unlimited a few minutes from my house.)

March 14th, 2005----installation of 275/40R17 BF Goodrich Comp T/A drag radials. I bought them for $150 from a guy on www.Stangnet.com classifieds.

March 16-18th, 2005----installation of Tokico suspension complete. all new shocks, struts, springs and quad shocks. My buddy Steve worked through the weekend to get it finished in time for my drive out to Nikki's house. I had to work all day Saturday so I could only help Friday night and all day Sunday.

April 1st, 2005----purchased BBK polished aluminum underdrive pulleys from Summit Racing for $118.83

April 3rd, 2005----purchased 94-98 Cobra diamond clear headlight/sidemarker set from Ebay for $138.

April 15th, 2005----installed BBK polished aluminum underdrive pulleys. discovered a possible faulty alternator as the charge dropped from 13V to about 10.5V

April 20th, 2005----had the Positrac rebuilt and 3:73 gears installed. car takes off a lot quicker from standstill. haven't tried a burnout yet though. $353 at Street Motorsports in Cheasepeake, Virginia. because of the new gears, my speedometer is off by about 15mph.

April 21st, 2005----installed new diamond clear headlamps and sidemarkers. purchased and installed the speedometer recalibration gear. $17.95 at Kimnach Ford in Virginia Beach. the speedometer is now correct to within 1-2mph.

April 26th, 2005----replaced Harmonic Balancer, advanced ignition timing to 13 degrees. $50 at a friends shop out in Rhode Island.

May 9th, 2005----purchased silver decal letters ($6.20) for the rear bumper recessed area reading "MUSTANG", also a 13" black antenna ($10.49) to replace the 31" stock metal one.

May 15th, 2005----purchased a used MAC catalytic H-pipe in exceptionally good condition from a seller on stangnet.com for $190 (includes the $154 UPS shipping charge)

May 27th, 2005----installed silver letter decals on the back bumper, 13" shorty antenna and Mac hi-flow catalytic h-pipe. the cobra now sounds like a late 60's muscle car with the new h-pipe, later this summer i'll install the Flowmaster American Thunder series cat back system with stainless steel tips. the car is loud right now, but can you say LOUDER?

June 3rd, 2005----purchased billet aluminum idler pulley from ebay for $49.98.

June 15th, 2005----purchased the Flowmaster American Thunder catback exhaust system with stainless steel tips (pn. 17212) from Summit Racing. shipping took 2 days. cost $334 including s/h. Installed June 17th.

June 14th, 2005----won a complete 1990 T-Bird Supercoupe including supercharger and intercooler for $300 in an Ebay auction. Its engine/supercharger will be installed in the Opal Frost v6 mustang the summer of 2006.

June 25th, 2005----purchased a Steeda adjustable clutch cable ($39.95) and a Steeda double hook billet aluminum clutch quadrant ($34.95) from Ebay. These will be installed on July 22nd when i get home from my underway period with the ship.

July 2nd, 2005----purchased a Walbro 255lph fuel pump from Ebay for $99 including free shipping and a 6 month manufacturer warranty.

July 3rd, 2005----purchased a set of 1.25" wheel spacers from Ebay for $65 including free shipping.

July 18th, 2005----purchased B&M short throw shifter from Stangnet.com for $60 including shipping. purchased Hurst T handle from Clausenracing.com for $28.24 including $6.25 shipping charge.

July 21st, 2005----installed Hurst T handle.

July 22nd, 2005----installed Steeda adjustable clutch cable and clutch quadrant. the clutch has an overall less tensioned feel to it. its very sensitive. also installed the 1.25" wheel spacers which let the rear tires fill out the the fenderwell a little more. looks a lot better than stock.

July 30th, 2005----picked up two new Goodyear Eagle GS-C tires for the front of my Cobra for $150. for an extra $50 i also got a pair of MAC shortie headers w/ bolts, a 3/8" phenolic spacer with one upper intake gasket and bolts(got the other one at Autozone for $11.99), two 1/2" wheel spacers, a chrome water pump/thermostat neck and assorted polyurethane bushings. i also got a stiffer chassis brace which connects to the K-member.

August 5th, 2005----installed 3/8" phenolic spacer. went to C D Performance in Fall River, Massachusetts for a dyno run on their DynoJet. the Cobra put out 243rwhp and 295lb/ft. of torque. (estimated 290hp, 350lb/ft. of torque at the flywheel)

August 8th, 2005----purchased and installed an FRPP aluminum driveshaft from C D Performance. $210 for the driveshaft, $50 for installation.

August 26th, 2005----replaced the very worn out BF Goodrich drag radials in the rear with 255/45zr17 Goodyear GS-C tires. replaced the front tires with 245/45zr17 Falken tires. I miss the extra grip of the drag radials (during the summertime anyway lol) :(

August 30th, 2005----My girlfriend Nikki takes the Cobra back to her house in Rhode Island.

September 1st, 2005----I leave with my ship USS Theodore Roosevelt, CVN-71 for a regularly scheduled 6-month deployment to the Persian Gulf. We're expected to return home April 6th. When i return home i'd like to at least have a set of 18" 2003-4 Cobra rims, silver or chrome and a pair of Twisted Wedge heads which i want to have ported/polished. A matching cam too. My goal is at least 302rwhp from my naturally aspirated engine.

November 27th, 2005----I win a set of metallic silver 18X9" Saleen Speedline rims from Ebay for $340 plus $120 shipping and handling.

January 13th, 2006----bought a Ford Racing 31-spline differential with 3.73 gears and rebuilt traction loc, completely assembled for $300 from my buddy Pete in Lima, Ohio. I found his advertisement for it on www.corral.net

January 21st, 2006----purchased a Kirban fuel pressure regulator for $86.90 including shipping from Ebay.

