96-98 Cobra intake manifold, where?
 

I'm trying to get my hands on a 96-98 lower intake. Karkraft has them, but for $350. I found one on stangparts, but it has been in a rather nasty fire and was warped all to hell. I tried Sean Hyland, but no response so far.

Basically I'm looking for a part to modify (port, polish, modify runners), most likely for practice/experimentation, so it doesn't have to be brand spanking new or in particularly good shape.

Any ideas?

You don't plan on taking out your IMRCs do you?

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'97 Cobra, MAC Cold Air Kit, 3.73s, Rio Red

Post blower, maybe.

But if I do, I'll do it myself. No sence paying some one else $180 to do what is quite easy to do myself. Depending on what you are doing the IMRCs (as they are implimented in the 96-98 Cobras) are both good and evil.

For just practice I may just get the pre-fix 99 intake KarKraft is offering for $45, just for shets and giggles, and some practice.

What is KarKraft offering? Are you talking about the upper intakes that Ford has been replacing on the '99 Cobras? Do these have the IMRCs or are they the variable geometry type? I guess they are both similar in the way they work. I wonder if any gain would be realized if you installed a pre-fix intake from '99 on a '97 without doing anything to it? You may be on to something. http://www.mustangworks.com/interact...rd/biggrin.gif

KarKraft is selling off the lower intakes from Pre-fix 99 Cobras. Appearently instead of fixing the old ones, Ford just installed new ones, and pretty much either just left the old ones at the dealer, or sold them off cheap to places like KarKraft. The Fix didn't replace the upper intake or hat(cover that the throttle body, EGR, ect, mount to).

The 99 Cobras don't use IMRCs and it shows. With the better port design the 99 Cobras peak at about 17 ft lbs better then the 96-98, but the 96-98 Cobras make about 20 ft lbs more under 3500 RPMs.

The hopefully soon to be released 4V FRPP intake and heads have the best of both worlds. They use the tumble port design of the 99 heads, but also use IMRCs, but high in the intake instead of just before the heads like the 96-98s do.

When you start looking at such great dinner conversation topics such as intake manifold runner harmonics, the FRPP design has an advantage. http://www.mustangworks.com/interact...oard/smile.gif

But the 99 intake can fit the 96-98 heads, but only after some fairly serious and unpleasent modifications. But there is no real point in doing so. The designs are very similiar, the fit is just different. For serious modifications (especially with blowers) I like the 96-98 versions better. There is more potential plenum volume. Of course that is only a serious consideration when doing some major modifications.

But that's the long version. The short version is for $45 bucks for a similar design, it would be some good practice cutting, polishing, and placing runners.

Practicing your technique but not actually using the finished product I presume. Good opportunity to familiarize yourself with the insides. How would a Dremmel tool work for polishing?

I guess it depends on how the final product turns out. http://www.mustangworks.com/interact...board/wink.gif

For $45 I think I'll go ahead and get the 99 pre-fix for practice. It depends on rather or not I can convince some mechanical engineers or mechanical engineering professors with labs I know, to lend a hand, on what my tool limitations are. Worse case, its Dremal and DeWalt.

With limited tools I think the biggest problem is consistant runner legnth and cut angle, which is very important. I have a few worst case ideas, but hopefully I can swing some pro help.