Jason Roth's 2004 SVT Mustang Cobra
While he was attending Florida State University, Jason Roth was getting a degree in Civil Engineering. As it worked out, he was also getting an education in the performance arts for Mustangs. Over a three-year period, his 1992 LX hatch acquired a 306 cid update with Fox Lake Stage 2 Twisted Wedge aluminum heads, a Ford Racing E303 camshaft, Edelbrock Performer intake manifold and a Vortech T-trim supercharger. The LX also received a Tremec 3550 and a 31-spline solid rear setup. "It was my first Mustang and how I started to learn about modifications, and making my car faster," Jason told us a while back. Like most of the rest of us, he continued, "Then it grew into a hobby and then a passion." He credits much of his education to Bart Tobener of Delray Beach, FL, who did a lot of the work on the LX, but also took time to share his knowledge with Jason.
After graduation, Jason got a job and moved to Maryland to pursue his career. He'd been deeply involved in the local Mustang scene in Florida and felt he needed to take a break. As a result, an SVT Focus adorned his parking spot for the next 18 months. Though he enjoyed the handling and performance of the Focus, he'd always felt that the loss of total power was a step down for him. Shortly after, he bought a 2003 SVT Cobra through an Internet auction site. That car was a disappointment because of undisclosed mechanical issues, but it also turned into a grey cloud with the proverbial silver lining. "I traded it in for the Competition Orange Cobra and the dealer gave me more for it than I paid on the auction." Nice deal!
Because he knew that the bottom end of the Terminator's engine had been "done right", Jason began to look at power adders. Though he wasn't looking specifically for 'big power' at the time, Jason knew that he wanted to do something different and that particular qualifier led him into the world of turbochargers. After checking out the marketplace, Jason decided to go with a Hellion Power Systems kit - a decision he's never had cause to regret since. That kit starts with a Turbonetics T-76 Q-trim turbocharger that is supplemented by a Hellion 24 x 6 x 3-inch, air-to-air intercooler and all-stainless steel hot and cold parts that come with a lifetime warranty.
Hell Raiser
As well, the 2003-04 Hellion Cobra kits come with a new front K-member, tubular A-arms and coil-over conversion. While he was still in Florida, Jason had become more comfortable with the mechanics of Mustangs. As a result, he was prepared to install the Hellion kit himself. Overall, that process took him about two months on an evenings-and-weekends basis. The only problem he encountered came from the fact that, early on, the K-member was shipped directly from the manufacturer. In Jason's case, it was the wrong part, but nobody was able to figure that out until it was too late. Regardless, the rest of the kit, including the 3-inch downpipe, 2.5-inch intercooler piping, Evolution 3.5-inch wastegate, Turbo XS blow off valve, polished 4-inch turbo inlet and the myriad of other pieces came together like a dream.
Adding some beef to the rest of the driveline became a priority as well. A CenterForce DFX single disc clutch and steel flywheel were called up for duty, as well as a set of Driveshaft Shop Level 5 axle shafts. A Maximum Motorsports coilover conversion was added over top of the factory Bilstein struts and shock absorbers. A staggered set of chrome FR500 rims - 18 x 9-inch front and 18 x 10-inch back - are wrapped in BF Goodrich KDW tires, with 275/35-18 versions in front and 295/35-18 at the stern.