February 24th, 2006----purchased a set of 4 Ford Racing "cobra" calipers powdercoated red from www.blueovalindustries.com for $421 including shipping and handling.

February 26th, 2006----purchased a set of black powdercoated full length subframe connectors (manufacturer unknown) from a guy on the stangnet classifieds for $47 including shipping.

February 27th, 2006----Richie's Auto Radio in N. Dartmouth Massachusetts installs a deluxe alarm system on my car.

March 14th, 2006----got a complete Mach 460 sound system for the Opal Frost mustang; $250 from a guy on the Corral.net classifieds and includes s/h. also purchased a mechanical schrader valve mounted Accel fuel pressure gauge from Summit Racing for $63 including s/h.

March 21st, 2006----installed fuel pressure gauge and adjustable fuel pressure regulator. set fuel pressure at 33psi with vacuum hose attached; 44psi with it removed.

March 22nd, 2006----CD Performance in Fall River Mass. installs subframe connectors on the Cobra for $100.

March 31st, 2006----purchased a new MSD Pro-Billet distributor (MSD-8455) from Summitracing.com for $294 (distributor was $257 after instant rebate) shipped. I needed a new distributor because the old one died on the New Jersey turnpike while I was on my way home from leave on the 29th.

April 1st, 2006----replaced distributor but car still wouldn't start. replaced ignition module, still wouldn't start; no spark at ignition coil so i replaced the ignition coil---got a spark. i guess the spark plug wires were in the wrong firing order on the distributor cap because guess what? it started!!....smoothed out the rough idle but now i still have a hesitation in throttle response

April 4th, 2006----replaced the Bosch Platinum +4 plugs with Autolite cheapy ones. the #1 plug had a lot of carbon buildup probably due to the timing issue after replacing the distributor. also replaced the Ford Racing ignition wires (went from red to blue this time) the difference in total resistance between the two sets was about 0.78 Ohms with the advantage to the new blue set.

April 16th, 2006----bought an MSD 6A igntion box and the TFI wiring harness from Summit Racing for $155 including shipping after $30 instant rebate and redemption of 20 Summit Bucks. also 10 more Summit Bucks on this purchase.

April 18th, 2006----set ignition timing to 15 degrees at Steen Racing in Norfolk, VA. also suggested replacement of harmonic balancer.

April 19-20th, 2006----installed MAC shortie headers w/ copper gaskets that Eric gave me at Jack's house. cost $65.

April 24th, 2006----bought a Professional Products Power Force Plus harmonic balancer ($140) and required spacer ($17) for $175 including shipping from www.blueovalindustries.com; too bad they sent the stuff out to Rhode Island when i put Virginia as my shipping address. DOH!!

April 27th, 2006----bought a pair of brand new cross-drilled and slotted Rotopros Cobra rotors to replace my rear rotors. they are 11.65 inches in diameter and cost $105 after shipping from a guy on the Stangnet.com classifieds.

May 4th, 2006----bought a rio red "cobra" rear bumper from a guy out in Maryland for $300. This bumper came from a wrecked 97 Cobra. also included in the $300 deal; a practically new leather shifter boot and bezel and both passenger/driver side Mach 460 tweeter enclosures.

May 5th, 2006----installed the Cobra rear bumper.

May 20-21st, 2006----installed 10th Anniversary red powdercoated front calipers and Bullitt red powdercoated rear calipers. also installed cross-drilled/slotted rotors on the rear. ordered brand new cross-drilled/slotted rotors for the front from Ebay, cost $122.41 with shipping.

June 1st, 2006----replaced drivers side 40-series Flowmaster muffler because part of the drivers side catalytic converter material broke loose and got trapped in the muffler. replaced by Big Al's Muffler in Norfolk, cost $166 with military discount. A ridiculous ripoff but i wasn't going to wait around to buy it for $70 from Summit and wait for it to be shipped out to me.

June 8th, 2006----purchased a BBK 65mm throttle body from a guy on corral.net for $100.

June 13th, 2006----installed BBK 65mm throttle body. cleaned up stock 60mm throttle body and its ready for sale.

June 15th, 2006----FINALLY recieved the spacer for my Professional Products Harmonic damper. I had ordered it from blueovalindustries.com on April 24th and after over a month and a half they shipped it out to the wrong address again. The shipping invoice specifically said for it to be shipped to Norfolk Virginia but somehow they ended up shipping it to Rhode Island. i also ordered a new header panel from Ebay for $44.99 including shpping. the rivet holes used for holding the upper portion of the front bumper to the header panel were drilled out and the headlights sit pretty loosely in their slots on the current header panel.

June 25th, 2006----installed new front header panel and did an oil change at 130,500 miles on the Cobra.

June 30th, 2006----ordered a new cold air induction system from Ebay (the fenderwell mounting plate was missing from the cold air kit that came with the car when I bought it) for $44.99 which includes shipping. bought a Summit line lock system ($64.95) and the Hurst T-Command shifter ($29.88) from Summit Racing. total was $104.78 after shipping charges.

July 1st, 2006----made the final payment on the Cobra, i now own it free and clear in less than 2 years.

July 2nd, 2006----installed the Walbro 255lph fuel pump. took 6 hours doing it by myself and for the first time. cost was $17.25 at the Oceana NAS hobby shop vs. $112 for a mechanic to do it at 2 hours of labor. it was worth the 6 hours because i learned quite a bit about the setup of my gas tank.

July 3rd, 2006----shipped the Powerforce harmonic balancer back to Blue Oval Industries because its not the PowerForce Plus that I ordered.

