Cobra motor and Tremec t45 $2000.00

Lee Billing

Registered User
Ok Guys I have somethiing kinda unique here that i want to know if anyone is interested in. I have a 1996 DOHC Cobra motor with an M90 bolted to the top of it. The story behind this motor is kinda interesting.

I used to work for Roush Performance and In my adventures there I stumbled upon this motor sitting in a crate in a storage room. I inquired and found out that this motor was an early developement motor for the Terminator motor. The Terminator ended up with a M112 I believe. The car this motor was in was a '96 Mystique Chrome Cobra. During developement testing with about 500 miles on it, one of the engineers that was involved took it home to show his kid and girlfriend. During a test drive with his girlfriend he slid this car into a guard rail at about 70 mph. The car was totaled and the powertrain was removed. It sat in a crate in a storage room for about 12 years before i found it. I purchased it and took it home, put it on an engine stand and took off the valve covers and oil pan for an inspection. Everything looked brand new. I put a mark VIII oil pump pick up tube and Mark VIII oil pan on it with Mark VIII motor mounts and put it in my 89 SC. Unfortunately i never ended up finishing this project and had to scrap the car. ( I cried alot) The trans on this motor is not the one that was in the car. This trans is brand new and never been in a car. It has a Performance clutch in it also. Not sure of the brand because it was bolted to the engine and i only removed it to inspect it before i bolted up the trans. I can tell you that it is not a stock Cobra clutch. Also the throwout bearing is a McLeod hydraulic.

Guys i dont have any use for this as i will not be able to put the time or money into installing this into my 94. I really wanted to use it because it has a m90 on it but no such luck. I also have all the engine wiring all the way up to the PCM. Im not sure what this is worth but i know how much i paid for it and I know how much the Cobra motors alone go for. Im thinkin about $2000 for the whole set up. Let me know what you think.

By the way i ended up working with one of the engineers that was involved with this car (not the one who smashed it) and he said it was puttin out about 450 HP.

Thanks for reading my novel.
Lee 734-637-9267 for fast contact.
 

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Aren't all of the cammer motors from 96 teksid blocks? It's been so long I can't remember when the WAP blocks came into play.
 
no kidding. i have no idea why i thought all of the early blocks were teksid aluminum blocks. good to know.
 
no kidding. i have no idea why i thought all of the early blocks were teksid aluminum blocks. good to know.

He didn't say this was a 96 motor, only that it was in a 96 car. Testing for the eventual 03 Cobra was taking place mostly in 2000-2001 from what I've heard meaning that this is probably an actual pre-production 03 Cobra motor with an M90 on it.
 
This would be a great package for someone looking to build a replica of the SVT Thunderbird prototypes.


cheers
Ed
 
He didn't say this was a 96 motor, only that it was in a 96 car. Testing for the eventual 03 Cobra was taking place mostly in 2000-2001 from what I've heard meaning that this is probably an actual pre-production 03 Cobra motor with an M90 on it.

His second sentence states he had a 1996 dohc cobra motor. The second paragraph then references the 96 cobra it was in.
 
His second sentence states he had a 1996 dohc cobra motor. The second paragraph then references the 96 cobra it was in.

You are correct. Something tells me the lineage of the motor might be a little fuzzy since as you already noted, the 96 was an aluminum block motor.
 
This would be a great package for someone looking to build a replica of the SVT Thunderbird prototypes.


cheers
Ed

This is exactly the same motor in the SVE Tbird that went on the Hot Rod Power Tour in 1997.

I would totally but this setup if it were on the West coast. Would you be able to ship to California ???


- Dan
 
Some advice from the pros

Could you guys point me in the direction of an article that may give me an idea of what it would take to put this cobra motor and trans in my car? I have an SC obviously and all the articles i keep reading are about pulling a 2v and putting in a 4v. I keep getting people who are telling me to just put it in my car. I just wanna do some reading on it before i pull the trigger. Thanks guys and sorry for the doubting the sale on this.

Thanks
Lee
 
id go the easy route, use that trans and motor in ur sc, run a 97 Tbird wireharness and ecu and get an Xcal for it...battabing...honestly if i had 2k id have jumped all over that motor and trans, that is a steal! if you were by me id have givin you wmy whole car for it.VFN cowl hood for clearence and ud have to extend a few wires like the tps and simple things but honestly, keep that motor, save up a few bucks and start the swap...my god would i love that eng in a bird/cougar.....
 
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