 Nate Phillips' '04 SVT Cobra...  Nate Phillips' '04 SVT Cobra exemplifies the true meaning of street car. All amenities are intact, and because the engine is stock, there is no rough idle or strange antics on the street. It gets roughly 23 miles per gallon, provided you don't step into the throttle too hard. Once you start pounding on the car, the fuel mileage goes to hell. |
 Turbonetics 76mm turbos lined...  Turbonetics 76mm turbos lined up and ready to go. |
 Due to deadlines and travel...  Due to deadlines and travel time, the K-member and A-arm suspension was installed before we arrived in New Mexico. A Canton oil pan was installed as well, based on a suggestion from Tim Matherly of MV Performance. It cuts down on windage and helps engine longevity when this serpent is screaming at 6,000-plus rpm. |
 We hoisted up the car on the...  We hoisted up the car on the lift and removed the front fascia. |
 The oil filter is relocated...  The oil filter is relocated to make room for the exhaust system and crossover pipes. |
 With the stock H-pipe and...  With the stock H-pipe and exhaust removed, it was time to install the crossover pipe... |
Back in the November '05 issue, we covered the installation of the Hellion Power System 5-liter turbo kit. During that install, we kept glancing to the other side of the shop to check out what the Hellion crew was brewing up. It turned out Hellion's John Urist was R&D'ing the company's kit for '99 and '01 and '03-'04 SVT Cobras, plus '03-'04 Mach 1s. The kit was released to the public shortly after our story hit the press. It didn't take a tarot card reader to tell us a trip back to the Albuquerque, New Mexico, facility was in our future.
Initially, we had planned to install a Hellion turbo kit on a '99 Cobra, but that fell apart when the car was sold. So we decided to use Nate Phillips' '04 Cobra as our test vehicle. Because of the car's stout engine combination, this Hellion kit included an upgraded turbocharger, meaning we could really turn up the power without fear of breaking anything. The Cobra and Mach 1 kits are similar, so installation is virtually identical. Major differences between them are fuel supply components, a couple of pipes, and the turbo unit. Those with a built Four-Valve engine in their '99/'01 Cobra or Mach 1 can upgrade to the '03-'04 Cobra kit and see similar horsepower numbers with the larger 76mm Turbonetics turbo.
Hellion informed us that the '99/'01 Cobra kit produces between 400 and 450 hp at the tires, with 8-10 psi of boost. The 62mm turbo will generate enough airflow to make 550 rwhp when turned up. The limiting factor, however, is the factory internals. It's easy to lose your self-control because more boost is only a twist of a knob away. Just remember--would you put the smallest pulley on the supercharger if your engine were stock? Nope. So follow the same restraint when playing with turbos. It can get out of hand rather quickly.
While the '99/'01 kit is a direct bolt-on, the '03-'04 SVT setup is more of a tuner-style kit. Urist explained the '03-'04 Cobra kit is a beast of another kind with its 76mm turbocharger. "A full-bodied Cobra, a legit street car, with a straight axle and good suspension setup can run 9.90s at over 140 mph with this kit. I know because we have had customers run those times." He also reminded us that the engine was stock save for the turbo setup and intake.
Once '03-'04 Cobra owners dump the stock Eaton blower, they will need to buy a '99/'01 Cobra intake or an '03-'04 Mach 1 intake. The piping is a little different between the turbo systems due to the physical size of each compressor unit. Larger fuel injectors are available in the '03-'04 kit, but it does not include a fuel pump or lines.
The turbo system was laid out on the workbench, and one look at everything reveals the same quality and finish as the 5-liter setup. The hot side of the turbo system (the exhaust side) is done in stainless steel and carries a lifetime warranty. The cold side (compressor side of the turbo) is stainless piping and comes polished. Every nut and bolt is included in the kit, and the Turbonetics 76mm turbo was specifically designed for this application. More on that later.
We also liked the detailed instruction manual and the fact there is no cutting or welding required. However, the K-member and A-arms must be replaced to make room for piping and such. This definitely ups the overall expense, but it's nothing unusual for turbo applications on modular Mustangs.
Installation was straightforward and took us a little more than a day to install the turbo. Our test vehicle already had the K-member and A-arms installed, so that cut down on time. Urist estimates anywhere from two to five days for a full installation depending on mechanical experience and how quickly you work. Our install guys weren't a Top Fuel crew, but they certainly didn't work at a snail's pace.
There are a few things to remember when utilizing turbo power, and one of the most important suggestions we can give you is that bigger isn't always better. Obviously, making big horsepower is the ultimate goal with our Mustangs, but a huge turbocharger may only make awesome peak numbers. Who wants to wait all day for the turbo to spool up? Oftentimes, the power is not useable in real driving conditions. What sounds good on paper, or the Internet, isn't always good in the real world. The goal for a street car should be a long, broad torque curve. That will certainly make everyday driving enjoyable. It also helps big time when you happen to run into some of the local competition on the street.