July 7th, 2006----picked up the necessary brake line fittings and new brake line for a clean line lock install. the 95 GT's/Cobras with ABS use M12 and M10 fittings to hold the brake line into the ABS box. special adapters/fittings required to fit the 3/16ths brake line to the M12 fittings are available at NAPA auto parts. the M12 male bubble flare to 3/16 inverted flare female adapter for the ABS box is available at Advance Auto Parts.

July 19th, 2006----received the correct PowerForce Plus harmonic damper for my Cobra sent directly from Professional Products. attempted to install it but found out that I need longer bolts to hold the crank pulley to the damper adapter and damper. the stock size is 3/8 X 16 X 1.0 inch. i had also installed the new cross-drilled and slotted front rotors only to have a heavy vibration when i tested them out. i stopped in the Autozone parking lot and switched the sides the rotors were on but still had the vibration. I went back to the Autozone parking lot and reinstalled the stock rotors which resulted in the vibration disappearing. the new rotors were at fault, either they are warped or not laterally correct.

August 3rd, 2006----bought a black Steeda strut tower brace for $85 shipped off a guy at the corral.net forums.

August 6th, 2006----bought an almost new Autometer Phantom series Air/Fuel ratio electrical gauge for $40 shipped.

August 10th, 2006----received my Autometer gauge from UPS and got my replacement Hurst T-Command t-handle from Summit Racing.

August 11th, 2006----had to replace the MSD Blaster TFI ignition coil with a stock Motorcraft one; the MSD coil shorted itself causing 5 days of headaches because she was very difficult to start and the throttle response was very sensitive in that it made hard accelerations impossible. Total cost of diagnostic check to find the problem and a replacement (though used)igntion coil was about $85.

August 12th, 2006----purchased an Autometer Sport Comp 2 1/16 electric fuel pressure gauge and its fuel rail adapter from Brothers Performance for $159.77 including shipping after a $75 discount from a clearance sale. normally just the gauge itself was about $185 from Summit and normally $215 from Brothers Performance.

August 14th, 2006----completed installation of the Autometer air/fuel ratio gauge.

August 15th, 2006----installed Steeda strut tower brace.

August 17th, 2006----bought an off-road H-pipe from Jegs for $123 shipped. installed on August 19th. air tube reconnected by a shop out in Fall River, MA.....$50. they found loose O2 sensors and tightened those but cross-threaded them in the process.

August 29th, 2006----picked up an FRPP King Cobra clutch kit and upgraded clutch linkage set from Jegs for $215 shipped. installed my replacement cross-drilled/slotted 13" front rotors from www.rotorworks.com.....it was a whole pain in the drama play with these things because the first set caused a really bad vibration the first time i tested them out. these replacement ones did too but it went away after about 2 hours of driving on them and i haven't had a problem since. i've also gotten a replacement set of Hawk Performance street brake pads for $95 from PepBoys; surprisingly they were the lowest (although equal to Jeg's) priced for those particular pads.

August 30th, 2006----installed the clutch with my buddy Lee Coleman. i'm getting a "check engine" light and with the codes read it looks like a couple of bad O2 sensors. they could not be removed from the H-pipe because they were cross threaded into it by the shop that reconnected the air tube for the EGR system. new O2 sensors cost me $50 apiece at Autozone. also installed a new 180* thermostat for $7. clutch install cost me $23 at the Oceana auto hobby shop compared to $600 to have it professionally installed.

September 6th, 2006----had Steen Racing in Norfolk, Virginia replace my cross threaded bung holes (ok thats funny)....they also welded the cross section of the H-pipe because apparently the C-clamp that was included from Jegs isn't enough to keep it from leaking. Autozone replaced my destroyed Bosch oxygen sensor (which i had just bought less than a week ago) in accordance with the 1 year warranty. it got destroyed because the zip tie holding it to the chassis brace broke so it dragged on the ground until i could stop the car to remove it. it was electrically connected to the computer but zip tied to the k-member brace until the bung holes were fixed. both Oxygen sensors replaced at 135,000 miles.

September 30th, 2006----installed new Ford Racing upper control arms. i returned the clutch linkage kit to Jegs because it wouldn't fit my car and had them credit the refund towards the control arms. $62.

October 8th, 2006----replaced the Duralast Gold battery in the Cobra with a brand new one under warranty from Autozone.

October 10th, 2006----bought a new 200 Amp alternator from a guy on corral.net for $169 shipped.

October 12th----received new alternator and took it to three different Autozones and then an automotive electric shop. all four places said the alternator does not work. returned the alternator to the guy at a shipping cost of $19. asked him for a refund after he tried to charge me more money to repair it even though his warranty said that the alternator was guaranteed for the life of my car.

October 15th, 2006----reinstalled the 3/8 inch phenolic spacer; its installation does not affect the installation of the Steeda strut tower brace.

October 28th, 2006----bought an Anderson Ford Motorsports Aluminum flywheel (barely used) from a guy on ebay for $230; i drove out to pick it up because he was only an hour and a half away.

November 11th, 2006----bought a set of completely ported/polished Twisted Wedge aluminum cylinder heads for the Cobra for $1030 from a guy on the Corral forums. after the port/polish they were rebuilt with .600 lift double springs. also included were a set of Trick Flow hardened push rods.

November 18th, 2006----received the Twisted Wedge heads.

November 14th, 2006----bought a 130Amp Autozone (Valucraft) alternator for $50 from a guy on the corral forums. warranty info was also included.

November 22nd, 2006----received the alternator, had it tested but it failed and was replaced under warranty with a Duralast one.

November 25th, 2006----Audio Concepts in Newport, Rhode Island completed the installation of the Mach 460 upgrade in the v6 mustang. also included in the install was a Sony CDXGT300 CD player stereo (Best Buy, $120; 4-year extended warranty, $20). total cost of the install was $271.40 which included a Ford to Sony wiring harness adapter for the new head unit.

