Thread: Beware of Rocks
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Old 08-04-2014, 03:57 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Ipswich, QLD
Cobra Make, Engine: Harrison Cobra, SC540 Roadster
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Default Beware of Rocks

A couple of weeks ago we were of for a weekend away in the 540 with a group of friends. Driving along the Burnett Hwy I came around a bend through a cutting. I saw a rock in the middle of the side the road I was on. Before I completed the phrase "Oh cr*p" there was this almighty bang which woke my wife up. I looked in the rear a vision mirror as saw pieces of what I thought was broken rock. Checked the instruments, oil pressure and temp was Ok and no unusual noises. One of the cars behind came up beside be telling me to pull over.
They told me I had steam coming out from under both sides of the car(which was not evident looking through the centre rear a vision mirror). The steam turned out to be oil from the gear box.
When the car arrived home a few days later I put in on the hoist to check the damage.
The pictures are self explanatory




You can see the gouges in the road and the oil mark after that.

The cars in front were a GT40 which it didn't touch, the 2 AC Cobras which hit it causing no damage.

It went under my front lip which about 145mm clearance, just touched the sump which is 125mm clearance and then hit the gearbox which is 175mm clearance. The rock was 90mm X 90mm X 130mm.
From what we worked out happen, was the rock got stood up to it highest point, the sump clipped it causing it to rotate and hit the gearbox diagonally, then dug into the road.
Thank goodness for insurance companies.

Warren
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