Probably the wrong section...
 

but can someone tell me a bit about a '96 SVT Cobra? Did they exist, and if so, what kind of approximate performance could one expect?

You bet they existed. That was the first year of the DOHC engine and the best looking hood ever made (twin nostril).

What kind of performance differences (or any others actually) are there between a 96 4.6 cobra and a 95 5.0 cobra? I'm looking to maybe get one in a few months and put some boltons (exhaust/gears/etc.) for a while then eventually supercharge it (ATI procharger) or turbo.

So..any thoughts on their performance? 14 sec car, 13, 15?

on street tires they are a low 14 second car. But with gears they come alive. low 13's with a few mods are easy.

The 96 cars made 305 and had 3.27s stock.

With some 4.30s you can go really fast.

I've got a friend with a 320 (4.6) cobra motor in a 96 and he's gone 12's w 2.73's, on slicks and with some suspension work. Dang fast car.

The hoods are different, and so is the Engine and Tranny. The 4.6 DOHC puts out more power than the 5.0 Cobra Motor.

If you are going to Supercharge or Turbo charge the car, I'd go with the 4.6 DOHC Cobra (96-98).

Can the stock 4.6 bottom end handle a good amount?

The stock bottom end of a 4.6 is stronger than the stock bottom end of a 5.0. But I don't know what they rate the bottom end to (in terms of HP)

Motor swap
 

How hard and what parts would you have to modify to swap a 4.6 gt motor for a 4.6 cobra in a 96? Thinking about doing it this winter.
Thanks
Matt