December 6th, 2006----bought a set of used 94/95 Mac Long tube headers from a guy on the Corral classifieds for $160 shipped.

December 8th, 2006----finally received a refund of $169 from the guy that sold me the bad alternator.

December 16-17th, 2006----Travis and I drove out to Aberdeen, Maryland to pick up a 2001 v6 engine with 21,000 miles on it, complete from intake tubing to oilpan for $300. On the way back home we stopped by Union, New Jersey to pick up an 8.8 rearend with a freshly rebuilt trac-lok and 3:73 gears. The seller was also nice enough to paint it a flat black for me. price was $200.

December 22nd, 2006----bought a set of used Maximum Motorsports rear lower control arms with 2 years/1000 miles of use on them. perfect condition, $175 shipped.

December 30th, 2006----picked up a 2.5" Cobra R cowl induction hood painted tahitian sunset with a gold section painted in the center of the hood. also included were hood pins; price was $250 picked up from Massachusetts (like 5 minutes from the guy i bought the aluminum flywheel from).

January 18th, 2007----bought a new clutch fork for the Cobra for $20.60 from a speed shop in Warwick, Rhode Island.

January 20th, 2007----paid $175 shipped for a like new Mac Prochamber O/R h-pipe for longtube headers. was repainted with high temp black paint.

January 24th, 2007----got a set of like new foglights with brackets and switch for $50 shippped from the corral forums.

February 4th, 2007----bought the Felpro 1250 intake manifold gaskets and an FRPP Felpro oilpan gasket for $30 total from an East Providence speed shop called The Drivers Seat. I also bought a set of (4) BBK Gripp rear control arms from a guy on the corral forums for $115 shipped for Nikki's mustang.

February 5th, 2007----bought a set of excellent condition rear taillights from a rio red 94 Cobra. i received one that was a broken on the passenger side but i got a $20 refund because of the damage. total was $64.99 shipped minus the $20 refund.

February 9th, 2007----from Ebay i got a set of Russell stainless steel brake lines for the cobra for $81.00 shipped.

February 15th, 2007----installed foglights onto Nikki's mustang.

February 27th, 2007----purchased a set of barely used Steeda Sport lowering springs for $162.50 from Ebay. I'll try the front ones on the Cobra to see if it lowers the front end a bit more--if it does then the back ones will replace the Tokicos and all four Tokicos will go on Nikki's car.

March 4th, 2007----received my ported stock mass air flow sensor. its ported out to 80mm and is also glass beaded and powdercoated a shiny aluminum color. cost was $56.

March 5th, 2007----sold my old C&L 73mm maf for $75. also bought a "new" rear ABS sensor for the Cobra. unfortunately it tested bad according to the Ford Tech Service website troubleshooting procedure. still working on getting a refund but the guy is being pretty difficult. i paid $41 for it and he only wants to give me $20 back.

March 11th, 2007----bought a used Phantom electric fuel pressure gauge for $104 from a guy off the corral.

March 14th, 2007----bought a brand new King Cobra clutch kit including alignment tool and pilot bearing for $130, free shipping with Buy-It-Now on Ebay. finally i can replace that squeaky throwout bearing in the Cobra.

March 17th, 2007----ordered new Moser 31-spline axles, seals and bearings from CD Performance. as soon as they come in i'll drop off the Cobra so they can be installed along with the 31-spline differential and 3:73 gears that i bought over a year ago. cost was $538.70.

March 18th, 2007----sent the Phantom F/P gauge to Autometer because of a recall on the 5709 gauge model.

March 22nd, 2007----received a brand new replacement gauge, model 5763 from Autometer.

March 26th, 2007----parts finally come in at CD Performance. bought a used custom FTI cam from a guy on the corral forums for $185. this billet steel cam was originally priced at $325 from FlowTech Inductions and was designed to be used specifically with a stock 302 shortblock and Twisted Wedge heads.

March 29th, 2007----dropped off the Cobra at CD Performance for installation of differential, seals, bearings and new Moser axles.

April 6th, 2007----proud owner of a maroon 1987 Mustang GT hatchback for $500. aftermarket parts already installed include American Thunder catback,BBK headers, BBK subframe connectors, BBK upper/lower rear control arms, BBK lowering springs, BBK strut tower brace, new headlights/sidemarkers/middle markters, March underdrive pulleys, new radiator, Cobra upper/lower intake, 75mm Edelbrock throttle body, 3:55 gears (115,000), March ram air kit, Pro 5.0 shifter, new alternator, starter, timing gears/chain, fuel pump (NAPA), Venom Performance control module, Energy Suspension polyurethane motor/transmission mounts, FRPP aluminum driveshaft, brand new 16" star rims with new Bridgestone Potenza tires from Summit Racing and new stock replacement clutch at 125,000 miles. car does not start (no fuel pressure) and the floor pans need to be replaced. picked up a new fuel pump relay from Lacava Sowersby auto parts for $9.50.

April 8th, 2007----troubleshot fuel system and ended up shorting the plug for the inertia switch to get the fuel pump and ECU relays to work again. replaced the dead battery with a new Duralast gold from Autozone for $78 after military discount. found no spark at the coil wire so i replaced the stock ignition coil with the spare MSD Blaster that i had-----spark returned. still no fuel pressure-------will change out the NAPA fuel pump with a Walbro 255lph and a Kirban fuel pressure regulator next weekend to continue fuel system troubleshooting.

