With the car raised, Shaughnessy then replaced the factory catalytic pipe assembly and after-cat exhaust with the new components provided in Mustang Magic's Magicpak, namely a MagnaFlow x pipe assembly with high-flow cats and a 2.5-inch after-cat exhaust system that features mandrel-bent aluminized pipes with fully welded mufflers. Within a couple of hours, everything was tightened down, and the car was put back on the dyno where fellow Mustang Magic technician Joe Lauzardo started his tune. He likes to use the SCT Tuner to reprogram the ECM directly.
After a few adjustments to the fuel and timing curves, Lauzardo manned the dyno and checked the weather gauges. The atmospheric conditions were now working against us even more as temperature readings were at a sweltering 93.44 degrees. Despite the downward trend in air quality, our new peaks checked in at a corrected 453.31 rwhp and 453.45 rwtq. The horsepower gain was 30 over our already-high numbers, but compared to a showroom stock Cobra, we were definitely 100 hp and 100 lb-ft over. Even though the peak numbers were impressive, even more amazing were the gains in torque across the entire rpm band. The practically flat torque curve had gains of as much as 65 lb-ft over our previous best, and from 2,400 to 6,000 rpm, there's over 400 lb-ft of torque just oozing everywhere at your beckoning. With identical numbers of 453/453, and given a realistic 15 percent driveline loss, we're looking at 534 hp and like torque at the crank. On the street, that's just plain bananas. Fugetaboudit!
Since the Terminator's original launch, there have been several advancements in the supercharged Cobra aftermarket. Thanks to the greater availability of these cars on the used market and the subsequent affordability, we've been given the opportunity to take yet another look into the '03-'04 Cobra to see what's been going on in today's day and age. Remember, the goal here is not to compare it to the current Shelby GT500, because right now, the price disparity won't justify an apples-to-apples comparison. Rather, let's focus in on the Terminator's attributes and make them better. As we've proven, a mature aftermarket makes things a lot easier, and horsepower simply flows out of these cars like they were made to make tons of power. Come to think of it, they were.
Next, he lines up the MAC...
Next, he lines up the MAC after-cat assembly, carefully positioning the chambered mufflers and pipe flanges to clear the IRS cradle. He starts by tightening everything up front and working his way towards the rear, ending at the tip.
The tailpipes and tips are...
The tailpipes and tips are fully adjustable for height and depth. Here, Shaughnessy tightens down the hangers and lines everything up with the cutouts in the rear bumper cover.
With a few more tweaks and...
With a few more tweaks and positioning, everything starts getting into place. Once everything was where we liked it, Shaughnessy tack-welded the tips and hangers in place.
Charts never lie. On the dyno,...
Charts never lie. On the dyno, the complete Stage 1 Magicpak on our Cobra helped it produce 453.31 rwhp and 453.45 rwtq. Compared to a bone-stock Cobra, that's a solid 100hp increase. Once we get back to the track, we'll see how this power translates into a timeslip. We're confident it will be quicker than our previous 12.74 at 109 mph.
Our complete exhaust upgrade...
Our complete exhaust upgrade was perfect in that it wasn't too loud but still gave the proper note when revved. Even better is less restriction means more power.
Back on the dyno, Lauzardo...
Back on the dyno, Lauzardo programs our Cobra's ECM with his laptop using SCT software. By accessing the ECM through the OBD-II port, he was able to read, modify, and then upload a new tune within 15 minutes.