Sergio

[CENTER]Originally posted in Oct 2003 :[/CENTER]

[CENTER][IMG]http://www.cobra4me.com/images/1.jpg[/IMG]
SuperC*bra's VenomXS Donor
The Concept behind the word "SuperC*bra" is to express the double power of the word Venom, for decades the word C*BRA has been expressing the same notion of superb horsepower and performance among Ford Fanatics and with everyone that is in the world of wheels. The 2003 SVT Mustang Cobra has redefined the Modern Muscle Car era, and if you don't know by now what these modern muscle cars can do in Road Racing and in Drag racing trim with just a few modifications to their stock engines then I suggest you do a search on the internet for "2003 SVT Cobra", I'm sure you will find a lot of info, pictures and even videos of the Amazing "Terminator" as this Vehicle was named by SVT.... [/CENTER]

[CENTER]This was my dream: To build the ultimate AC C*bra Replica using a Factory Five Roadster Kit and a wild and modern engine, transmission and rear end, the one that fit the bill wasn't a Ferrari or a Masserati engine but a Ford powerplant, so I went out looking for hard facts on the internet... what I found was that there was a new and powerful player in Ford's lineup of vehicles, a powerful and slick machine that outpowers most of the sports cars on today's world but at the same time stays within someone's budget... I wasn't about to invest a lot of money in a 427 all aluminum engine .. (by now I wonder if I should have)... that vehicle is the 03 SVT Mustang Cobra, 390 HP Supercharged 4.6 DOHC (Dual Over Head Cams), IRON block, Manley Rods, Forged Pistons and Crank.. etc, etc. the BEST there is in today's SVT world.[/CENTER]

[CENTER]The dream began when I actually went looking for a Big Block Ford... I was looking at a 460 BB that I found in a 71 Lincoln Continental in a Local Junk Yard. The thing was that if I wanted this old beast I had to go and take the big engine out of that 71 car in the junk yard, bring it home, rebuild it and after probably thousands of dollars thrown at it to make it shiny and functional again... so, I decided to wait and see what else I could find... Maybe I would come across a 427 R block somewhere... so I kept on visiting the local junk yards that same day... then I went and visited my local Insurance Auction... and there it was... a wrecked Terminator, broadsided by an SUV, I could tell because the Driver's side rocker panel was still intact, the hood was locked and the cable was either jammed or unhooked, it wasn't releasing the hood latch, so I wrote down the VIN number so that I could verify this was what I tought it was, but by the looks of it I knew for sure what I wanted it to be.... a Terminator.[/CENTER]

[CENTER][IMG]http://www.cobra4me.com/images/b.jpg[/IMG]
So I went home and dreamed on the day I owned that wreck, I envisioned the day I removed the first bolt and the day I would take the engine out, I also envisioned the day I would be driving the first SuperC*bra out of my garage for a test drive, but I was getting ahead of myself, was it a real Terminator or just a Fake? I wasn't able to view the engine at the yard, I even crawled under the car, sticking my head under the front spoiler to see anything that would indicate I was dealing with a Supercharged engine here... well, there it was, the AfterCooler, this small radiator-like cooler that cools down even more the Supercharger fluid coming out of the Huge and High Revving 4.6 DOHC engine, but I did not even know that was called an aftercooler, I did not even know that there was an intercooler... and there is, it rests under, inside, below the Eaton Supercharger. But then again I did not know anything about this engine... The auction was going to take place in a Couple of months.. the best bid will buy this beast, I wanted it so bad that I had to keep my mouth shut for 2 more months, the less people that know about it the better...[/CENTER]

[CENTER][B]In the following days...[/B][/CENTER]

[CENTER][IMG]http://www.cobra4me.com/images/a.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]

[CENTER]I gathered as much information on the 4.6 engines and especially on the Supercharged 03 Version from the SVT Cobra, the block was designed to withstand great amounts of horsepower by using for the first time an iron block that would guarantee that it would support the extra abuse anybody could throw at it. I also found a good book on the 4.6 engines so I bought it, read it and made me confirm that I wanted more this wreck to build my dream supercar.[/CENTER]