April 28th, 2007----began install of King Cobra clutch disc, pressure plate, throwout bearing, pilot bearing, and AFM aluminum flywheel at the Newport naval base hobby shop. Upon disassembly we found that the input bearing retainer was destroyed--the shaft was severed from the mounting plate. After many calls, we finally found one at Herb Chambers Ford in Westborough, Massachusetts; we drove an hour and a half to pick it up. MSRP was $58.90 but the dealership gave it to me for $42 because he's never been able to sell it. CD Performance in Fall River, Mass installed the new retainer and installed the 50oz. imbalance weight onto the aluminum flywheel (bolts holding the 28oz. were impossible to remove without torch heat).

July 1st, 2007----installed the Gen 1 Pro-M A9L conversion kit into the Cobra with the 75mm PMAS meter and A3M1 computer-----no more problems with hesitation.

July 19th, 2007----completed install of the Tokico shocks/struts, Steeda rear lowering springs, BBK rear lower control arms and my old Cobra rear upper control arms (good bushings still) onto Nikki's mustang.

July 20th, 2007----installed the Maximum Motorsports rear lower control arms.

August 12th, 2007----begain install of the Mac 1 5/8" longtube headers and Mac prochamber. could not get #5 primary to attach to head at all, #7 primary aft bolt will not attach either.

August 14th, 2007----dropped off Cobra at CD Performance at Fall River to complete the header install.

August 16th, 2007----picked up Cobra from CD, new dyno numbers are 252.51 rwhp, 292.22 rwtq. longtube install resulted in a power and torque gain across the entire RPM band.

August 23rd, 2007----won a set of Bullitt pedals for Nikki's Mustang from Ebay for $48 shipped.

August 28th, 2007----installed a Mac off-road h-pipe for longtubes on the Cobra. I got it off Ebay for $138.15 shipped.

August 29th, 2007----installed a 70mm Professional Products throttle body on the Cobra. I picked it up at the Fun Ford Weekends show in Epping, New Hampshire

August 30th, 2007----got a set of Bullitt pedals for the Cobra off Ebay for $41.50 shipped. They're from AAC parts who owns the tooling to produce the pedals for Ford.

September 25th, 2007----had the rear main seal, Centerforce throwout bearing and pilot bearing replaced. $335 at ASM Performance in Cranston, Rhode Island.

September 26th, 2007----got an actual A9L processor for install into the Cobra for $75.

October 9th, 2007----replaced the clutch cable with a used one and a Fiore firewall adjuster and Fiore clutch quadrant that I got off a Corral forums member for $50.

March 1st, 2008----164,850 miles-----went to install the Fox Lake stage III ported lower intake and broke a freakin' intake bolt head off in the drivers side cylinder head. After multiple attempts at removing the broken bolt from the head, I decided to remove the motor and drop it off with Lou at ASM Performance. He had a spare set of GT40 heads with new Manley exhaust valves. I bought them from him for $500 which included a basic port job in the price. I also went heywire on the Summitracing catalog and got an FRPP rubber oilpan gasket, Felpro timing/waterpump gaskets, Felpro head gaskets 9333-PT1. From Steve at a Ford dealership in Minnesota I got the following parts at 10% over cost; FRPP E-303 cam, FRPP oil pump driveshaft, FRPP B302 timing set with the special steel cam thrust plate. I already had brand new lifters which I got from a Corral member for $85 shipped. ARP head bolts, lower intake bolts, header bolts and oil pan bolts. A Melling Hi-Volume oilpump was picked up from Advance Autoparts for $28. After motor was removed from the car and dropped off with Lou, he assembled the engine with the mentioned parts for $250 plus $125 for a valve job on my stock intake valves.

June 7th, 2008----finally finished rebuilding my factory T-5 transmission with a rebuild kit from Portland Transmission in Providence, R.I. The rebuild kit cost me $150. I also installed the Energy Suspension polyeurethane tranny mount.

June 25th, 2008----received the engine back at the house from Lou and began prepping it for reinstall. Over the next few days, I cleaned and painted the accessory brackets a bright aluminum color with Dupont engine paint and primer from Autozone. The A/C condensor and compressor along with manifold lines were removed. The smog AIR pump and crossover tube were removed along with various system valves and solenoids. The EGR system was removed along with the gas tube on the passenger side header and an EGR delete plate installed. The engine block and heads, timing cover and waterpump, and thermostat cover were primered then painted Ford Blue. The rare factory "Cobra" valve covers were stripped/primed/repainted with gloss black paint and the drivers side engine plant decal was replaced with a brand new one from PPI.com. The oil cooler and its associated lines were deleted and new coolant hoses routed to the waterpump. A new Motorcraft FL-1A filter was installed with Castrol GTX 10w30 oil.

June 25th to July 1st, 2008----mounted the rebuilt transmission to the engine with clutch, flywheel and bellhousing installed and lowered it into the Cobra as one unit. Installed the Mac longtube headers after repainting them with header paint and used Percy's deadsoft aluminum header gaskets, $35 at Autozone. Installed the Mac 2.5" Prochamber. Reinstalled all associated cooling system components, painted accessory brackets, power steering pump and lines with new line seals and a "short" belt of length 80.5" made by Goodyear/Gatorback. I tried a Gates 80.125" belt from LaCava Sowersby but no combination of belt with smaller diameter idler pulley would allow the belt to be installed. I guess the only solution is a slightly larger alternator pulley to pick up the small slack with the 80.5" Gatorback belt. Set the timing to base 10*

July 2nd, 2008----Finally got the Cobra back from Lou at ASM Performance. For $660 he installed a new Motorcraft waterpump ($60 from Summit with price match), brand new Edelbrock Performer RPM II upper/lower intake manifold and corrected all vacuum leaks. The major vacuum leak which required a new manifold to be purchased was a cracked spacer plate that was epoxied to the GT40 lower manifold runners. Also included was the new clutch cable and brand new Fiore Firewall adjuster. Turns out the Fox Lake stage III ported GT40 lower manifold was no good as it was full of vacuum leaks in the epoxy seals and weld lines. The stage III port job involved cutting/porting/re-welding the lower intake back together. The GT40 lower intake was bought back in January of '08 for $125 plus shipping from a guy on CraigsList. I also replaced the tensioner assembly with a new Gates one from LaCava Sowersby for $62. I have major clutch pedal vibration problems. Maybe I need a new clutch?

