Ryan Williams’ Journey from Base Model to Cobra Beast

The love of automobiles impacts everyone in different ways and at different times. Some of us are born into it, with family members paving the way; others discover it through what many might consider peer pressure, while some find it later in life by cruising with their grandfather. For Ashland, Kentucky resident Ryan Williams, his high school days were spent on the baseball diamond. While he drove a V6 New Edge Mustang as his daily driver, the powerful Cobra dream was nothing more than a distraction from playing baseball. That changed after he graduated high school and began swapping out New Edge Mustangs until he finally acquired the car he had admired for many years: a Terminator Cobra.

With its bumper-exit exhaust, drag pack wheel and tire setup, and the ferocious sounds of the twin-turbocharged engine, this Cobra is far from stock and has no qualms about showing it. All Photography By: Jesse Williams (J.Williamsphoto)

A Past Memory

While baseball took center stage during high school, Williams was still driving a Mustang—albeit not the New Edge model he had dreamed of owning a few years earlier. That didn’t matter, though; he knew he would eventually work his way up to it when the time was right.

One day, while cruising around town with his grandfather, Williams’ grandfather spotted a car he had owned many decades prior. “My grandfather saw an old Falcon Sprint and started reminiscing about his first car,” Williams recalls. “He said he had to choose between it and the Mustang since the Sprint had a higher horsepower rating and was only $100 more.” Later, his grandfather saw an MGA and shared more stories about his earlier automotive years.

Weld Wheels are mounted on all four corners, with the 17×4.5-inch front wheels significantly reducing unsprung weight and fitting nicely over the original Cobra calipers.

This trip down memory lane with his grandfather sparked the idea of getting into a Mustang that boasted more power than his current V6. A 2002 Mineral Grey Mustang was sourced—a car that he initially took to shows before the desire for even more power kicked in. “I wasn’t into high performance until after I sold the Mineral Grey GT,” Williams explains. “I sold it and found a black 2002 Mustang with a five-speed and a full bolt-on setup, including suspension. That’s when I discovered my love for speed.”

Turning 21

After experimenting with several V8 iterations of the New Edge, Williams turned 21 and decided it was time to make his dream a reality — the search was on. While Sonic Blue was his top choice, a yellow Cobra appeared on Craigslist in Louisiana. Although it wasn’t his preferred color, the price, mileage and clean title status made it an easy decision to purchase. Not to mention, the ported Eaton and exhaust left the car relatively stock.

I started racing, and you know how a love for speed goes: you go so fast that it’s not fast anymore. — Ryan Williams

It wasn’t long before the supercharged snake was upgraded with a Kenne Bell 2.6, which was quickly swapped out for a 2.3-liter VMP blower. The car was easily pushing past the 700 horsepower mark, but after a third revision of the supercharger — with the final iteration being a 2.9 Crusher and new Kurgan camshafts — the engine finally reached its limit

A Complete Cobra Overhaul

With the blown engine apart in his grandparents’ garage, Williams worked on assembling a complete new setup. “My grandparents let me use a portion of their garage, and I rebuilt the engine and ran it for about a year,” Williams says. “I kept seeing these turbo cars at Mustang Week, and I thought they were the coolest thing ever—I had to have one.” However, turbos weren’t the only thing that would be changing.

Twin Precision 6466 turbochargers are positioned in front of the engine, pushing air through a CG Fabrication custom 1300 intercooler before it enters a meticulously crafted sheet metal intake. Vibrant clamps ensure that pressure is securely contained within the system. Although the setup is not fully tuned yet, the ultimate goal is to achieve a staggering 1,200 horsepower ride. This ambitious target will transform the Cobra into a true powerhouse.

Over the next year, the chassis would be completely torn down and rebuilt to a top-tier standard, including the addition of a Turbo 400 transmission built for 1,500 horsepower to allow his wife some time behind the wheel. “The Nemak block – originally started life as an Aluminiator short-block Ford Performance had for the Cobras – had never been fired, so I took out the internals and replaced them with a better piston and rod setup and buttoned it up with ARP everything,” says Williams.

Replacing the supercharger in the engine bay is a pair of Precision 6466 turbochargers. The turbos force air into a custom sheet metal intake leading to a cut, lowered, and shaved Sullivan lower intake. Integrated into the turbo setup is an onboard air system with MAC valves, along with a TiAL Sport wastegate and blow-off valve. To keep intake air temperatures in check, a CG Fabrication 1300 custom intercooler is utilized. A pair of 3-inch downpipes allows exhaust gasses to escape before enlarging to 4-inches, which as Williams states, “the 4-inch piping to the tips fit perfectly on the bottom half of the Cobra bumper trim.”

A 3-inch downpipe quickly transitions to a 4-inch diameter before exiting through the bumper. While the sounds of the supercharger whine may be absent, the turbo spooling and the aggressive rumble of the 4-inch straight pipe more than compensate for it.

The newfound power necessitated replacing the driveshaft with a PST aluminum driveshaft and swapping out the factory independent rear suspension for an 8.8-inch solid rear axle unit. The solid rear axle was fully braced and featured 35-spline axles with a spool, providing Williams with an excellent setup for launches at the drag strip while avoiding the risk of breaking the extremely pricey independent rear suspension.

Getting the power to the ground required an upgraded wheelset, and for Williams, this meant a pair of Weld Racing beadlock RTS wheels sized 15×10 in the rear, wrapped in Hoosier Racing Tires Quick Time Pro Dot Tire 28×11.5 tires. Up front, weight was reduced with 17×4.5 Weld Alumistar wheels. Viking Performance Crusader coilovers were mounted on all four corners, along with Team Z Motorsports upper and lower control arms and a K-member.

The meaty rear tires aren’t the only thing keeping the power grounded. Beneath the rear, a solid rear axle replaces the independent rear suspension for improved durability. This new unit is fully braced and engineered for maximum durability, featuring robust 35-spline axles and a spool that ensure optimal power transfer to the wheels during hard launches and aggressive driving.

While the yellow paint is sure to grab eyeballs where its shown, it’s the engine bay that truly captures the most attention. Scott Rod bay panels line the engine compartment, welded in by ByePolr Performance before receiving a spray gun treatment from Zach Beregsasy.

Its a family car. We even have our daughter’s car seat in there, and the deep rumble puts her right to sleep. –Ryan Williams

The interior also received some love, featuring newer model dark suede Cobra seats and an upgraded head unit. Williams states, “It’s a family car. We even have our daughter’s car seat in there, and the deep rumble puts her right to sleep.” While the passenger might not be in the most comfortable position, the overall setup blends functionality with style.

Long Way From Home

While the Cobra is a far cry from Williams’ original introduction to the Mustang with a V6 base model, his dedication and willingness to learn and overcome challenges shine through in his builds. Even the tuning is being handled by him and a buddy, with an end-goal of 1,200 horsepower. So, if you’re ever at Ponies in the Smokies, Mustang Week, or even the local cruise nights in Somerset, Kentucky, this is a Cobra you won’t want to miss.

A view most of the competition will never see, this Cobra boasts twin turbochargers and plenty of suspension and tire to ensure it hooks and books. We can’t wait to see the timeslip after Williams makes his first trip down the strip with all the power.