Bolt on power for 1996 cobra

[Hammer]

I guess it all comes down to what you want out of your car...

To a true muscle-car guy, its not just how much horsepower you make, its how much you use on the ground...

Its really easy to throw around horsepower numbers until you take your car to the track and get wiped by a car that makes less power but is set up correctly...

Time slips don't lie...

In my opinion, sport ratioed gears, a good shifter, and some sticky street tires are some of the first mods a gear-head can make.
If you're serious about cars, you're going to have to learn how to drive it at some point...

A 96 Cobra is not a torque monster down low... that's where you need the help along with getting the engine into it's power-band.

20rwhp is conservative (As I stated) but you don't add mods up per horsepower and go:
pulleys (5hp) + exhaust (10hp) + programmer (10hp) +throttle body (5hp) + x-pipe (10hp)
Doesn't that make 40hp?

This is not how it works... some mods complement each other... but I've also seen some mods when used together... actually rob performance numbers. I've seen some trade HP for torque, others torque for HP...

Also remember that flywheel horsepower does not equal horsepower at the rear wheels. Expect to take around a 12-15% drivetrain loss on a standard transmission car...

Remember that peak numbers aren't your goal... its usable power over a broad power curve throughout your RPM range...

Some mods may not effect your peak numbers that much, but they may have good effects of flattening your curve a bit, giving you more power more of the time...

Some mods have nothing to do with horsepower but help in overall performance such as upper and lower control arms or sub-frame connectors...

I highly suggest you get your car dynoed to get some base numbers to work with.

To be honest, your next steps should be to:
A. Get your car dynoed
B. Get some good drag radials
C. If there is a local drag strip, concentrate on getting a solid launch down

Once you are familiar about where your car is strong and where it needs work, you can make an informed decision on which purchases to make...