July 3rd, 2008----replaced the clutch with a used $35 Valeo set that I bought from a guy on CraigsList. I also installed the brand new clutch fork (minus the weight), pivot ball stud, new Centerforce Throwout bearing (the other one was destroyed completely) and resurfaced factory Cobra flywheel with new FRPP dowels pins and pressure plate bolts. One bolt hole on the AFM aluminum flywheel was stripped hence the use of the resurfaced factory flywheel. All this was done at the Newport Naval Base auto hobby shop for $20 over 8 hours of flat bay rental time. Hopefully this solves the clutch pedal vibration problem. All bolts were torqued to spec according to the Haynes manual.

July 4th, 2008----New dyno numbers following engine topend overhaul, 276rwhp/284rwtq with SCT chip and major heatsoak. I also changed spark plugs to increase the gap from .035 to .054 (factory gap) which resulted in a 2hp increase. Also had the stripped bolt hole in the AFM flywheel re-helicoiled for $20. Still have that damn clutch pedal vibration at high RPMs.

August 20th, 2008----switched out the saleen rims/Eagle F1 tires on the Cobra over to the Mystic. Installed the Mystic's chrome 03 Cobra rims/tires on the Cobra.

August 30th, 2008----installed a set of chrome 03 Cobra rims with 275/40-17 Mickey Thompson ET Street radials on the Cobra. Supposedly was an even trade with the 10.5 chrome Cobra rear rims w/ BFG drag radials with each of us paying our own shipping. The tread on his tires wasn't what he claimed it to be (claimed 70% remaining, both tires are at the wear bars) and the chrome is peeling off the back of the rims. Also, he wasn't happy with the condition of one of the tires I sent him so I sent him $80 towards a new tire which I certainly shouldn't have done.

September 11th, 2008----ordered a new friction surface from AFM for the aluminum flywheel ($75 shipped) and paid Chris at CD performance $330 for a new Spec Stage II clutch.

September 23rd, 2008----ordered a JLT cold air kit from AmericanMuscle.com I got a 6% discount from SVTPerformance.com and with free shipping it came to $202.90

September 30th, 2008----bought a lightweight SLA battery, Odyssey PC680 from Ebay for $115 shipped. This battery only weighs 16.5lbs compared to a conventional wet battery that weighs about 40lbs. Its also a lot smaller.

October 2nd, 2008----picked up the Cobra from CD Performance with the new clutch and resurfaced aluminum flywheel installed. Holy crap does this clutch feel awesome!!!! no vibrations. Chris said my problems with vibration were probably caused by loose bolts on the pressure plate and bellhousing. Installed the JLT cold air kit.

October 3rd, 2008----switched out the front 245/45ZR-17 Toyo tires for 255/40ZR-17 Dunlop SP9000 tires. I ended up with a set of 4 of those Dunlop tires for $40 from a craigslist guy---two of the tires look really good, the other two should be replaced though. Took me for freakin' ever to change out the tires myself at the hobby shop in Groton, CT. cost was $20 for bay time.

October 4th, 2008----New times at New England Dragway and Tasca Day. 13.8 seconds and 105.5mph.

October 19th, 2008----dyno'd the Cobra again with the previous changes, 280rwhp and 293rwtq.

October 20th, 2008----paid Chris at CD Performance $280 to install the 03/04 Cobra front lower control arms with poly bushings and the Maximum Motorsports caster camber plates. also removed the front sway bar.

November 7th, 2008----Michael Arruda picks up the Cobra upper intake, sway bar, brackets and endlinks to sandblast and powdercoat them for $100.

November 11th, 2008----picked up an S-281 spoiler painted Mystic with a few blemishes for $50 from a guy on craigslist. Now to decide whether to use it on the Mystic Cobra or the '95 Cobra.

November 16th, 2008----oil change with Mobil clean 5000 10w30 oil and Motorcraft FL-1A filter. Also changed fuel filter for a new Purolator replacement. 169,250 miles. I also bought an FL-1HP Motorcraft Racing filter from LaCava Sowersby for $10.50 .

November 19th, 2008----Cobra has starting problems. Gatorback belt slips off causing waterpump to stop turning and the Cobra overheats. towed home.

November 20th, 2008----checked compression and spark plugs as well as refilled coolant and checked oil. corrected issue with replacement battery and tightened connectors. Cobra starts/runs fine again, just in time to drop off with Mike. Also replaced slipping Gatorback belt with an 80.375" belt from Napa. Nice, tight fit; the way it should be!

November 23rd, 2008----dropped off the Cobra with Mike Arruda in Pawtucket for the Cobra intake reinstall. He is also powdercoating the black heater coolant tube assembly and sandblasting and clear coating the thermostat housing. Mike does fantastic powdercoating work. He's finished a set of my original Cobra valve covers, a spare set of accessory brackets and cooling tubes for my oil cooler. Its been a pleasure working with this guy as he takes great care and pride in his work. Send me a message if you'd like his contact info. I'd be more than happy to recommend his work to anyone.

November 28th, 2008----dynoed the Cobra with the Tmoss ported Cobra intake. had to take some fuel out to get it to start properly but ended up with 275rwhp and 305rwtq. Later that day Nikki and I left for Winter Haven, Florida---our new home.

November 28th thru November 30th, 2008----Nikki and I drive her '95 mustang and my '95 Cobra down to Winter Haven Florida, a distance of 1380 miles. No issues with the cars at all.