[CENTER]I am going to end this section with 2 more images of the wreck as seen on the auction site around May 2003, the P49 VIN code confirmed that this vehicle was indeed a 2003 SVT Cobra with only 5K miles when it got hit, I have prayed that the driver survived this accident, I do not know what happened so don't ask. On the following Month I bought it, In the following sections I will post some more images of the day I got it into my garage, the disassembly, teardown, cleanup (not much) and the proceding (and still going) Build.[/CENTER]

[CENTER][IMG]http://www.cobra4me.com/images/c.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]

[CENTER]The auction was performed on a Monday morning in June 03, with nearly 400 vehicles to be auctioned that same day and the Terminator was number 215, so I spent most of the morning just sitting around looking at different buyers trying to open the hood on MY car. I was really hoping no one would be able to open it anyways, 1 hour later some one did just that and the engine was seen for the first time in probably months. It was covered with dust and the markings of rodents, altought I found no dropings I did see marking from their paws, I checked the oil level and checked also that no wiring was chewed on my these rodents, everything looked fine. Last year I had a mouse chew on the wiring of my 1999 Subaru and that made me loose 2 days taking the manifold and replacing/fixing the wiring so that the Subaru would start again, it chewed on the crank sensor wire, so it would not start. I knew if that had happened to this Terminator while at the auction yard I would not bid on it. [/CENTER]

[CENTER][IMG]http://www.cobra4me.com/images/d.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]

[CENTER]So, back to the auction... after realizing that this car had plenty of potential for my SuperC*bra (Venom XS) Build I set in my mind the value of it, I would go as high as 10 grand hoping to get it cheap... if that guy would not have open the hood I might have done that but as soon as the people looked at the engine many knew what it really was... finally the bidding started and it ended it fast, jumping in thousand increments it quickly got to 6 with a few buyers dropping out fast, at the end just another guy (who really wanted it) and me (who really wanted it bad) were on, when the dust settled I was the only guy still on top. I got this car cheap, or so I tell myself.[/CENTER]

[CENTER]After winning the auction out to the bank I went, getting a Cashier's Check was the next step, same day 3 hours later I was paying for it, and within 45 min. the Car was in the front auction yard, waiting for the tow truck that would carry it 60 miles away to my house, a few people came and asked me what's the deal with this Mustang, why did it go for thousands more than just a regular GT? and why if it was totalled and in the shape it was did I buy it? I did some explaining to people that knew nothing about Cobras and AC Cobra replicas, just by showing its engine the wounded Terminator would impress anyone, this engine is bigger than the mighty Hemi, in fact SVT in their advertising of this Car says: "Hemi this" - I agree.[/CENTER]

[CENTER]While I am relating this story of how project SuperC*bra (Venom XS) came to be make sure to click on all of this images if you want to see really big images.
Continuing with the story: The tow truck driver knows me, he was the same guy who towed the donor for "C*bra4Me" from the same place to my house, and has seen my Blue FFR C*bra, when he sees it is me again towing another Mustang he instantly asks: "What are you up to now?" ; I show him the engine, explain what it is that this wreck will become in a short period of time, 1/2 hour later I am following him to my house, the 03 SVT Cobra on flatbed truck... freeways full of drivers, many ignore, don't know what it is, others know it is just another Mustang, others stare, amazed at how bad a wreck that was, I'm sure many wondered what ever happened to the driver, I wonder that too many times. by looking at these images and after cleaning the interior full of thousands of pieces of shattered glass and unbolting the seats I wondered many many times whatever happened to him/her. Who ever you are, I hope and pray that you are ok.[/CENTER]

[CENTER]Finally. we arrived home, there's a killer in my garage now and it is wounded, I will revive it, make it better, leaner, meaner, faster and better looking. People will be amazed on how you came to be known as the first SUPERC*BRA (Venom XS). Thanks for reading this first page of the SuperC*bra (Venom XS) Donor, more to come (a lot more).[/CENTER]