BrakeTurnGo
Car Building Information => Client Projects & Tips – Muscle Cars => Topic started by: Rob Tarrien on Jan 25, 2026, 12:43 PM
I own this car since new. Was my daily for the first year and then the transformation started. I ordered this as a GT because the dealer weren't allowing Ford A plan pricing on the Cobra. The only thing I liked about the Cobra was the ground effects over the GT. I had a buddy that work at a Ford dealership and I ordered all the original Cobra ground effects for $1800. At the time Ford had released the Cobra R so I purchased the Cobra R double adjustable Koni's and added matching springs and swaybars. I added Baer Racings first brake kit which was C4 Corvette parts. I purchased a set of wheels from Baer in 17x9.
(https://i.postimg.cc/50vnpF6c/IMG-0712.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/5Y4B2yBp)
Motor started out stock for about 30k miles in the first year as I was driving it back and forth from KY to MI for work. I then installed 1963 289 close chambered heads on it with a Ford E cam. The heads bumped up the compression ratio to 10.5 to 1. Ran that for a few years and then finally built 331 stroker with AFR 185 heads and a Comp cam. Had a custom tune by Jerry Wroblewski. Jerry was still a Ford employee at the time, he later on became the founder of SCT. Car dyno'd 380HP/380 TQ at the wheels.
(https://i.postimg.cc/9XLJbVfX/IMG-3016.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/FFTDpmKH/IMG-3017.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/wxw02HB3/IMG-3018.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/LhZt4cLM)
(https://i.postimg.cc/3rtn17wd/IMG-3019.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/V5bqsxn8)
Started working with Bruce Griggs of Griggs Racing back in 1997. I started with front and rear coilover kits, front K member and control arms, rear torque arm and panhard bar. What a transformation in handling. Since then I have installed Bruce's watts link and upgraded the front to SLA with Griggs spindles and adjustable front away bar.
(https://i.postimg.cc/c1D6LkD1/IMG-3227.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Cdqwv7T9)
(https://i.postimg.cc/v8PDZ20C/IMG-3930.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Cdqwv7T4)
(https://i.postimg.cc/8CBzQZFn/IMG-2912.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/QBC3ckJp)
In 2016 I was trying to understand my suspension better and how to get my car handling better in autocross. I purchased Performance Trends suspension software and I entered a drawing for a suspension workshop. I ended up winning and got to attend Ron's 7 Secrets of Suspension Mapping, Set-ups & Track Tuning Workshop. I ended up attending Ron's two other workshops, 2017 7 Secrets of Advanced Suspension Tuning and 2018 7 Secrets of Total Car Performance. After the 2016 workshop I measured up my car and had Ron do a full front and rear work up.
(https://i.postimg.cc/prT2bx83/IMG-3933.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/dkbMrb59)
Based on some changes to car the lower I needed to raise the trans tunnel. Not something I'd want to do again.
(https://i.postimg.cc/d3HGwqfn/IMG-8724.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/sGWMJRsZ)
(https://i.postimg.cc/66Yrd0Qx/IMG-8750.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/w3RRzDJw)
IIRC, we changed the geometry, suspension set up & strategy, but not many parts.
Did we go with a bigger front sway bar?