March 13th, 2009----dropped off the Cobra at Precision Collision in Winter Haven, Florida for a months worth of bodywork and paint. The hood will finally match the rest of the car and the S-281 that I've had for probably 6 months now will be installed. The previous owners Maaco paint will be completely stripped and new PPG Rio Red will be sprayed. All at a cost of $4000-$5000....EEEEKK!!.

March 21st, 2009----picked up a set of authentic 18x9 (fronts) and 18x10 (rears) chrome Saleen rims and center caps from the Saleen Speedlab for the Cobra. $1050 plus $115 for shipping.

March 26th, 2009----won a set of 96-98 mustang front spindles from Ebay for $45 shipped. These spindles will work with the 03/04 Cobra front lower control arms to get the car sitting back to its intended height. These control arms with the 94/95 spindles actually raise the car by at least 1/4".

March 27th, 2009----bought a pair of brand new 265/35ZR-18 Eagle F1 GS-D3 tires from ebay for $375 shipped. These are the front tires for the Saleen rims, still looking for rear tires.

April 2nd, 2009----Bought a pair of 295/35ZR-18 Eagle F1 GS-D3 tires from TireRack.com for $639 shipped. Also, Nikki had the front tires mounted and balanced onto the 18x9 chrome Saleen rims and then dropped them off at Precision Collision for install onto the Cobra when it comes out of the body shop.

April 24th, 2009----Brought the Cobra home from the body shop after 6 long weeks. At first (quick) glance, everything looks great------after the long detailed look, too many missed details (by the bodyshop) to count. The holes in the front bumper from the license plate bracket rivets were not filled in before paint like I asked. The hood has a large scrape/chip on the lip near the windshield and the mesh was not installed at the cowl opening like I asked him to do. There were two chips of flaked paint on the passenger side window c-pillar. Although the other three sides of the engine bay turned out fine, the firewall was not touched at all and sticks out like a sore thumb. The proper fasteners for the brand new radiator trim cover (fasteners and cover supplied brand new by me) were not used and when I asked why, Precision Collisions' OWNER (yes, the OWNER) scratched and gouged the new trim cover to remove the wrong fastners so that he could install my correct ones and then shut the hood quickly so I wouldn't notice the gouges and scratches. When I questioned him about this, he admitted to doing the damage but REFUSED to replace the damaged cover!!!!! Next, new fasteners instead of the factory rivets, were supposed to be used to attach the front bumper cover. Not only were the rivets STILL used but they cracked the fresh paint while installing one of the rivets. Once again, the OWNER admitted to seeing/knowing this but did NOTHING to correct it before I came to pick up the car. Apparently Precision Collision has a different definition of "taking apart the car" than I do------he only removed the front/rear bumper covers and the hood. Because of this, the underside of the trunk lid as well as the framework where the trunklid hinges and struts are located were left completely UNTOUCHED. Who does a half-ass job like that?? He wouldn't install the S-281 spoiler onto the 94/95 Cobra decklid like I asked---a simple fill/re-drill for the mounting holes that he didn't want to do. Apparently, I'm not allowed to point out bad details after spending $4200 on this paintjob/bodywork. As a result, I picked up the Cobra Friday morning, April 24th and dropped it right back off on Monday morning, April 27th with a complete list of points that I needed corrected. As I dropped off the car I was told that I was being "difficult" and "nit-picky"------didn't I earn that privilege when I slapped down $4200 for a show-quality paint job?

June 7th, 2009----Won a replacement set of used A/C lines and hoses for $75 shipped.

June 8th, 2009----ordered from Tousley Ford a pair of drivers side door hinges ($26 lower, $46 upper) for the Cobra and a new A/C cycling switch ($19.58). Also ordered a new throttle cable for the Cobra ($78).

July 5th,  2009----Installed used Fluidyne radiator, new 180 degree thermostat (Fail-Safe) and flushed with new Peak coolant plus distilled water.

July 12th, 2009----Put on a new radiator cap, temps are still climbing on days above 90 degrees though. Don't know why, no leaks, pressure is good, new thermostat opens, electric fan works on low and high speeds. Installed brand new Ford OEM transmission mount which got rid of all driveline vibrations at 2200rpm and high speeds.

July 13th, 2009----completed foglight mod. relubricated drivrs side front brake pads to eliminate slight squealing noise.

June 14th, 2009----Won a remanufactured Motorcraft compressor on Ebay for $76 shipped.

June 15th, 2009----bought a new pair of accumulators for Nikki's car and my Cobra for $56 shipped.

June 18th, 2009----picked up the Cobra from Jay Meagher at Real Street Performance near Orlando, Florida. He retuned the computer which took care of the idle and stalling problems for $321. Highly recommended.

June 20th, 2009----Began reinstall of the A/C system. installed the condensor that I got for $20 from a guy I know on the covertmotorsports.net forums.

June 22nd, 2009----ordered a new rubber tranny mount ($20.68) and a pair of replacement A/C lines which contain the orifice tube ($31 each); one for Nikki's car and one for the Cobra from Tousley Ford.

July 5th, 2009----following the completion of the reinstall of the AC components on the Cobra, had the AC evacuated/recharged at Tuffy's in Winter Haven for $150 after a $10 discount coupon. Ridiculously expensive but the only place open on a Sunday that would do it.

July 9th, 2009----installed the OEM rubber tranny mount. No more vibrations at 2200rpm, smooth driving now. Also replaced a broken rubber exhaust isolator. $4 at autozone.

July 13th, 2009----Nikki had the AC evacuated/recharged on her car for $58 at Mr. Auto Mechanics on Recker Highway in winter haven.

