I had an argument with a friend over the curb weight of a mustang so I went to the ford website. I couldn't find the weight of a standard mustang, but the cobra weighs Coupe - 3,665 lbs. (1,662 kg), Convertible - 3,780 lbs. (1,715 kg) according to http://www.svt.ford.com/vehicleCobraSpecs.asp This doen't make any sense to me that a new car can be that heavy. I thought that the new plastic was lighter than our "plastic". I found this in our archives.

All the weights apply to the coupes, and is the shipping weight.

1972 - 3115 pounds
1973 - 3407 pounds
1974 - 3532 pounds
1975 - 3532 pounds
1976 - 3445 pounds
1977 - 3448 pounds
1978 - 3401 pounds
1979 - 3372 pounds
1980 - 3206 pounds
1981 - 3179 pounds
1982 - 3213 pounds

Does this make the new cobra heavier than any C3 ever made or am I missing something? I was wondering if anyone here has driven a new cobra and compared it to a modified corvette. I would also like a curb weight on a standard mustang if anyone has it.

Also please check the horse power and torque of the new Mach 1 http://www.fordvehicles.com/Cars/mus...eatures/specs/ the numbers made me feel better about my C3

I am not a mustang fan, I am just looking to check the facts before I gloat. I can't believe my 30 year old corvette with 4.10's and a t56 can have more horsepower, look insanely better, sound better, be lighter, and get nearly the same fuel mileage (20+ mpg) as a new mustang.

 

My wifes Bullitt curb wieght says 32xx on the door i believe, i will check tomorrow.. Cobra's are supercharged and intercooled so that's prolly another 100 lbs... I can't imagine over 3500....maybe the 3700 is the weight plus cargo capacity..i dunno.

 

I think a stock GT is around 3400 curb weight.


[Modified by jetlag, 12:18 AM 5/4/2004]

 

what engine/mods are in your '74 ?

 

I guess ours is lighter since Bullitt's don't have the fog lights, spoilers, automatics, side louvers. Ohh yeah and we put lighter suspension on and bbs wheels, but that is not taken into account on the wieght listed on the door.

 

not sure you are trying to compare your vette to a cobra or a gt. If it is the cobra, give up now. Pretty hard to beat one, especially with a few cheap mods. They run 13 flats with a good driver. High 11s are easy with about 1.5k in mods. Good suspension, t56, big brakes. Reguarding the wieght of mustans, you have to remember that the platform is still the old platform from the old fox bodies. I think those were the mid 80s or something. All iron suspension, iron engine, supercharger, backseat, lots of safety equiptment. It all adds up. Yes they are very heavy. A C5 needs about 50 rwhp less to keep up with a modified cobra.


[Modified by lostpatrolman, 2:04 AM 5/4/2004]

 

Cobras are big fat heavy pigs. They really do weigh that much. I don't know exactly why. Part of it is because it uses an iron block since they didn't want to put boost on their aluminum that the other ones get and the 4.6 is a huge block, similiar dimensions to a 429.

 

yes, but cobras are not the only heavy cars around. The fbody wieghed in the neighborhood of 3500, a small honda accord weighs somewhere around 3200 and that is with an aluminum 4 cylinder. A c5 still wieghs 3200 and that is with aluminum block, aluminum suspension, fiberglass springs, composite body. Cars now a days are still heavy.

 

why is a 72 300#'s lighter than a 74?


[Modified by 74 vert, 4:45 AM 5/4/2004]

 

My guess is the hardware associated with the 5-mph bumpers introduced in the front in 1973 and at both ends in 1974.

 

I had a '95 GT and it weighed 3600 with me in it. I'm about 175. That was a 5.0.
New cars have a lot more weight. All the safety equipment, extra bars in the doors, air bags, plus all the accessories that people have to have now days, premium stereos, cruise, power everything, etc. It all adds up to heavy.
The new cobra's are fast though. I like them. I really like the new stangs coming out. In fact, I like most all fast sporty cars. I even appreciate the ones that I don't care for.

I just like my C3 better. :yesnod:

 

Today's Mustang's (doesn't matter if it's the usualy 6 cylinder, GT, or Cobra) are woefully outdated. They are still using 80's technology, still using pushrod engines (at least I think they are), using a 20 year old suspension. In other words, technologicaly they are not too much different from your C3 and lack any modern light weight components, thus the heavy vehicle. The only difference being the cheap plastic they use in the interior.
Off topic - I rented a 6 cylinder Mustang last week in Texas during a business trip. No pickup at all, slower than most 4 cylinders I have driven, and one of the most embarassingly cheapest looking interiors I have ever seen....just an all around lousy car.


[Modified by SpyderD, 1:38 PM 5/4/2004]

 

yes, their general platform is very old. The type of engine used should not be looked at as an indicatation of wether the car is outdated or not. All mustang gt's use a new redesign sohc modular engine. The engine was first engineered and started in 96. The cobra engine is a moludar dohc. C5s still use the "old outdate" pushrod config. That does not make the car outdated to me. Good lowend torque and high HP capacity. Definately a good engine to me. Even though the platform is old, some changes have been made. Body is more rigid then its predicisors, and all cobra use an IRS. This rear and stock internals on the 04 engine have pushed a few cobras into the 9.99 sec range with a diffferent supercharger, aftercooler, and other boltons. Definately an amazing machine with almost unlimited capabilities.


[Modified by lostpatrolman, 8:08 AM 5/4/2004]

 

You do realize that all GM V8s are still using pushrods, right? And the Z06 is pumping out 405hp from 346ci and still getting 25+mpg on the highway? That said, V8 Mustangs have overhead cams. The Mach1 and Cobra have dual, GTs only get single. Yes, they're heavy, but then again so is everything else. My old '95 Z28 convertible was over 3600lbs. A C5 is probably just under 3400. Watch one of these vehicles in a crash and you'll quickly see why they weigh more.... so that the driver can walk away. Ever see a C3 after a violent crash... nobody walks away. (Oh, and I don't think the new Mustang is going to be much lighter than the outgoing model so there goes the theory that the ancient platform is the reason for the current car's weight problem.)

 

Most people (Ricer's in general) look at me funny when I tell them DOHC is actually OLD technology. More efficent yes, but older. DOHC were actually developed BEFORE the pushrod engine. :yesnod:

 

The new model mustangs are going to be even heavier

 

I am not trying to start a war but with that being said I hope you have a lot of mods done to your car if your are expecting to beat a 03 or 04 Cobra. Yea they are heavy but I have yet to see more than one that was stock. A guy I know just put down 587rwhp/ 500rwtq. There are other guys out there that are making 600-700 rwhp. I know there are plenty of vettes out there making this kind of power but to me it is still impressive to see that kind of power out of a 281 CID motor.

 

I think the Cobra's IRS adds a bunch of weight.

 

I have a 465 horse 350 crate motor 4.10 rear gears and a gm/viper t 56 six speed. I have mds ignition, B cool radiator and fans.

 

Which crate motor is that? and why did you put 4.10s on a car with a T56 doesnt that just make the first 2 gears unusable?