July 14th, 2009----discovered that the AC in the Cobra wouldn't work anymore. Thought it was the lower pressure cycling switch but it turns out there wasn't enough pressure charge in the system to close the cycling switch. I found the leak which was the accumulator connection to the evaporator core. It looks like the connection was purposely disconnected----possibly during the evac/recharge at Tuffy's??

July 16th, 2009----Had the AC evacuated/recharged on the Cobra for only the cost of the refrigerant at Tuffy's in Winter Haven.

July 17th, 2009----received a pair of replacement "old style" authentic Saleen center caps to replace the defective (would not remain installed, kept popping out) from Saleen.

September 11th, 2009----Had some major charging system issues so that the battery was dead when I got off work. Replaced the positive and negative cable connectors, had the Duralast Gold battery replaced (broken plate inside, wouldn't recharge) and replaced the alternator. Also tweaked the alternator electrical connectors so that they give a very tight connection to the alternator. Sanded down the output ring terminal connector so that it was nice and shiny. Charging system problems solved finally but the power steering pulley keeps pulling off the pump shaft. Had to use a Duralast 582K5 5-rib shortbelt to bypass the A/C and P/S just so I could get the car home from Orlando to Winter Haven. Worked fine, think I'll use it at Bradenton next weekend.

September 14th, 2009----Located a used power steering pulley for a 94/95 5.0 car for $25 plus $4 for shipping in Clearwater at a Mustang restoration place. Will clean it up and repaint it if needed before install and do the same for the still factory original power steering pump.

September 16th, 2009----installed replacement P/S pump pulley, painted pump, reinstalled and filled with A/T fluid. Everythings fine but the original belt is stretched. My tighter replacement has bad ribbing because of the power steering pulley moving it out of alignment so it scraped the ribbing on the other pulleys.

September 18th, 2009----got in 21 runs at CFRC in Orlando. Best time was 9.38 at 79mph. I swear the clocks are off there but the mph radar is accurate.

September 20th, 2009----Best time at Bradenton was 13.699 at 100.55mph. Best 60' of the day was 1.98 and best mph was 101.42. Used the shortbelt to run only the alternator, crank, waterpump and tensioner pulleys, iced the intake a couple runs, M/T ET Street drag radials, 275/40R-17. and was using the "Idle tune" with the best ET of the day. The best mph was using the "track tune".

October 1st, 2009----clutch cable snaps with less than 15k miles on it.

October 3rd, 2009----picked up a new FRPP clutch cable; M-7553-C302 from Racer's Equipment warehouse in Rhode Island, $47. Also new FRPP red wires, $53.

October 5th, 2009----installed/adjusted new clutch cable, tightened loose passenger-side header bolts. Those Percy Seal-4-Good header gaskets are going in the trash when I remove my longtubes for ceramic coating. It seems those gaskets are causing the loose header bolts; I'd rather have the Mac copper gaskets with Permatex Copper gasket maker.

October 8th, 2009----Installed Hurst sidewinder shifter with Line-lock button. Wiring got damaged because it got caught between the jam nut and shifter ball. Summit sent out a new one.

October 13th, 2009----Replaced the loose belt on the Cobra with a Dayco 87.5" length. Tensioner is still nowhere near the ideal mark but a Goodyear Gatorback belt, 87.2" would not fit on the car. Ordered a remanufactured alternator from Tousley Ford for $168 plus $75 core charge and $14 new pulley. 12/12 warranty on the alternator.

October 14th, 2009----Installed new Autolite 764 plugs gapped at .054". Used gap on old NGK TR-5 plugs was .071 to .074". Tightened loose drivers side header bolts.

October 15th, 2009----cleaned up the terminals and contacts on the MSD rotor and cap. Installed the new plug wires.

October 22nd, 2009----installed reman'd Motorcraft alternator. Worse voltage output than the Autozone alt. The motorcraft alternator also seems extremely loaded down when the accessories are all on, the battery charge at idle with accessories drops to 12.2V, what the hell?

October 23rd, 2009----Reinstalled the Autozone alternator. will test the Motorcraft one tomorrow, off the car. Probably will end up sending it back under the warranty for a replacement. If a refund, will get the PA Performance 200A alternator, painted or powdercoated. Also, for the second day in a row, had the A/C checked out because its leaking somewhere. The compressor cycles way more often than it should.

October 25th, 2009----Yesterday the driver's side power window started to bind when going up so today I got the HELP! kit, pn. 74410 window regulator bushings. I replaced the regulator bushings in both drivers and passengers side door windows. Not, the originals lasted 190,024 miles or 14 yrs/10months.

October 27th, 2009----The motorcraft alternator tested bad so I had a new replaced ordered from Winter Haven Ford under warranty.

October 29th, 2009----Replacement Motorcraft alternator shows 14.2v charging at idle. Now to solve the apparent belt-slipping issue as this one has a bad groove in it for no apparent reason and is shiny on the flat side.

October 30th, 2009----After two hours of switching belts around and finding out that the Dayco belts part number does not directly relate to its length, I settled on an 88.0 part number because the a new replacement of the old 87.5 part number would no longer fit.

November 10th, 2009----Paid $325 for a set of 94/95 Mustang Export taillights with the wiring harnesses and 94-98 Mustang export door mirrors shipped from England.

November 11th, 2009----Won two Ebay auctions today. One for a set of the oem '95 Cobra pulleys including the factory underdrive crank and waterpump pulleys for $24.50. The other auction was for a set of miscellaneous engine bolts including the oem 94/95 Cobra upper to lower intake bolts for $25. I also found my spare 94/95 5.0L alternator which tested good and the original alternator my from my old '87 GT which also tested good. The GT alt will be used as the core charge for my new Motorcraft alt for the Cobra and the spare alt will be disassembled so that I can prep the case halves for powdercoating.